Walt Disney World Resort will implement new ticketing pricing based on the date of visit from 16 October 2018, and bring the cost of entry at the four theme parks – Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot – on par. Currently, its more expensive for guests purchasing a single-day pass to Magic Kingdom than the other three Disney theme parks.
Coupled with a new online holiday planning platform at DisneyWorld.com, the changes are “designed to simplify the booking experience, give guests an enhanced way to purchase theme park tickets and help them more easily plan the Disney vacation of their dreams,” the Disney Parks blog advises.
An interactive online calendar will display pricing based on guests’ chosen date and indicates that tickets will need to be used during a specific time-frame. Visitors can use the calendar to determine the lowest-priced days within a month or view off-peak travel periods, when crowds are at their lowest.
At the moment, a single-day pass varies between US$109 to US$129, with Disney saying next month’s changes are due to rising visitor numbers.
“As our parks have increased in popularity, there are more and more guests who wish to experience our world-class attractions. Introducing date-based tickets and pricing will allow us to better distribute attendance throughout the year so that we can continue to improve and deliver a great experience,” the company said on the blog.
A video (below) details the changes, taking effect from 16 October 2018.
“These updates are designed to help you plan your dream vacation, both now and for years to come. This is an incredibly exciting time at Walt Disney World Resort, which continues to grow and expand with industry-leading immersive lands like Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
“In addition to these groundbreaking expansions, guests will also have a chance to experience upcoming attractions that take creative storytelling to the next level from the recently announced “Ratatouille” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” attractions at Epcot, to a Tron-themed attraction at Magic Kingdom Park, to the first Mickey Mouse-themed attraction with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and so much more coming soon.”
David Clark from Disney Destinations confirmed to LATTE that the new pricing structure doesn’t affect wholesaler partners in Australia who sell Walt Disney World Resort’s Park Hopper passes.