Walt Disney World has raised nearly all costs for 1-day and multi-day tickets, plus Park Hopper add-ons, and launched per-park pricing whereas eliminating Park Pass reservations for single-day tickets. This publish provides particulars and our commentary about all of those modifications, the quantity of value jumps, motivations for the brand new method, and extra.
This is the second ticket value improve of the 12 months at Walt Disney World, with the primary occurring in mid-February. This isn’t completely unprecedented, as Disney has raised costs twice yearly (often in February and October) on a number of events within the final decade. That’s why we’ve been advising readers to buy tickets prematurely to lock-in present costs in our 2022-2023 Discount Walt Disney World Ticket Buying Guide.
If this appears just like the third or fourth value improve of the 12 months, that may be as a result of there have been quite a bit of value will increase at Walt Disney World for the reason that begin of the fiscal 12 months. The huge ones have been to a whole bunch of menu objects throughout the parks & resorts and a brand new (principally dearer) date-based pricing for the Genie+ service. That second one is basically an oblique technique of elevating the price of admission, as Genie+ was once included (as QuickPass) with all tickets.
There’s additionally the truth that Walt Disney World introduced this specific value improve on November 15, and indicated it will take impact on December 8, 2022. However, not all the particulars have been identified then, so we have now a greater thought of how dangerous the ‘damage’ of this value improve is now that it’s truly been applied.
Before we dig into the main points, the excellent news is that Undercover Tourist, certainly one of our really useful third social gathering ticket sellers, nonetheless has tickets on the “old” costs for a restricted time. By shopping for by means of them earlier than Walt Disney World’s upcoming value will increase take impact, you may save a major quantity per ticket.
Anyway, right here’s which ticket costs have gone up, efficient in the present day…
For the primary time in a number of years, the price of 1-day tickets has gone up. These nonetheless begin at $109–however just for Animal Kingdom–which has been the bottom value for the reason that introduction of the date-based system again in October 2018. However, the utmost 1-day ticket value has skyrocketed for Magic Kingdom, which is the primary time that’s occurring since March 2019.
Maintaining this $109 beginning value is an fascinating choice, and it looks as if an necessary speaking level for Disney. When prices of visiting are mentioned within the mainstream media, there’s usually a quote from a Disney spokesperson reiterating that the bottom value has not gone up in ~4 years. That’s technically true, however the sensible actuality is that 95% of tickets truly value extra. That is, until you might be solely visiting Animal Kingdom for in the future through the low season. Our guess is that 1-day tickets to DAK don’t account for an amazing quantity of ticket gross sales, so the ‘static base price’ speaking level is essentially BS.
Speaking of which, Disney additionally touts the utmost “flexibility” and “customizability” of tickets, as company can select to go to on cheaper days and save. (Tell that to lecturers or households with faculty age youngsters! Good factor neither group are amongst Disney’s key customers. Oh wait…)
On that notice, there are a pair caveats. First, we now that there’s been a lower in $109 value level tickets throughout that point. We don’t observe the date-based calendar zealously, nevertheless it’s clear from even a cursory comparability between now and ~2018 that there are far, far fewer lower-priced days this 12 months than then. With every change, there was a shrinking variety of cheaper dates and rising variety of dearer dates.
Second, sustaining that $109 beginning value (once more, just for Animal Kingdom) results in odd outcomes as all different tickets improve with out regard for that advertising and marketing choice. To that time, it’s now cheaper to purchase two single-day tickets for Animal Kingdom than one 2-day ticket throughout low season dates. This is noteworthy as a result of Walt Disney World’s motto with longer visits was once: “the more you play, the less you pay per day.”
With that out of the way in which, under are the brand new park-specific pricing for single day, single park tickets. Price ranges are as follows:
- Magic Kingdom – $124 to $189
- Animal Kingdom – $109 to $159
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – $124 to $179
- EPCOT – $114 to $179
As earlier than, ticket costs will range primarily based on dates, therefore the ranges. Here’s a take a look at a extra in style date through the 2023 Christmas season:
This isn’t dynamic or “surge” pricing, however it’s demand-based within the sense that dates forecast to be busier additionally value extra.
Even for dates over a 12 months away in December 2023, Walt Disney World already is aware of that attendance and natural demand will probably be increased than in September 2023. Years of historic information present an excellent foundation for pricing and useful resource allocation.
Also efficient in the present day, park reservations are not vital for single day, non-Park Hopper tickets. With these being park-specific, that will be redundant. According to Walt Disney World, this technically works by the system robotically making a reservation for you. The finish consequence is identical for company–no reservations wanted for 1-day, 1-park tickets.
