DISNEY PARKS ADOPT SEASONAL PRICING ON 1-DAY TICKET

As expected, Disney annouced a move to surge pricing at Walt Disney World effective today. Here is the official word from Disney Travel News...

Each month is divided into value, regular and peak days. Here’s an example, if you plan to visit in September, you'll have a variety of options, including many days in the value period, which will give you the opportunity to pay less for a 1-Day ticket. If you plan to visit during a peak period, like the winter holidays you will pay more. Purchasing a 1-Day ticket in a non-peak period, or choosing multi-day ticket and annual passes, will provide additional flexibility and value.

Seasonal pricing for a 1-Day ticket and price increases for multi-day tickets will go into effect at Disney Parks Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.

In addition, although in the past 1-Day tickets for Walt Disney World Resort did not expire, 1-Day tickets sold on or after Sunday, Feb. 28 for Walt Disney World Resort will expire at the end of the next calendar year. For example, 1-day tickets sold in 2016 will expire on Dec. 31, 2017. The amount paid for an unused, expired ticket may be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket at the current price.

So if you are traveling in the value season you will not notice so much of a change. If however, you are traveling in regular or peak seasons you are going to see an increase in the 1 day ticket price. Multi-day ticket packages and annual passes have not changed yet. Most people travelling to Disney are going to be staying more than a single day and visiting more than one park. Again, at this point these price increases only seem to effect a single day park ticket.

Despite increases in ticket prices over the last few years, Disney continues to show record growth in park attendance. This move to seasonal pricing is an attempt to disperse those crowds throughout the year. The hope is to bring crowds down in peak seasons and bring them up in value seasons. Disney has 3 new lands currently in planning and construction: Pandora at Animal Kingdom, Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios and Star Wars Land at Hollywood Studios. Until these lands are open this is Disney's solution for crowd control.

If you made any bookings prior to the changes going into place, your rate will not change. If you make changes to your booking, as long as the changes are made within the same booking and do not requiring a new vacation ID and confirmation number, your rate will not change. It pays to book early.

It is likely that somewhere on the near horizon this price change will grow to include all tickets packages not just single day tickets. And with the booking windows for many of Disney World's current promos about to close, we are expecting new specials and promo rate to be released any time now for late summer and fall travel. If you are planning a Disney trip any time this years or early 2017, the time to book is now. If you book prior to any additional price changes, your rate is locked in. New promos can be added to your booking when they come available. Get a quote started today.