Disney Co.’s Arena Tactics, Price Increases

* As a lifetime Orange County resident, I’m getting sick and tired of the heavy-handed tactics of the Walt Disney Co. Is the tail wagging Pluto, or what?

Don’t write me off as an old “Scrooge.” I was one of the first to visit Disneyland when it opened in 1955. I’ve been back dozens and dozens of times. My kids grew up there. We even flew to Florida to visit Walt Disney World.

But Michael Eisner seems to think he can have his way in this county. He tells us he’s going to remodel his theme park, and we’re going to pick up a significant part of the tab.

Resorting to crass commercialism--to keep products moving off the Disney shelves--he sticks us with the most ridiculous nickname in all of professional sports, the Mighty Ducks (based on a kids’ hockey movie that no one will remember six months from now . . . until we’re subjected to the sequel and accompanying media hype).

And now we’re told we’ve got to call the beautiful new Anaheim sports complex “the Pond” . . . at least on a part-time basis. Few seem to like the name, yet Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly bravely claims there’s growing support for it in the community. “People are getting used to it,” he asserts.

Really? If the name has gained any legitimacy at all, it’s only because Eisner has dumped large wads of Disney bucks into a massive publicity campaign.

I’m tired of Disney’s bullying tactics. I’m going to use the recent substantial Disneyland ticket hike as an excuse to stay away from the place for the next decade or so.

JIM CARNETT

Costa Mesa

* Just as Alice observed in her adventures in Wonderland, things are not always what they seem to be. In his statement (Newswatch, June 2) “I don’t think the $30 mark is a psychological barrier,” Disneyland spokesman John McClintock, in referring to the new park admission fee ($30 for adults, $24 for children ages 3 to 11), must be alluding to Disneyland management ranks’ perception, certainly not that of the average, workday-world wage earner.

He notes that Florida’s Walt Disney World has been charging even more than that for some time; yes, but does he honestly expect anyone to believe that Anaheim’s Disneyland is on the same par with Florida’s Disney World? When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955 with an admission price of $1 and individual ticket fees for the various attractions, he demonstrated a desire to make the park accessible to all, rich or poor.

Now, however, it would be interesting for a survey to be conducted that statistically indicates what percentage of families in Southern California can no longer realistically hope to come up with the tariff for entry to Disneyland, leaving many thousands of children with only the dream of that “magical” land.

Perhaps it’s time for Disney to consider a multiple pricing structure that would charge a maximum admission fee for unlimited use of the attractions and a lesser fee for general admission to the park, with various ticket package options for limited use of the attractions, just like in the good old days. Or would that create a “psychological barrier” to Disney’s bottom line? If Disney officials continue their pricing policies, perhaps they should consider developing a new attraction called “Avarice in Wonderland.”

PAUL M. RICH

Costa Mesa

* Disneyland admissions have more than doubled ($14 to $30) since Michael Eisner became CEO in 1984. With an annual attendance of 40 million (Disneyland and Walt Disney World), these increases amount to many millions. Somebody has to pay for Eisner’s and (Disney President) Frank Wells’ $257-million stock option exercised last December.

This is in addition to their multimillion-dollar annual salary, incentives and other stock options. It sure would be nice to know what their total compensation is since 1984. Their expertise seems to be in continually increasing prices. Remember during the dedication of Disneyland, when Walt Disney said he wanted an inexpensive park to which people could “take the family”? Thanks, Mr. Eisner and Mr. Wells. I guess you didn’t remember Mr. Disney’s words. I guess this is free enterprise.

PAUL SIEMASKO

Tustin