Walt Disney character Jiminy Cricket in the movie "Pinocchio" sang the 1940 Oscar-winning song "When you wish upon a star".

Image Credit: SUBMITTED

OPINION

“When you wish upon a star…Makes no difference who you are…Anything your heart desires…Will come to you.” Almost everyone anywhere recognizes the opening lines from the unofficial Walt Disney Company theme song.

It first appeared in the 1940 Disney animated classic…Pinocchio. Sung by a cricket by the name of Jiminy in the movie…it won that year’s Oscar for “Best Original Song”. The tune plays daily - multiple times with and without lyrics - in every Disney theme park.

As a reporter for The Orlando Sentinel-Star, I covered the Walt Disney World press conference in the Summer of 1974, announcing the additions of Space Mountain (the iconic roller coaster), the Carousel of Progress (a stage production following an American family through the decades), and what would become the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.

It was brother Roy Disney - Walt had died three years earlier - who spoke that day. While the state and local politicians were proud of the new Interstate 4 highway accessing Walt Disney World, I remember Roy saying with a concerned look, “You’re going to need more roads!”

(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

The local powers-that-be thought Roy was joking…he was not. Anyone unfortunate enough to pick someone up at Orlando International Airport these days and head West on I-4 - passing Walt Disney World exits - now sees what Roy Disney saw more than a half-century ago…a need for more and better roads.

Walt Disney World in Orlando covers nearly 43 square miles…the entire Disneyland Resort in California could fit in the parking lot and ticketing area of Walt Disney World in Florida. It is - with 79,000 cast members (that’s what they call employees) - the largest single-site employer in North America.

Much has changed about Disney’s theme parks with the passing of time…that part of Jiminy Cricket’s song about “makes no difference who you are…” Well, the difference is you must be wealthier than the average American or Canadian now to get “anything your heart desires.”

Today, Disney destinations span the globe…two in the U.S., one in France, one in Japan, one in Shanghai and one in China…all making dreams come true if you ask the 160 million visitors a year…even if some of the magic is beyond their financial reach.

Disney parks were never really inexpensive…entry, a few rides and food for a family of four for a day in 1955 - the year Disneyland opened - was about $30…$365 in today’s dollars. However, today $365 won’t even cover the cost for a family of four to avoid the hour to an hour-and-a-half wait times for rides.

Disney was aware of the cost of admission even during the booming economy of the ’50s and early ’60s…and kept ticket prices the same…and adjusted for inflation, ticket prices went down.

But by 2020, everything was a revenue stream at the 12 theme parks. Want to avoid lines…that’s extra? Want better food…that’s extra? Want a closer and better hotel…that’s extra? Really want “anything your heart desires”…that’s a lot extra…don’t even ask?

Today, if you are one of the Disney chosen…you’re invited to be a member of Club 33. There’s a Club 33 in every theme park…often hidden behind a nondescript door simply inscribed with a tiny 33. Harambe House in Disney’s Animal Kingdom - an African themed park - has a door with “thelathini na tatu” written on it…Swahili for “33”.

Don’t bother applying for Club 33…Disney contacts you…entry is by invitation only. Then, you have the privilege of membership for an initiation fee…and annual dues…that are steep enough members don’t talk about them.

Invites go to the wealthiest Americans and Canadians. If you don’t have a couple Platinum or Onyx six-figure or preferably no-limit credit cards in your wallet…don’t wait by the mail box.

Each Club 33 is different…varied decor…swanky bathrooms with special monogrammed hand towels…lavish food and drink options…service extraordinaire. Props and historic memorabilia from Disney movies line the walls and decorate the spaces.

Club 33 sells Disney clothing and gifts…stuff that you can’t buy anywhere else. But, if you saved for a couple years and used airline points for your $10,000 Disney trip…you’ll likely never see inside a Club 33.

Hey, nothing against smart niche marketing…knowing some folks will pay most anything to be VIPs is smart business…but it’s not really Walt’s or Jiminy Cricket’s vision. Perhaps that’s one reason it’s so secret.

While Disney not only segmented the ultra-rich from others…it segments its customers beyond that. Disney made $725 Million from late 2021 to June 2024…just from those wanting to skip long lines for rides.

There are 36 hotels inside Walt Disney World…some…like the Four Seasons have regular rooms (not suites) for $1,800 a night next January…if you want to escape the snow.

You might think of Disney as just an entertainment business…but a lot of their magic is knowing how much you’ll spend, say, on Disney merchandise…before you even set foot on the property. You’ll see folks wearing Disney hoodies in just about every country worldwide…walking advertisements for Disney. They really know their customers.

But talk to Disney fans…and you’ll hear mostly positive feedback from loyal customers. Disney was - and is - ingrained in multi-generational families that the theme parks have a nostalgic pull so strong…few escape multiple week-long vacations.

Disney today is yesterday’s Coca-Cola when it comes to branding. Speaking of Coke - a Disney partner - Walt Disney World alone sells more than 80 million Cokes a year to thirsty patrons.

How powerful is the Walt Disney Company? Consider the political flap in 2022 when Disney publicly opposed Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, legislation that limited discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools…the state’s “don't say gay” law.

In a revenge play, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis's administration tried to abolish the Disney-controlled district that governed the property’s building permits, road maintenance and development.

Two years later, after threats from DeSantis and U.S. President Donald Trump, Florida and Disney settled their lawsuits…with Disney resuming its control of long-term investments and expansions in Florida. Local politicians finally realized the hundreds of millions of dollars paid by Disney each year would otherwise fall to voters in the park’s surrounding three counties. That’s political clout.

Look, fan or not…Disney is a corporate force like no other today. So, whether you save for years to take the kids or grandkids…or hang out as a regular at a fashionable Club 33…Disney is there to make your dreams come true “When you wish upon a star…”

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.

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