Disney announces ticket and parking price increases at Disneyland and Walt Disney World

June 1, 2013 at 11:27 AM · A friend who's planning his son's bday at Disneyland later this year asked me yesterday about price increases. I told him typically they occur first weekend in June, but said he should call as I haven't read any updates yet.

Of course here's the post with perfect timing. Sadly the guest services cat member told him over the phone yesterday that there were no planned price increases.

Good thing you can buy Annual Passes online and activate it on the first day of use.

June 1, 2013 at 12:34 PM · FWIW, I have no problem with price increases as long as something new is brought to a park. This year, Disney adds what? If they want to increase prices, do so next year when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opens.

June 1, 2013 at 2:22 PM · I worked at the Auto Plaza at EPCOT, and I'd say 3 out of 4 guests who paid cash gave us a $20, making us provide $6 in change.

Raising the price to $15 makes everyone's job easier.

With that said....I can only imagine how much of a hassle DLR will be when they have to provide four 1s to every guest handing them a $20 bill. That just doesn't make sense. Raise the price of tickets an extra $1, but $16 for parking is going to be more trouble than its worth.

June 1, 2013 at 3:35 PM · It really makes me angry that they give you one day's notice of this kind of thing.

My pass expired on the 20th, I'm going back in less than two weeks and was going to renew it then and now it's too late to call and renew because the web site doesn't recognize my pass and the call center closed 30 minutes before I found out about the price change.

They should at least give us the notice we have to give them to cancel reservations at their resorts.

I'm tempted to say screw it and not renew them this year and instead just go to Universal/Busch Gardens/Seaworld instead. They at least have something new to see. (Yeah, I know, Disney opened new stuff last year, but I've been three times since new fantasyland opened, so I'm just waiting on the 7 dwarves ride next year.)

June 1, 2013 at 7:00 PM · .not a surprise.....except the mk costing more.

June 1, 2013 at 7:29 PM · The fact that Disney wants to charge more for Magic Kingdom probably speaks volumes about the rest of the parks at WDW.

June 1, 2013 at 9:13 PM · Disney stopped being affordable years ago. Their ticket prices are simply absurd.

Just because they can charge whatever they want doesn't mean they have to.

Disney, your parks are crowded. Your food is expensive. The quality of the disney experience has slid. Offer a product worthy of the price.

June 1, 2013 at 11:06 PM · @Tracy Bates

I believe you can buy the pass online but not activate it until you go! At least, for Disneyland. I remember buying the night before last year's increase and the paper saying I had until December 31st to activate it. I didn't go until June 18th which is when it expires this year. Unfortunately I wanted to buy a new pass in September to wait out the summer rush, but looks like I might renew tonight to save $40...

June 2, 2013 at 1:03 AM · Behind all that pixie dust we need to remember Disney is running a business here, first and foremost. Judging by how attendance numbers are high at their parks and people still pack their parks, they are have every right to raise ticket prices. It's just good business, just about any business owner will do the same.

This should have a miniscule, if any, effect on attendance.

June 2, 2013 at 5:17 AM · Disney is free to do what they want. That doesn't mean I like it. I lost interest in Walt Disney World quite a while ago and I won't visit their parks if all of them have received substantial upgrades and additions.
In the meantime I'm visiting the parks that do care about innovation and offering exciting new experiences I care for.
I hope Disney is transferring a bit of the extra income to all those underpaid Disney employers.

June 2, 2013 at 6:25 AM · Someone posted 'Dismey, your parks are crowded...' That simply means the price is too LOW. Raising the prices might even out supply and demand a tiny bit, making the park more pleasant for those who can afford it. I'm a bit surprised Disney hasn't figured out a 'premium' experience yet ala Discovery Cove.

June 2, 2013 at 8:01 AM · Every major theme/amusement park around the world is upgrading and putting new e ticket attractions every two to three years but WDW. Even Disney in California and International is making improvements. The last thing that Disney World did that's E Ticket quality is add Everest which in many opinions is still broken with a non animated yeti (disco yeti). I'm tired of hearing well its a business and people still go whatever the price. What price is too much for a park that doesn't improve for like 10 to 15 years?

Also you can't change an exisisting ride and call a new e ticket ride. I'll give you some examples at WDW. Changing test track to tron trek.....still the same ride. Changing Star Tours to Star Tours 2.0 is still a simulator with some options. Alien Encounter to Stich that should be taken out its so bad. WDW should wake up and start coming up with new rides, lands, or parks to compete. Real e ticket rides and not some family coaster.

