Beware, Disney’s New Surge Pricing on One-Day Tickets

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A visit to “The Happiest Place on Earth” could cost you $20 more per ticket now that the Walt Disney Co. has rolled out seasonal ticket pricing at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

The company announced the ticket pricing change – which took effect Feb. 28 – in a recent blog post. Disney says the new pricing is a way for the parks to “help spread out visitation.”

The new seasonal ticket pricing affects the two parks differently, and only applies to one-day ticket purchases, not the multi-day ticket packages that many families purchase for a Disney vacation.

Disney’s demand-based ticket pricing means you’ll pay a premium for admission to the park on its busiest days, like holidays and weekends. It’s similar to Uber’s surge pricing structure and the hikes in airfare and hotel rates travelers experience during peak travel times, like spring break.

Disney says each month will be divided into value, regular and peak days, which will determine what park visitors pay for a one-day ticket. For example, a single-day ticket to Disneyland before Feb. 28 was $99. Now, with seasonal pricing, a one-day ticket costs $95 on “value” days, $105 on “regular” days and $119 on “peak” days.

Disney World’s seasonal price changes are more complex because they vary depending on which of its four major theme parks a visitor chooses, the Boston Globe reports. At Magic Kingdom, Disney World’s most popular park, one-day “value” tickets will cost $105, which is what the park charged for a single-day ticket prior to the pricing change. Visitors will be charged $110 on “regular” days and $124 on “peak” days.

Meanwhile, single-day tickets to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will be $97 on “value” days, $102 on “regular” days and $114 on “peak days.”

According to Quartz, because peak and regular days make up roughly 70 percent of Disney parks’ calendars, it’s more likely that you’ll be forking over extra cash for a single-day ticket than saving a few bucks by visiting the park on a “value” day.

“The demand for Disney Parks continues to grow, particularly during peak periods,” Disney explained on its blog “At the same time, we have an unwavering commitment to exceeding the expectations of all our guests.”

Disney noted that it’s committed to providing new park attractions, including plans for “Star Wars” and “Frozen”-themed attractions, as well as “Avatar” and “Toy Story”-themed lands.

What do you think of Disney’s new seasonal pricing for one-day ticket purchases? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.

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