The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is one of the most enchanting vacation spots in the world, but it can also leave a sizable dent in your wallet if you don’t plan ahead. However, multiple families are reportedly in debt after their last visit.
The Walt Disney Company recently came under some massive heat for up-charging and price gouging at the parks, but expenses at places like Disney World and Disneyland continue to rise. The average Disney vacation can cost thousands of dollars, even for the most budget-friendly options, and it seems like families are most affected.
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Although Disney recently kickstarted a massive shift towards a family-focused way of doing things, it’s exceptionally difficult to get their core audience back when they find themselves going into debt over trips to the Disney parks. The company might continue to line its wallet, but it’s betraying its prime consumer base in the process.
Disney World Puts Multiple Guests in Debt
A recent report from The Tampa Bay Times shared interviews and testimonies from multiple families with different earning ranges who literally went thousands of dollars in debt after their recent Disney trips. While there are certainly strategies and methods to avoid going this overboard and over budget, the article makes one damning distinction in its overall message.
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Disney is slowly slipping away from its target audience and catering to higher earners to flood the parks. The report shares a comment from Touring Plans president Len Testa, who shares an unsettling truth about the House of Mouse.
The article reads,
“Disney targets households in the top 20% of incomes,” Testa said. “The company has distributed material to travel agents with selling points for earners in the top 10%, 5% and 1% to convince them to come to Disney parks,” he said.
“And if you look at the numbers, the bottom 20% of American households literally cannot afford a single day in a Disney park,” Testa said, citing a 2019 household expenditure survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “They don’t spend that much on vacation for an entire year.”
“Those in the top 20% of household incomes spend more on travel than the bottom 80% combined,” he said.
If Disney truly targets those in the top 20%, 80% of their potential consumers will be discarded in the wake of higher earners. The article also goes on to mention that Disney Superfans belong to the middle class, and even they have to plan and strategize to make the magic happen.
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As Disney continues this trend, the company essentially undermines the recent progress in recapturing traditional magic. While the return of FastPass+ in the form of the new Lightning Lane Multipass program and the limited-time deal for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT tickets is a step in the right direction, it might not be enough.
Who Really Buys the Tickets
For the past century, Disney has been synonymous with family entertainment both in and out of the parks. However, pricing them out of the fun is far from the right way to do things.
Trips to the parks have almost always been pricey, and the average cost for a single guest is roughly $305.25 per person per day. That’s not even including things like air travel, and things still continue to add up.
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While there are certainly package deals, vacation hacks, and steps guests can take to ensure a fun and affordable time, a visit to Walt Disney World shouldn’t require a full-on battle strategy just to get on a roller coaster, buy a churro or get a hug from Mickey. Disney loses their core demographic by making everything such a complicated game of nickel-and-dime.
A trip to the Disney parks shouldn’t just be affordable; it needs to be more user-friendly across the financial board. After all, the company can’t expect to maintain its longevity without multiple generations coming back for more.
Has Disney become too expensive for families? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
