Recent Study Shows Walt Disney World Prices Have Increased By 3000% Since the Park First Opened
Each year, when ticket prices go up, Disney fans feel nostalgic for the good old days when the cost of entering the theme parks was less than a mortgage payment. Though it’s obvious that prices incereased beyond the rise of inflation, a new study gives us a quick glimpse into just how much. A piece on the website Play Like Mum has got the Disney-sphere buzzing with a breakdown of how much ticket prices have gone up since the parks first opened. Let’s take a look (hold on to your seats)
Walt Disney World
When Walt Disney World opened in Florida in 1971, one adult day ticket was $3.50. Today, it costs $109! Though at the time that the park first opened, individual tickets were still required for the rides, that’s still a bit of a hike! That means in the last 48 years tickets have increased by a whopping 3,014%.
Here’s a look at the increase by decade:
1971 (opening): Tickets $3.50
1981: Tickets were $9.50 (that’s an increase of 171%)
1991: Tickets were sitting at $33.00 (that’s an increase of 881% on the original)
2001: Tickets $48.00 per person (an increase of 1271%)
2011: Tickets increased again to $85 (an increase of 2329%)
Today: A 1-day theme park ticket will set visitors back $109 (that’s an increase of 3014% from when the park first opened)
Annual passes have seen a similar hike. The passes were first introduced back in the ’80s. When they made their debut in 1982 they came it at only $100. Now they’re inching closer to the $1,000 mark.
Disneyland
But Disneyland definitely takes the cake in the price hike department. When it opened, admission prices were $2.50. Today, guests can buy a one-day ticket for $129, that’s an increase of 5,060%! Let’s take a look at how these tickets have gone up over the decades:
1955 (opening): When the park first opened a theme park ticket would set you back $2.50.
1965: By the 60s they’d gone up to $7.30 (an increase of 192%)
1975: Prices were still around the $7.30 mark.
1985: Children of the ’80s may remember paying a slightly higher price of $16.50 (an increase of 560%)
1995: Prices over the decade went up to $31.00 (an increase of 1140% from the original)
2005: By the time the OOs rolled around guests were paying $56.00 (an increase of 3860%)
Today: Currently, a 1-day theme park ticket sits at $129.00 (that’s an increase of 5060%)
Disneyland Resort also introduced annual passes back in 1985. When they were first released they cost $99 for the year. Today they run about $1399. That’s an increase of 1,313%
Tokyo Disneyland
Price increases aren’t unique to the US theme parks though the upward shift hasn’t been quite as drastic abroad. When Tokyo Disneyland first opened it’s doors back in 1983 the cost to visit was ¥4,200 (about $42.58). Today a park ticket will cost you about $68.38. That’s an increase of around 48% compared to the steeper increases in the States.
Disneyland Paris
Disney’s foray into the European market began in 1992 with ticket prices sitting at around €30 or ($33.00.) Today a current ticket will set you back €73 or $81.00. This is still under the cost of the parks in the U.S.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland has been open for 14 years. On opening day, admission was HK$350. That is approx $44.00. Today those tickets are HK $499 or $64.00.
So when your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles regale you with stories of just how cheap it was to visit the Disney theme parks back in the day- you can believe them!
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for the latest Disney news and updates!
Thinking about a visit to Disney? Getting started is easy! Simply fill out our form below to get your FREE, no-obligation quote from MickeyTravels!
Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to assist you with everything from finding your perfect package to helping you plan lots of special touches to make your visit truly magical. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook
Wow that’s so unreal,but it’s still worth going