In a move that will affect millions of park visitors, Walt Disney Company today announced a new series of price increases for tickets, annual passes and add-ons across the US theme park. Disney said many of the price increases will be implemented immediately, with some parks likely to exceed the $200 barrier for peak day tickets. The company cites rising labor costs, maintenance costs, capital costs and ongoing demand as the main factors in the decision.
With the new pricing, Disneyland’s most expensive one-day tickets will rise to $224, up 8.7% from previous top tickets. Meanwhile, at Walt Disney World, daily admission fees for Magic Kingdom during high demand periods reach $209 at its peak. Annual passes have also been adjusted, with Disney saying it will raise prices from $20 to $80 at every stage, but it will not affect updates to some passes (such as Sorcerer Pass and Pixie Pass). Add-ons such as parking and lightning lane functions often increase.
Disney has positioned the hike as a “responsible adjustment” in the face of rising wages, inflation and continued capital investments in new attractions and infrastructure. Mickey Visit said the company emphasized that low-cost ticket prices are often small or none at all, indicating its efforts to maintain affordable prices for budget-conscious guests. Still, some longtime visitors expressed disappointment on social media, warning that gradual price hikes are beginning to alienate some of their fan base.
The announcement comes amidst the presence of Disney attendances showing significant fluctuations over the past decade. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney parks regularly recorded record years. For example, Disneyland’s attendance exceeded 18.7 million in 2019, but fell sharply during the pandemic. In 2020, the number of visitors fell to below 4 million, but in 2022 it recovered to over 16 million, reaching approximately 17.25 million by 2023.
Similar roller coaster patterns have been developed at Walt Disney World and other Disney parks. A recent report has reported that across Disney, the experience division has attracted around 142 million visitors across parks around the world, maintaining the top position among global operators. However, Skift said that while the theme park’s attendance is now “normalized” and remains strong, analysts have noted that it has recepped from its post-pandemic peak. According to a report by Travel Weekly, the number of visitors in the country has been weak in recent quarters, and on busy days and holidays, it may not be expected to attract as many customers as usual.
The fluctuations in attendance are not just related to the pandemic. In 2024, Disney acknowledged that hurricane disruptions (particularly in Florida) forced a temporary closure, resulting in lower audience footprint than expected. Observers also point to factors that hinder growth include changing consumer behavior, increasing competitiveness of competitors (particularly Universal’s new Epic Universe Park in Orlando), and price pressure.
These attendance and revenue movements help explain why Disney is pushing for more strict pricing than it is now. Disney is aiming to not only cover inflationary pressures by increasing admission and pass fees, but also to capture even more revenue during peak demand, when demand remains strong. However, this decision is a balance consideration. If prices are raised too aggressively, there is a risk that attendees will be curbed. If kept too low, the profit margins will be reduced due to rising costs.
Over the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see whether Disney can maintain audiences, especially price-sensitive guests. Will the new ticket stage and discounts ease the blow? Or will the combined effects of rising costs and discretionary budget restrictions make some visitors rethink their Disney vacation plans? Time will tell if Disney’s latest pricing move will work or cause further volatility.
