Disney pricing the middle class out
- Thread starter rteetz
- Start date
ponyboy
baseball, baseball, baseball
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2010
It's not profiteering, it's just business. The object of any business is to sell a product or service to create a profit. Disney management is under contract with it's owners (shareholders) to create as much profit as possible. People base their decision to buy shares in a company on what their return on investment will be and they want that return to be as high as possible.
Disney is not making an excessive profit, if it were and it charged too much then people would stop going, the revenue would go down and they would lower their prices. It's simple supply and demand. Disney has a limited amount of space in their theme parks and their job is to fill up as much available space at the highest price possible and that's exactly what they're doing.
DetroitDisney
DISfanatic
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
I suppose if you hate capitalism, you could always move to one of the great communist nations of the world. I hear they are always looking to replace the people constantly fleeing their borders.
delyrium
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2011
I probably shouldn't ask, but since when are leftists not concerned/outraged about the rising price of college education?
DetroitDisney
DISfanatic
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
While I'm guessing at the PP intentions, my guess is that most leftist media tends to spend drastically more time bashing business than education. And usually when education comes up, it's not a matter of schools failing at management, but all the other things the government should pay for. But that's all off topic, haha.
But I agree that education is crazy expensive these days.
Well everything has bias these days. However there is still a point to be made about how prices have risen over the years at Disney.
Tonka's Skipper
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2010
The bottom line here is simple..........Disney, Uni, Ford, colleges, Apple, etc,etc, are ALL doing the same thing. They are charging what the public will pay. Its not profiteering or cheating, its charge, its free enterprize. Disney is not pushing out the middle class, because if they were, they would not have ll these value resorts, some of which are priced as little as $87.00 a night. Disney ticket structureis not that fr rom Uni when you add in the extra csts of Uni like $35.00 for their express pass?
End of story.
AKK
End of story.
AKK
mickeyfanachey1999
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
I second that!
Can you also have them install a stop in Atlanta??
theyoungs07
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2013
Just the tuition fees for the University I graduated from in 1999, University of Illinois (a PUBLIC institution), have gone from $3,408 to $11,834 (about a 350% increase). Room and board increased from $5,346 to $10,636 (about double). This is in-state as well, and the engineering school adds about $5k to the tuition. Tuition in 1971 was $321, so a 3700% increase.
The scale of Disney's increases do not concern me compared to this, as similar increases are everywhere. If Disney gets too expensive, I'll go somewhere else, if college is too expensive for my kids...the "go somewhere else" options are getting more limited by the day.
The scale of Disney's increases do not concern me compared to this, as similar increases are everywhere. If Disney gets too expensive, I'll go somewhere else, if college is too expensive for my kids...the "go somewhere else" options are getting more limited by the day.
DetroitDisney
DISfanatic
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
I also cant talk much when it comes to Disney. If single day tickets are $200, I'm still going...
minnie-apple-mouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
The article (and many folks) was pointing out the expensive things "above" and beyond the "dining, tickets and rooms", although it did get the $3,000 bungalows jab in there, as a way to show (back up its claim) the middle class is being priced out.
But even "dining, tickets and rooms" are being "desired" at higher levels than really necessary if you are on the fringe of being able to afford a WDW trip.
I pointed out that "dining and rooms" can be drastically reduced, and certainly can avoid the articles very expensive options. From staying offsite, or going when Values are $98 or less. Food can be greatly reduced staying offsite, and value food courts are not all that expensive. I think you can even walk to McDonalds from there-maybe that closed.
So it's simply down to the park pass. That is not enough IMO to lock the middle class out.
I also mentioned "repeat" trips as a desire that not many/most visitors can afford. You are saying you are "having to stay fewer days and cheaper rooms-exactly my advice to afford to go, yet it's still repeat trips that most folks never get.
Furthermore, if you need to "manage increasing crowds"-the prices are not too high IMO, or there would not be increasing crowds.
Andrew015
WL Guru
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2000
Call it what you want, but fact of the matter is TWDC has increased prices across the board - park admission, room, food, etc. - at an incredible rate over the past decade (in some instances, close to 100%), well outpacing the rate of inflation in almost all categories, especially admission and rooms. Great for stockholders, yes. However, terrible for guests that historically made up the bulk of Disney's target audience in year's past - your very average middle class family.
Sure, some middle-class families can still "afford" to go. 0-2 kids, little to no debt, folks that are living well within their means. No problem. Now take into account families with 3-5 kids, some in private school or one in college, and for many of these families, a Disney vacation is a pipe dream. The average U.S. household has ~$9K in credit card debt. IMHO, if you have any credit card debt, you shouldn't be planning a vacation anywhere until it gets paid off (I might get flamed for that, but that's just my personal belief) - especially a ~$3,000+ Disney vacation. This statistic alone considerably narrows down the amount of M.C. families that can truly "afford" a Disney vacation.
