News Disney Parks Chief Josh D'Amaro Says Pricing Model Aims to Keep Vacations Affordable for Families

[Sirwalterraleigh]

To the left of me - jokers to the right.

I HATE that song

 

[Chi84]

I HATE that song

You’re just stuck in the middle. Try to free your mind.

 

[mkt]

So, if Disney was affordable when we made much less money, how is it not affordable now?

The price increases at Disney have drastically surpassed inflation and wage growth over the same timeframe.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Josh's idea of affordability is like caddy pool day at the country club.

And if you get that reference, you can afford it!

You guys win the interwebz today.

 

[Laketravis]

Today is May 16, 2025. Josh D'Amaro thought about affordability today when he saw a Spirit Airlines Jet out the window of his private jet reflecting off of the glass of preflight champagne.

Next Josh D'Amaro affordability thought update May 19 2025 because rich people like Josh don’t think about the poors on weekends. Unless they’re waiting on him.

Affordability?

 

[donaldtoo]

Josh's idea of affordability is like caddy pool day at the country club.

 

[Lilofan]

Today is May 16, 2025. Josh D'Amaro thought about affordability today when he saw a Spirit Airlines Jet out the window of his private jet reflecting off of the glass of preflight champagne.

Next Josh D'Amaro affordability thought update May 19 2025 because rich people like Josh don’t think about the poors on weekends. Unless they’re waiting on him.

Josh rose up the food chain spending part of his career in operations such as being VP of DAK. There was a report that he became very emotional when he personally met with groups of parks and resorts cast during the COVID furloughs and layoffs. He has sympathy for the cast but for the guests ?

 

[monothingie]

It is odd that Josh rose up the food chain spending part of his career in operations such as being VP of DAK. There was a report that he became very emotional when he personally met with groups of parks and resorts cast during the COVID furloughs and layoffs. He has sympathy for the cast but for the guests ?

Just like his way too tight pants, it's all an act to advance his career goals.

 

[Lilofan]

Just like his way too tight pants, it's all an act to advance his career goals.

Not the first exec of any company to exhibit this behavior and certainly not the last.

 

[monothingie]

Not the first exec of any company to exhibit this behavior and certainly not the last.

Bob Iger wears cardigans when it's 95 degrees out. Josh wears super tight slacks. Christine McCarthy wore an Cruella Deville mask all the time...no wait that was actually her.

Bottom line Disney C-Suiters have very odd fashion choices.

 

[JD80]

The price increases at Disney have drastically surpassed inflation and wage growth over the same timeframe.

Can you define what drastically means to you as a percentage?

 

[mkt]

Can you define what drastically means to you as a percentage?

Sure. When I say "drastically," I mean this:

Since 1971, Disney World ticket prices have increased by 5,586%, from $3.50 to $199. During that same period, average U.S. wages grew by 926% (from $6,497 to $66,622). Meanwhile, the cumulative rate of inflation from 1971 to 2025 is approximately 675%.

Disney tickets: up 5,586%, nearly 8.3x higher than inflation.

Wages: up 926%, only about 1.4x higher than inflation.

So yes, ticket prices have drastically outpaced both wage growth and inflation. It’s not a feeling. It’s math.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

One day at a Disney Park vs. one day at any other ticketed event is a pretty good comparison.

What other ticketed event goes from 8 AM to 11 PM?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Yeah, aren't some musicians suing sites like Ticketmaster for price gouging? I know concerts are more expensive because most people don't buy albums anymore (which is how musicians used to make their money, and streaming doesn't pay nearly as much) but they were definitely overpriced regardless.

Aside from that situation though, I'm pretty sure most "leave your house" activities are incredibly expensive nowadays. Theme parks, amusement parks, musical festivals, concerts, sporting events, vacation resorts, beach trips, road trips... you could probably go on and on. The average family used to be able to do at least one big vacation or a few smaller vacations a year a few decades ago and now most families are lucky to get a weekend trip in every year because everything is just too expensive. Even going out to eat at a reasonably decent restaurant is outrageous now- a dinner for two (one drink each, one entree each, and an appetizer) tends to get close to $100 at anywhere that isn't a chain or fast food, and even *those* are expensive now- $30 for two people at McDonald's is the new "normal".

