A complaint I hear all the time is that “Disneyland is too expensive” and that it's “just in the business of making money.” This is often accompanied by more attacks saying that it “steals people’s money”, which is quite a ridiculous statement. Last but not least, people often ask, “What about all the children that can’t afford Disneyland?” To all these questions, I respond, “Let’s not forget that Disneyland is a business.”
In fact, the Walt Disney Company is one of the most successful businesses of all time. Let me repeat that, it is a business. The Walt Disney Company that Disneyland is a part of is one of America’s largest conglomerates and is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. Disney is not a charity and we should not treat it as one simply because it makes movies and toys for children. Truly, they are in the business of making money, as almost all publicly traded companies are in the business of doing. We can’t separate Disney from other companies in our minds simply because of the content they make; we must analyze Disney from a financial viewpoint as we would any other business. For some reason, people seem to believe that because the Disney Company makes innocent content for a largely adolescent audience, that it should run its business in a more charity-like manner. Despite the content the Walt Disney Company produces, we cannot expect the company to run its business in a childlike way.
Yes, I acknowledge that Disneyland is expensive, but it is a business that is catering to basic supply and demand trends. Disneyland has a fire martialed maximum capacity, just like any other building, and it has reached maximum capacity before, which means no entrance into the park, even if you already bought a ticket. Not being able to enter Disneyland because it’s full is a much less appealing situation than a few extra dollars added onto your ticket price. Disneyland’s demand increases with each year, and it only makes sense for them to combat their capacity issues with increased pricing. No one wants a Disneyland experience with the park at 99% capacity and three hour long lines. Last year, Disneyland even implemented demand based pricing which increases ticket costs slightly on heavily demanded days, such as weekends during the summer. From my personal experience, this tactic seems to be working to control crowds this summer. The reality of this situation is that people are willing to pay this price for Disneyland, and it would be unwise for Disneyland to not capitalize on this demand. Disneyland is not forcefully stealing money from anyone; it is simply a profitable business.
Yes, I do feel for those children who cannot afford to go to Disneyland, I really do. I wish every child could experience Disneyland, but the reality is that nothing in life is free, and honestly, no one is entitled to be able to go to Disneyland. As the saying goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” If we applied this argument to every commercial product, it will prove ridiculous. Not everyone can afford the new iPhone or the fastest BMW, but does that mean we should slam those companies for their production and prices? The idea of Disneyland being free is absolutely ludicrous, as their costs must cover the operation and repair of all their rides, as well as the salaries of their thousands of employees. Disneyland does profit mainly off their food and merchandise sales, as many amusement parks do. Despite this, A $4 churro is pretty common throughout Southern California, whether it be at the San Diego Zoo or Angel’s stadium. I’d also like to point out that a child’s ticket to Legoland is $87, while one to Disneyland is $99. Despite only a $12 difference, I haven’t heard anyone ranting about Legoland as they so often do about Disneyland. It does not make any sense that we put the blame on Disneyland simply because it is more demanded. I acknowledge that because it has such great revenue, Disneyland could probably afford to lower their ticket prices, but that would prove disastrous through intense overcrowding.
To Disneyland’s critics, I can offer some advice for saving money at Disneyland. Buying multiple day tickets can lower the cost to $60 a day. Bringing your own meals and snacks is allowed, and will save you at least $30 a day. For those with younger children, buying Disney memorabilia and costumes at toy stores or online before your trip will save you money in the pricey gift stores at the parks. If you just want to enjoy the fireworks, there’s a great view from outside the gates and the soundtracks are always on YouTube.
If you really still dislike Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company as a whole, that is fine with me, even though I’m sad that you are missing out on the magic. Keep your dislike, but decrease your distain for the “Evil Disney Company,” and try to understand it’s just out here doing business, as businesses should do.
