Oh, it's coming. It might not be today, or this week, or this month, but it's coming - a Disneyland admission price increase. The Disney forums and bulletin boards have been full of dreaded speculation. How much will it be? Who will take the biggest hit? Casual park visitors and vacationers? Annual pass holders? Or just hit everyone right across their wallets and purses.
The last Disneyland price increase was June last year so the time is right to take another whack at it. Attendance at Disneyland has been up over the last year. There is that huge (and expensive) make-over and expansion in Disney California Adventure that people are lining up all ga-ga to see. Price increase or not, Disneyland will be one busy place the rest of this year and probably all of next year with many new things to enjoy. So yes, Disney will take advantage of a public willing to pay.
But who is paying? Walt Disney wanted to build a park that families could enjoy together. He succeeded grandly except now those families also need very deep bank accounts or the ability to beg, borrow, or steal their way in. Disney is basically pricing out the middle-class population. They're not alone as many big, powerful, wealthy corporations do the same thing. And while you can take a broad brush and say the middle class is being priced out of Disney parks I will continue to take a more personal look and think of the countless kids who see advertisements on TV saying to come, come enjoy the magic of Disney. And they ask their moms, their dads, "can we go to Disneyland?" while the parents sit down to piece together the funds to pay this month's food bill. There is magic in Disney. There is also a cold, dark, business side. Maybe enough people can make a statement that says "do not feed the crocodiles".
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