Disney recently announced a huge slate of projects for parks and cruises in front of 12,000 of its most loyal fans, who will almost certainly return to Disney’s theme parks to experience those new offerings, no matter what it costs. But whether a frequent visitor or a first-timer, Disney’s price hikes combined with a global inflation crisis left many families unable to afford trips to witness the technological feats and fantasy immersion the “Happiest Place on Earth” promises. “It is not news that a Disney trip is expensive, but the magnitude and speed of price increases over roughly the past five years was jarring to many respondents, and we do not believe similar increases over roughly the next five years are feasible,” a Raymond James survey of 20 Disney “superfans,” travel agents and Orlando-area business owners found.
Disney warned in its August 7 earnings report that domestic parks attendance was underperforming expectations as visitors become more price-conscious. U.S.
parks profit fell during the last quarter, between April and July. Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on the company’s earnings call that there may be a couple of quarters of similar results. To keep its customers coming through the gates, the company will keep providing a range of pricing and options, said Josh D’Amaro, chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in an interview with CNN.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse balloons fly in front of Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. “What we will continue to do is make sure we provide as much access and flexibility as we possibly can, so as many of our fans can experience these things as possible,” D’Amaro said. In response to criticism about high costs, Disney has consistently touted lower-priced ticket options and “value season” deals at its resort hotels to allow families to visit, even if they’re on a tight budget.
Disney isn’t the only company struggling with customers who are spending less. Demand for the travel industry is softening, marking the end of the “revenge travel” fad in the months after pandemic restrictions were lifted. With stimulus money padding their bank accounts, people had been spending more freely then, making up after a year of missed vacations.
D’Amaro said he’s confident Disney can navigate these bumps in the road. “We have proven ourselves to be incredibly adept at managing through situations where there’s some change in consumer behavior,” he said. “We have even more sophistication in our ability to deal with any of these fluctuations, whether it’s through precise promotional deployment, or management of cost or engagement with our guests.
” The new announcements promising guests a chance to ride through the “Encanto” “casita,” to fight a battle in Wakanda or experience an ominous land themed to villains, are all part of a $60 billion investment in parks and cruises that Disney has pledged over the next decade – an investment that will need to be paid for over time with consumer dollars. But that massive investment doesn’t mean Disney will immediately hike ticket prices, said Tom Bricker, co-founder of DisneyTouristBlog.com .
It’s economics 101. “Costs will rise as demand rises, which can happen as a result of new additions. Right now, demand is flat or falling,” Bricker said, in reference to the latest earnings report that suggested the moderation in attendance might last into 2025.
“With 2025 also being the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe, there will likely also be negative impacts on Walt Disney World attendance. It won’t be catastrophic — Epic Universe will draw new visitors to Orlando, who will also visit Disney — but it will be damaging in the near term.” As a result, Bricker said park visitors may see new parades and shows, and discounts in the coming year, as Disney tries to keep people coming, especially as the new lands and rides will still be under construction for some time.
People ride on the Pixar Pal-A-Round ferris wheel in front of the Incredicoaster in the Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland on April 11, 2023, in Anaheim, California. Still, the price of Disney tickets today compared to past years prices out some families. Shortly after Disneyland in California opened in 1955, guests could buy admission plus 10 rides for a total of $2.
50. Adjusted for inflation, that $2.50 would be $28.
74 today. When Disney World in Florida opened in 1977, admission plus a book of tickets for seven rides was $8 in total. In 2024 dollars, that would be $61.
66. Currently, the cheapest one-day tickets to Disneyland or Walt Disney World during the “value” season are $104 and $116.09, respectively.
But the admission prices when the parks first opened were for entry into a single park, with far fewer attractions than what a Disney guest experiences today. Today, Disneyland Resort has two parks with more than 65 total attractions; Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks with more than 150 attractions. “Value” tickets have increased less than 1% annually in the last 10 years, noted Don Munsil, who runs MouseSavers, a travel website that maintains historic records of Disney prices.