When does an amusement/theme park become less and less exciting to go to? Just look at WDW for a great example.

June 2, 2013 at 9:20 AM · Here is an informal economic explanation for the recent price increases in central Florida’s oligopoly theme park industry. Historically, Disney has been the dominant firm and demonstrated it by exhibiting price leadership; Disney would announce its price increase and Universal would match it, SeaWorld would set its price a little less. With the opening, of Harry Potter Universal started to challenge Disney as the dominant firm in Central Florida. Last year 2012, Universal tried to exhibit price leadership by announcing its daily park price increase before Disney, but Disney set its price later and slightly higher. This forced Universal to re-announce its daily ticket price to match Disney’s (to avoid the appearance of having an inferior product as measured by daily ticket prices.)

This year it appears Universal got Disney’s goat when it announced its $92 daily ticket price several weeks ago. I believe that based on sound economic analysis of Disney’s economists, Disney was planning on a $90 daily ticket price for all parks. But in light of Universal’s price increase Disney’s management thought it would create the impression that now Universal had the superior product. So Disney’s management over ruled the recommendation of its economists and established a two tier pricing scheme a $95 daily price at the Magic Kingdom and $90 at its other central Florida parks. While $90 per day may be the correct profit maximizing price for Disney’s central Florida theme parks, Disney set the Magic Kingdom price higher for two reasons: 1) to obscure the fact that it may have lost its dominant firm position to Universal and 2) remind the world that Disney still has the number one theme park in the world–the Magic Kingdom. Disney is sacrificing profits for the ego and pride of its executives and management. (Note: I am not sure that $92 per day is the correct profit maximizing price for Universal either. Their executives and management could just be “screwing“ with Disney’s and vice versa.)

June 2, 2013 at 5:49 PM · An update to my earlier comment:

1. in response to the suggestion that I do it online. I can't renew mine online. I'm a vacation club member and you have to either go to the park (not an option since I live 6 hours away) or call. The DVC call center closed at 5:30 and I didn't see this article until after they were closed.

2. My price actually went down! I have the premium pass that includes the 4 parks in orlando, the water parks, disneyquest and one of the golf courses/sport thing and it just expired on the 20th. Turns out that while the purchase cost went up, the renewal cost went down. Also, it looks like they merged the adult/child pass for DVC members. (ie... seems like they used to have separate tickets for adults vs children. Now they only have one pass for DVC members, so they raised the price on kids and lowered the adult price.) Financially, they probably came out ahead since most people have multiple children. In my case, it's just me and my wife so we saved a little bit.

3. I did feel really stupid after calling this morning and complaining about the lack of notice only to find out my price went down.

June 2, 2013 at 9:07 PM · Walt Disney World is always exciting for me and probably many others. Any time that we are planning to go I am very excited. Prices going up doesn't make me happy, but going to WDW does.

June 3, 2013 at 8:06 AM · How does the average family afford to go at $92 per entry? For a working family of four they're looking at spending $400 before they step into the park. By the time you have two meals at inflated prices, snacks, multiple drinks on 100 degree days, and buy the kids a balloon and a hat, you've got to be looking at more than $800, maybe a grand for the day.

Once upon a time when I was a kid-- Parking was Free. Walt Disney promised when building The Magic Kingdom that parking would always be free. He designed the park not as a place to squeeze every last penny out of people, but as a place families could gather and enjoy together. I have an old ticketbook in front of me that cost $5.75 for the day at Disneyland. How does a single mother scraping by take her kid(s) to Disneyland? The answer is-- she doesn't. It's very sad to see what Disney has become.

June 3, 2013 at 11:56 AM · I visit the parks twice a year and will continue to do so. My problem is that they are really making it difficult for those who struggle to afford to visit. They reduced the amount of time they offer the free dining and now the cost increase. Bottom line it is a business and a smart one at that.

June 3, 2013 at 1:06 PM · Disneyland....not worth the money...

June 3, 2013 at 11:37 PM · I don't think WDW Parks are too crowded. The problem is they lack attraction offerings which results in huge wait times for every major attraction. Look at CA adventure which will soon eclipse Epcots annual attendance. A park 4 times the size of CA adventure, yet consistently has longer wait times for its attractions. The difference is CA adventure simply has more attractions, which spreads out the crowd throughout the park. WDWs Parks are huge compared to Disneyland Resort but they lack attractions. New lands /attractions/parks are the only way to ease overcrowded Parks. The price increases are purely for profit and competition with universal.

June 4, 2013 at 5:28 AM · Speak for yourself. Disneyland is my Laughing Place. Period.

Well, DCA too.