Looking to visit Walt Disney World? Well, you’re going to think twice now, as Disney has chosen to increase the price of its theme park tickets, making American families pay even more money!
According to a report from Fox 35 Orlando, this week saw the first increase in single-day admission costs for the infamously pricey amusement parks in years. Visitors to Animal Kingdom will pay between $109 and $159 for each ticket, and for those visiting Hollywood Studios will pay between $124 and $179, and visitors to EPCOT will pay between $114 and $179 per ticket.
Prices are rising as inflation rates remain near their highest levels in four decades. Visitors now can expect to pay between $124 and $189 for Disney World’s most popular attraction, Magic Kingdom.
While, the nearly $200 price point for Magic Kingdom is limited to nine days around Christmas and New Year’s Day, which marks the most popular time to visit Disney World. However, other ticket prices also vary based on expected tourist traffic.
“We continue to focus on providing guests with the best, most memorable Disney experience, and we’re doing that by growing our theme parks with incredible new attractions and offerings. We are also making planning easier with new 1-day tickets that automatically include a guest’s theme park reservation and continue to provide a wide range of options to visit throughout the year, including our lowest priced ticket of $109 which has not changed in more than four years,” a Disney spokesperson told Fox 35 Orlando in a statement.
In order to enhance the experience of current pass holders, Disney is not presently selling the three most expensive passes. But, in addition, annual pass costs increased by up to $100.
The price of the Incredi-Pass has increased to $1,399. The price of the Sorcerer Pass has decreased to $969. The Pixie Pass, which is only accessible to Floridians and is only valid for weekday visits, remained at $399 during this time.
However, even after Disney continued to limit attendance, largely due to higher spending per visitor on items such as food, beverages, and merchandise, another report from Disney Tourist Blog said that park revenue has increased.
Recently, the company’s board of directors made news when it abruptly fired outgoing CEO Bob Chapek and replaced him with longstanding predecessor Bob Iger. Since the start of the year, Disney stock has lost close to 41% of its value, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost more than 8% of its value.
Due to its involvement in political and cultural conflicts, Disney is receiving criticism from both consumers and policymakers. Some customers lost trust in the company because it took a stand against Florida law that forbids teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation to pupils in kindergarten through third grade.
As a result of the business’s advocacy against the law, Disney lost special regulatory and tax privileges given by the state government of Florida through the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is home to Disney World and other theme parks.
In a recent town hall with employees, Iger lamented that the business got involved in the controversial debate. He said, “I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle, and I have no idea exactly what its ramifications are in terms of the business itself. What I can say is that the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida.”
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Sources: Dailywire, Allears, Fox35orlando.