Within the past few years, I've developed a passion for high-end wrist watches. I just returned from 9 nights at "the World" last week, and I was absolutely amazed at the amount of multi-thousand dollar watches that I saw on any given day. This last trip even beat the amount of high-end watches I've seen in some of the wealthiest cities in the world (NY, Hong Kong, Shanghai) on any given day by a landslide.
Moral of my ramblings, while the middle class may still very well be the #1 class of guests visiting the parks, it would be ridiculous to think that the upper-middle class and above isn't gaining steady ground. And you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this is the group of consumers that Disney is truly focused on. Things like the Villas at GF, the Poly Bungalows, the soon-to-be-announced WL Cabins, etc. etc. are not marketed towards your average Joe earning ~$45K per year. These are the very items that dominate the majority of marketing seen while on property, and they're intended to strike a note with the gentleman wearing the $22K white gold Rolex Daytona that I saw waiting in line for the Peoplemover.
Sure, some middle-class families can still "afford" to go. 0-2 kids, little to no debt, folks that are living well within their means. No problem. Now take into account families with 3-5 kids, some in private school or one in college, and for many of these families, a Disney vacation is a pipe dream. The average U.S. household has ~$9K in credit card debt. IMHO, if you have any credit card debt, you shouldn't be planning a vacation anywhere until it gets paid off (I might get flamed for that, but that's just my personal belief) - especially a ~$3,000+ Disney vacation. This statistic alone considerably narrows down the amount of M.C. families that can truly "afford" a Disney vacation.
Within the past few years, I've developed a passion for high-end wrist watches. I just returned from 9 nights at "the World" last week, and I was absolutely amazed at the amount of multi-thousand dollar watches that I saw on any given day. This last trip even beat the amount of high-end watches I've seen in some of the wealthiest cities in the world (NY, Hong Kong, Shanghai) on any given day by a landslide.
Moral of my ramblings, while the middle class may still very well be the #1 class of guests visiting the parks, it would be ridiculous to think that the upper-middle class and above isn't gaining steady ground. And you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this is the group of consumers that Disney is truly focused on. Things like the Villas at GF, the Poly Bungalows, the soon-to-be-announced WL Cabins, etc. etc. are not marketed towards your average Joe earning ~$45K per year. These are the very items that dominate the majority of marketing seen while on property, and they're intended to strike a note with the gentleman wearing the $22K white gold Rolex Daytona that I saw waiting in line for the Peoplemover.
Tarheel girl 1975
Supposed Former Fastpass Hoarder
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2008
Goofy'slady
When Life Gives You Lemons - SHOP!
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2006
According to the posted chart my one income family is considered middle class but more than likely on the lower end of that said class. However, my family as a whole (parents and older siblings) had been going to Disney since the early seventies and for a minority family of two working professionals that was a great feat. I'm the youngest of 5 kids so by the time I came along and remember going to Disney it was sometime in the early 80's. I've been going just about every year since I was born. Now that I'm head of my own house and a single mum of two I've been able to continue taking my kids just about every year. I plan about 6 months out. I unlike some cannot afford to log onto my MDE and pay for our vacation all at once. I put down my deposit - some years it's more than the 200 dollar requirement some years it's just that. Some years I make 2000 dollar payments at a time and other times it's 1000 dollar payments. Just all depends on what other things we have going on at the time of planning but thank goodness Disney realizes that not everyone's financial situation is the exact same. We stay for at least 10 days and we stay moderate. I get the dining plan, the memory maker and make all sorts of reservations for different extras such as BBB and this year my youngest and I are doing the afternoon tea experience at the Grand Floridian. I know plenty of people who could afford to take their kids and stay deluxe and spring for all sorts of things and I know people who can afford to take their families and stay value and just focus on the parks and maybe a character meal or two. I get asked all the time by my friends and coworkers - how can you afford to take such a vacation every year? My answer is that I don't have a mansion (we live in a comfy 3 bedroom 2 bath rancher) I have a fear of driving so that means no car payment, insurance or maintenance, I do have a smart phone but it's certainly not an Iphone and other luxuries that ppl just can't find themselves living without these days we most certainly do! We love to travel and we don't only travel to Disney, I love experiencing things with my girls that for me those things I listed don't go missed by me at all. I spoil my kids rotten and I can afford to do so because of the little things I cut out here and there.
