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Growing up in Disneyland
It has been said children grow up way too quickly these days, but every generation must have their own version of this story. At the same time it is also said that youth is wasted on the young. Thanks to the Disney Corporation, we now have indisputable, verifiable evidence that something is actually being done about all this.
Disneyland now considers a 10-year old an "adult" for the purpose of admission. At age 10 you move out of that 3-to-9 year old child (17% discount) ticket, and jump right into Disney "adulthood" (10 years-and-above) bypassing all the usual complications of puberty. These are the same people that brought us "Peter Pan," a story about a boy who refused to grow up. His parents probably just didn't want to shell out nearly 60 bucks a pop for him to visit the theme park each time. Pete stayed nine forever.
Charging a 10-year old the exact same price you charge an adult seems entirely unfair. After all, it is a small world. But there is no way for a 10-year old to ever see over the average adult during that Main Street Parade. No telling how bored a 10-year old would be doing grownup things at Disneyland like searching those endless gift shops and napping while sitting upright on a park bench.
The developmental leap from 9-years old to 10-years old must now be huge. One year your parents are debating whether Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is too scary for you. The very next year they are strapping your shaking body into the Indiana Jones ride again making sure they get "every last cent" from your almost $60 admission. Like it or not. Hold on.
Ah, 10 that awkward age when Mickey and Goofy don't seem as cool, but riding Space Mountain can make you wet your pants. I didn't fully comprehend what was really going on in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride until I was somewhere in my early 20s. Today most "real" adults find the subtext of crime and lust in those scenes to be just fascinating given the setting. I understand it was one of Walt's favorite rides.
Ironically, that same 10-year old adult can still get a nice "kid's meal" just outside the gates at the Disney-owned ESPN Zone restaurant. And if they show their Disneyland ticket, maybe they should be able to get that chicken tenders and fries kids meal with a beer to wash it down.
I see no reason why a 10-year old can't drive the parking lot tram once he or she has passed through Disneyland adulthood. We usually ride around a few hours anyway because we can never remember where we parked the car. That could be an exciting ride and a very memorable way for anyone to wrap up a full day at "The Happiest Place on Earth." Of course, all this assumes they can reach the pedals.
Okay, I am making a Matterhorn out of a mole hill and Disney probably doesn't intend to rob our kids of their childhood. They did after all have nine good years of it, even by their accounting. But how can a corporation that cultivates a loyal youth audience have this kind of ticket pricing policy at its very own theme park? Especially when being 10 years old still qualifies you for the children's ticket at any respectable theater showing a Disney film, a policy set by theater owners.
This past July 17th Disneyland entered its second half-century of existence. Why doesn't Disney celebrate that by resetting that great ticket price divide at age 13, or 16 or even 18, more traditional thresholds of human maturity? People will spend the difference on hats with mouse ears or hot dogs anyway. It's such a small matter for such a wealthy company. Disney reported revenues of $31.9 billion in 2005, with $9 billon due to revenues in theme parks and resorts. Things appear to be going pretty well there.
According to The Walt Disney Company 2005 Annual Report, attendance at the Disneyland Resort increased four percent while per capita theme park guest spending there actually increased 14%. Inflation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, was only 3.4% for 2005. How much of that 14% increase in guest spending was due to increased prices or a willingness to simply spend more is anyone's guess.
Disneyland is great fun and integral to any Southern California visit, missing it would be like not dipping your feet in the Pacific Ocean, no matter how cold. The lowered cost for kid's tickets does really matter to families. The larger your family, the more it matters. Imagine the havoc in the Osmond and Von Trapp households if it had meant the difference in Donnie or Brigitta going to Disneyland or being left at home with grandma.
I do understand this was a business decision made by some suit somewhere. But where else in life but Disneyland are fifth graders lumped into the same cohort with college grads and their grandparents?
Disney has a chance to be really magnanimous here, and bring good business karma for their next 50 years. Why not scrap admission charges altogether for anyone 12 and under? Instead, ask for "suggested" donations at the entrance like some museums do. I bet kids would actually pony up much more than their parents anyway. If those revenues somehow fall short, collection plates could be circulated in those long ride lines by Disney characters. My daughter would have given a year's allowance to chat with The Little Mermaid. There are seven of those Dwarfs, put them to work, what else do they do when they aren't parading around behind what's-her-name? If they want to whistle, fine, do it while begging. Everyone should pitch in. Maybe it's time to wake Sleeping Beauty and the management can hope that Cinderella hasn't forgotten the value of a little hard work.