For now, company with multi-day or Park Hopper tickets will proceed to make theme park reservations. There aren’t any modifications to the Park Pass system for these ticket varieties…but. If rumors are to be believed, one other replace to the Disney Park Pass system is probably going coming in mid-January 2023 that will roll again reservations for everybody besides Annual Passholders.
Along with the introduction of park particular pricing at Walt Disney World, the associated fee so as to add the Park Hopper (and different choices) to your ticket additionally now varies by date.
As a normal matter, Walt Disney World’s date-based ticket pricing system makes value will increase very troublesome to evaluate. This variable pricing obfuscates will increase (by design), and it’s thus often very troublesome for us to say which dates did or didn’t improve, or by how a lot. Normally.
In this case, Walt Disney World telegraphed the worth improve 3 weeks in the past, so we had loads of time to arrange, doc outdated costs, and take screenshots of the date-based ticket calendar.
To that final level, above is a take a look at December 2023 pre-price improve v. post-price improve under.
What you’re seeing by way of the above screenshots is 5-day customary tickets earlier than and after the rise. It may be troublesome to inform, however the pre-tax value elevated by nearly $100–from $609.76 to $706.88. (You can ignore the vary on the second screenshot, that’s for the varied Park Hopper choices. Those have additionally gone up significantly, however that’s not the apples to apples comparability.)
Unfortunately, Disney as soon as once more outwitted me, altering the format of the calendar so it’s nearly unattainable to determine (a minimum of, at a look) how a lot Park Hopper and multi-day tickets have elevated. Previously, you chose the Park Hopper possibility first and the calendar up to date accordingly. Now, you select your date first and solely a beginning value “+” is displayed. This additional obfuscates the comparability.
From what I’ve been capable of glean, value will increase for Park Hopper and multi-day tickets are within the vary of about 6% to 12%.
The precise quantity varies significantly, and a complete date-by-date breakdown is past the scope of this publish. There are doubtless some low season dates under 6%, however it will shock me if something exceeded 12%. I attempted to maintain tabs of the dates the place I anticipated the most important will increase, and none of these are above 11.xx%.
We additionally know that the bottom value for multi-day tickets has elevated. Above are the brand new costs (e.g. from $99 per day for a 5-day ticket). While the 1-day value is identical as earlier than–$109, however solely at Animal Kingdom–every thing else is up by $5 to $8 per day. The largest will increase are for the favored 4-day and 5-day tickets, which have elevated by $8 per day. Again, these are the bottom costs within the date-based system.
In spot-checking, it seems to me that the most important will increase are for peak weeks–assume Christmas and New Year’s Eve (this 12 months and 2023), Presidents’ Day/Mardi Gras, Spring Break, Easter, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving, and so forth. It’s just about a on condition that these weeks would see bigger greenback quantity will increase, particularly the longer-duration tickets. Based on what I’m seeing, these are additionally seeing a number of the largest proportion positive factors.
Not to beat a useless horse, however we mentioned this precise phenomenon again in Disney Doesn’t Want Lower Crowds.
As we clarify in that publish, increased costs don’t essentially translate to decrease attendance. There are sure instances of 12 months that have increased demand on account of faculty schedules, seasonal occasions, climate, and so forth. Teachers or households with faculty age youngsters can’t swap their trip from summer time break to mid-September to benefit from decrease costs. That’s not a viable resolution for Disney’s core demographic of company. They will merely pay extra to go to throughout faculty breaks. Despite feigning in any other case, Disney is aware of this.
Charging incrementally increased costs for these instances of 12 months permits Walt Disney World to capitalize on and revenue from that inherently increased demand, which is comparatively inelastic. That’s the ballgame. No matter what number of instances Disney would possibly attempt to say so, the aim isn’t “flexibility” or no matter. This is the explanation spring break, summer time trip, and fall/winter holidays proceed to see heavier attendance than some other time of 12 months and haven’t leveled off with random dates in mid-January, early May, late August, and so forth. Increasing costs on that quasi-captive viewers is solely savvy enterprise or opportunism, relying upon your perspective. But I digress.
Similarly, though new Annual Pass gross sales stay paused, these APs will see a rise when gross sales resume. Here are the brand new costs for every tier:
- Incredi-Pass: $1399 – beforehand $1299
- Sorcerer Pass: $969 – beforehand $899
- Pirate Pass: $749 – beforehand $699
- Pixie Pass: $399 – no change
For these questioning when new AP gross sales will restart, Walt Disney World has no official reply–besides that it gained’t be this 12 months. We cowl our present expectations in When Will Walt Disney World Resume Annual Pass Sales in 2023?