But the number of dates on the calendar when these prices apply has diminished. On the high end, Munsil said the most expensive single-day ticket to only one park during peak season at Disneyland in California ($194) has increased an average of about 7% each year over the last decade. A similar peak season ticket at Disney World in Florida ($201.
29) has increased an average of 6.4% each year during that time. The increases on these peak tickets outpace inflation over the same period.
According to MouseSavers, tickets for a family of four to hop between the Walt Disney World parks for four days during peak season costs about $3,098 in 2024, without factoring in additional services like access to faster “Lightning Lanes,” which used to be free. That’s about double what they cost 10 years ago, and 3.6 times the price 20 years ago.
Paid access to Lightning Lanes, which first debuted at Disney World in 2021, can cost another $17-$41 per person, per day, depending on the park and the season. Certain popular rides aren’t included, however. Using the Lightening Lane specifically for “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance,” for example, would cost about $25 extra per person.
But Munsil points out that this is the cheapest of any theme park “express” service on the market. He said Universal charges $105-$310 per person, per day, for their express pass, depending on number of parks and options. Cedar Point charges $95-$120 per person, per day.
Busch Gardens charges $60-$150 per person, per day. The grievance from the fan community is that this used to be free at Disney parks. Transportation from the Orlando airport to Disney World property also used to be included for Disney hotel guests, but that service has been discontinued.
Food and souvenirs at the parks also cost a lot more. A Mickey ice cream bar cost $2.59 15 years ago, according to Disney Food Blog .
If only adjusted for inflation, it should cost $3.78 in 2024, but instead, the price is $6.29.
Light-up specialty balloons were $15 in 2015 . If adjusted for inflation, that type of balloon would cost $19.60.
In 2024, that balloon costs...
$20. So not everything at the parks outpaces inflation. “I always joke that three things in life are certain — death, taxes, and Disney parks raising ticket prices,” said Mindy Marzec, who runs thisfairytalelife.
com. “Prices are going to go up no matter what, so when you hear all about these exciting projects in development, it feels like the price is more worth it.” Prices of regular tickets have not increased at nearly the same pace as annual passes, Munsil points out.
He said the hardcore fans are the ones who are often quoted feeling jaded, because they go frequently and see the prices of their passes go up. But he said the primary audience, especially for Disney World, are first-time visitors who are amazed and delighted by the incomparable entertainment and detail that they see. The cheapest available ticket to Disney World has remained the same price as it was in 2019, and is $15 more than it was in 2013.
“I think the Disney parks are a huge bargain,” Munsil said, noting that the cheapest available ticket at about $110 a day (or less, with seasonal discounts), gives someone more than 10 hours of entertainment, depending on one’s stamina. Fireworks light up the sky above Cinderella's Castle during the daily Happily Ever After light and fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. “The Disney parks have some of the most amazing, technologically sophisticated rides and experiences in the world.
It’s a totally unique, magical place,” Munsil said. “What’s that worth? The only comparable place is Universal Studios, and it costs about the same, and for (IMO) parks that are just a little less amazing (though still worthwhile).” For frequent visitors who balk at paying more for the products and services they’re accustomed to, the question is whether the experience is still worth the money.
Following the D23 announcements of upcoming developments, many devotees are saying “yes, ”even if it may mean saving up for fewer trips. Content creator Victoria Wade, said, “In recent years, there has been a feeling that the fans have been nothing more than dollar signs and that our feedback wasn’t taken seriously since the return to normality with the pandemic.” Wade said the perceived instability of Disney leadership, and adding paid services and experiences that were once free, “led to a lack of trust between the company and the community.
” But Wade said that the major announcements made at the Disney fan convention, D23, gave her the feeling that the company is listening to feedback, like adding a new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom, which loyal visitors had requested for a long time. Munsil said the Disney parks are “expensive, yes, but there’s nothing else on Earth like them.” Located in Singapore, Haw Par Villa walks visitors through Chinese folktales—the good, the bad, and the ugly—via more than a thousand sculptures and hundreds of dioramas.
