Is Disney World losing its magic?
Florida communities are rallying to protest the Parental Rights in Education Act — or, as it’s better known, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which will go into effect on July 1.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Families for Safe Schools were among a list of supporters standing with LGBTQ+ students and families.
The family of the late Walt Disney, founder and creator of the Disney empire, recently expressed disappointment over Florida’s new bill. Charlee Corra, a Disney heir, is transgender. Her father, Roy P. Disney, and his wife are supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.
The new law may affect attendance at Disney World, which receives 58 million visitors annually. But the controversy over Florida’s bill may not be the only detour to vacationing at the “most magical place on Earth.”
Costs to visit are prohibitive for some families and may soon increase as Florida revoked Disney’s decades-long status as an “independent special district,” which had exempted the company from certain taxes. These costs include a $1 billion debt.
As poverty increases across the country, Disney is hiking its prices. In 2022, ticket prices increased between 2% and 6% with a four-day pass for one person, rising to $12 more than last year. For a “park-hopper pass” allowing visits to multiple parks, visitors will pay an additional $25.
In March, Disney unveiled the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Hotel, which costs a family of four a staggering $6,000 for two nights.
In 2022, average weekly earnings for full-time workers is $1,037. Based on this, one parent would have to work almost six weeks to pay for the “bespoke experience” of a “real-life roleplaying game” offered by the Star Wars-themed hotel.
The average salary increase for Disney employees in 2022 is 3.4%. The inflation rate is 8.5%, the highest increase in a single year since 1981. A recent Gallup poll shows that 41% of adults believe they are worse off financially than a year ago. And costs of food, housing and gas continue to rise, while middle- to upper-income individuals are less positive their finances will improve anytime soon.
Both Disney and Florida seem to be out of touch with the public.
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Katie Greenan is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Indianapolis and a Public Voices Fellow through The OpEd Project. Hallie Gallinat is a student at the University of Indianapolis, and writes for The Reflector, the university’s student-run newspaper. This column was produced for Progressive Perspectives, which is run by The Progressive magazine and distributed by Tribune News Service.
