The legendary live sketch comedy show had something to say about Disney’s newest theme park add-on.
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The Walt Disney Company was the latest victim of Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update, a segment in which host Michael Che and Colin Jost poke fun at the latest world events. The segment has long been a part of the cultural institution that is SNL, though, in recent years, has shifted its focus somewhat more toward poppier cultural moments and blunders specific to social media, with writers setting their sights on Disney for last weekend’s episode.
Of course, the 2024 presidential election was featured in a few jokes, with hosts labeling former president and current Republican candidate Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally “all white.”
However, those tuned into the world of Disney theme parks likely got a kick out of hearing the two comedians poke fun at Disney’s extremely pricey new way to skip the lines at its theme parks: Premier Pass.
Jost pushed back against Disney’s costly Premier Pass tool, which ranges between $150 to $450 a person, saying he will stick with his “trusty” wheelchair. Not only was Jost poking fun at Disney over its new line-skipping tool, but the comedian was also making reference to Disney’s Disability Access Service, or DAS, which itself has sparked controversy in recent months.
The segment was shared on YouTube and can be found linked below:
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Disney introduced Premier Pass earlier this fall, an announcement that sent shockwaves throughout the theme park community. While one could argue the company is playing “catch up” to other theme parks like Universal Studios, which employs its own line-skipping tool, Disney is certainly double or even triple dipping when it comes to getting guests to pay for add-ons during their day at the theme park.
Disney, instead, has opted to allow guests to pick and choose how they tackle the parks, and while this certainly allows for more flexibility, this has made the overall experience more confusing and harder to navigate for some.
Not only is Universal’s costly Express Pass given for free to guests staying at select hotels, but it’s the only way guests can skip the standby queues at the parks. Disney, on the other hand, lets guests book line-skipping passes in a total of three different ways now, meaning a guest who paid $20 to skip the line at Haunted Mansion and one who paid $400 may be waiting in the same line for the same amount of time.
What are your thoughts on Disney’s new Premier Pass system?
The post ‘Saturday Night Live’ Rips Into Disney’s Park Prices, Jokes About DAS Service in Latest Episode appeared first on Inside the Magic.
