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One daily pass was discontinued while two costlier options
were added on Sunday, a move that provoked frustration across
social media with some fans saying they would not renew at
higher rates.
Suzi Brown, Disneyland Resort’s director of media relations,
said the international tourist attraction generally raises
ticket prices once a year.
The new annual passes "will help us manage strong demand and
continue to deliver a world-class experience, while providing
more choices for guests to select the pass that best meets their
needs”, Brown said in a statement.
One of the new passes is similar to the discontinued option in
offering year-round access, but costs $270 extra for a total of
$1,049, with limited extra benefits.
The other new pass costs $849 a year with two weeks of blackout
dates during the winter holidays. Brown said the option is
geared for Southern California locals, who comprise the majority
of pass-holders and are easily able to visit at other,
less-crowded, times of the year.
Individual tickets cost $99, and were last raised by $3 in
February. The figure had steadily grown since its $50 price tag
about 10 years ago.
Some Disneyland-goers expressed concern that the price hikes
could deter low-income families.
“It is starting to be only for the wealthy and that is not what
Walt would have wanted,” wrote Nancy Nicastro Jonas on a
Facebook group for Disneyland fans.
But others defended the 60-year-old theme park located in
Anaheim, saying higher prices could help cut down on oppressive
overcrowding.
Walt Disney Co said in August that it would add a "Star
Wars"-themed land to Disneyland, at a date that has not yet been
announced, which could attract even more people.
Brown said she could not disclose the number of people who hold
Disneyland passes, but said the figure has grown by 250 percent
since the adjacent California Adventure theme park opened in
2001.
(Editing by Victoria Cavaliere and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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