Good evening, everyone! Today I want to discuss some big information that I just saw on the Disney news! So, let’s get started, shall we?! So, Disney World and Disneyland Resort has officially increased their ticket prices, the cost of the Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane Services. As Disney moves toward its 100th anniversary celebration next year with Disneyland “at the heart” of the festivities, the company Tuesday raised prices of tickets to the Anaheim parks in nearly every category, as well as the add-on Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane services at both of its U.S. resorts. The ticket increases kick in today. Disneyland ticket-price increases have become an October ritual. The top one-day, one-park ticket (Tier 5) was $124 in 2017. It was raised to $134 in 2018, to $149 in 2019, to $154 in 2020 and to $159 in 2021. The price for that same tier ticket is now $169, a 36% rise in five years. (A Tier 6 was added above at $164 last year, which has now risen to $179.)
Single-park ticket prices in 2021 vs. the new 2022 rates are as follows:
Tier 1: Was $104, now $115
Tier 2: Was $119, now $129
Tier 3: Was $134, now $144
Tier 4: Was $149, now $159
Tier 5: Was $159, now $169
Tier 6: Was $164, now $179
The Anaheim parks also introduced a new Tier 0 price point with heavily restricted dates for $104.
Park-Hopper tickets, which allow guests to visit Disneyland and California Adventure on the same day, also cost more, with the following increases now in effect:
Tier 1: Was $164, now $179
Tier 2: Was $179, now $194
Tier 3: Was $194, now $209
Tier 4: Was $209, now $224
Tier 5: Was $219, now $234
Tier 6: Was $224, now $244
The least expensive park-hopper ticket will be $169, a new tier. The cost of multi-day tickets also increased between 9.21% and 11.76%. The one-day Park Hopper add-on option has risen from $60 to $65. The basic Genie service forecasts wait times for various attractions at the theme park and provides recommendations based on user preferences. Adding Genie+ provides access to the “Lightning Lane” line-skipping service for most rides one attraction at a time. Some of the more popular attractions, however, require additional a la carte Lightning Lane fees. The Disney Genie service is available through the Disneyland app.
For Disneyland and California Adventure, which introduced the service last December at $20 a day, Deadline hears that the changes mean:
For guests purchasing pre-arrival as an add-on to their ticket, the price for Disney Genie+ service will go from $20 to $25 per ticket, per day, subject to availability.
For guests purchasing day-of (after they’ve entered a theme park), the price for Disney Genie+ service will start at $25 per ticket, per day, but will vary by date based on demand. That leaves open the possibility for peak-day price increases above $25 for the service. Guests can check the Disneyland app for that day’s price.
Some popular attractions such as Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance require additional fees for Lightning Lane access, and Disney says pricing will continue to vary by date and demand, but guests may see some changes in the range. One user at the park today reports that LL access for Rise of the Resistance is currently $25. When Magic Genie was introduced last year, LL a-la-carte access for popular rides was set at between $7 and $20 depending on demand.
At Walt Disney World, Deadline has confirmed that more new pricing is as follows:
The price of Genie+ now varies by date, regardless of when it is purchased. What was $15 now ranges from $15-$22 for the current month.
The price of some individual Lightning Lanes will also rise. When Genie+ was introduced last year, LL a la carte access for popular rides was set at between $7 and $20 depending on demand. The current a la carte LL fee for Rise of the Resistance is $15-$22 for the month of October. On the lower end, Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train ranges from $10-$11 this month.
After a Covid-hampered 2021, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has been a prime mover in the company’s success so far this year. Revenue in the division surged 70% to nearly $7.4 billion as of August 2022, with operating income up from $356 million to $2.1 billion. Disney brass said domestic parks drove the numbers higher. Spurred by the price increases and add-ons championed by Bob Chapek — himself a former head of the Parks division — guests were spending more per capita on tickets, food and hotels. Revenue was also boosted by new services like Genie+ and Lightning Lane. Today’s increases likely mean more of that to come.
Wow!! Disney sure does increase their ticket prices every year! I know that some Disney fans are not happy about the news, but it is just the way life is. Some things do change and not everything is going to be the same in the future. The Genie Plus increase is very interesting because some of the Lightning Lane attractions like Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance require a fee to pay for the return time. I think that the Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance individual lightning lanes got my attention because it has a really long line and you would have to actually pay for the return time and skipping the lines.
So, what do you guys think about the ticket price increase, cost of the Genie Services, the Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance attractions being individual lightning lanes, and Genie plus increase as well?!
I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions, or concerns down below! Stay tuned for Disney updates.
