by James Coulter
From gas to egg prices, inflation has raised prices on everything. But perhaps the most egregious price hikes have been with the Disney Parks.
We’ve written before about how Walt Disney World vacationshave become too costly for the average American family (https://dailyridge.com/2021/09/27/welcome-world-travelers-is-disney-world-getting-too-expensive/). But prices have increased so much in recent years that even Disney itself has become worried.
On Feb. 8, 2025, Robbie Whelan of the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) published an article, “Even Disney Is Worried About the High Cost of a Disney Vacation.”
In this article, he reveals how much the cost of the average Disney vacation has increased over the years, becoming noticeable not only by the average American consumer, but also by the Walt Disney Company itself.
“Some inside Disney worry that the company has become addicted to price hikes and has reached the limits of what middle-class Americans can afford,” Whelan wrote. “Internal discussion over whether Disney parks may be losing their grip on the hearts and wallets of families with young kids have become more frequent.”
How Disney World Became Too Expensive
The WSJ article consulted TouringPlans to analyze the cost of a Walt Disney World trip, including park tickets and a stay at a value resort. Their analysis showed the typical 4-day vacation was $3,230 in 2019 (adjusted for inflation), while that same vacation now costs $4,266 in 2024—an overall price increase of 32 percent!
Evidently, these price increases have affected attendance. In 2024, Disney Parks experienced attendance growth of only 1 percent, whereas the year before saw a 6 percent growth.
“The unit’s income of $3.1 billion for the final three months of 2024 was flat-year-over-year. At the U.S. theme parks, attendance declined 2%, and operating income fell 5% year-over-year,” Whelan wrote.
This decline in attendance proves troubling for a company whose main income derives from its theme parks. In 2019, Disney’s operating income from the parks accounted for only 41 percent, while in 2023, it accounted for more than 70 percent.
Why Disney World Became More Expensive
Most price increases have been attributed to the resort’s expansion in recent years, most notably under CEO Bob Iger’s 10-year tenure, which saw a massive expansion of the Disney Parks. These notable expansions included New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom, the World of Pandora in Animal Kingdom, and Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios.
However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney World experienced an increased demand due to previous travel restrictions. In turn, Disney raised prices, which was also a likely response to an overall $4 billion revenue loss due to closure from the pandemic.
By then, Bob Chapek had assumed the role of Disney CEO. Not only did he oversee price increases to park admission, but also the removal of previously free park services.
“Nearly 80% of the increase came from new costs for services and add-ons that were once free, such as line-skipping features, while the remaining rise came from Disney raising prices for parks passes faster than the U.S. rate of inflation,” Whelan wrote.
How Disney Has Responded
On Mon. Feb. 10, 2025, only a few days after the WSJ articlewas published, the Walt Disney Company published an article on its own website: “Disney Parks Offers: Everything You Need to Know.” Disney’s article highlighted various discounts, special offers, and pricing options that guests could take advantage of to ensure their Disney trip was affordable.
The article included the following statement from Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro: “The number-one thing we hear from the millions of guests who visit our parks each year is how much a Disney vacation means to them, and we intentionally offer a wide variety of ticket, hotel, and dining options to welcome as many families as possible, whatever their budget.”
Many websites took notice of the timing of Disney’s article, with many assuming it was a “response” to the WSJ article. Disney fan site WDW Magic even claimed it was what “appears to be a response to the [WSJ] article.”
However, despite Disney’s attempt at public relations, many consumers now feel a Disney trip has become too far outside their price range.
As Whelan wrote: “Starting in late 2023, the company’s own surveys of Walt Disney World and Disneyland guests found that the number of them planning return trips had ticked sharply down. Disney’s domestic parks attendance increased 1% in the fiscal year ending in September, down from the prior year’s 6% growth. Per-person spending on tickets, food, and merchandise at domestic parks increased 3% in each of the company’s past two fiscal years and rose 4% in the quarter ending in December.”
Since Iger re-assumed his role as Disney CEO in 2022, the Parks reinstated free parking at the hotels, removed theme park reservations, and offered more days on the lowest ticket price tier.
However, with inflation affecting everything from gas to groceries, only time will tell how more expensive park admission will become, and whether Disney will do anything to counteract price increases.
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Question: Do you think Disney World has become more expensive? Do you think Disney is justified in allowing admission and other park expenses to increase? And how have these increases affected your own opinions about the parks? Have you been able to visit regardless of these price hikes? Feel free to leave your answer in the comments on Facebook.
