Photo by Park Troopers
Turns out a hug from Mickey Mouse has a price tag, like anything else. While Ursula is not asking for our voices, Disney has increased the price of their tickets into the magical parks.
The tickets have increased differently for each park and depending on what type of ticket is being sold. According to Carey Purcell’s article on “Forbes” online, the cost of some single-day tickets are increasing by up to 9 percent.
Fortune online gives the values for each ticket increase, with regular one-day tickets to Disneyland in Anaheim, California increasing from 110 dollars to 117 dollars. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida ticket prices are increasing by the tier of the ticket, with regular tickets increasing from 115 dollars to 119 dollars, peak tickets rising from 124 dollars to 129 dollars and value tickets going up from 107 dollars to 109 dollars.
Why the increase in ticket prices? Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger addressed the reasoning when speaking to The Orlando Sentinel: “Given the small percentage of guests who purchase a one-day ticket at Walt Disney World, extending pre-published, date-specific pricing to multi-day tickets will further advance our efforts to spread attendance throughout the year and ensure all guests have a magical experience no matter when they visit.”
In essence, the goal is to spread attendance out more throughout the year. This may prove wise considering the park’s extreme popularity, with domestic park attendance increasing by 6 percent last quarter according to The Orlando Sentinel.
So is that picture with Peter Pan worth the extra dollars? I do not know about you, but I will be rubbing every lamp, hoping I can ask Genie for some tickets myself.