>>In Disney’s view, they were people who crowded the park, to the complaints of nonpassholders, and who didn’t spend much money. As much as critics could say people who can’t afford it shouldn’t go to the park, there’s no denying that those monthly payments put something many people love within reach, and taking away the ability to pay over time will inevitably exclude some people who visit Disneyland as their one luxury.
“The season passholder is the ‘smartest’ visitor to the parks,” Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, a global theme park consultancy, told SFGATE. “They know when to come, what periods to avoid, how to, how to hit it at the right exact right time of day, weekend, weekday.” Those people, he said, “gobbled up capacity” as annual passes became more easily attainable.
Passholders, he said, “didn't spend as much. They’d eat before they got there, or they’d eat after they leave, a lot of them, and they’d just ride rides.”
“I've been saying this for about seven or eight years,” Speigel said. “The season pass programs have gotten too large.” Disneyland had an estimated one million annual passholders last year.
Stopping monthly payments will help to thin the crowd, but thinning the crowd by pricing people out isn’t a good look for the company. When he was dreaming up the park, Walt Disney envisioned it as “a great, great playground for the children and the families of America,” not as a place families would need to open up a new credit card to afford.
In increasing prices, Disney’s problems of privilege will become even worse. In short, what has long touted itself as the “Happiest Place on Earth” is transitioning to the happiest place on Earth … as long as you can afford it.
“I think [Disneyland is] going to come out of this short term with maybe a couple of stumbles, but long-term, I think it's going to benefit, ultimately, the guest,” Speigel said. He meant smaller crowds, shorter lines and a better overall park experience. “It's going to certainly benefit the park, but I think the guest is going to win in this as well.”<<
>>How Disneyland handles its economic recovery, and when and how it implements a new passholder program, will only be revealed when the company is ready to do so. One thing is for certain: When the gates to the park reopen in late April, as CEO Chapek announced yesterday, those who can afford to buy tickets will be there, ready to ride. For the rest, you may be out of luck.<<
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“The season passholder is the ‘smartest’ visitor to the parks,” Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, a global theme park consultancy, told SFGATE. “They know when to come, what periods to avoid, how to, how to hit it at the right exact right time of day, weekend, weekday.” Those people, he said, “gobbled up capacity” as annual passes became more easily attainable.
Passholders, he said, “didn't spend as much. They’d eat before they got there, or they’d eat after they leave, a lot of them, and they’d just ride rides.”
“I've been saying this for about seven or eight years,” Speigel said. “The season pass programs have gotten too large.” Disneyland had an estimated one million annual passholders last year.
Stopping monthly payments will help to thin the crowd, but thinning the crowd by pricing people out isn’t a good look for the company. When he was dreaming up the park, Walt Disney envisioned it as “a great, great playground for the children and the families of America,” not as a place families would need to open up a new credit card to afford.
In increasing prices, Disney’s problems of privilege will become even worse. In short, what has long touted itself as the “Happiest Place on Earth” is transitioning to the happiest place on Earth … as long as you can afford it.
“I think [Disneyland is] going to come out of this short term with maybe a couple of stumbles, but long-term, I think it's going to benefit, ultimately, the guest,” Speigel said. He meant smaller crowds, shorter lines and a better overall park experience. “It's going to certainly benefit the park, but I think the guest is going to win in this as well.”<<
>>How Disneyland handles its economic recovery, and when and how it implements a new passholder program, will only be revealed when the company is ready to do so. One thing is for certain: When the gates to the park reopen in late April, as CEO Chapek announced yesterday, those who can afford to buy tickets will be there, ready to ride. For the rest, you may be out of luck.<<
When it reopens, Disneyland will likely be even more expensive
For some people, you can’t put a price on magic.
www.sfgate.com
