Pass on Disney, not on TP

Do you consider yourself to be a “broke” college student, yet you still find yourself spending time and money at the Happiest Place on Earth? 

Well, it’s hard to believe your complaints when you spend all your free time at a theme park that charges $8 for a corndog.  

Hello, Disney pass holders.  

My name is Emily, and to be honest, I am a little confused. Confused as to how you happily shell out up to $600 on a magical ticket that lets you pretend to be a child again, but then suddenly can not afford to pay for toilet paper when it is your turn to do so. 

You see, I would absolutely love to buy a ticket to a haven of lightsaber churros and animated characters that make all thoughts of papers and lectures fly away. But I also have these things called responsibilities. 

I am responsible to buy toothpaste, so my teeth don’t fall out; toilet paper for you know, reasons; and coffee, so that it’s okay for people to approach me at the ungodly hour that is my 11 AM class (kidding…mostly). 

Therefore, I have refrained from giving Disney a minimum of $300 that I really can’t afford to be giving them in the first place. 

Sure, the Caf may not be as appetizing as your $12 turkey leg, but if the cost of my meal plan is part of my tuition, you bet I will be eating my worth of Lucky Charms and grilled cheeses. Disneyland has some crazy expensive food which yes, is incredibly delicious, but how the heck can you talk yourself into paying so much for food at a park when you’ve already paid so much for a meal plan? 

So again, every time one of my friends tries to talk me into buying a pass, I remind myself of the sad responsibilities that come with adulthood—like changing my car’s oil, which is ridiculously expensive, or buying groceries to keep in my dorm for the sad nights that all the Caf has to offer is catfish and chicken. 

Therefore, I have little sympathy for those that complain about not having any money, but pay hundreds of dollars to go to an amusement park.  

Listen, it is a privilege to have a Disneyland pass. Many people don’t, because they are extremely expensive. So when you do buy one, making a fuss about not having money to buy basic necessities is a luxury you can no longer afford. 

Don’t be the roommate that never buys toilet paper, doesn’t offer up any gas money, or is constantly eating all the good snacks without compensation, and still pays like fifty dollars on food at Disneyland. 

Don’t do it, man. Don’t be that guy. 

It completely makes sense why there are so many students at Vanguard with a Disneyland pass. It is a fun place, and many students come from out of the area. It’s a place that you can go to and cling onto what is comfortable. It’s filled with your childhood memories of Snow White and swirly tea cups. It’s a fantastic place that helps the transition into adulthood feel a little more manageable. 

But hearing you complain about being a “broke” college student is getting tiring. There are students pinching pennies together to for basic survival. So the next time you’re buying gas for your car, bite your tongue instead of grumbling about the twenty bucks it costs you. Remember where the rest of your money is going: an amusement park. If that’s worth it to you, fine, but don’t gripe about your expenses. 

You can’t have your Jazz Kitchen beignet and eat it too.