Visitor experience: Disney disappoints its fans. And Disneyland Paris condemned

Disneyland Paris has been fined €400,000 for its annual passes. In the US, at the D23 convention in California, many fans spoke of a disappointing visitor experience. Will Bob Iger listen to the voice of the customer?

The famous Disneyland Paris theme park is at the centre of a controversy over its former annual passes. The Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) has just imposed a fine of 400,000 euros on Euro Disney Associés for what the DGCCRF describes as "breaches of the provisions of the Consumer Code relating to misleading commercial practices".

The case dates back to the end of 2022, when dozens of disgruntled subscribers demonstrated outside the park under the banner of a movement known as 'Yellow Ears'. The magazine ‘60 millions de consommateurs’ then highlighted the restrictive conditions of the Infinity, Magic Plus and Magic Flex annual passes, which are supposed to offer virtually unlimited access to the park for prices ranging from 319 to 499 euros per year.

In reality, these passes contained significant restrictions, including ‘compulsory pre-booking for each chosen visit date’ and daily quotas limiting access to the park. Many users complained that they were unable to visit the park on the dates they wanted despite having a pass.

In response to the controversy, Euro Disney Associés revised its offer in July 2023. The old passes were replaced by new formulas: Bronze, Silver and Gold. These new passes did away with the daily quotas, but also led to a significant increase in prices:

The Bronze pass has risen from 229 to 289 euros (+26%). The Silver pass from 319 to 499 euros (+56%). The Gold pass from 499 to 699 euros (+40%). This price increase has provoked a new wave of discontent among the park's subscribers. Euro Disney Associés has not yet reacted officially to the announcement of this fine. The case raises questions about the transparency of commercial offers in the entertainment sector and could prompt other theme parks to review their subscription policies.

D23 Expo 2024. Fans are complaining about rising prices and a disappointing experience.
The theme parks are the cash machine of the group headed by Bob Iger. Gathered in Anaheim at D23, the bi-annual convention that brings together fans of the brand, they told the journalists present and the Disney board that the stopper had been pushed a little too far. ‘Before, there was an off season when they did renovations at knock-down prices,’ Kyle explained to Les Echos journalist Hortense Goulard.

‘Now they're trying to get people in all the time. We were in the parks two days ago and a lot of attractions are temporarily closed. We'll no doubt continue to go, but when there are so many things that are no longer available and it costs so much to go’.

Dr Kanokporn Tangshan died in October 2023, after eating in Orlando Resort. But the last story is interessant, as well: "Disney defends use of streaming terms to block restaurant allergy death suit. Jeffrey Piccolo file wrong death suit for $50 000 after his wife died of an allergic reaction at Florida Resort" (..) The Guardian.