For Heather Golden, the silhouette of Sleeping Beauty’s castle remains in her photo album but not on her calendar. There is a new hefty price tag standing in between her and her beloved Dole Whip inside Disneyland Park.
The Long Beach resident was a Disneyland annual pass holder for many years, but recent price increases at the park have changed that.
“You’d think it’d be simple for me to go. I’m unmarried, without children and have a good job,” she said. “And they still managed to push me out of renewing my annual pass.”
Disneyland raised its prices in early February by five percent. According to its website, a one-day Park Hopper pass during the summer and peak winter days is $209 per person. This increase marks the first time a one-day ticket has surpassed the $200 mark. Visiting the park on select Tuesdays or Wednesday in February through April, its off-peak season, would cost $159 per person for a Park Hopper ticket.
According to a study by Bankrate, Americans spend just under $2,000 on their summer vacations each year. With the new price increase, a family of five would spend over $1,000 at Disneyland for one-day summer tickets, before factoring hotel, food and travel costs.
Candice Eley, San Diego Travel Authority spokesperson, said Southern California has so many more affordable options for families outside of Disneyland.
“All of the major attractions, SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park and LEGOLAND California, are all less expensive than Disneyland. Plus, Balboa Park contains 17 museums,” she said.
She added that Balboa Park offers an Explorer Pass that lets ticket holders visit all 17 museums for $59 for adults and $32 for children. Additionally, if families can postpone their vacations until October, Sea World, LEGOLAND and the San Diego Zoo offer free admission for children under 12.
“If you visit during Kids Free October and go to SeaWorld, the zoo and LEGOLAND, you would save more than $400 off ticket prices compared to the rest of the year,” she said.
This is the first time Disneyland has increased its prices in recent years. The park also increase their prices in February 2018, then again in January 2019 before the opening of its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. A Disneyland spokesperson did not return repeated requests for comment, but February’s price increase of appears to be an effort to decrease overcrowding on the park’s busiest days.
Golden, who jokingly contends that Disneyland is for adults, said her days of visiting the park on a whim are behind her.
“I live 20 minutes away from the park and I really enjoyed all the experiences there. I seriously had no problem going for at least an hour or two, three to four times a month,” she said. “Now I can’t go without much more planning than before.”