For many families, going to a Disney park can be the trip of a lifetime. Paying for it, however, is a far less magical experience. If you're planning to pay a visit to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you'll want to prepare to spend even more than expected. Disney park ticket prices are going up again, with some passes spiking by a whopping $150. Read on to learn more about the latest Disney price hike.
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Disney is raising prices at both Disney World and Disneyland.
Konstantin Yolshin / ShutterstockTravelers looking to visit the happiest places on Earth will now have to pay more than ever. A spokesperson for Disney confirmed to Fox Business that the company is raising prices at both of its U.S. theme parks: Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
The increases impact the rates of tickets, annual passes, and parking, and they have already gone into effect. But the prices for the two parks' most basic one-day ticket option is set to remain the same. At Disney World, the least expensive option will run you $109, while Disneyland continues to cost $104.
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Annual pass and parking prices are going up at Disney World.
JHVEPhoto / iStockWhile Disney World is not changing the prices for its standard dated tickets, as of Oct. 11, the cost of all four of its annual passes have gone up, local NBC-affiliate WFLA reported.
The Disney Incredi-Pass, which is the most expensive pass that is available for all guests to purchase, has gone up $50, from $1,399 to $1,449. The Disney Sorcerer Pass, which is available to Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members, went up $30 from $969 to $999. Meanwhile, the Disney Pirate Pass and the Disney Pixie Pass—which are both only available to Florida residents—went up $50 and $40 to $799 and $439, respectively.
The Florida-based theme park also raised parking prices to $30, which is a $5 increase. Disney told WFLA that the new price standard for parking is now "on par" with other theme parks located in Central Florida.
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But the most expensive increase is happening at Disneyland.
FrozenShutter / iStockCosts are climbing even higher over in California. Disneyland's version of annual passes, which are called Magic Keys, have spiked by as much as $150, USA Today reported.
Both the Believe Key and the Enchant Key passes went up by $150, with the Believe Key now costing guests $1,249 and the Enchant Key running them $849. Meanwhile, the Imagine Key (which is only available to Southern California residents) and the Inspire Key (the park's most expensive annual pass) both went up by $50 to $499 and $1,649, respectively.
Disneyland is also raising the prices of its higher-tiered one-day tickets and multi-day tickets. As CBS News explained, single-day ticket costs at the California park are structured in six tiers—each of which represent a particular time of year when visitors want to enter. The tiers are increasing anywhere from $5 to $10, with the price of a ticket on the busiest days at Disneyland (or Tier 6) now costing parkgoers $194. That represents an increase of more than 8 percent, per Fox Business.
The rates of multi-day ticket prices at Disneyland were hiked anywhere from $25 to $65. You'll now have to spend $310 for a two-day pass, $390 for a three-day pass, $445 for a four-day pass, and $480 for a five-day pass. The cost increase of the five-day ticket was 16 percent, Fox Business reported.
And similar to Disney World, the price of theme park and hotel parking also went up by $5 at Disneyland, according to USA Today.
Disney said its "broad array of pricing options" reflect the value of its parks.
iStockPrice increases at Disney parks are not unusual.
"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," a Disney spokesperson told Fox Business.
But the decision not to raise the lowest-tier price option at both Disney World and Disneyland may be a smart move after rumors of "empty parks" were shared around social media this past summer.
"This time they're being careful to raise prices selectively, so only the most expensive tickets have the highest increases," Martin Lewison, a business professor at Farmingdale State College in New York who studies the amusement parks industry, told CBS News. "If you're already laying out $1,400 for an annual pass, you're probably OK with $1,450 too."
