Monday, October 25, 2021

Yet More Ticket Pain for Disneyland Guests

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

October 25, 2021

 

Our sympathies go out to our fellow Disney fans on the West Coast. They have not been having a good run lately.  On top of the fact that their park was closed much longer than all the other parks (thirteen months!), passholders on the West Coast have been struggling to find theme park reservation availability right now.  As in, booked pretty solid for the next two months… There are currently only 2 days open for Disneyland Park, and less than two dozen weekdays available for California Adventure for the highest tier through the end of the year. Even fewer days are available at the lower tiers.

 

That’s a painful reality on top of the thousands some have shelled out for their new “annual passes,” now called “Magic Keys” on the California shores.



Now comes word that Disneyland’s Dream Level Magic Key (annual pass) has sold out. While that is likely a disappointment for those guests looking for a Key that would allow them unlimited access to Disneyland, it potentially provides some relief for the jammed-up search for open theme park reservations for Key holders.  

 

Dream level ($1,399) was the highest tier of Magic Key passes, giving guests admissions with no block-out dates and entry to both theme parks on any day of the year, as well as 20% off some merchandise, and 15% off some dining. Dream Key guests could hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time, and standard theme park parking was included.  


The 
Believe, Enchant, or Imagine Keys are still available at this time, with lower tier perks.

 

For those guests without parking included in their Key passes, it was also announced that the cost of parking at Disneyland Resort will increase from $25 per day to $30 per day.

 

In other distressing news for guests,  Disneyland has changed its ticket tier system, moving from a 5-tier “demand pricing system” for single day tickets to a new 6-tier system. Ticket pricing varies with the time of the year and the day of the week.  The highest demand travel times will now be the Tier 6 level, with the highest ticket costs. For example, Tier 6 will cost a whopping $164 for a 1-day, 1-park ticket. Add on the Park Hopper option for the day, and you hit a single day high of $224.

 

1-day, 1-park tickets on Tier 1 days will stay the same at $104. However, all of the other ticket combinations have been increased by anywhere from $5 to $25. According to the Los Angeles Times,“Daily ticket prices are jumping 3% to 8%, with standard daily parking rates going up by 20%. The parks last raised ticket prices by as much as 5% in February of 2020.”

 

(The Los Angeles Times also notes that the inflation rate in the U.S. was 5.4% for the 12 months that ended in September.)

 

Price increases for 1-day adult tickets include:

  • Tier 1: $104 (previously $114)
  • Tier 2: $119 (previously $114)
  • Tier 3: $134 (previously $124)
  • Tier 4: $149 (previously $139)
  • Tier 5: $159 (previously $154)
  • Tier 6: $164  (new tier)

 

Price increases for single day Park Hopper tickets are:

  • Tier 1: $164 (previously $159)
  • Tier 2: $179 (previously $169)
  • Tier 3: $194 (previously $179)
  • Tier 4: $209 (previously $194)
  • Tier 5: $219 (previously $209)
  • Tier 6: $224 (new tier)

 

Price increases for 1-park per day/multi-day adult tickets are:

  • 2-Day tickets: $255 (previously $235)
  • 3-Day tickets: $330 (previously $310)
  • 4-Day tickets: $360 (previously $340)
  • 5-Day tickets: $380 (previously $360)

 

Prices increases for multi-day Park Hoppers:

  • 2-Day Park Hopper: $315 (previously $290)
  • 3-Day Park Hopper: $390 (previously $365)
  • 4-Day Park Hopper: $420 (previously $395)
  • 5-Day Park Hopper: $440 (previously $415)

 

Head to the Disneyland website for prices for specific days and calendars for your travel plans, (or ask your friendly travel agent for assistance in maximizing your travel plans as the Disney tiers and reservations systems get more complex). 

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

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