If you're traveling with kids, be advised that not all of these scenes are appropriate for young eyes. Some exhibits depict beheadings and other gruesome happenings, particularly in the park's most famous attraction, the 10 Courts of Hell (it's exactly what it sounds like). But don't worry if you or your travel companions are on the squeamish side; Haw Par Villa has several different experiences catered to visitors' interests, including a guided tour that delves into the park's past life as the Tiger Balm Garden.
You can also grab a bite to eat or a quick pick-me-up at The Sixth Milestone, a small bistro perched on the edge of the Pagoda Pond. Set in a Soviet Union-era bunker near the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius, Išgyvenimo Drama will give you a theme park experience you're not soon to forget. This park takes visitors a few decades back in time to 1984 Soviet Lithuania, showing what life was like for citizens living in the USSR.
Along the way, you'll have to wear gas masks, watch your belongings be confiscated, and learn the Soviet national anthem, among a variety of other activities. Like most Lithuanians at the time, you'll also have a good chance of being subjected to interrogation. Your prize for surviving a day in the Soviet Union? A period-authentic meal, plus a certificate and souvenir from the era.
Visitors to this Danish amusement park can expect a day of traditional family-friendly activities, complete with roller coasters and tasty theme park food like pizza, hamburgers, and ice cream from the on-site restaurants. This might sound like a fairly standard theme park experience so far, but BonBon-Land is on this list for good reason. Its unusual animal statues, like vomiting rats and farting dogs, are guaranteed to raise at least a few eyebrows.
As odd as they may seem, these peculiar critters are mascots for the theme park's creators and owners, the BonBon candy company whose confection names (like Seagull Droppings and Ear Wax) are bodily inspired. If you want to see the Crazy Tortoise or Henry Hundeprut in person, try to visit on a clear day since some attractions may close for rain or strong winds. If you couldn't get enough of playing in the sandbox as a kid, Diggerland should be on your must-visit list.
Advertised as the only construction theme park and water park in the United States, this New Jersey spot allows kids of all ages (including kids at heart) to live out their dreams of playing with heavy-duty equipment like backhoes, farm tractors, and forestry claws. All these machines are the real deal, bringing that childhood sandbox experience up a notch. During summer months, visitors can also go for a swim or glide down waterslides in the Water Main section of the park.
When you start to feel peckish, themed restaurants like The Pit Stop and Fork Lift Cafe serve up all the fuel you'll need for your adventures. Those across the pond, meanwhile, can choose from four different Diggerland locations in the United Kingdom. Putt-Putt, bowling, and a Ferris wheel all fall within the bounds of typical theme park activities.
But when those activities take place 120 meters belowground, that's a different story. The Romanian theme park Salina Turda is set within a former salt mine that was excavated during the ancient Roman era and opened to tourists in 1992. Besides trying out the mini-golf course, visitors can also partake in salt-focused spa treatments and go for a boat ride across a tranquil underground lake.
It might not be for anyone suffering from claustrophobia, but Salina Turda is certainly a theme park unlike any other. Plus, the atmosphere itself is supposed to bring good luck and health benefits, so this might be one of the few theme parks in the world that improves your physical well-being. In El Alberto, Mexico, eco-tourism-focused Parque EcoAlberto offers standard outdoorsy activities like kayaking, guided nature hikes, and zip-lining.
But its biggest draw is a bit more unexpected: a so-called "night walk," which consists of a strenuous four-hour hike meant to simulate an illegal border crossing between Mexico and the U.S. Parque EcoAlberto launched this "attraction" in 2004 as a means of discouraging El Alberto locals from attempting an actual border crossing.
But these days, many participants are international tourists eager to undergo this one-of-a-kind experience. Guests start in the park's Catholic church for a pep talk before joining a gruff guide for a lengthy trek through the dark, dodging law enforcement and natural hazards along the way. An extreme version of the hike is available and takes more than six hours to complete.
Anyone seeking a thrill ride can easily satisfy their need for speed at Ferrari World, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This theme park features the world's fastest roller coaster, which can accelerate from 0 to 150 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. There's also a zero-gravity ride, parallel roller coaster tracks where you can cruise around at a cool 59 miles per hour, and much more.
