Seems like it happens every year — sometimes twice — Disney raises ticket prices. This event might be right up there in predictability with death and taxes (and, I would add, paperwork. Roz would agree.). A hundred dollars a day to go to a Disney park!
Yes it’s a lot, and I am not going to defend crazy mark-ups on everything from soft drinks to Vinylmations. But let’s do some math — specifically some price comparisons to see how a day at Disney compares to some other forms of recreation. (Yes, people, Disney is still recreation. Just because we want to go all the time doesn’t mean we have to.) So here goes.
To avoid too many variables, I limited my computations to simple division. I didn’t include any special equipment needed to participate (skis, golf clubs, etc.); nor did I include food or beverages (except for the movie). I also didn’t include travel costs, which vary immensely depending on the activity and where you live.
For purposes of comparison, I went with one day / one event tickets only, even though most every activity has some sort of bulk pricing or season pass discount. I priced an adult ticket to the place or event and divided it by available hours of participation. That led me to a “per hour – per person” cost. In order from most expensive to least expensive, here goes.
| Event | Adult one day ticket | Available Hours | Price per hour per person |
| Tickets to Matilda on Broadway | average seat $184.90 | 2 hour show | $92.45 / hr |
| 18 holes of golf at Torrey Pines (swanky California courses) | $100 – $229 depending on the course + a $34 booking fee | 4.5 hours for an average round | $29.70 – $58.44 / hr |
| Three hour horseback ride (mountain trail) | $75 | 3 hours | $25 / hr |
| One day guided whitewater rafting trip | $120 | 6 hour trip | $20 / hr |
| One day of skiing at Breckenridge (nice resort but not priciest) | $149 | open 9:30 – 5:30; 8 hours | $18.63 / hr |
| 18 holes of golf – local Colorado course | $51 + $16 to rent a cart | 4.5 hours for an average round | $14.89 / hr |
| Movie + popcorn + drink | $21.00 | 2.5 hours for an average movie | $8.40 / hr |
| Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom | $105 | (9 am – midnight) 15 hours | $7.00 / hr |
| Disneyland | $99 | (9 am – midnight) 15 hours | $6.60 / hr |
| San Diego Zoo | $48 | (9 am – 5 pm) 8 hours | $6.00 / hr |
| Local theme park (Elitch Gardens in Denver) | $45.99 | 10:00 – 8:00; 10 hours | $4.60 / hr |
| One day at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium | $18.99 | (11 am – 9 pm) 10 hours | $1.90 / hr |
Interesting. Here are some more thoughts: Yes I know that very few people spend 15 solid hours at a Disney park. I also know that even the most avid fish lover will probably not spend 10 hours at the local aquarium. And I am in no position to compare the relative entertainment value of looking at giant pandas at the zoo to playing golf (though I love both!). And yes, I know that a trip to your local park or a game of tennis is probably free.
Nonetheless, the numbers are thought-provoking. Based on strictly math, lots of activities are more expensive per hour than Disney. And I feel obligated to say that Disney has more variety than any of these choices. After all, a day at a Disney park often includes thrills, characters, water rides, parades, fireworks, and a few Broadway-caliber shows (Aladdin, anyone?). My golf game includes scenery and sometimes water activities (!), but it’s not on par (no pun intended) with a day at Disney.
Here are a few historical numbers, too. A trip to Disneyland in 1955 was about $4.00 ($1.00 to get in plus .35 – .50 per ride). An orchestra seat at a Broadway show was around $4.80 depending on the show. In other words, in 1955 it cost about the same amount to see a show or visit Disneyland; today the show is nearly twice as expensive as the park ticket.
Draw your own conclusions; no one’s saying a day at Disney is inexpensive. But do their ticket prices warrant all the ‘Walt-would-be-ashamed’ haters? I know what I think. What do you think?
