Oh, friends. You might have arrived here with a preconceived notion about the level of argument you might find in this article. While my question might feel emotionally charged, I want you to hear me before reacting. This isn’t a diss towards Disney fans who want value for their investment; I am one of you. However, it is an exploration of a question I’ve been asking more and more over the last few weeks. I’ve read so many inflammatory articles on the internet recently, revving up fans until there is a bit of an anti-Disney mob mentality. I want to take a moment to challenge that thinking, potentially reframing how we look at the increasing costs of our favorite vacation destination. Scroll through and read my unpopular opinion with me, if you will.
A Disney vacation has always been a premium experience, a luxury reserved for the lucky few who have the privilege of making the journey. There is no denying that the world has become much more expensive over the last few years. To me, it seems that the frustration with rising costs isn’t really with Disney maintaining their premium product, but it has more to do with our personal situations. Of course, Disney sets its prices to cover its expenses, the cost of new ventures, and to deliver increasing profits, but why do we feel this sense of entitlement to affordability when it comes to a luxury experience?
I’m not a wealthy person; I’m not going to own a Porsche in my time, nor will I own anything more than a pair of sunglasses from Tiffany’s – and even those were a gift. Part of that is because I’m not in an elite earning bracket; the other part is that the money I do earn, I like to invest in experiences rather than things. That keeps me traveling the world and returning to Disney in a constant drive to enjoy more adventures, make more memories, and share that time with the people I love. Over the years, just like everyone else, my circumstances have changed; at one point, I had to give up my love of Disney for years, unable to afford to return. However, not once did it occur to me to blame Disney.
The cost of living has increased so rapidly in our post-pandemic society that to think about it too long can feel quickly overwhelming. The cost of a simple item like eggs has more than doubled at my local supermarket and almost everything else there. Don’t even talk to me about the cost of flights, which are more than double what they were before, to pretty much anywhere from Australia. My local takeaway shop also doubled, and the last time I caught an Uber, it cost me almost $30 to travel for roughly 6 minutes. So, with that in mind, I hope you can understand that if everything in my world has doubled over the last five years, why would I expect a luxury travel destination to be the exception?
And don’t get me wrong, I have had those thoughts. Last year, before I traveled to Disneyland, I was quietly shocked at the cost of our vacation package. Then I remembered how familiar that feeling was as I compared it to the inflation I saw in the other travel destinations we have visited over the last 2 years. Suddenly, Disney paled compared to some cities like Paris and London, where the increases almost priced me out of visiting altogether. Some of you may remember my 2020 trip to Japan, which was canceled for obvious reasons. Well, that has finally come back around, and we are ready to make it happen. You can imagine my shock when the same trip is now, you guessed it, double the cost of what it was before. So much so that I’ve had to cut our time there and change the itinerary entirely to find enough financial compromises that could make it work.
Now, looking at the bigger picture, why do we hold Disney to some higher standard where we expect them to maintain the affordability of their product for a broader market than they need? The parks are full; the resorts they still book out, and the truth is, their costs have risen just as much as everyone else’s have. That electricity increase you are struggling with, they have, too. They aren’t immune to the skyrocketing cost of fresh fruit and vegetables either. Why would we expect them to cut their profit instead of increase their pricing accordingly? Sure, we might want them to; I mean, who wouldn’t like a chapter holiday to any destination? But why do we honestly expect it as though it is owed to us?
This one has me puzzled, and I would love to hear your thoughts. We all would like things cheaper, but why do some people react emotionally, feeling entitled to an affordable Disney vacation?
Also, just quietly, on that last Disneyland trip I mentioned, my Dreams Unlimited Travel agent saved me a lot of money. A few weeks before we arrived, they found an offer and applied it to my reservation for a substantial discount. I highly recommend giving it a try!
Feature image: Disney.
