One of the subjects that comes up on CoasterBuzz frequently is the rising cost of the Orlando theme parks, with much of the focus on Disney in particular. We could argue all day about how many people are actually buying one-day tickets at a $100 and not multi-day tickets, but I'm not sure it matters. As far as theme parks go, Disney owns the gold standard, and I would argue that they more or less deliver on it. After two and a half years living next door, and I assume over 100 visits by now, I can count our suboptimal experiences on two fingers (and I don't even remember what the first time was).
Those online discussions, especially under newspaper comments and certain other places, almost always devolve into exchanges about "greed," a strange concept when talking about for-profit businesses, and people being priced out of a Disney vacation. I'm not sure what it is about Disney that evokes this sentiment, because there are a hundred different things one can buy that range from cheap and generic to super premium. Why would theme parks be different? You start at the county fair, and go up to regional parks like Six Flags, then the big Orlando parks. I'm not entitled to be able to buy an affordably priced luxury car or home, so why are the parks different?
And that got me to thinking about what we often refer to as the "Walmarting" of America, where we want stuff to be as cheap as possible. We'll accept crappy stores, crappy service and mediocre merchandise if we can save a few bucks. What I don't get is when our culture stopped realizing that you get what you pay for. If you're willing to accept some Sam's Choice stuff and a hundred-dollar, no-name Bluray player, your expectations about the quality should be pretty clear.
I do find it interesting that a lot of companies have decided to not play in that race to the bottom. Apple has always been a premium brand with high margins, and people will pay for their stuff. The product is generally better (not always), and the service before and after the sale is top notch. Chipotle makes a killing with expensive burritos, but it's clear that you aren't getting Taco Bell crap (you get E. coli as a bonus, zing!). Pei Wei, Noodles and other "fast casual" restaurants do the same. People even pay 500% markup for headphones for better perceived quality. If you want excellent service on a plane, you'll have to pay for first class. Better seats at an NBA game? Yep, they cost more. It's clear that some people are willing to pay more when they want something better.
But that Disney thing... that's a head scratcher. Theme parks are a leisure expense to begin with. There's no obligation to make them affordable to everyone. I can't see getting mad about that. Granted, as locals with annual passes, we easily get a great deal over the course of a year, but it wasn't that long ago that we would do a five-day trip every other year. I felt like it was worth it. Indeed, you get what you pay for. It's not a moral issue.
No comments yet.