How do you spell the word "greed"?
How about D-I-S-N-E-Y.
The economy is suffering, housing prices have tanked, gas is sky high, lots of folks are losing jobs, and the cost of living is rocketing.
And the fine folks at the Mouse House have decided it's the perfect time to … raise prices. Again!
As of Sunday, admission to a single Disney World park jumped from $71 to $75, and tickets for kids 3 to 9 were bumped to $63 from $60.*
Yes, a day at Disney World -- $276 plus taxes plus parking plus gas plus all the overpriced food you're forced to eat -- is now even less affordable for the average American family of four.
Not to mention the average family in the state of Florida, which is officially suffering a recession, according to some economists.
Mickey sure is one heckuva greedy mouse. So much for that "most magical place on earth" hype.
Mickey is nearly as greedy as Tampa's Glazers, and other owners of NFL teams, who routinely charge an arm and a leg for the privilege of enjoying 100-degree afternoon heat while watching overpaid athletes do their thing, and relishing the profanity-laced enthusiasm of drunken middle-aged couples. Priceless!
No, of course I'd never advocate that government should regulate admission prices for theme parks, or football games, or prices for other businesses' services. I believe in the free market.
But that doesn't mean that I can't give Disney a little friendly advice.
Hey, Mouse House execs and marketing team, what you're going to gain in short-term increases, you're going to lose in long-term goodwill. Does that matter to you?
If you want to retain your image as a great place for families, then how about demonstrating how much you care about families by keeping your admission prices in check?
Another thought: Since the state of Florida historically has given Disney World so many, many tax breaks and given the company so much leeway to do whatever it wanted to do in Central Florida, then why can't Disney do something in return?
A good place to start: Offer a 35% discount to Florida residents - no strings attached, and one-day, one-park admission included - at least through 2009.
*prices are going up at Disneyland, too.
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2 comments:
Your post is Great. Disney has offered so much fun, and had provided jobs and economic growth to central Florida, but one thing it has reaped out of all of this and that is financial gain at the expense of the average consumer's money, and the natural ecosystems of that region. It is above all, a capitalistic endeavor, and not one of humanitarianism. Disney needs to give back to the community and think twice about raising prices, and overcharging for food. We have stopped going to Disney for that very reason.
Thanks much for reading and responding.
I grew up loving Disney movies, and going to Disney World. At this point, I just can't justify the expense involved in taking our kids there.
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