Disney keeps hiking its ticket fees in what some observers say is a bid to price out less profitable visitors and thin crowds at its parks in California and Florida to make the experience more enjoyable.
For example, at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, a single-day ticket will cost $107 for adults or $101 for children on “value” days,a year-on-year increase of $2. A visit to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom during peak season - $124 -- is the only entrance that will remain the same. All of the other options will go up between $2 and $5 apiece.
Year-over-year attendance in Disney's theme parks for the last quarter fell by 5 percent, but revenue and income in the theme parks division increased.
Disney World has instituted annual price increases since 1988, making 2017 the 29th year of straight increases, says Rick Munarriz, a columnist who follows the resort business. "Disney is making more with less, and as long as revenue and operating income keep inching higher, don't expect the media giant to ease back on the annual increases," he said.