You can also get behind the wheel of a Ferrari or ride shotgun around the park with a trained driver. Naturally, Ferrari World's restaurants serve Italian cuisine, but there's also a variety of other international foods represented here. Located in Ho Chi Minh City, Suối Tiên is an amusement park purportedly geared toward visitors of all ages.
Its theme, however, might leave you wondering whether or not that's true. Suối Tiên is all about Buddhism, with exhibits that take you through, for example, different places in Buddhist hell (contrary to its name, the Palace of Unicorns is not for kids). In defense of Suối Tiên, though, it's not all about grotesque depictions of afterlife torment.
In addition to many photo-worthy sculptures throughout the park, there's also a zoo, Buddhist temples, and a handful of small rides perfect for kids. Visitors can also cool down from the relentless tropical heat at Biển Tiên Đồng – Ngọc Nữ water park, the site of the first artificial beach in Vietnam. At this Darwin, Australia theme park, real-life monsters are the main attraction.
The park is home to the world's largest collection of Australian reptiles, though top billing at Crocosaurus Cove is given to the famous saltwater crocodiles. Intrepid visitors can dive with the crocs in the invitingly named Cage of Death, which consists of a clear chamber semi-submerged in the crocodiles' enclosure. Other experiences allow you to get up close and personal with juvenile crocodiles, go "fishing for crocs," and snap a picture with a baby crocodile.
If you're really passionate about these prehistoric reptiles, book a guided VIP tour, which runs for about 90 minutes and includes feeding some of the park's biggest crocodiles, behind-the-scenes access to the aquariums, and a helpful guide who will dispense information on all the reptiles at Crocosaurus Cove. South Korea's Imsil Cheese Theme Park dedicates 32 acres to celebrating its namesake dairy delight. Visitors can learn about the history of cheese, try their hand at making cheese, and, of course, eat plenty of cheese themselves during their time in this popular park.
Enthusiastic cheese lovers can book a stay at the park's three-floor pension rooms, named after various kinds of cheeses, of course. Before you wrap up your visit, don't forget to say "cheese!" and snap fun pics pretending to be on the banks of Venice or high in the sky with a wedge of cheese in the park's Trick Art room. Wander around the park and take a few photos of the adorable mascots and statues across the park.
Or, better yet, grab a wedge or two as a souvenir to take home. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
Photo selection by Clarese Moller. When it comes to theme parks, most people tend to think of places such as Disneyland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios. But what about parks that delve into more niche interests or unusual themes, such as Buddhist beliefs, heavy machinery, or the "marital arts"? Yes, these are all real theme parks located around the world.
They and other quirky parks draw scores of visitors each year to play mini golf in a former salt mine, experience what life was like in Soviet Lithuania, and even participate in a faux illegal border crossing. No matter how obscure your interest, believe it or not, there's probably a theme park that will satisfy your curiosity. With unique activities and attractions, these 11 strange theme parks from around the world provide hours of fun (well, depending on your definition) and are a far cry from your run-of-the-mill roller coasters and Ferris wheels.
To develop this list, Stacker explored Fodor's Travel , Culture Trip , and other sources to compare the many strange theme parks out there and see which ones stand out from the pack. These parks range from thrilling to thought-provoking, odd to confusing, and amusing to mildly concerning. But these descriptions will only take you so far—to fully experience these strange spots, you might just want to plan a visit to see them for yourself.
Located on South Korea's Jeju Island, Loveland depicts many different ways to get down and dirty—in graphic detail, no less. Originally conceived (pun intended) as a fun way to provide sex education in a nation with a historically low birthrate, Loveland now sees visitors from all over the world. Guests come to admire the variety of sculptures and other exhibits, which include a self-pleasure bicycle and sex-ed films.
If you happen to be visiting Jeju with kids, you will probably end up hanging out at the children's lounge with rides and books for those below 19 years old. Then, you'll be free to go on a relaxing stroll down a path decorated with phallic imagery. The-CNN-WireTM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc.
, a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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