When Walt Disney first opened his theme parks in California and Florida, he had every intention of making them available “to as many families as possible,” according to management consultant Daniel Currell.
“Everyone is a VIP,” was the official company motto at the time, and an employee handbook from the 1950s quoted Disney as saying, “We roll out the red carpet for the Jones family from Joliet just as we would (with a few embellishments) for the Eisenhowers from Palm Springs.”
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Everyone paid the same admission price at the front gate, and everyone waited in the same line for the rides.
That is no longer the case today. Not only has the price of admission to both Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, more than doubled in just 10 years, but that upfront admission doesn’t really buy you much anymore. Unless you are willing to pay hundreds more per person, you are going to be waiting in even longer lines, all for the privilege of watching wealthier people skip the line right in front of you.
Instead of a world where everyone enjoyed the same Disney movies and songs, such as “When You Wish Upon a Star,” now it most definitely “makes a difference who you are.” The wealthy and the privileged enjoy a far more luxurious experience at Disney properties than the average parkgoer. And even the average Disney vacationgoer is far wealthier than the national average.
As Disney’s latest woke offerings tank at the box office, price discrimination at their parks has become a major source of revenue. Currell reports that Disney made $724 million from “skip-the-line” products between 2021 and 2024, with Lightning Lane Premier Pass pricing averaging $400 a day.
Walt Disney’s family isn’t even denying it. Responding to Currell’s reporting, great niece Abigail Disney told the New York Times, “Back when the parks were created, they were deliberately affordable. Both Roy and Walt believed that magic could and should be accessible — that joy shouldn’t come with a luxury price tag. The ultrawealthy have become the primary customer base for the ultimate Disney experience.”
There was a time when corporations reinforced American values such as equality, modesty, and community. But that time has passed. Disney is a global corporation that does not appear to care how America fares as a nation, one way or another. It is all too happy to maximize profits as it segments and divides us by income.
But don’t worry, vacationgoers: All is not lost. There are still places where middle-class families can afford a fun day at an amusement park. Just an hour south of Disney World in Florida is Legoland, and for less than half the price, it has all the roller coasters and even a water park to enjoy.
There are no Mickey Mouse characters walking around, or princesses, but you don’t have to download an app to reserve a time for your favorite ride, and most importantly, you don’t have to stand and wait in line as others cut in front of you.