Bob Chapek's relatively short stint as CEO of the Walt Disney Co. from February 2020 to November 2022 brought with it annual increases in admission prices, as well as food and drink prices, at Disney World and the Disneyland Resort that guests had no choice but to pay for if they wanted to enjoy a visit to one of the company's popular theme parks.
Admission to Disney World in Florida increased from a low of $109 and high of $159 in 2019 to a low of $109 and high of $189 at the last increase in November 2022, just before Chapek was shown the door. Standard parking price has remained $25 since 2019.
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Admission at Disneyland in California in 2019 ranged from $104 for a low demand day to $149 for a high demand day ticket. Prices increased each year to a high of $179 at the last increase in October 2022, a month before Chapek was forced to resign. The standard parking price rose from $25 to $30 in 2021.
Once guests are inside one of Disney's theme parks, they need to navigate the various standby lines or pay extra for Genie+ and Lightning Lanes to bypass long waits to get on a ride. Disney parks used to offer free FastPass and FastPass+ systems that allowed guests to jump past the standby line.
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FastPass Was a Free Benefit for Disney Park Guests
At the Disneyland Resort, FastPass tickets, which were discontinued in 2021, had a one-hour window to board your attraction. Once you inserted your theme park admission card into an attraction's FastPass kiosk, it would distribute a FastPass ticket with the one-hour time window to board your ride or attraction. You were allowed to obtain another FastPass for any eligible ride 30 minutes before the start of your return time on your FastPass ticket. But Disney cast members were pretty lenient if you arrived at your ride after the one-hour window expired.
Guests could continue to obtain FastPass tickets throughout the day at Disneyland as long as they were eligible under the time limits.
Disney World offered its guests access to its free FastPass+ system, which allowed them to reserve three attractions before their theme-park visit. People visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios could board three rides or attractions and avoid waiting in long lines.
Disney World also eliminated its FastPass+ system and, along with the Disneyland Resort, introduced the Genie+ and Lightning Lane systems for an extra cost. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. the day you visit one of the Disney World or Disneyland Resort parks you can purchase the Genie+ service that allows to use the Lightning Lane to bypass the standby line. You select your first attraction and after your complete and exit the attraction, you can make another selection.
Disney Parks' Genie+ Prices
Disneyland Resort's Genie+ service initially cost more than Disney World's, as the company in October 2022 increased the price from $20 to $25 per day and also began a variable price system, which could make the cost higher on high demand days.
Disney World at the same time raised the price of its Genie+ service by keeping the base price at $15 but introducing a variable pricing system that raised the price as high as $35 in early April 2023. Disneyland Resort's website says its Genie+ price is $25, but guests really don't know what the day's price is unless they check the Disneyland Resort website.
After offering a pricey $35 for Genie+ in early April, Disney World has significantly lowered its price even below Disneyland's price with an average price of about $23 from June 1-7. Prices were $20 on June 3, $22 on June 1, 2 and 4; $23 on June 7, $24 on June 6 and $25 on June 5, WDW Magic reported.
