The price of the ‘happiest place on Earth’

Many Chapman students are entranced with Disneyland, working as cast members, holding annual passes and visiting frequently with their friends. Photo by Maggie Wright

Lauren Atkins had a Disney Signature Plus pass before she set foot on Chapman’s campus. Atkins, a freshman history major, made sure to get the most expensive pass, with no blockout dates, so that she could go to Disneyland whenever she “feels like a churro.”

Whether it’s working as a Disney cast member, purchasing an annual pass or just going with friends every now and then, many Chapman students seem to have the Disney fever. But for other students, Disney passes don’t seem so magical once they find out the price.

“It’s pretty expensive,” said Emily Malner, freshman creative writing major. “I wouldn’t have gotten one if all my friends didn’t have them.”

Disneyland has raised single-day ticket prices by 70 percent over the past decade, according to Business Insider. This February, the prices of the Disney Deluxe pass and the Disney Signature pass, which now cost $729 and $999 respectively, rose more than 17 percent, according to Theme Park Insider.

“I went (to Disneyland) a lot as a kid and the passes used to be $600 for the best one,” said Leana Sotile, junior television writing and production and history double major. Sotile grew up in Simi Valley, about an hour and a half north of Disneyland.

The “best” pass, the Disney Signature Plus Passport, now costs $1,149. But for students like Isa Basche, junior integrated educational studies and English double major, purchasing a Disney annual pass is practically part of her tuition.

“I found out about Chapman because I Googled schools near Disneyland,” Basche said. “I was planning on getting a pass before I even came (to Chapman).”

Some students who aren’t able to afford the high price of admission feel left out, Sotile said.

“Some of my friends have passes, and they like to go study there,” Sotile said. “Occasionally, I’ve been to Downtown Disney with friends, but mostly, I just feel like I miss out on social opportunities because I don’t have an annual pass.”

With passport prices going up, some Disney fans looks for more cost effective ways to stay connected to the park.

“There’s this huge misconception that we’re the ‘annual pass club,’” said Amanda Shake, senior screenwriting major and President of Club55, Chapman’s Disney club. “We do go on park outings, but most of what we do is on campus.”

Club55, which was founded five years ago, meets on campus every two weeks to enjoy fun-filled, Disney-themed activities. The club goes to see Disney movies and visit local Disney exhibits, like the ones at Chapman’s Hilbert Museum in Orange, Shake said. They even host various Disney-related guest speakers, including Disney Parks and animation studios employees, D23 (the official Disney fan club) and “everything in between.”

There are also plenty of Disney-centered classes Chapman. Religious studies professor Julye Bidmead teaches “Disney: Gender, Race and Religion” both in the classroom and at Disney.

“We have a field trip to the park, where we look at how the rides are portrayed, what kind of products are in the stores, and we’ll people watch a bit,” she said.

There are options available for students who can’t afford to buy a pass or ticket for the class. Bidmead said. Although some Chapman students are willing to make room in their budget for Disney, there are still plenty who choose to spend their time and money in a different way.

“I didn’t come to California for Disneyland, I came for the beaches,” said Wynn Maloney, a freshman creative writing major from Manhattan, New York. “Honestly, I’d rather spend money on clothes.”