Disney Adjust Prices for Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Disney has decided to adjust the admission prices upward for its two most popular theme parks, Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
On Wednesday, the company confirmed that the prices for these theme park tickets have increased between $5 and $65 depending on the type of ticket.
Additionally, Disney is raising the price of annual passes to Walt Disney World, with these new rates being effective from today.
Maintenance of Date-Based Ticket Prices
The cost of date-based tickets, which are what most visitors purchase, will remain at $104 per day for Disneyland and $109 per day for Disney World.
Moreover, the parking price at the parks has also gone up by $5, now standing at $30, which, according to Disney, is “on par with other theme parks in Central Florida.”
A spokesperson from the company stated, “We are constantly adding new, innovative attractions and entertainment to our parks and, with our broad array of pricing options, the value of a theme park visit is reflected in the unique experiences that only Disney can offer.”
Reasons Behind the Increase
Scott Smith, a professor of amusement park management at the University of South Carolina, mentioned that Disney is likely raising prices because inflation has increased its labor and operational costs, besides needing funds for expansion at the Magic Kingdom.
You may also like: Disney Begins Second Wave of Layoffs impacting 4,000 Workers
He also pointed out that Disney paid billions of dollars for the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, thus needing to generate more revenue to cover those expenditures.
One-day tickets at Disneyland are structured in six tiers, each representing a particular period of the year. For example, Tier 6 tickets are for people who aim to visit the parks for one day at any point between October 13 and April 7, 2024. The price increases for these tickets are as follows:
- Tier 1: $119, up from $114
- Tier 2: $134, up from $129
- Tier 3: $154, up from $144
- Tier 4: $169, up from $159
- Tier 5: $184, up from $169
- Tier 6: $194, up from $179
The price increases for Disney theme park annual passes are:
- Disney Incredi-Pass: $1,449, up from $1,399
- Disney Sorcerer Pass: $999, up from $969
- Disney Pirate Pass: $799, up from $749
- Disney Pixie Dust Pass: $439, up from $399
And for multi-day theme park tickets, the new prices are:
- 2-day: $310, up from $285
- 3-day: $390, up from $360
- 4-day: $445, up from $395
- 5-day: $480, up from $415
This adjustment in admission prices comes at a time when Disney seeks to offset losses from its streaming businesses, including Disney+. CEO Bob Iger, who returned as chief executive nearly a year ago, has prioritized reconnecting with Disney park fans to drive revenue growth.
Martin Lewison, a business professor at Farmingdale State College in New York and a scholar of the amusement parks industry, highlighted that Disney has increased ticket costs little by little every year since its inception, except during the pandemic.
He commented that this time, they are being cautious to raise prices selectively, so only the most expensive tickets have the highest increases.
With information from CBS News
