AvengerDad
New Member
I think it's a lot more simple than people either realize or want to accept. Simply put, if your family is middle class or below, Disney doesn't want you. They will only want those people when they need them. Disney would much rather have 20,000 guests in the park paying $300 a day than 40,000 paying $150 a day. That lets them have lower overhead. Fewer guests means fewer staff requirements, low entertainment costs and higher guest satisfaction. We are already seeing this with them charging guests who have disposable income to pay for Genie Plus and the Individual Lightning Lanes. The ones who are wealthy get a better experience. Disney doesn't build middle class neighborhoods, they build neighborhoods for the rich and elite. Those are the customers they want. A family who sacrifices and saves for a year or more to make the trip are much less likely to buy as much merchandise or make reservations for those $60 a plate dining experiences. But those with disposable income will pay those prices without a second thought. I believe Disney is striving for 60-70% capacity in the parks and will keep increasing prices until that's achieved. Then once attendance drops, they will have a new attraction or park to draw those people back. Instead of lower priced days during the off peak times, they will continue to hold events like marathons and festivals to keep their customer base returning. I wouldn't be surprised to see Disney continuing to limit annual passes or doing away with them altogether. Annual passholders aren't big spenders in the park, except for the few Disney fanatics that buy any new merchandise that's released. Disney has done a stellar job over the years at creating a "dream" vacation destination, but it's a destination that only people in the top 30-40% income bracket will be able to afford. And Disney is fine with that. Is it ethical? Nope. Is it fair? Hell no. Is it a smart business strategy? Absolutely. Time will tell if it works or not, but it won't be in 2022. Possibly 2023, but likely 2024.
