With inflation and rising theme park costs, more Disney park visitors are going into debt to pay for their trips, according to a recent survey. Twenty-four percent of Disney theme park attendees have taken on debt for a trip, up from 18% in 2022, concluded a survey by financial firm Lending Tree , which queried about 2,000 people last month. That number goes up to 45% for parents with children under 18.
On average, parents with young children took on $1,983 in Disney-related debt, the survey found. Concessions were the biggest source of higher-than-expected spending, followed by general transportation costs and accommodations. But many of those parents were willing to borrow money to finance their Disney trips — 59% of those who went into debt for their trips said they had “no regrets.
” “For so many parents, taking their kids to Disney is a rite of passage, something they remember fondly from their youth and want to experience with their kids,” LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz said in a statement. “Because of those feelings, they’re often willing to take on debt to get there.” The survey did not specify which parks respondents visited, whether in the U.
S. or international. Lending Tree’s definition of “debt” includes credit card debt, personal loans, borrowing against one’s home and debt that incurs interest.
A Disney representative was not immediately available for comment. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim began using a demand pricing system i.
