Mickey’s Ears Are Even Raising With Increased Ticket Prices at Disneyland

Published on February 17, 2020

It shouldn’t be that time of the year already, but it is. And if you’re an avid Disneyland visitor like I am, you know what I’m talking about. Last week, Disneyland Resort announced that it would be increasing both their ticket and annual pass prices, as they have done in the past.

And for the first time in the theme park’s 65-year history, prices for one-day passes fall over the $200 mark; two-, three-, four- and five-day passes also increased, as well as annual passes.

The Anaheim-based park introduced a new five-tier ticket pricing scheme, jumping from its previously utilized three-tier system. Each one is based off of peak days and increases based on the type of day (holidays, weekends, etc.).

Walt Disney World also experienced a small price hike; the Florida theme park’s annual passes increased for non-residents, whereas the prices stayed the same for Florida residents.

Why Do The Prices Continue To Rise?

From coast to coast, the American Disney theme parks have been raising their prices every year for a number of reasons from park expansions to crowd control. And if you check out social media, you’ll find a pretty wide-array of responses, ranging from anger to acceptance.

Last year’s price increase came prior to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the Disneyland side of the park; this year’s increase comes ahead of the new Marvel-themed land addition inside of Disney’s California Adventure. See the similarities?

As the parks continue to grow, more and more people will want to visit and experience the Happiest Place on Earth. When Disneyland adds a new attraction, or announces new events or themed lands, excitement grows and Disney fans will make the effort to go check them out.

“A visit to our parks is the best value in entertainment bar none, and we offer flexible choices to enable families to choose what’s best for them,” Disneyland spokeswoman Liz Jaeger said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

So when more people plan to visit, with that comes more plans for crowd control.

The price changes are meant to make peak days less busy, encouraging visitors to check out Disneyland on cheaper, non-peak days.

But while some become discouraged about the hike, others state that they will still visit the parks regardless. Following last year’s price increase, Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told CNN that the company wants Disney fans to do this, especially if that means controlling attendance.

“Disney has invested heavily in promoting itself as a lifestyle brand, and its dedicated fans won’t abandon it over these price increases.”

Lexi Jones is an award-winning journalist and Staff Writer at Grit Daily. Based in Las Vegas, she covers startup brands in entertainment, internet and LGBTQ+ startup news. She is also an editor of Grit Daily's "Top 100" entrepreneur lists.

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