What Do We Do Now?
People are upset about the price increases, myself included. However, I have always believed that you get what you pay for. Right now, you do get a lot for what you pay for at Disneyland (incredible attractions, entertainment, characters, experiences, food…corndog anyone?). The annual pass is still an incredible deal if you visit the park regularly. Sure, the daily passes have gotten quite expensive but consider this: when I was a child we would visit Disneyland on vacations every couple of years. We would save up and come to California and we would get 1 day at Disneyland for the entire trip. Those were some of the best days of our trips though. They were magical. They were quality. They were what Disneyland is supposed to be: A family day of fun at Disneyland. Say today that we saved up and went to a Disneyland where quality suffered, lines were ridiculous, the food disgusting, and magic… well, that was just a memory of the past because it was all about getting more people through the gate. That just doesn’t sound like the experience lifelong memories are made of. I would prefer the first scenario.
So what do you do if you don’t like the price increase?
- The first and most obvious answer is: Don’t go to Disneyland and encourage your friends and family to do the same. This may sound heartless but it comes instead from the recognition that the Walt Disney Company is a for-profit company. If their price increases hurt attendance and money is no longer spent at the parks because people stop visiting, Disney will take notice and have to make a change… because it would hurt profits. For this to happen though, a LOT of people would have to basically boycott Disney.
- The second thing you could do is write a polite and concise letter to Disney voicing your displeasure and your concerns. You can do this by visiting disneyland.com and going to the “email us” page.
- The third alternative is the one that I would advocate. Recognize that Disney is not trying to ruin your life. They are trying to make your visits to the Disneyland Resort more magical, and sometimes that means raising prices or capping how many annual passes are sold. Is it a perfect scenario? Of course not. Is it necessary? Probably.
I honestly believe that the powers that be at the Disneyland Resort legitimately want to create the best and most magical experience for everyone who visits the happiest place on Earth. Not everyone will be happy with every decision made but I do think that there are a lot more good decisions made than bad ones. The Disneyland Resort of today is way more amazing than the Disneyland Resort of ten years ago and I’m looking forward to seeing what is in store for ten years from now.
With all that said, I will continue on as a Disneyland Annual Passholder (as long as finances allow) and continue to enjoy my Sunday nights at Disneyland. Half of the magic of Disneyland is the attitude we bring to it so while I’m not a fan of paying more, I am a fan of having a good time at Disneyland so will choose to focus on that. I also choose to focus on the fact that quality does not come cheaply. We are paying for quality Disney magic that only Disney can provide.
Now that you have read my thoughts, I would love to hear yours. I know this is an issue that many are passionate about (me included) so please keep your thoughts family friendly, respectful, and dignified.
Make it a GREAT day!
– Mr. DAPs
ps. Check out my friend Lisa’s thoughts on the price increases for another interesting perspective: http://babesindisneylandblog.com/2014/05/3-reasons-why-im-not-angry-about-the-disneyland-price-hike/
