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Once again Disneyland has increased ticket prices, and once again, the internet is freaking out about said price increases. 

Honestly, the fact that they held out this long after reopening should be the only surprising thing about all of this. 

Of course, not surprising is that the blame has predictably fallen on Bob Chapek, and not fan-favorite Josh D'Amaro even though he's directly over the parks. 

In this post we'll outline the price increases, and as we also like to do when this happens, we'll try to explain that in the grand scheme of entertainment offerings, the prices at Disney are still not up to the level of some things. 
Written by Gregg Condon
So here are the current prices for Disneyland. We're not going to sit here and tell you this isn't a lot of money, because it is. And when you start adding in the upcoming Disney Genie, the increase in parking, the fact that there are STILL attractions not open and restaurants not serving full menus, it makes it even less cost effective for consumers. 
1-Day 1 Park Tickets
Adult Ticket - Old Price
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 1 = $104
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 2 = $114
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 3 = $124
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 4 = $139
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 5 = $154
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 6 = N/A
Adult Ticket - New Price
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 1 = $104 (no change)
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 2 = $119 ($5 increase)
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 3 = $134 ($10 increase) 
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 4 = $149 ($10 increase) 
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 5 = $159 ($5 increase) 
  • 1-Day, 1 Park Tier 6 = $164
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What your ticket currently gives you a view of at Paradise Pier

Park Hopper Tickets
Adult Park-Hopper Ticket - Old Price
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 1 = $159
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 2 = $169
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 3 = $179
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 4 = $194
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 5 = $209
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 6 = N/A
Adult Ticket - Old Price
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 1 = $164 ($5 increase)
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 2 = $179 ($10 increase)
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 3 = $194 ($15 increase)
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 4 = $209 ($15 increase)
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 5 = $219 ($10 increase)
  • 1-Day Park Hopper Tier 6 = $224
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At least you can get Shawarma

Multi-Day Tickets
Adult Multi-Day Ticket - Old Price
  • 2-Day, 1 Park per day = $235
  • 3-Day, 1 Park per day = $310
  • 4-Day, 1 Park per day = $340
  • 5-Day, 1 Park per day = $360
  • 2-Day Park Hopper = $290
  • 3-Day Park Hopper = $365
  • 4-Day Park Hopper = $395
  • 5-Day Park Hopper = $415
Adult Multi-Day Ticket - New Price
  • 2-Day, 1 Park per day = $255 ($20 increase)
  • 3-Day, 1 Park per day = $330($20 increase) 
  • 4-Day, 1 Park per day = $360 ($20 increase)
  • 5-Day, 1 Park per day = $380 ($20 increase) 
  • 2-Day Park Hopper = $315 ($25 increase) 
  • 3-Day Park Hopper = $390 ($25 increase)
  • 4-Day Park Hopper = $420 ($25 increase) 
  • 5-Day Park Hopper = $440 ($25 increase) 
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Ok, we'll give them this one

So when you break down the prices, everything adds up to about a $15-$20 increase on average. With only park hoppers increasing by $25. A 5-day park hopper ticket is still only $20 more than a 4-day park hopper ticket. 
As always, it's up to each of us to make the decision if it's "worth it" for us. But judging from the crowds during our last visit to the parks, it's worth it to A LOT of people. The same people who were "done" with Disney just a few months ago. ​
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Disneyland is still pretending they're in a "phased reopening"
In addition to these increases, the "Dream Key" Magic Key pass is now SOLD OUT. This is obviously a direct reaction to the lack of reservation dates. We would anticipate seeing some of the lower tiers selling out at some point. 

Once again, Disney has painted themselves into this corner by offering very inexpensive, pay-per-month passes, even with the need for reservations. There was hope that this trend would not continue with the Magic Key passes, but it has. 
But before we overreact to these prices, let's take a look at some other offerings. 

First, let's look at Ski Lift tickets. This is ONLY to get you up the hill. Never mind having to purchase or rent ski's or winter clothes. You'll see below if you need to add those things, it's much higher. ​

Note: This is for Mountain High, who's season varies greatly on the amount of snow that is dropped on the mountains of southern California. 

Also to note, daily tickets gave a 404 error on their website, so they may not even be available at this time. Only Season Passes. 
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Next lets look at some NFL tickets, on a Sunday vs. one of the (if not THE worst team in the NFL). Two tickets, a half way decent view will set you back $314.35 for 3 hours of football. This does not include parking. 
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Next up is a concert, in the same stadium. The Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022. To be fair I did not select "resale" tickets, which are much higher. These are the best tickets available through Ticketmaster. And 2 tickets will cost you $351.10.
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Oh, and if you want to park at this event, it will cost you another $71.50. 

Good luck taking public transportation in Southern California. 
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So as you can see, when compared to other events, Disneyland can still seem like a pretty good deal. 

But what if you don't ski, don't like sports and don't like music. You obviously like theme parks, otherwise why are you reading this? =) 

What else could you possibly do with all that money you're not going to give Disney because you don't like Bob Chapek or whatever? 

How about visiting some other theme parks in Southern California, if you dare! 
Let's look at some of the 1-day tickets for Southern California theme parks. I'm going to look at an "average" day, so in this case the prices are for an adult ticket for November 6th, a Saturday. 
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  • Universal Studios Hollywood = $119
  • Knott's Berry Farm = $59
  • Legoland California = $104.99
  • SeaWorld San Diego = $75.99
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain = $60
But let's also look at the Season/Annual Passes for these parks, because that's where the benefit is really seen. 
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  • Universal Studios Hollywood Gold Annual Pass = $279 per year
  • Knott's Berry Farm Season Pass = $99 per year
  • Legoland California Silver Annual Pass = $179.99 per year
  • SeaWorld San Diego Silver Annual Pass = $138.00 per year
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain Platinum Membership = $9.99 per month
Most of these options also include monthly payment plans, add-ons for parking and much more. 

For $759.99 you can get Season/Annual passes to all other major parks in Southern California, or 4 1-day tier 4 park hopper tickets at Disneyland. 

So if Disneyland is suddenly out of your price range, as we've suggested for YEARS, you can move your money over to one or several other parks. But somehow, as happens every single year, nobody wants to actually do that. 

If you really do think Disney is being greedy, if you really do hate Bob Chapek THAT MUCH, there really is only one solution. And that's to not tweet out how angry you are, but let your bank account do the talking. 
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