Walt Disney World is raising ticket prices around the holiday season and the school breaks when the crowds are typically the busiest of the year.
A one-day base theme park ticket from Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve now costs $159 — a 23 percent jump from the previous $129.
Around Thanksgiving, a one-day ticket will cost $139.
A four-day base theme park ticket starting July 4 also will increase by $9 per day.
On its website, Disney sets the prices on a calendar and charges different prices depending on the day, a system of trying to spread out the crowds the company started in October.
“As we invest in our parks and expand our offerings, we will continue to look for ways to manage high demand and spread attendance while preserving and enhancing the guest experience,” a Disney spokeswoman said in a statement.
On days when demand is less, the price will remain at $109 for a one-day base ticket at Disney.
During the holidays, the parks have sometimes closed and not allowed more guests because they reached maximum capacity.
Occasionally, tensions flared up among guests this holiday season when the parks were packed, according to reports from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The price increase is not unexpected considering Disney World had raised prices regularly, Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst for Motley Fool, told the Sentinel earlier this year.
“Disney is definitely entitled to these price increases,” Munarriz said. “It doesn’t seem like there’s a much of slow season anymore. Everybody who goes knows it’s crowded.”
The parks are also aggressively growing.
Many theme park analysts were predicting prices to jump before Disney opens Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in California and Orlando, which is expected to draw big crowds. Disneyland’s prices increased in January.
Orlando’s Star Wars land at Hollywood Studios is set to open Aug. 29, and California’s is scheduled to debut on May 31, although Rise of the Resistance, one of the two attractions, won’t be in operation yet. That ride will open later in 2019 in both locations.
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