These companies whose products aren't even essential for survival are raising their prices to squeeze every last penny out of a population who haven't seen significant wage increases in ages. Going off this chart, the median inflation adjusted hourly earnings in the US in 2023 was $19.24, compared to 1973, where it was $17.48 ($2.80 in 1973 dollars). That's less than $2.00 of increased purchasing power in 50 years, meanwhile things certainly haven't increased by less than $2.00. In 1990 it cost $29-31 dollars to go to the Magic Kingdom, which would be $73.63 today (using this inflation calculator). If a ticket to Magic Kingdom was sold for $73 today, people would say it's an insane deal! Funnily enough though, that's about the same price as a ticket to Tokyo Disneyland or Disneyland Paris, which are arguably the two best castle parks in the world... hmm.

You can argue that the $110-ish difference in ticket price between adjusted inflation and actual sale price is justified because of the increase of attractions with more advanced technology, but I am sure if I were to go break down what has been added (and removed) to Magic Kingdom from 1990 to today, that increase wouldn't really be justified. Going off of this timeline (which for whatever reason doesn't count Tom Sawyer's Island or the Shootin' Arcade as attractions, so I'll add those to the numbers), there are 32 attractions as of 2021. Today that'd be 31, given the only true closure from 2021-present is the Shootin' Arcade- Splash and CBJ were replaced so the numbers don't change for those. In 1991, there were... 36 attractions. Oof. This timeline is only counting rides and theater shows, not parades or fireworks, but I doubt you could really count those since they rotate out and there's never more than one or two of each at a given time.

The cost to do practically anything in America, even just surviving, has gotten so expensive and I frankly don't understand why these companies are doing this- if they keep raising prices to keep having "record profits", eventually no one will be able to afford their products and they'll have no one to buy them, causing them all to go under (or need hefty tax payer-funded bailouts from the government). How is that a good business strategy? Is it not better to keep your product reasonably attainable to the average consumer to ensure long term survival and steady growth rather than go all in on price gouging for fast growth but short term survival? Maybe there's some wealthy CEO logic here I don't get as a lowly peon- after all, I don't think about the affordability of Disney parks every day like our dear Josh. I guess that's why he's in charge, huh?

I could keep going but I was supposed to start working an hour ago. Started typing this up at like 9:05 AM and here we are now. Hopefully I can get this Honest Review I'm editing finished quickly, lmao.

Key takeaway:

People should buy more albums.

 

[mkt]

Yeah, aren't some musicians suing sites like Ticketmaster for price gouging? I know concerts are more expensive because most people don't buy albums anymore (which is how musicians used to make their money, and streaming doesn't pay nearly as much) but they were definitely overpriced regardless.

Musicians get a higher cut of merch sales than physical media sales.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Is it not better to keep your product reasonably attainable to the average consumer to ensure long term survival and steady growth rather than go all in on price gouging for fast growth but short term survival?

Sadly, that WAS the way WDW used to be run. It was a long term survival strategy that worked for many years and helped build up their guests returning year after year. The guests also brought family and friends who then felt the same way. That is the way to build a sustainable theme park business IMO. It worked for so many years. The guests felt wanted and valued. Now, those same returning guests and their families (representing future generations to come), and friends are not returning like they did. So WDW has to increase prices on everything and make cuts everywhere. You are right in that the company now just wants short term survival to feed the stock holders. IMO that is not sustainable as a business practice.

 

[Tha Realest]

Try to free your mind.

And the rest will follow. Be colorblind - don’t be so shallow!

 

[Disstevefan1]

Can you define what drastically means to you as a percentage?

 

[Lilofan]

Sports attendance is dropping across the board…just incase someone wants to compare buying a one day ticket to mgm to brewers vs cardinals too

One’s joy to see the Knicks game and spend $20K for a courtside seat to include food and drink dining and at food and drink at their seat and another one’s joy to enjoy MK all day is exactly that - their personal joy but surely a day at MK ticket food and drink won’t cost $20K for one person.

 

[Tha Realest]

I dropped $400 a ticket for pretty good seats a few weeks ago so my boys and I could see LeBron, Luka, Steph, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond go head to head. We dropped $200/head the following day at Disneyland. To each their own, and we greatly enjoyed both experiences, but which one will they more distinctly remember someday?