What’s interesting here in SoCal is that even with yearly passes, you can’t just show up at Disneyland and hop on rides, you still have to plan your visit in advance. There’s a hardcore group of Disney fans who will give up almost anything to keep renewing their passes. The top-tier pass now costs $1,700 per year.

The conclusion of "declining middle class" doesn't follow from the article. Disney theme parks can only admit so many people per day (scarcity) and for Disney fans there's no real replacement Mecca (inelasticity). This is simple supply and demand. It's not a market failure, because nobody is missing out on anything by not going to Disney.

This "article" is an opinion piece written by a management consultant who clearly doesn't know what they're talking about.