The price of a ticket to Walt Disney World has increased by 3,871 per cent over the past fifty years, research shows, far outstripping the rate of inflation.
The massive increase in the price of a ticket is much more than the price rises seen by visitors in their wages, rent and petrol.
A chart released by a UK consulting firm shows how the price of a ticket to Disney World has shot up since 1971, jumping up in price during several financial disasters, from the 2008 financial crisis to the 1973 oil crisis, and most recently around the Covid-19 pandemic.
The cost of rent and petrol, as well as wages, have all risen during the same timeframe, although by a substantially smaller amount.
The current price for a day ticket to the Orlando, Florida park is $109 (£90), while the fee for a child under 10 is $104 (£86).
The animated chart, produced by the account Pie Chart Pirate and featuring cheery Disney-style orchestra music, has gone viral on TikTok.
Some users took to the comments section to complain about the price rise.
One said: “I remember going to Disney for spring break in 1989. My FL [Florida] resident ticket was $19,” while others called the price increase “late stage capitalism at its finest”.
Last autumn, Disney announced it would increase ticket prices this year at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California.
Fans were subject to a single-day ticket price increase of 6.5 per cent to $164 for admission to one park. Meanwhile, a two-day park hopper pass increased by nearly 9 per cent to $319.
And it isn’t just the price of an entry ticket that has increased - merchandise, food and even ice cream at the venues have all become more expensive.
In August 2021, Disney implemented its “Genie+” service, which lets visitors pay extra to use a “Lightning Lane” to skip queues, as well as a a host of other perks.
Some customers felt this added even more pressure to spend above the basic ticket price when visiting the parks.
“Get used to it,” president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services, Dennis Speigel, told the Tampa Bay Times in May.
“Our industry is moving towards the upcharge. Magic Mountain is doing it. Six Flags in California and others are experimenting with it.
“Within three or four years, you will see every park having a surcharge to get ahead of the line.”
The Independent has contacted Disney Parks, Experiences and Products for comment.
