British visitors to Disneyland Paris are apparently being charged 60% more than French families. Should you really be charged a higher ticket price just because you booked your trip in the UK?
Even I, despite not having children, raise a smile at the Disneyland Paris adverts where parents tell their excitable kids that they’re off to see Mickey and Minnie.
But perhaps I can suggest a follow-up advert, where the kids tell their parents that they paid more for their tickets compared to families in France – after all ‘the magic starts the moment you tell them’!
Brits charged 60% more
When the Daily Mail compared prices for Disneyland Paris tickets on the theme park’s UK and French versions of its website, they found that British families were charged 62% more.
French families could take advantage of an offer giving children under-12 free entry, meaning the total ticket price for two adults and two children came to 142 Euros (£119). The same offer wasn’t available through the UK version of the site, so the equivalent ticket price came to a total of £192 – a difference of £73.
And anyone thinking they can simply ‘virtually’ hop over the channel and book their tickets on the French website will also be left disappointed, as the report suggests that credit cards registered outside of France will not be allowed on the site.
One deal for all
A Disneyland Paris spokesman told the Daily Mail in defence:
‘A variety of promotions are offered at different times of the year to each market to reflect the local needs.
‘In the case of the UK market the most popular promotions are those combining accommodation and/or travel plus park tickets. A recent promotion exclusive to the UK market offered up to 50% off hotel and park tickets, plus free hotel and park tickets for children under 12.’
But while Disney claims that its offers are targeted at specific markets, these exclusive promotions will leave some families out of pocket if they fail to book at the right time and miss a particular deal.
It’s not uncommon for the same holiday to be offered at different prices through different agents – but surely all deals offered directly through the attraction provider should be available to all consumers, at the same time, and wherever they live?
So, what do you think of Disneylad Paris’ country specific deals? Are you happy with tailored-offers for UK customers or would you rather everyone, wherever they live, be offered the same price for the same ticket?