Annual pass, parking prices increase at Disney World, Disneyland amid other changes
Disney fans who may have been holding off on booking their vacations may have to pay a little more than expected.
Prices for parking and annual passes rose overnight at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Some ticket prices and other costs also increased Wednesday at Disneyland.
"We are constantly adding new, innovative attractions and entertainment to our parks and, with our broad array of pricing options, the value of a theme park visit is reflected in the unique experiences that only Disney can offer,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.
The changes come on the same day as a long-awaiting announcement about park hopper rules at Disney World.
Here's what Disney World and Disneyland visitors should know:
Disney World park hopper hours easing
Starting Jan. 9, Disney World guests will once again be able to park hop at any time of day during park hours, pending capacity, the Florida resort announced Wednesday.
Currently, guests must wait until 2 p.m. to change parks if they've purchased the park hopper option for their tickets.
The change will take effect the same day as two other highly anticipated moves, the lifting of reservation requirements for most Disney World guests and the return of the prepaid Disney Dining Plan.
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Disney World parking price increase
As of Wednesday, standard parking prices cost $30, instead of $25, at Disney World’s theme parks.
That’s the same price as the starting parking price at SeaWorld Orlando and the regular parking price at Universal Orlando Resort.
Parking is free for guests staying at Disney’s resort hotels. It’s also free for Disney Springs guests while they are visiting the shopping, dining and entertainment complex – not theme parks.
Disney World annual pass price increase
The prices of all four annual passes also jumped overnight.
◾ The top-tier Disney Incredi-Pass now costs $1,449. That’s up $50 from $1,399.
◾ The Disney Sorcerer Pass is now $999, which is up $30 from $969. It’s only available to Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members.
◾ The Disney Pirate Pass now costs $799, up $50 from $749. That’s only available to Florida residents.
◾ The Disney Pixie Pass, which is also only available to Floridians, now costs $439, which is up $40 from $399.
Existing annual pass holders can renew at special, reduced prices.
There are no changes to prices for standard, dated tickets, which are the kind of tickets most guests have at Disney World.
More annual pass holder changes at Disney World
Disney World previously announced the introduction of “good-to-go” dates, when annual pass holders and cast members may visit parks without reservations. The resort has now revealed that “good-to-go” dates will begin rolling out in January and be released on a periodic basis after that.
On non-”good-to-go” dates, annual pass holders and cast members will still need a reservation for their starting park, if they enter before 2 p.m.
Ticket price increases at Disneyland
The starting price of one-day, one-park adult tickets remains $104 at Disneyland, as it has been for several years. However, prices of higher-tier tickets rose by $5 to $15 on Wednesday.
Ticket prices now top out at $194 for one day at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. That's $15 more than the previous price of $179 for the highest-demand dates at the Southern California resort. For comparison, the most expensive one-day, one-park tickets at Disney World cost $189 for Magic Kingdom.
The price of multiday tickets also jumped on Wednesday.
◾ Two-day tickets: $310, up $25
◾ Three-day tickets: $390, up $30
◾ Four-day tickets: $445, up $50
◾ Five-day tickets: $480, up $65
Park hopping costs extra. It's still $65 to add park hopping to a one-day ticket. However, on Wednesday, the park hopper add-on rose between $5 to $15 for multiday tickets.
Disneyland is offering limited-time discounts on kids' tickets next year. From Jan. 8 through March 10, the price of a child's ticket will be "as low as $50 per child, per day," the resort announced last week. Only kids between 3 and 9 qualify for children's tickets. Guests aged 10 and up count as adults, while children under 3 may enter parks for free.
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Disneyland Magic Key price increase
Disneyland's version of annual passes, known as Magic Keys, also rose Wednesday as much as $150.
◾ The top-tier Inspire Key now costs $1649, which is $50 more than its previous price of $1,599.
◾ The Believe Key now costs $1,249, up $150 from $1,099.
◾ The Enchant Key now costs $849, up $150 from $699.
◾ The Imagine Key, which is only available to Southern California residents in specific zip codes, now costs $499, up $50 from $449.
None of the Magic Keys are currently available for new purchases, but existing Magic Key holders can renew them.
To make the most of Magic Key benefits, Magic Key holders can check out the new Magic Keys Extra Unlocked section of Disneyland's app and website, which lists exclusive perks like a complimentary holiday tote bag available next month, while supplies last.
Other changes at Disneyland
The price of theme park and hotel parking rose by $5 across the board on Wednesday. Hourly rates, however, remain flat for guests visiting Downtown Disney and not the parks.
The cost of pre-purchasing Genie+ also rose Wednesday from $25 to $30. That's the same as the starting price of purchasing Genie+ on the day of a park visit. Day-of pricing varies by demand.
Not only can Genie+ help guests cut down waits for select attractions, but unlike at Disney World, Disneyland's Genie+ includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads. Starting Wednesday, the service also includes Disneyland's newest attraction, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Ariel's Undersea Adventure will be included in Genie+ in November.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disney prices jump: What's changed at Disney World, Disneyland