When it involves 2023 Walt Disney World trip packages with park tickets, I’m not seeing any variations in earlier than/after pricing.
This could possibly be an oversight or error on my half. My ‘system’ for monitoring pricing may be very rudimentary, so it’s completely attainable I’m lacking one thing. (To that time, you probably have a previously-booked trip bundle for subsequent 12 months, are you able to inform whether or not it’s dearer in the present day?)
As for commentary in regards to the value will increase, the one “new material” I’ve right here revolves round Disney’s Bob Swap. As famous above, this value improve and ticketing change was introduced on November 15–earlier than Chapek was fired and Iger was introduced again. Given that this includes system modifications, it was doubtless set in movement months in the past and–if I needed to guess–was initially slated to roll out with the opposite fiscal 12 months will increase in October.
In any case, Bob Iger indicated that he was “alarmed” by earlier Walt Disney World value will increase and layoff plans in leaks to media since returning. In that article, we questioned whether or not Iger would pause the previously-announced however not but applied ticket value improve slated for Walt Disney World in December 2022? Nope.
Honestly, this isn’t a lot of a shock. Based on responses throughout his Town Hall final week, it was fairly clear that Iger was nonetheless taking part in catch-up and sure will probably be for some time. Moreover, as we mentioned in 7 Good Changes Bob Iger Could Make to “Fix” Walt Disney World, it’s going to be very troublesome to place the genie again within the bottle–each actually and figuratively–as soon as the corporate will get a style of upper costs. Especially when Walt Disney World raises prices however doesn’t see a corresponding drop in demand.
Given that Iger was introduced it to stem the bleeding from streaming and enhance Disney’s financials, I’ve a troublesome time believing that he’s going to take the rapid hit on costs and the opposite upcharges simply to enhance goodwill amongst Walt Disney World followers. It’s very troublesome to check a means that Iger does that within the near-term given the uphill battle that Disney+ and Hulu face. Our hope has been that Iger improves the visitor expertise, the standard of the parks, and the worth proposition for visiting. He’s nearly definitely not going to do this by reducing costs–that’s a fan fantasy–however by restoring components of the magic. That’s the real looking best-case state of affairs.
Beyond the Iger-related commentary, there’s nothing new to report right here. As I’ve stated a number of instances this 12 months, I’ve misplaced the capability for shock in terms of value will increase. Even although that is the second ticket value improve of the 12 months at Walt Disney World, it’s nonetheless not an enormous shock. Crowds are crushing, pent-up demand remains to be robust, and the parks have a loyal and passionate fanbase.
The busy Christmas season has arrived and with it, the very best attendance month of the 12 months. Last 12 months, Christmas was such a preferred season that Walt Disney World ran out of reservations even at top-tier costs and suspended ticket gross sales for some dates. Thus far, this vacation season has been barely much less busy than final 12 months, however that could possibly be a byproduct of restored capability, slightly than decrease uncooked attendance numbers. (That could be our guess.)
On a constructive notice, we’re very happy to see reservations rolled into 1-day tickets. This is a step in the appropriate route, and one we’re shocked didn’t occur in the beginning of this 12 months. As talked about above, we anticipate reservations to fade away for Park Hopper and multi-day tickets in early 2023, too. We’ve mentioned the “why” of all this in When Will Park Pass Reservations End at Walt Disney World?
The argument could possibly be made that reservations are helpful in terms of staffing or useful resource allocation, however that doesn’t actually maintain water with single day tickets—particularly below this new system. We’re skeptical that it ever was true for any tickets, as Disney is notoriously dangerous with information and analytics, even when it’d fancy itself a tech firm now. Redistribution of attendance and yield administration are upsides of the reservation system, and why it’s unlikely to ever go away for APs.
On prime of that, inflation is operating scorching across the globe, with the United States hitting a four-decade excessive above 8% this 12 months. Thankfully, that is beginning to abate as client spending additionally begins to chill, however inflation does stay elevated. Most of those value will increase are within the neighborhood that. On prime of that, the least costly single day tickets haven’t gone up since October 2018.
However, it’s additionally honest to level out that with the tip of free QuickPass+ and introduction of paid Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, which Disney has indicated that roughly half of Walt Disney World guests are buying, the efficient value of visiting has gone up by greater than 10%. In order to have an equal expertise as in comparison with pre-closure, you’ll have to spend an additional $25 per day, a minimum of, and that’s only for Lightning Lanes. That’s nonetheless not precisely apples to apples, nevertheless it’s shut sufficient for the sake of our comparability.
