You only need to price out a Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort vacation once to realize the sticker shock when planning a trip to the House of Mouse. Indeed, Disney vacations are priced at a premium, and repeat visitors will tell you that much like death and taxes, price increases at Disney theme parks are an inevitable fact of life.
That reality has once again rang true, with Disney hiking prices on various ticket types across its two domestic theme parks. There is, however, something of a sliver lining in this latest wave of updates. Let’s start with the good news first.
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Park Hopping Restrictions End January 9
Here’s the bright side: One of the last remaining pandemic-era policies at Disney World was the restrictions on Park Hopping. Since January 2021, guests were barred from Park Hopping until after 2:00 p.m. That all goes away on January 9, when guests with Park Hopper privileges can once again Hop whenever they so choose.
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January 9 is shaping up to be a big day at Walt Disney World. The date marks not only the return of the Disney Dining Plan, but it will also be the day Park Reservations are no longer required for date-based tickets. If you’re planning a 2024 vacation to Walt Disney World, you may find that it more closely resembles what it was like to visit the parks before the COVID-19 closures.
Disney World Rolls Out Annual Pass Price Increase
Disney just debuted a slew of annual price increases, so let’s start the recap of precisely what rose in cost at Walt Disney World. All four tiers of Annual Passes now cost more than they did previously, with the following prices for new Passes now in effect:
- Incredi-Pass: $1,449 (previously $1,399)
- Sorcerer Pass: $999 (previously $969)
- Pirate Pass: $799 (previously $749)
- Pixie Dust Pass: $439 (previously $399)
It’s worth pointing out that Disney did add a few more perks to its Annual Passholder program. Because Annual Passes are not date-based tickets, the Park Reservation rule will still be in effect as we head into 2024. However, Disney is introducing “good-to-go” days when reservations are not required to visit specific theme parks on those dates. Those “good-to-go” days will continue in 2024, though Disney has not specified which dates are included. Annual Passholders may currently visit any of the four theme parks after 2:00 p.m. without a Park Reservation (with the exception of Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays).
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A few ancillary fees increased at Disney World as well. Standard parking at the four theme parks increased from $25 to $30 per vehicle. Memory Maker, the digital photo package that includes downloads of all on-ride photos and pictures taken by PhotoPass Cast Members, also rose from $169 to $185 for advanced purchases. In addition, the price of purchasing Memory Maker during and post-vacation increased from $199 to $210, and a one-day Memory Maker increased from $69 to $75.
Disneyland Ups Pricing for Tickets and Magic Key Passes
On the West Coast, guests of Disneyland Resort also saw an increase in price across multiple ticket types: one-day, multi-day, and its Magic Key passes.
Disneyland’s tickets follow a tiered pricing system, with the lowest one-day ticket price remaining $104 per person. Single-day tickets saw an average increase of six to seven percent, with the highest one-day ticket to Disneyland now costing $194 per person. Multi-day tickets saw a more significant jump in price, with two-, three-, four-, and five-day tickets seeing an average increase of 11 to 12 percent. Park Hopper add-ons increased in price as well.
Magic Key, the name for Disneyland’s Annual Passholder program, saw a bump in price as well of $50 to $150 depending on the pass type. The new prices across all four tiers are as follows:
- Inspire Key: $1,649 (previously $1,599)
- Believe Key: $1,249 (previously $1,099)
- Enchant Key: $849 (previously $699)
- Imagine Key: $499 (previously $449)
Note that sales of new Magic Key Passes remain paused at this time, but if you currently have a Magic Key Pass and yours is up for renewal, you may continue to do so.
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Genie+, a digital paid-for service that replaced the complimentary FastPass+ system in 2021, also increased in price at Disneyland. Previously $25 per day, Genie+ will now be priced at $30 for in-advance purchases and will start at $30 for day-of purchases (though pricing may vary).
Once Genie+ is purchased at Disneyland, you’ll have access to more rides than before; Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is now a part of the list of attractions included with a Genie+ purchase, and The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure will join the Genie+ lineup in November.
