On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Disneyland increased its prices again! It has been a full year since Disney last added to the expenses, and inflation is back at it again. The increase in costs for the “Happiest Place on Earth” leaves a lot of mixed feelings to swirl around like anger or acceptance. This will affect the future of Disney by determining the number of visitors the parks receive. However, with Disney trying to keep up with this inflating society, the future might be uncertain.
To understand where the price increases are coming from, we first need to understand the history of Disneyland. According to Trip Savvy, “One Sunday, July 17, 1955, the first guests arrived, and an estimated 70 million people watched via a live television broadcast. In Disney lore, they still call it “Black Sunday.” They have a good reason. A guest list of 15,000 swelled to almost 30,000 attendees. …Most reviewers declared the park overpriced and poorly managed, expecting Disneyland history to end almost as soon as it began.” Disneyland had a rough start that could have set the tone for the rest of the park’s history. However, that article also says, “On July 18, 1955, the general public got their first peek – more than 10,000 of them. On that first day of its long history, Disneyland charged visitors $1 admission (about $9 in today’s dollars) to get through the gate and see three free attractions in four themed lands. Individual tickets for the 18 rides cost 10 cents to 35 cents each. Walt and his staff addressed the problems from opening day. They soon had to limit daily attendance to 20,000 to avoid overcrowding. Within seven weeks, the one-millionth guest passed through the gates.” Disney has been known to address complaints and problems in order to make the park better for all of their visitors.
Disney’s prices have been increasing for as long as we can remember. According to Walt’s Apartment, in 1964, the cost for general admission was $1.60 for adults and $1.20 for children. In 2000, the Annual Passport- “Special Offer” was $99 and the Annual Passport- Premium was $199. In 2011, the 1-Day, 1 Park tickets were $69 for adults and $59 for children. In 2014, the 1-Day, 1 Park tickets were $92 for adults and $86 for children. In 2019, the 1 Day, 1 park tickets were $129 for adults and $93 for children. The cost for current annual passes were also decided in 2020, the Annual Pass-Select Pass was $419, and the Annual Pass-Premier Pass was $2,199. As we look at the data above, it is obvious that not only have the times changed throughout the years, but the fees and ticket types have changed as well. As inflation continues to haunt the world, we can only watch as the prices for Disneyland, the “happiest place on Earth” continue rising.
No where in the U.S. has been safe from inflation, and it is because of inflation that fees at Disney have been increasing ever since the park opened. Disney Spokesperson Jessica Good says, “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.” However, to most, the reason why Disney is adding on its prices is not that well known. Sophomore Abigail Williamson says, “Probably because of so many people that go there every year, they need to compensate for that.” On the other hand, senior Veronica Maljak says, “It’s just an executive decision. They’re focusing on profit over outcome.” When it comes to inflation, even the happiest and most secure places have to succumb to the added expenses.
Currently, the prices at Disneyland are higher than they previously were, but some cost swells are not as great as others. According to CNN, “As previously mentioned, Tier 0 tickets remain at $104. If you go on Tier 1 day instead, that’s going to cost you $119, a $5 increase from the previous price. However, one-day, one-park tickets go all the way up to Tier 6 for the most traditionally crowded days. That will set you back $194 (previously it was $179).” Tiers were the levels on the tier system that was used to determine the cost for tickets and for a certain quality of attractions that the tickets gained access to. While some prices might have stayed the same, the rest have increased by the single or double digits. CNN says, “Two-day ticket — now $310 (previously $285). Three-day ticket — $390 (previously $360). Four-day ticket — $445 (previously $395). Five-day ticket — $480 (previously $415). ” All of the tickets and passes that everyone generally purchases are getting more and more expensive, but some have stayed the same. CNN also reports, “Disney Genie+ is the park’s line-skipping feature to bypass long queues on popular attractions. If you purchase it pre-arrival, it will now cost you $30 instead of the previous $25. You can buy Genie+ after you arrive, but that price can be even higher depending on current line waits. Finally, parking is going up, too. Standard parking is now $35 (previously $30) and preferred parking is now $55 (previously $50).” Due to inflation, everything is changing, and it can be hard to keep up with everything. As some advice, please prioritize and think carefully about how to prioritize your time and parking when at Disneyland.
The rise in costs at Disney has caused an uproar of mixed emotions to cycle through society. Junior Shelby Hansen says, “It’s not as good as it used to be. It makes sense if they keep adding more stuff.” Hansen believes that Disneyland is not as good as it used to be, partly because of all of the changes and additions that have been made to the park over the years. Sophomore Jared Bateman says, “I’m not happy with it, but it’s justifiable. Generally, our society is inflating.” Bateman is not wrong when saying that Disney has its own justifiable reasons for why the fees are soaring-inflation has been taking over society for as long as we can remember. Maljak adds, “I kind of think it’s reaching a point where it’s not affordable to some American families. I don’t really like the corporate sides of it.” Maljak has a point when saying that the expenses at Disneyland might be just too much for some families, and that could alter and affect the number of visitors the park will receive in the future.
Not only is Disneyland being affected by inflation, but Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is also gaining an increase in expenses. According to Dad’s Guide to WDW, “When Uncle Walt created Disneyland his model was state fairs and midways which sold individual tickets to rides. Walt didn’t want to sell individual tickets so he devised a system that rated the rides by popularity. The more popular a ride, the more it would ‘cost.’” Disney World had a way of selling tickets was similar to the method used for Disneyland, and the system worked out for quite a while before they changed the tickets and tolls. CNN says, “Yearly pass prices are going up 10 percent higher, according to the news agency Reuters. Called the Incredi-Pass, the most expensive one is now selling for $1,449, up $50. Roll in taxes and you’re looking at almost $1,500. But with that comes no black-out days and possible savings on dining and merchandise.” Even the most expensive things at Disney World are becoming even more expensive than they originally were, and when you take a look at the cost for everything, it is stress inducing. In addition, CNN also says, “Also, standard parking at Disney World is now up to $30 from $25, along with other parking increases. However, Disney World is not hiking daily pass prices.” Even though the cost of parking is also going up, some ticket charges have stayed the same and that can finally give us a breather from all of the boosts in expenses.
Now that Disney’s parks are continuing to increase their prices, year after year, one can only be worried or curious about what will happen next. Many wonder what will happen to Disney parks and whether the increase in prices will ward off visitors. People are not sure if they can still save money when at one of the Disney parks. Freshman Abraham Tori says, “Yeah, it seems like fun” to go to one of the Disney parks in the future. Hansen says, “If I were going with my family, yes, otherwise, no.” Maljak adds, “I might try to make my trips less frequent.” With the surge in prices at Disney parks, everyone has mixed feelings about whether or not they would go. Could the same be said for other potential visitors? Maljak says, “For sure, yeah. In a post-COVID world, more people are willing to live in the moment.” Bateman says, “The change will be minimal. The people that can afford to go to parks can afford the increase in prices.” The future for the park is unsure, but we will continue to observe the park as the years pass on.
For those that want to visit one of the Disney parks but also save money, Maljak says, “I think my biggest tip is to look at renting potential DVC [Disney Vacation Club] points. If you want to stay at some of the more extravagant resorts, going on websites allows you to connect with their vacation club members. Makes it a lot less expensive to get an above and beyond experience when it is a one in a lifetime experience.” Hansen adds, “Don’t buy anything from the gift shops. It’s not worth it. The rides are worth it.” Regardless of how expensive Disney parks are getting, it is personally up to you whether or not you want to visit them. As long as you have a wonderful experience that is worth the price, then the cost will not be such a waste after all.
