Dis Nuts

Disneyland is the place where dreams come true. That slogan was more universal when the American dream was more widely accessible. It’s still the happiest place on Earth. But only if you have a more expensive pass. In other words, the park has become one more representation of America’s everything story: The economic divide. “For most of the park’s history, Disney was priced to welcome people across the income spectrum, embracing the motto ‘Everyone is a V.I.P.’ In doing so, it created a shared American culture by providing the same experience to every guest. The family that pulled up in a new Cadillac stood in the same lines, ate the same food and rode the same rides as the family that arrived in a used Chevy. Back then, America’s large and thriving middle class was the focus of most companies’ efforts and firmly in the driver’s seat. That middle class has so eroded in size and in purchasing power — and the wealth of our top earners has so exploded — that America’s most important market today is its affluent. As more companies tailor their offerings to the top, the experiences we once shared are increasingly differentiated by how much we have.” NYT (Gift Article): Disney and the Decline of America’s Middle Class. This follows a key consumer trend of brands focusing on the affluent market. “In 1992 there were 88,000 households worth $20 million or more in 2022 dollars; by 2022, there were 644,000. Those who could pay almost anything for a vacation were becoming their own mass market.”