During earnings calls and interviews all year long, former CEO Bob Chapek immediately addressed value will increase–and ready followers for extra of the identical. He has stated that Disney’s theme parks are seeing unprecedented demand, and have pricing energy consequently. He additionally boasted that the corporate’s home parks and resorts have achieved all-time income and working revenue information.
For a number of consecutive quarters, per visitor spending on the home parks has been up greater than 40% versus the identical quarter in 2019, a fully staggering quantity. This has been pushed by a extra favorable visitor and ticket combine (learn: fewer Annual Passholders), plus increased meals & beverage and merchandise spending, in addition to contributions from Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. Revenue and working revenue exceeded pre-pandemic ranges, and that’s at the same time as Disney continued capping attendance.
In essence, company management has stated that the ball is in customers’ court docket—as long as they proceed to descend upon Walt Disney World in big numbers and willingly pay extra, Disney will proceed to lift costs till met with resistance. (In the type of misplaced gross sales and lowered demand, not on-line complaints divorced from precise motion.)
At least within the quick time period, the corporate is appropriate about prices. It’s onerous to make a compelling case that Walt Disney World has any type of pricing drawback, a minimum of for now. Even with all the latest (non-ticket) value will increase, the corporate is posting unprecedented numbers and demand is off the charts. This is why all the followers clamoring for value decreases now that Iger is again are setting themselves up for disappointment. Things will enhance–that’s already occurring with extra on the horizon. But why would the corporate depart cash on the desk?
Walt Disney World crowds have been completely bonkers this 12 months, with solely a handful of exceptions. While the Florida parks haven’t hit Disneyland ranges of absurdity, they’re closing in on 2019 wait time ranges (however nearly definitely not uncooked attendance numbers because of the lowered capability of the parks, which exacerbates “feels like” crowds).
In quick, so long as customers preserve spending and pent-up demand is powerful, folks can pay the costs for Walt Disney World park tickets, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and no matter else has gone up in value. The severe difficulty will come down the street when persons are not feeling so scorching about their financial circumstances and future.
At that time, it’s a query of whether or not discounting will probably be sufficient to incentivize company to return, or if irreparable model injury can have been performed over the last decade or so of will increase. We don’t have a solution to that–nobody does–nevertheless it’s undoubtedly one thing about which we’re curious.
We aren’t alone. Wall Street analysts and traders have requested the corporate about contingency plans to maintain the corporate on observe to fulfill its monetary targets throughout a possible recession in 2023. In response, Disney indicated that there are a variety of “levers” they might pull within the occasion of financial downturn.
We clarify these choices in What Does Walt Disney World Do During a Recession? However, within the right here and now, pent-up demand nonetheless has not exhausted itself. This vacation season may be the ‘last hurrah’ so to talk, nevertheless it’s prone to be a busy one.
Ultimately, it’s nonetheless our perception that issues aren’t too removed from normalizing. (You would possibly name it wishful–or delusional–considering!) Again, this vacation season will definitely be busy and we’re not suggesting in any other case. However, these value will increase and different modifications final past Christmas. It’ll be fascinating to see whether or not capturing additional income for an additional couple of months is well worth the headlines that additional cement Walt Disney World as a journey vacation spot with ever-increasing costs.
It’ll even be fascinating to see simply how rapidly Walt Disney World is ready to pivot and pull a few of these “levers” (to borrow a phrase from the c-suite) when attendance or the U.S. financial system (or each) switches gears. At some level, pent-up demand will fizzle out and inflation on requirements will negatively discretionary spending; on prime of that, increased rates of interest, underperforming funding portfolios, and rising family debt will carry the social gathering to an finish. The clock is ticking on all of that.
When all of a few of that occurs, customers will return to being extra cost-conscious and value delicate, and issues will normalize to a minimum of a point. However, there don’t look like any indicators of these issues occurring anytime quickly. Perhaps by mid-2023, however even when there’s a slowdown, it might take Disney some time to pivot on pricing.
In the meantime, get used to excessive costs, heavy crowds, and nickel & diming at Walt Disney World and Disneyland as this document run of income and revenue continues for a minimum of the rapid future. We’ll be paying cautious consideration to all the modifications, and can preserve you up to date as we study something new.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about resorts on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every thing you could know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the park ticket value will increase? Any dates with earlier than/after proportion jumps you see which can be increased than 12%? What about bundle pricing? What do you consider Walt Disney World’s choice to vary the park ticketing system and improve costs together with it? Do you assume Disney goes too far with will increase in a means that’ll depart lasting reputational injury, or will the corporate be capable of rapidly pivot together with financial circumstances? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any different issues we did not consider or particulars we missed? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!