Is Disney too expensive?

The new $32 burgers and $18 PB&Js at the Cake Bake Shop on the Boardwalk aren't helping. Look at the rest of the menu if you want to laugh.

To be fair, that's not Disney, though. That's an outside participant that's just renting space on Disney Boardwalk.

It's always been expensive in terms of the times. 30 years ago, the idea of paying over $250 for multi-day pass was wild but then again that was when McDonald's meal was about three bucks and my first part-time job four bucks an hour. It's not cheap running that place, no wonder they have to charge more.

RN: "Disney defenders also will point out the crazy prices for other out-of-home entertainment, including pro sports games, Broadway shows, concerts, and even ski lift tickets. But just because everything else (it seems) is too expensive does not excuse Disney for being too expensive as well."

Me: A few considerations regarding this analysis. First, whether or not any of these activities are "too expensive" is a subjective assessment. Second, what this analysis misses is how all of these entertainment platforms are expensive. They are labor-intensive business model, that carry high overhead costs. Perhaps a better comparison of these activities/production would begin by identifying common denominators related to operating requirements/costs.

A lot of people using this argument look at just the ticket prices, and in my opinion those in isolation are not too expensive given what you're paying for. It's definitely not cheap, but when stacked up against the other operators in the region they don't feel out of line. For example, the average ticket prices over the remainder of the month in SoCal are as follows...

Disneyland: $181
Knott's Berry Farm: $68
Six Flags Magic Mountain: $57
Universal Studios Hollywood: $124

Yes, that is quite a discrepancy. However, let's look at their average operating hours and get a price per hour...

Disneyland: ~$12 per hour
Knott's Berry Farm: ~$9 per hour
Six Flags Magic Mountain: ~$8 per hour
Universal Studios Hollywood: ~$14 per hour

Sure, per hour, Disneyland is 33% more than the local Knott's, but is Disneyland more than 33% better than Knott's? Probably, assuming what they offer is what you're looking for. And if we compare to their big rival Universal, Disneyland is 16% cheaper per hour for what most consider a better experience despite being nearly $60 more. It's fair to say that not everyone benefits from that hourly rate as not everyone has the interest or endurance to spend 15-16 hours at the park on a Disneyland outing, but it's one of the reasons why I feel despite Disney's expense their tickets aren't actually overpriced yet.

However, what I do feel is too expensive is the overall cost of a Disney vacation. Whether Florida or California, you're going to be paying three to four times the price for on-property accommodations minimum, plus the cost of everything else is going to be much higher. While I would definitely expect to pay more for the convenience of staying on property, the level of discrepancy has gotten pretty obscene these days, especially given the significantly reduced benefits of an official resort.

My big problem is the price increase compared to what you get. I am fine with it being expensive; however, the price increases but the service has diminished. No more Magic Express from the airport. No more packages delivered to the room. The level of customer service has seemed to have slipped over time. Now you have to pay even more to avoid the lines. Of course people still show up and pay, so I imagine this will continue. It just seems that with the increases they should build more instead of remove and replace. Who needs a nice river anyway?

Everyone complained about Disneyland being too expensive when I was a child in the 1960’s. I still think it’s a great value in comparison to other types of entertainment which may only last two hours or so. Still, Disney is too expensive and I wonder when I will reach my limits, financially.

Disneyland is way too small for the massive market that it serves. When you take into consideration the entire western half of the US and Canada, the population of California itself is 40 million, its the wealthiest state in the wealthiest country in the history of the world...and then to top it all off everyone wants to go to this dinky little theme park that can comfortably hold like 40,000 people. They can basically name whatever price they want and the place will be packed.

On the other hand I think WDW is finally starting to see dramatic reductions in attendance the past few years as a direct result from the prices. We have seen more deals in the market and the fact that they didn't raise gate prices today as well I think says something.

We all agree that Disneyland is expensive to operate. But why is that? Having read Disney fan websites, especially the feedback posts, I see there is an insatiable demand for ever more themed and complex rides. I read them on this website too. There are also plenty of negative comments when paint is worn or rides break down. You can't have it both ways, demanding Disney spend hundreds of millions on new rides, billions on new lands, and then complain about having to pay for it.

So long as there are crowds, Disney is not too expensive

elduderino (cool handle) nails it! If I could be guaranteed a wait time of no more than 20 minutes per attraction/meet and greets as well as decent vantage points for parades and shows, I'd pay premium for a Disney or Comcast park. Crowds are the concern, not prices ... at least for me.

One other consideration. I've read in two or three places that the average North American/Asian/Euro-Person/South American visits a Disney park like four times over their lives. This ain't like the price of milk, healthcare, gasoline or any (you know) actual necessity related to our existence on the mortal coil. Example: Me and FTHC are going to visit EU in September 2026 (staying at the big fat hotel, etc). So we are already saving money for what some theme park muggles will claim is an overpriced adventure.

I am sure one factor with DL is cast member’s pay. It costs a fortune to live in SoCal, and you have to commute significant distances to live.

