Will Disney World ever end up being like Westworld?
I think the answer to that question will most likely be no, but I also think it’s not
as crazy of a question as it sounds.
I suppose I can’t start this without first explaining Westworld.
If you’re old enough and have access to HBO, I cannot recommend this show enough.
It’s only one season right now and it is perhaps my favorite television show to date.
Seriously, check it out.
In the show, Westworld is an experience for wealthy guests looking for a seemingly authentic
wild west adventure.
The park, which is absolutely massive, is largely inhabited by robots called
“hosts”, that are virtually indiscernible from real people while also being completely
unaware that they’re robots themselves.
This gives guests the freedom to indulge in all of their desires while at Westworld, from
lust to violence, without fear of repercussions or getting hurt.
All the while, they can set off on a number of adventures involving those hosts, adventures
that they’re the main character of.
The world itself is as authentic as possible.
No cafeterias.
No air conditioning.
No fancy hotel rooms with cable TV.
As long as you’re in Westworld, you’re in the wild west.
It is, for all intents and purposes, a futuristic blending of video games, role-playing, and
theme parks.
It is also highly unlikely we'll ever see anything like it in our lifetime.
I mean, it’s 2017 and we’re impressed when we make a robot that doesn’t fall over
when we kick it, which we do a lot apparently.
We’re not going to have hosts like Dolores anytime soon.
So then why did I even ask that question?
How could Disney World ever be like Westworld when Westworld itself seems like a stretch?
Well you see, as much as the show highlights the scale of the world and the violence and
the adventures, that’s not what I’m getting at.
What jumped out to me the most when I watched the show was just how custom tailored a Westworld
experience was for a guest.
When guests first arrive they’re greeted by their own host who prepares them for their
time at the park, guiding them to a private changing area where guests can change into
a western outfit.
As one hosts puts it early on into the show, "everything is bespoke and exactly your size".
Think about that for a second.
An entire room filled with bespoke clothing for that guest, most of which will go entirely
unworn.
After getting outfitted for their adventure, they arrive in a starting town with the other
guests.
While not monitored constantly, guests are watched over and their adventures are sometimes
altered from up high, which makes the experience more unique for them.
What was most interesting to me though was how many new guests arrived with each train.
Each dropoff seemed to only contain a handful of people.
It makes sense if you think about it.
If there are more guests than hosts, than going on adventures and getting into shootouts
with hosts just becomes more difficult to do.
A park like that requires there to be far more hosts than guests.
So how can Westworld afford to stay open with all of this amazing technology and personally
catered experiences for just a small number of people?
It’s super expensive, that’s how.
Thanks to an interactive part of the Westworld website, we have an idea of what guests in
the show pay for their experience there.
A barebones one week trip to Westworld, the absolute minimum package you can get, runs
one adult $442,000.
That’s over 63 thousand dollars per day.
A big step up from your average Disney vacation, which brings me to my point: Westworld is
a tourist destination that focuses on catered experiences for a small number of very wealthy
guests, instead of more standardized experiences for people of all income levels.
Can Disney World turn into that?
The initial answer that comes to mind is “of course not.
Disney World is meant for everyone.”
which is true.
However it’s worth noting that as of a few months ago your Disney vacation could have
very well also involved paying extra for the ability to switch theme parks mid-day with
a park hopper, paying $19 for a special bus to the Magic Kingdom to skip security, going
on a $200 VIP tour in order to skip ahead of lines for up to 10 attractions, taking
a break at your $650 a day cabana in Tomorrowland, and then paying $120 in order to enjoy the
park for a couple of extra hours in the evening after the park closes to the general public.
On top of that Disney has recently decided to adjust ticket prices to reflect the crowds
of the season and if you’ve really got the money to spend, you can even rent out entire parks.
It’s also worth noting that while attendance has been down at Walt Disney World, revenue is up.
Fewer people, more money.
Now don’t get me wrong.
I’m not trying to argue that Disney has gone the way of Westworld and only caters to the wealthy.
In fact, it’s great to know that all of those paid add-ons are completely unnecessary
to have a good time at Disney World at the moment.
That said it’s hard to ignore that Disney has recently taken a liking to introducing
more and more paid extras and paid events, which ultimately do offer a superior experience
for guests with the money to spend.
It’s not a bad thing, so long as the base experience remains fun and accessible, but
it’s got me wondering just how far Disney might go with the concept.
I highly doubt we’ll ever see the day in which Disney World is a resort in which ONLY
the wealthy can enjoy it, but might we see a day in which these add-ons and events ultimately
lead to exclusive paid experiences within the resort that only the wealthy can enjoy?
The cabanas, to me, are the biggest indicator that suggests it’s not a crazy question
to ask.
The cabanas were an experience that was EXCLUSIVE to those with a spare $650 laying around.
Now it wasn’t a big deal because it was ultimately just a tent with some snacks and
chairs, but what’s to stop Disney from expanding that idea to maybe an attraction that had
a separate fee, or maybe even a park?
Perhaps it wouldn’t be in the form of a park with insanely high ticket prices, but
maybe all it would take to go down that road is excluding such a 5th gate from the normal
tickets and park hoppers.
We already saw something similar with Disney Quest.
Why wouldn’t they be able to make the equivalent of a higher class Disney Quest?
Will the resort see a day in which there are significant attractions and parks that are
made for more wealthy guests?
Like I said at the top of the video, I think the answer is no, but the next time Disney
announces another paid extra, or another exclusive event that requires another ticket, ask yourself:
is the question really that crazy?