Growing up in Disneyland
It has been said children grow up way too quickly these days, but every generation must have their own version of this story. At the same time it is also said that youth is wasted on the young. Thanks to the Disney Corporation, we now have indisputable, verifiable evidence that something is actually being done about all this.
Disneyland now considers a 10-year old an "adult" for the purpose of admission. At age 10 you move out of that 3-to-9 year old child (17% discount) ticket, and jump right into Disney "adulthood" (10 years-and-above) bypassing all the usual complications of puberty. These are the same people that brought us "Peter Pan," a story about a boy who refused to grow up. His parents probably just didn't want to shell out nearly 60 bucks a pop for him to visit the theme park each time. Pete stayed nine forever.
Charging a 10-year old the exact same price you charge an adult seems entirely unfair. After all, it is a small world. But there is no way for a 10-year old to ever see over the average adult during that Main Street Parade. No telling how bored a 10-year old would be doing grownup things at Disneyland like searching those endless gift shops and napping while sitting upright on a park bench.
The developmental leap from 9-years old to 10-years old must now be huge. One year your parents are debating whether Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is too scary for you. The very next year they are strapping your shaking body into the Indiana Jones ride again making sure they get "every last cent" from your almost $60 admission. Like it or not. Hold on.
Ah, 10 that awkward age when Mickey and Goofy don't seem as cool, but riding Space Mountain can make you wet your pants. I didn't fully comprehend what was really going on in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride until I was somewhere in my early 20s. Today most "real" adults find the subtext of crime and lust in those scenes to be just fascinating given the setting. I understand it was one of Walt's favorite rides.
Ironically, that same 10-year old adult can still get a nice "kid's meal" just outside the gates at the Disney-owned ESPN Zone restaurant. And if they show their Disneyland ticket, maybe they should be able to get that chicken tenders and fries kids meal with a beer to wash it down.
I see no reason why a 10-year old can't drive the parking lot tram once he or she has passed through Disneyland adulthood. We usually ride around a few hours anyway because we can never remember where we parked the car. That could be an exciting ride and a very memorable way for anyone to wrap up a full day at "The Happiest Place on Earth." Of course, all this assumes they can reach the pedals.
Okay, I am making a Matterhorn out of a mole hill and Disney probably doesn't intend to rob our kids of their childhood. They did after all have nine good years of it, even by their accounting. But how can a corporation that cultivates a loyal youth audience have this kind of ticket pricing policy at its very own theme park? Especially when being 10 years old still qualifies you for the children's ticket at any respectable theater showing a Disney film, a policy set by theater owners.
This past July 17th Disneyland entered its second half-century of existence. Why doesn't Disney celebrate that by resetting that great ticket price divide at age 13, or 16 or even 18, more traditional thresholds of human maturity? People will spend the difference on hats with mouse ears or hot dogs anyway. It's such a small matter for such a wealthy company. Disney reported revenues of $31.9 billion in 2005, with $9 billon due to revenues in theme parks and resorts. Things appear to be going pretty well there.
According to The Walt Disney Company 2005 Annual Report, attendance at the Disneyland Resort increased four percent while per capita theme park guest spending there actually increased 14%. Inflation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, was only 3.4% for 2005. How much of that 14% increase in guest spending was due to increased prices or a willingness to simply spend more is anyone's guess.
Disneyland is great fun and integral to any Southern California visit, missing it would be like not dipping your feet in the Pacific Ocean, no matter how cold. The lowered cost for kid's tickets does really matter to families. The larger your family, the more it matters. Imagine the havoc in the Osmond and Von Trapp households if it had meant the difference in Donnie or Brigitta going to Disneyland or being left at home with grandma.
I do understand this was a business decision made by some suit somewhere. But where else in life but Disneyland are fifth graders lumped into the same cohort with college grads and their grandparents?
Disney has a chance to be really magnanimous here, and bring good business karma for their next 50 years. Why not scrap admission charges altogether for anyone 12 and under? Instead, ask for "suggested" donations at the entrance like some museums do. I bet kids would actually pony up much more than their parents anyway. If those revenues somehow fall short, collection plates could be circulated in those long ride lines by Disney characters. My daughter would have given a year's allowance to chat with The Little Mermaid. There are seven of those Dwarfs, put them to work, what else do they do when they aren't parading around behind what's-her-name? If they want to whistle, fine, do it while begging. Everyone should pitch in. Maybe it's time to wake Sleeping Beauty and the management can hope that Cinderella hasn't forgotten the value of a little hard work.
Seriously, 10 years old?!?! Wow, I had no idea and would have issues with this if I was a parent that was shelling out big bucks for my KIDS to go to Disneyland. 
Thanks for the article Froggy!
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