Opinion: Disney is Imploding

This may turn out to be a very unpopular post, but we feel some things need to be said. For decades, Disney has been the gold standard for family entertainment. Their movies, shows and parks were havens for families and their children. You could count on Disney to put out some amazing productions that always had a positive message and showed what it meant to be a family. Their parks were extensions of that as well. Families could count on having an amazing time with their kids that would transport them away from the everyday struggles of life, even if it was just for a few days. That was Walt's vision and for decades, those in charge at Disney Corp understood and carried Walt's vision forward. That was the case until 2020.

2020 marked the beginning of the end for Disney Corp. While the world was shutdown, Disney viewed it as an opportunity to make some major changes. Along with operational changes such as eliminating "Fastpass+" and "Magical Express," they decided their new agenda would be that of going all in on DEI initiatives in their parks. That meant that, not only will you need to purchase a "lightning lane pass" from now on to get into a shorter line and you will need to pay for your own way to the parks once you land at Orlando International, but now you will also be greeted by a man with lipstick, a beard while wearing a skirt as you get onto Pirates of the Caribbean. This is what the Disney faithful were greeted with post-"pandemic."

Their bad decisions did not stop there. They felt it necessary to take on the State of Florida when it came to their DEI policies and the "deals" that Florida had always given them when it came to taxes etc and at every turn...they lost. But they kept at it. Their movies and shows all started to portray a company more interested in social arguments than providing quality entertainment for the average middle class family (which has always been their bread and butter). And you would have thought that after their duds at the box office, they would grab a clue and maybe rethink their direction. But that did not and has not happened. They keep turning out shows and movies that are complete flops. Shows are being canceled after one season because people are tired of their embeded political messaging. Their earnings reports are showing that they are losing profitability at a pace never seen before at Disney Corp.

So do you think that their board members are finally getting a clue? Sadly we must report that, not only have they NOT gotten a clue, but they are instead destroying Disney from within. Two days ago, from the time of this writing, Disney Corp announced major price hikes for virtually every aspect of their parks. They raised ticket prices to record levels and even announced food and beverage price increases...again! And this was all on the heels of them announcing a new version of lightning lane access where someone staying at one of the deluxe resorts can purchase a lightning lane pass for every attraction. Yes, I said "purchase." Disney's competitor down the street (Universal) has already been offering an "unlimited express pass" to all of their guests staying at one of their 3 premier properties and at no additional cost. So instead of offering something for free to those who are already paying a high price for their "deluxe" stay, they are going to charge up to an additional @$400+ per person, per day to get this new version of a lightning lane pass.

All of these new price hike announcements come after a time when long time Disney fans were already reeling from the news that Disney has plans to take out the Rivers of America and the Liberty Belle at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando. So you have to stop and ask, can the people in charge at Disney Corp NOT see how unhappy everyone is with their latest announcements and changes? How can company leaders be so blind?

Here is my answer to the above question; Disney leaders do NOT care about middle class families anymore. What once was their bread and butter market segment is now just a nuisance to their overall mission. What's their mission you ask? It is to turn Disney Corp into the leader of DEI and nothing else matters anymore. They discovered a while back that international money would continue to flow into their parks regardless of our local economic downturns here in the US. They discovered that family-oriented middle class families were becoming a hurdle for them to get over when it came to fully implementing their DEI agenda. So what did they do? They destroyed nostalgia which is one of the draws bringing people back to their parks, even if money was getting tight. That is a deterrent now for a lot of would-be guests. But they knew they had a chance to finally put the nail in the conservative middle class demographic so they added items that no middle class family will be able to afford (i.e. the new lightning lane pass) and they decided it was time to raise prices even at a time when the average American family is having a hard time paying their home bills.

Now ask...why would a company do all of this at a time when things are not going so well economically? It's deliberate is what I am saying. They are doing all of ths because it's been their plan for a while. They used the "pandemic" to usher in and initiate these changes knowing full well they would lose such a large fan base. The reason is that this segment of society, the family oriented middle class from the midwest segment, no longer fits their agenda or agrees with it. They would rather lose them as fans and patrons than listen to any of their concerns or wishes. They have their money. They have the elite guests who come from afar and will pay whatever the price is. And they have the support of every liberal activist group in the Country. That is all they care about and it should now be plain to see. And they also know that for a while, the families with tight budgets were forced to stay off property in order to even visit their parks. But now even those families are priced out of a WDW vacation with the increases to ticket and food and beverage costs. And think about all of those mid-level hotels and motels that will now also suffer. I am telling you they are doing all of these changes knowing full well the outcome.

How much longer can they go delivering flop after flop at the box office? How higher do prices have to go before they finally realize they priced themselves into bankruptcy? Are you already priced out of a WDW vacay? Or are you an avid Disney fan that doesn't care what Disney does because you will always support them? I heaed a "Disney influencer" tell people that, "if these increases cause you to not want to go, maybe you could not have afforded it to begin with." Do you share that sentimet? Or is all of this the last straw for you as well?

Let us know your thoughts. We would love to hear from you.