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Credit: DisneyFor many people, a Disney vacation has always been something that is expensive, but well worth the price. Between the amazing resort hotels, the immersive rides and attractions, character dining, and stunning nighttime entertainment, it was certain to be a memorable experience.
Unfortunately, a lot has changed in a very short amount of time, and many of those same people now find themselves looking at other vacation spots, as Disney has just become way too expensive. The prices for nearly everything have skyrocketed, but the experience has remained largely the same. This has led to a lot of guests feeling they are no longer getting a good deal for what they are paying for.
Related: New Disney Price Hike Raises Concerns for Travelers: What You Need To Know
And now, a new article from The Wall Street Journal is revealing just how much Disney is concerned about its stagnant theme park attendance and whether or not they think they have out priced themselves.
According to recent surveys sent out by Disney and others, more and more guests are admitting that they will not return to the parks in the near future. The main reason for their decision? Price.
The survey found that 74% of respondents believe that experiences like cruises, amusement parks and visits to Disney resorts have become financially out of reach. The poll indicated that lower-priced nature-focused vacations are gaining ground on pricier resort and theme park trips.
Among those who reported that they’ve cut back on Disney vacations, the biggest reason was cost—59% said a Disney experience had become too expensive, compared with 27% who said they weren’t interested and 14% who said they didn’t have time.
The article states that discussions about pricing and declining guest attendance have become the norm at Disney. However, Disney CEO Bob Iger and other executives do not seem interested in addressing the core pricing issue.
They seem to think that if the company makes small changes, it will put Disney back in a positive light and drive up attendance.
Shortly after returning, Iger called a meeting at Disney’s Burbank, Calif., headquarters, and asked D’Amaro to come up with a list of things the company could do to win back the goodwill of fans, according to people familiar with the meeting.
The company could offer discounted parking, or more days during the off season with lower-priced tickets, the parks chief suggested. It could also freeze the theme parks’ regular rounds of price hikes, but that could deprive Disney of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Iger chose to bring back free overnight parking at Walt Disney World Resort hotels and off-peak ticket promotions, the people said. Regular price hikes continued.
Related: Bob Iger Gets Massive Pay Bump As Disney Leadership Sees Big Shake-Ups
So, despite being worried about price gouging, Disney continued to make everything more expensive.
The company even reached a new peak when it announced the Lightning Lane Premier Pass. This new pass allows guests to skip the line once per ride at the theme park of their choice without making ride reservations. On a peak day during the busy season, guests can pay as much as $449 PER PERSON to skip the lines at the Magic Kingdom.
The price of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass varies day by day and park by park. It is important to note that the Premier Pass only lets guests skip the line in one park. If they go to another theme park that day and want to skip the line, they will have to purchase the Premier Pass for that park if it is still available.
Now, Disney has tried to offset some of its high costs by offering things like $50 tickets for children, hotel discounts during popular travel times, and dining credits for those who book packages.
However, they seem unwilling to admit that they may have just gotten too expensive.
After COVID, when the theme parks could finally increase attendance, prices really seemed to skyrocket. And since then, attendance has dropped, but Disney always has an excuse as to why.
First, it was because the post-COVID travel bug had fizzled out. Recently, they tried to claim that those families who could afford to go to the theme parks were deciding to travel the world instead.
Disney has also called various surveys misleading and claimed they are trying to portray Disney in a negative light. CFO Hugh Johnston has also said that attendance declines are just a “hiccup.”
Unfortunately, if Disney doesn’t take a hard look at itself and its pricing, it will soon run out of excuses for why guests are choosing to vacation elsewhere and why attendance is continuing to decline.
Do you think Disney has finally out-priced itself? Do they need to just admit things got out of hand and lower costs? Share your thoughts in the comments!