Disney World is a priceless experience, and my problem is not with Disney for charging what the park is worth but with our employers who don't pay us what WE are worth. This leads to the unaffordability of not just Disney World tickets but also food, housing, and so many other needs and wants.

Even more upsetting is that Disneyland employees were only recently afforded a living wage in LA/Anaheim (see news related to wage strikes in late July 2024). My point is that it is hypocritical that Disney values itself fairly but not the vast majority of people who make up the corporation in the first place (because we all know the C-Suite isn't suffering). This criticism applies to pretty much all companies.

So, is Disney too expensive? No, it's a more than fair price for what I'm getting out of it. But since I cannot afford it, and my employers pay me next to nothing, is Disney affordable? I'd say no.

My mistake, Robert. I was under the impression it was Disney owned and operated.

I purchased my first every magic key a year ago. I live about 2.5 hours away from Disneyland, but felt I would make two trips a year and would get my money's worth. My renewal this year was $50 more, not bad. But I'm debating whether or not the extra $100 to renew next year will be worth it or not. Certainly it would be if I lived closer, but knowing I only come down twice a year, I'm currently on the fence. I do feel I get a lot for the money spent, as I love Disney, but I feel people's pain at how much a single family trip can cost. I shudder to think what pricing could be once all the new rides and Disney Forward opens.

I think there's something critical missing from this analysis, which is the general trend in the live entertainment industry of creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and once in a lifetime experiences that are priced accordingly that simply didn't exist even 10-15 years ago. Those types of events and experiences tend to appeal more to people on the upper ends of the income spectrum as the "middle class" has become more stratified in recent decades. However, as the middle class has stratified, the bulk of people that would categorizing themselves as "middle class" just aren't as wealthy as those who felt they were "middle class" 20 years ago.

For example, when my wife and I got married in 2004, we could pretty easily afford a week-long trip to WDW or Disneyland every single year with ticket prices that were in the $50-75/day range. As others have noted, it wasn't just the park admissions that were cheaper back in the 00's and 10's, but it was also other aspects of the trip like hotel rooms (we "splurged" on a AKL Savanah-view room for @$200 a night back in 2005 that you couldn't book today for less than $500 now), food, and other add-ons (doesn't even include LL, which was free back then in the form of FP). On our every year or 2 trip to Disney parks, we rarely spent over $1,000 for the 2 of us, and even after our son was born in 2010, we typically kept our week-long trips under $2000. So what's changed over the past 20 years? Our household income has more or less doubled, but the cost to visit Disney parks has more than doubled with admissions $150+/day and even value hotels priced on sale at $150+/night (used to regularly find WDW value hotels in the $50-75/night range with deals 10-20 years ago). The prices for Disney have outpaced even our solid growth in income, making what we would consider every 1-3 years trips too expensive to pay for at that frequency.

And that's exactly what I think is happening with Disney, and I've noted this in other comments regarding Disney's approach to their businesses. They are increasingly marketing themselves as a luxury brand and something that they want to be viewed as a special occasion destination, not a routine vacation spot that guests would return to year after year. I suppose that is fine if Disney can continue to draw guests and grow their brand to the point where they can fill the parks with first-timers. However, Disney parks' popularity was built on frequent visitors, and they even built an entire business around guests who come back to their resorts year after year after year (DVC). Will guests that visit 2 or 3 times in their lifetime buy DVC and sustain a business that consumes nearly 30% of their resort bookings at any given time?

That is where I think Disney is miscalculating their position in the market, and relying on guests at the upper end of the middle class strata where the cost of a Disney vacation does not cost a significant percentage of their discretionary income. The fact of the matter is the if my wife and I were newlyweds making what recent college graduates are making today, we could not afford to visit Disney parks as frequently as we did 20 years ago (or even as much as we do now), and might not even feel compelled to visit more than once over the 6 years before we decided to have a child. The real question is would only visiting once (or twice) over 6 years have impacted our desire to visit the parks with our growing family (if we could even afford it).

The fact of the matter is that Disney is losing touch with the guests that formed the core of their fanbase 20+ years ago. Yes, they're appealing more to big spenders who are willing to pay for upcharges and more luxury experiences, but the question is at what cost will this shift in demographics have on the future of the business. Will blue collar folks continue to take out second mortgages to make that Disney trip? Will lower wage folks still pinch pennies to make that right of passage for their kids a priority at their various stages of growth (baby, toddler, school age, teenager, and graduate)? Will those folks who visit once or twice in their 20's still feel the draw of the parks when they have kids, passing on the tradition of visiting Disney as a family when they have the resources to afford it?

I fear that by turning the parks into a once or twice in a lifetime experience, the fanbase will eventually shrink, forcing Disney to continue to raise prices to make ends meet and allow the parks to meet the sky high expectations that are established by costs that are far outpacing inflation.

Also, I think Disney marketing itself as a FOMO-style destination, that they not only establish an expectation that is increasingly more difficult to deliver, but places a Disney vacation into competition with destinations that are truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are comparably priced and actually give guests experiences that are one of a kind (foreign destinations and experiences that are considered "priceless").