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Disneyland hikes ticket prices for its highest-demand days

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, celebrating ‘100 Years of Wonder.’
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  • Disneyland is raising the price of its most in-demand tickets starting Wednesday.
  • The base entry price will remain at $104 while others will increase between $7 and $12.
  • The park's Magic Key annual pass prices will rise between 6% and 20%, or $100 to $125 depending on the pass type.

Price hikes are coming to Disneyland.

While the California-based park's entry-level ticket will remain at $104, the same price it's been for six years, other ticket tiers, which are based on demand, will jump between $7 and $12, a 5.9% to 6.5% increase, the company said Wednesday.

Similarly, the cost of the park's Magic Key annual pass will increase between 6% and 20%, or $100 to $125 depending on the pass type. These price changes are effective as of Wednesday.

These price changes come as the Walt Disney Company is already under scrutiny for the cost of its theme park admissions and hotel accommodations, which many consumers believe has become too high.

Still, the company has sought to offer discounted tickets and hotel stays for those who opt to visit Disneyland during off-peak periods. Last week, Disney announced its kids ticket offer of $50 tickets would be made available on Oct. 22 and can be used starting Jan. 7. Additionally, the company has a hotel offer that can save guests up to 20% starting in January.

"We always provide a wide variety of ticket, dining and hotel options, and promotional offers throughout the year, to welcome as many families as possible," said Jessica Good, a Disneyland Resort spokesperson, in a statement Wednesday.

Much like the airline, hotel and even concert entertainment industries, Disney's theme parks operate on a demand-based pricing model. That means that certain times of the year are more expensive to visit the parks because more people are trying to visit at that time. Major holidays like Christmas and Halloween, as well as school vacations, are prime examples.

On the other hand, Disney said there is a period of time in January and February where a family of four — two adults, two children — can visit the park for $308. That's two $104 adult tickets and two $50 kids tickets.

But to handle demand, Disney has a tiered ticket system. Tier 0 is the lowest demand, the $104 base ticket price, while Tier 6 is the highest demand and will see an increase of $12 to $206 per ticket.

The Magic Key program will also get a price bump because of demand. The lowest tier, called Imagine, will cost $599 a year, a $100 increase, Enchant will be $974, a $125 increase, Believe will be $1,374, a $125 increase, and Inspire will be $1,749, a $100 increase.

Each tier has different access to theme park dates and perks. Disney noted that Magic Key passholders will get early access to the upcoming Tiana's Bayou Adventure opening and discounts on Lightning Lane passes, as well as the existing merchandise, food and parking discounts.

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is not announcing any price changes. Disney's online ticketing website for those theme parks — Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot — already reflects pricing increases for 2025, which were reported back in February.

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