Disney on Tuesday raised the price of admission to “the happiest place on Earth,” with a premium ticket to Disney World nearing a painful $500, though the cheapest tickets remain unchanged.
Disney World’s top-of-the-line “Incredi-Pass,” which lets Mickey Mouse fanatics skip lines, went up by $120, while the annual top-tier pass went up by the same amount, to around $1,800.
Still, execs insisted the company is sensitive to families’ budgets as they face stubborn inflation and other economic challenges.
“Our goal is to put guests at the center of our decision making, and that starts by listening to them,” Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences, told CNN.
“That matters more now when families are watching every dollar, and we see it in the choices they make every day — in how they plan, in how far ahead,” he added.
The cheapest Disney World tickets was unchanged, at around $120 for a day at Animal Kingdom.
The base ticket price at Disneyland held at $104.
A peak travel-season ticket for someone hoping to go to multiple parks in 2027 will cost $300 at Disney World.
Meanwhile, Disney is testing an AI tool for some visitors to its website that lets them ask questions such as, “What are the cheapest dates to visit by month and season?,” USA Today noted.
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston recently said the House of Mouse cares about prices, adding that the company wants to attract younger families.
The company’s aim is to keep the base ticket price low while add-ons like park hopping and line jumping will cost more, the exec said last month.
Disney is offering a range of attractions to keep the thrill alive.
In celebration of its 55th anniversary, the Magic Kingdom at Disney World is getting its largest expansion in history. The park will include a new section centered around the “Cars” movies, in addition to a spooky new area called Villains Land.
Animal Kingdom will also get a new area with Indiana Jones- and “Encanto”-themed experiences. A “Monsters, Inc.” inspired section will open at Hollywood Studios, too.
Overall park attendance was up 3% in the spring, according to Disney.
Last week, Disneyland Paris had to turn guests away after both of its theme parks were sold out. Many of the guests were Americans who traveled overseas after calculating that a Euro-trip would be cheaper than a trek to Orlando.
The company as a whole has been downsizing. Last month, Disney laid off several hundred employees in the company’s television section. That followed a round of about 1,000 firings — conveyed over email — earlier this year.