To be honest I don't think Disney is one of those vacation destinations that is for EVERYBODY whether they can afford it or not. Disney is a business and as long as I can make the journey once (sometimes twice a year) to see the Mouse and spend girl time with my girls than I'm there!
To be honest I don't think Disney is one of those vacation destinations that is for EVERYBODY whether they can afford it or not. Disney is a business and as long as I can make the journey once (sometimes twice a year) to see the Mouse and spend girl time with my girls than I'm there!
minnie-apple-mouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
IMO you've summed it up perfectly.
Agree 100%, just not participating in all the higher end options.
Agreed 100%, would never say otherwise.
I far prefer deep pockets attracted to WDW.
Many of the middle class "want" more days, more return trips, hopping, better hotels, better food, park parties, watches etc. Life choices (esp spanning over 50 years) and luck will determine what they choose, or can afford. The upper-middle class is already there. And again-choices made throughout the year not related to Disney, is probably the bigger factor.
Agree 100%, just not participating in all the higher end options.
Agreed 100%, would never say otherwise.
I far prefer deep pockets attracted to WDW.
Many of the middle class "want" more days, more return trips, hopping, better hotels, better food, park parties, watches etc. Life choices (esp spanning over 50 years) and luck will determine what they choose, or can afford. The upper-middle class is already there. And again-choices made throughout the year not related to Disney, is probably the bigger factor.
Last edited:
minnie-apple-mouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
disneymac000
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2014
Alright,
So I read the entire thread and I know this topic is old but this is important. What is the purpose of a vacation and time off? It is time to recoup to be able to come back to work creatively fresh, physically capable, and mentally strong. It is also time to come together as a family or with friends and create memories. The reason most of you wanted to go to Disney or go to Disney are for those reasons right. To spend time to create memories as it is probably one of the best destinations to do that. Its become a right of passage for all families whether rich, poor, middle class.
Disney isn't affordable for everyone yes and vacation is a luxury, however, guess who is taking advantage of that. The park down the street people love to call the darkside. I can get a 6 person suite at Cabana Bay for 115 dollars which is the same price as a regular room at Art of Animation. Of course, many of you will celebrate and say yea now the park is less crowded for me but at the same time, less revenue later on, less investment in the park and more stagnant it will be. Those same families will grow to love the other park and just like some of you who have gone for years do the same for the dark side. Record Profits mean nothing. All Disney did was replace the good old Americans who used to be able to attend the park with Brazilians but what's going to happen if something happens to their economy. Disney is going to have to sooner or later cut prices and those stock holders bragging about their high stock and pleased with the high prices will lose their investment due to greed of outpricing the middle class.
But by then, it won't matter. People will have either given up on a disney vacation because as many people on here, its a luxury they can't afford etc and go somewhere else and Disney is going to be cutting staff and things left and right to keep a high return for investors so they can keep prices low. In the end no one wins. Its smart for them to lower prices now, be affordable for more people, then to continue the path they are on. I mean a recession hits Britian and Brazil, lets be real, Disney can't handle that hit again.
So I read the entire thread and I know this topic is old but this is important. What is the purpose of a vacation and time off? It is time to recoup to be able to come back to work creatively fresh, physically capable, and mentally strong. It is also time to come together as a family or with friends and create memories. The reason most of you wanted to go to Disney or go to Disney are for those reasons right. To spend time to create memories as it is probably one of the best destinations to do that. Its become a right of passage for all families whether rich, poor, middle class.
Disney isn't affordable for everyone yes and vacation is a luxury, however, guess who is taking advantage of that. The park down the street people love to call the darkside. I can get a 6 person suite at Cabana Bay for 115 dollars which is the same price as a regular room at Art of Animation. Of course, many of you will celebrate and say yea now the park is less crowded for me but at the same time, less revenue later on, less investment in the park and more stagnant it will be. Those same families will grow to love the other park and just like some of you who have gone for years do the same for the dark side. Record Profits mean nothing. All Disney did was replace the good old Americans who used to be able to attend the park with Brazilians but what's going to happen if something happens to their economy. Disney is going to have to sooner or later cut prices and those stock holders bragging about their high stock and pleased with the high prices will lose their investment due to greed of outpricing the middle class.
But by then, it won't matter. People will have either given up on a disney vacation because as many people on here, its a luxury they can't afford etc and go somewhere else and Disney is going to be cutting staff and things left and right to keep a high return for investors so they can keep prices low. In the end no one wins. Its smart for them to lower prices now, be affordable for more people, then to continue the path they are on. I mean a recession hits Britian and Brazil, lets be real, Disney can't handle that hit again.
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