Time to Pay Bills, Disney Says of Ticket Price Raise : Entertainment: The theme park breaks with tradition by not tying the increase to the opening of a major attraction.
After throwing a yearlong birthday bash for itself, Disneyland says it’s now time to pay the bills.
And that is why the 35-year-old theme park is raising ticket prices for the 11th time in eight years, Disneyland officials said Tuesday.
“We really presented our most ambitious entertainment package in our history,” Disneyland President Jack Lindquist said. “Ambitious rhymes with costly.”
The new entry fees, effective Thursday, will be $27.50 for adults and $22.50 for children ages 3 to 11. That amounts to $100 for a family of four, which “sounds like a lot of money to me,” Lindquist acknowledged.
Lindquist said some visitors may balk at the higher prices, but “we’re more concerned about what people say when they leave: ‘We had a good time. It was worth the money.’ ”
Disneyland’s latest ticket price increase breaks with the theme park’s usual practice of tying increases to the opening of major new attractions.
With the $2 increase in daily ticket prices, Disneyland has hiked adult admission fees by 129% since 1982, when an adult pass cost $12. Over the same period, the national consumer price index has risen nearly 74%.
Even so, Disneyland’s price increases are comparable to those at other major Southern California tourist spots. Since 1982, adult admission prices at Knott’s Berry Farm have risen 111%; Universal Studios, up 126%, and Magic Mountain, up 100%.
Theme parks often raise ticket prices just before the opening of a major ride or attraction to recoup some of their investment. They promote the fact that visitors will be getting a bigger bang for the buck.
The Universal Studios tour, for example, has grown markedly since 1982.
“There was no King Kong. There was no Earthquake. There was no Miami Vice,” said tour spokesman Jim Yeager, referring to attractions added over the past few years. “Back then it was pretty much a tram ride. Now it is a full-day, interactive studio experience.”
Officials at Magic Mountain credit a new roller coaster ride for a projected 5% increase in attendance this year compared to last, despite ticket price hikes ranging from $1 to $5.
“We attribute that to the success of Viper (the roller coaster), proving that major ride introductions do drive attendance,” park spokeswoman Courtney Simmons said.
The Disneyland price increase comes amid a tourism industry slump and concerns that the nation’s economy is slipping into a recession.
David H. Schmitt, a Tustin amusement park consultant, said he thinks that “this increase is a little aggressive, personally. I think the market will perceive it negatively because of the economy.”
However, Schmitt, a former Disney executive, added that Disneyland has proven before that it can lure huge crowds even when it has raised prices.
Lindquist said Disneyland wants to position itself “to move ahead and not have future price increases without a major new attraction or a major event.”
He said the increase will help pay for Disneyland’s 35th anniversary celebration in 1990. It will also help finance a previously announced renovation and expansion of Disneyland that includes a face-lift for Tomorrowland and construction of a new Hollywood theme attraction.
Lindquist said Disneyland plans special promotions and discounts as part of an aggressive marketing strategy to bring in visitors who reside in Southern California.
PARK PRICES
The cost of fun at Southland amusement parks has gone up much faster since 1982 than other prices, which rose 74%.
Park June,1982 November,1990 Pct. Increase Adult/Child Adult/Child Adult/Child Disneyland $12/$9 $27.50/$22.50 129%/150% Knott’s Berry Farm $9.95/$8.95 $21/$17 111%/90% Universal Studios $9.75/$7.50 $22/$16.50 126%/120% Magic Mountain $11.50/$5.75 $23/$14 100%/143% Sea World $10.50/$7.50 $21.95/$15.95 109%/113%
Source: The parks
