Is a Day at Disney World Too Expensive?
There are few certainties in life, and one of them is that a trip to Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS) theme park resort in Florida isn't cheap. The "Disney World is too expensive" chant is making the rounds again, after social media and now major news outlets are rebroadcasting a deceptive chart showing how daily admissions at Disney World have far outpaced wages, rent, and gas.
It's true -- as a New York Post headline claims -- that a one-day ticket to Disney World has soared 3,871% since the Magic Kingdom first unlocked its turnstiles more than 50 years ago. However, that's not an accurate representation of changes in admission prices.
Yes, the first guests to enter the self-proclaimed "most magical place on Earth" paid just $3.50 in 1971. However, that ticket didn't include access to most of the rides and attractions, the way it does now; guests had to buy additional booklets with five different graded categories of experiences. If you've ever heard Disney fans talk about an "E ticket" (top-tier) attraction, the term hails back to the original pay-per-ride system at Disney World and Disneyland, where most of the in-park attractions came at a premium.
Source Fool.com
