Walt Disney envisioned
Disneyland as a place for everyone to enjoy. Walt frequently spoke about providing his customers with "value", and DL was intended to be affordable (even if it was not cheap).
Still, Walt needed sponsors for the pavilions he was creating for the 1964 World's Fair, so he added a sponsor's lounge. The first hint of exclusiveness traces its origins to this 1964 World's Fair lounge.
Seeing the success of the World's Fair lounge, Walt wanted corporate sponsors for Disneyland to build more attractions. (Many of Walt's designs were expensive and reportedly Walt loved the idea of getting other corporations to pay for them.) Although Club 33 did not open until May 1967 (5 months after Walt's death), Walt envisioned Club 33 as a way to attract Disneyland corporate sponsors.
Club 33 aside, Disneyland and Walt Disney World remained firmly targeted for America's working and middle class for decades. For example, when WDW opened in 1971, theme park admission was $3.50 (
$24 in today's dollars), while an "Adventure Book" ranged from $4.50 to $5.75 (
$30 to
$40). (Admission and attractions were combined into a single ticket in 1982.) Together, admission and attractions cost today's equivalent of about
$64. I doubt few would consider a
$64 ticket to be cheap, but a ticket in 1971 (relative to household income) was a lot less than what it is today.
Hotel prices were similar. A room at the Contemporary or the Polynesian (WDW's first two hotels) started at $29 per night, about
$193 today. Again, WDW never was cheap, but it used to be more affordable.
IMO, WDW's value peaked in 1982-1984. The MK was complete, Epcot was new, and a 4-day hopper ticket (they were not called hoppers back then) cost $45 (tax included). That's about
$120 in today's dollars
for a 4-day hopper ticket. That's less than a one-day no-hopper ticket today. Before the days of computers, hotel rates were simple, with typically one rate year-round. In 1982, you could get a Garden View room at the Polynesian or a Garden Wing at the Contemporary for $75 per night, about
$209 per night in today's dollars.
Just imagine paying
$120 for a 4-day ticket and
$209 per night to stay at the Polynesian!
Beginning in 1984, things changed. Walt Disney Productions was the target of a hostile takeover and paid a great deal to buy back its own stock. The Board Of Directors recognized that the company was vulnerable and that a change in leadership was needed. For the first time, they brought in an outsider as CEO: Michael Eisner.
It was Michael Eisner who first started pushing prices and stratifying Guests when he took over in 1984. (Keep in mind that Club 33 originally was intended for corporate sponsors, not Guests.) 1984 to 1988 saw record (for Disney) price increases. These increases not only affected ticket prices, but hotel prices as well. Hotels such as the Contemporary, Poly, and Grand Floridan (opened in 1988) were no longer modestly priced. For example, a Garden View room at the Polynesian or a Garden Wing at the Contemporary was up to $160 per night (
$364 per night adjusted for inflation) during "Value Season" (most of the year) and $175 per night (
$398) during "Peak Season" (Spring Break and Christmas). Again, only 6 years before, it was an inflation adjusted
$209 per night year-round.
To resolve the increasing gap between onsite and offsite hotels, Disney opened the Caribbean Beach Resort in 1988. Effectively, CBR was Disney's first "Value Resort". CBR opening year-round rates ranged from $65 per night (
$148 in 2021 dollars) for a parking lot view to $85 per night (
$193) for a pool or lake view.
However, after just a few more years of price increases under Eisner, CBR was no longer a value resort and the gap between onsite and offsite hotels had grown once again. The All Star Sports and All Star Music were opened in 1994 to close this gap. All Star rack rates ranged from $69 per night (
$122 in 2021 dollars) to $79 per night (
$140). For reference, 1994 rates at CBR were $89 (
$162) to $121 (
$220) per night, while the Poly ranged from $210 (
$382) to $325 (
$590) per night.
Since 1994, it's been a fairly steady stream of price hikes that generally have been about twice the rate of inflation, and about twice the annual increase of median household income. Still, Disney started offering hotel discounts (I think in the 1990s), which offset much of the rack rate price increases. For example, All Star Music was as low as $59 per night (
$88) in 2002.
Hope this background helps!
