The self-proclaimed "Happiest Places on Earth" are about to make a lot of guests unhappy as both U.S. Disney parks will now cost more to visit.
Disneyland Raises Ticket Prices
Walt's first theme park in Anaheim, California, just celebrated its 55th birthday in July 2010. Three weeks later, ticket prices to visit Disneyland and its neighboring park, California Adventure, are going up.
Under the new pricing tier, admission via a one day, one park ticket will be $76 for guests age 10 and over and $68 for ages 3 to 9. Add on the park hopper privilege (meaning one can visit both parks on the same day) and that one day pass will now cost $101 for guests age 10 and over and $91 for ages 3 to 9.
Annual passes are also going up in price. The Deluxe Annual Pass (good for both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure admission, but with select blackout dates) is jumping from $299 to $329. The Premium Annual Pass (same as Deluxe but without blackout dates) also raises in price from $439 to $459.
The discounted passes for Southern California residents are also increasing in price. The Southern California annual pass is going up from $219 to $239 and the Southern California Select annual pass is increasing from $169 to $184.
As if that's not enough additional revenue for Disney, parking for both California parks is also being raised a dollar from $14 to $15 per car.
Walt Disney World Passes Also Incur Price Increases
The four Orlando, Florida, Disney parks, collectively known as Walt Disney World will also have increased prices across the board.
A one day, one park basic ticket will go from $79 to $82 for guests 10 and older. Ages 3 to 9 will now pay $74 (or actually, their parents will).
Magic Your Way base pass prices will start at $162 for two days and go up to $262 for a ten-day pass. Turning a Magic Your Way pass into a multi-day park hopper will add $54 to the new cost of the passes.
Annual passes, which cover unlimited visits to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom, will now cost $499 for age 10 and up. A Premium annual pass (which adds on unlimited visits to the water parks, Oak Trail golf course, DisneyQuest and ESPN Wide World of Sports) will now set you back $629. Complimentary parking is still included with both passes.
Florida residents will still get discounts, but their pass prices are being raised, as well.
For residents of the Sunshine State, a Premium annual pass will cost $499, a regular annual pass will be $379, and the Seasonal annual pass (with blackout dates and no complimentary parking) will now cost $259.
How the New Disney Pass Prices Will Affect Budget Travelers
The average pass price increase ranges from $3 to $6 per daily admission, which may not seem like much to budget for. However, multiply that times a family of four for an entire week, and that's about $80 to $100 extra per trip just for tickets. That could pay for a character meal or an extra night in one of the Walt Disney World value resorts.
Psychologically, there's also the whole idea of now having to pay more than $80 to get into Walt Disney World for a single park entry. How much longer can Disney continue to raise its ticket prices before the economically-strapped traveler says "Enough of this" and goes elsewhere?
Most likely many guests will grumble about the increased cost but will pay it since it's such a beloved place to visit for families. But sooner or later, there will be a price point that Disney will cross which will cause guests to put away the wallet and plan a trip elsewhere.
Until then, prepare to shell out a little more when visiting one of Disney's U.S. theme parks.
Michelle Snow - Michelle Snow been a freelance journalist and photographer for over twenty years, specializing in travel and entertainment. She got her ...
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