Disneyland's Ticket Prices Are Going Up Again & People Are Not Happy

Family vacations are never kind to a parent's wallet and some recent news about one of the most magical places on Earth has some feeling frustrated. As Entertainment Weekly reported on Monday, Disneyland’s ticket prices going up again — for the second year in a row — and some people are definitely not happy with the price hike.

The price hikes, according to The Los Angeles Times, are “partly aimed at crowd control, although price hikes in the last few years have not diminished the throngs at Disneyland and its neighboring California Adventure Park.” This year’s increase is thought to be related to the imminent opening of Disney’s new Star Wars expansion, as Entertainment Weekly reported. The new exhibit will open in the summer of 2019 at Disneyland and in the fall at Disney World, according to USA Today.

Effective Jan. 7, the lowest price for a single-day ticket at Disneyland has increased to $104 for a low-demand day, according to CNBC. This is the first time single-day tickets have jumped over $100, Entertainment Weekly noted. The lowest-demand day ticket for Disney World will be $109, according to Fox Business.

High-demand days went up to $149 from $135, as NBC News affiliate KTIV reported, and daily parking passes are now $25 rather than $20, a 25 percent increase.

Perhaps the largest hit will be felt with the Disney Premier Passport for Disney World, which will jump from $1,579 to $1,949, according to Cinema Blend.

Regarding the latest increase, Disneyland Resort spokesperson Liz Jaeger told Romper: "We continue to provide our guests with a variety of ticket offerings to meet their needs, while helping us to spread visitation, better manage demand and deliver a great experience."

The spokesperson also told Romper that ticket prices are "going up an average" of 8 percent. According to The Los Angeles Times, Disney began setting prices per day by demand for the parks in 2016, offering lower prices on less busy days and increased rates with demand.

But park fans aren’t so thrilled with these prices, and many took to Twitter to express their concerns.

Others noted that for families, which are naturally Disney’s target audience, these prices are steep, with one parent calling them "ridiculous."

Disney did tweet that it's offering special pricing on three-day passes for Southern California residents from Jan. 7 through May 23; there is a blackout period during April 14 to 22. The three-day, one-park ticket is $179 and a three-day park-hopper ticket is $234.

Non-residents can also take advantage of special pricing as low at $70 per day on three-day, one-park tickets through May 23.

Regardless of the backlash, it's likely that many will still visit Disneyland this year; the new Star Wars attraction is sure to keep demand high. So far news of two rides has been released, including Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which will put guests into the cockpit of the famed ship, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which will take visitors on a wild ride in hijacked transport pods, according to USA Today.

Heading to Disney is expensive, so hopefully families itching to go to Disneyland this year can take advantage of the special limited time prices. Or, maybe, convince the fam to have a Disney-themed staycation.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include Disneyland's statement.