Cost of Disney Through the Years

After offering the same price range for three years in a row, The Walt Disney Co. is about to hike Disney World ticket prices for a second time in 2022. This should come as little surprise to anyone well-versed in Disney history, however. The price of a basic ticket to the Happiest Place on Earth has gone up more than four dozen times since the Magic Kingdom opened in October 1971, according to the Disney travel information site AllEars. Today, you'll pay well over $100 for just one day of fun, making tips on how to do Disney on a budget more essential than ever. Here's a timeline of the park's most notable price hikes.

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Price of a 1-day ticket: $3.50 (general admission; most attractions cost extra)
Inflation-adjusted price: $26

Disney World first opened in October 1971, and there was just one park to welcome guests: Magic Kingdom. Although admission was only $3.50, visitors had to pay more for most rides, according to AllEars. The original park included favorite attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Haunted Mansion, and It's a Small World. Visitors had three choices for lodging: the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort, and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

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Price of a 1-day ticket: $6 (general admission; most attractions cost extra)
Inflation-adjusted price: $32

By the beginning of 1976, Disney World had bumped up its ticket prices four times. Magic Kingdom has added some big-time attractions, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. Other additions included the Golf Resort (now Shades of Green, for military members), the now-defunct Discovery Island, and Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, now known as Disney Springs.

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Price of a 1-day ticket: $8 (general admission; most attractions cost extra)
Inflation-adjusted price: $31

In November 1980, Disney bumped prices for the second time that year, though it's worth noting that the inflation-adjusted price is actually lower than it was in 1976. In Magic Kingdom, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened to give visitors a thrilling ride through an old mining camp. Visitors could also enjoy Disney's River Country, a water park that would later close in 2001.

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Price of a 1-day ticket: $15 for Magic Kingdom or Epcot (rides now included)
Inflation-adjusted price: $47

In September 1982, prices had almost doubled over the course of nearly two years. In October, Epcot (then known as Epcot Center) opened to the public with the iconic Spaceship Earth, part of the always-evolving Future World, and the international-themed World Showcase. Disney introduced its first park-hopping tickets allowing admission to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. A three-day park hopper ticket cost $35, or $111 adjusted for inflation.

Related: How to Do Disney on a Budget

Price of a 1-day ticket: $21.50 for Magic Kingdom or Epcot
Inflation-adjusted price: $61

By November 1985, prices had zoomed up more than $6. Magic Kingdom's roster of attractions had remained largely unchanged, while Epcot had added Horizons to Future World and Morocco to the World Showcase.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $29 for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Disney MGM Studios
Inflation-adjusted price: $71

In May 1989, one-day tickets were going for $29 each. Epcot had added the Living Seas to Future World and Norway to the World Showcase. And Disney World had opened its third theme park, Disney MGM Studios, as well as the Typhoon Lagoon waterpark and Pleasure Island entertainment district (now part of Disney Springs). A four-day park hopper that allowed admission to all three parks cost $97, or $239 adjusted for inflation.

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Price of a 1-day ticket: $33
Inflation-adjusted price: $73

One-day, one-park ticket prices had risen $4 by February 1991, but the jump is less severe – only a couple of dollars – adjusted for inflation. Visitors could also now buy a "Super Duper Pass" that allowed unlimited admission to all three parks for five days plus Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, Discovery Island, and Pleasure Island. It went for $170, or $376 adjusted for inflation. Resort choices had expanded with the 1990 openings of the Yacht and Beach Clubs, the Swan, and the Dolphin. Later in 1991, the Port Orleans Resort opened, too.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $35
Inflation-adjusted price: $69

Although a one-day Walt Disney World ticket cost $35 by the end of 1995, the price had actually gone down adjusted for inflation. By now, Disney MGM Studios added the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Magic Kingdom had added Splash Mountain, still one of the park's most popular (and wet) rides. Speaking of water, Disney World added its third water park, Blizzard Beach, in 1995. Visitors could also now stay at the new All-Star Sports Resort, All-Star Music Resort, and Wilderness Lodge.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $42
Inflation-adjusted price: $77

By April 1998, the price of one-day park tickets had jumped $7. The most notable addition was a fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, which initially cost a small premium, $45, to visit. Resort offerings had also expanded again, with the opening of BoardWalk and Coronado Springs resorts. Disney had also added the Wide World of Sports, a multi-venue complex now known as the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $50
Inflation-adjusted price: $84

In September 2002, one-day park tickets hit the $50 mark. The cheapest park hopper ticket, a four-day pass that allowed entry into all of the parks, rose to $199, or about $335 adjusted for inflation. Major Disney World additions included more lodging, such as the All-Star Movies Resort and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney MGM Studios had also added the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $59.75
Inflation-adjusted price: $93

The beginning of 2005 marked the beginning of some steeper rises in park ticket prices. One-day tickets became "Magic Your Way" base tickets, but visitors could purchase park hopper add-ons that allowed them to visit multiple theme parks on the same day for an extra $35. At Epcot, Mission: Space was a major new attraction, and Disney World continued adding new accommodations with the opening of the Pop Century Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $75
Inflation-adjusted price: $106

One-day, one-park Disney World tickets jumped to $75 in August 2008, and those who wanted to visit more than one park each day now had to shell out an extra $50 for a park hopper add-on. A four-day pass with a park-hopper add-on cost visitors $269, or about $380 adjusted for inflation. Disney's MGM Studios was renamed Hollywood Studios this year and added Toy Story Mania! to its roster of attractions. Thrill-seeking visitors could also now ride Expedition Everest, a coaster at Animal Kingdom that opened in 2006.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $89
Inflation-adjusted price: $117

Starting in June 2012, visitors who wanted just one day at any of Disney World's theme parks were on the hook for at least $89. A four-day pass with a park-hopper add-on jumped to $313, or $412 adjusted for inflation. In the Magic Kingdom, the first phase of an expansion of Fantasyland opened this year. Outside the theme parks, the Art of Animation Resort started welcoming guests.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $99 for Magic Kingdom, $94 for other parks
Inflation-adjusted price: $126 for Magic Kingdom, $120 for other parks

In 2013 and 2014, Disney World started charging a small premium for one-day tickets to Magic Kingdom compared with its other theme parks. That might be because Magic Kingdom completed its Fantasyland expansion in 2014, a project that ultimately added several new rides, shows and restaurants. Over at Hollywood Studios, "Frozen" fans got a new sing-along show this year, too.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $105-$124 
Inflation-adjusted price: $132-$156

In February 2016, Disney World switched to a three-tier pricing model for one-day tickets, charging visitors a premium for coming at the most crowded times of the year (this includes most of the summer and holiday weekends). Notable improvements this year included a renovated and expanded Disney Springs, the shopping and entertainment complex that had previously been known as Downtown Disney. Disney also added a slew of Star Wars attractions to Hollywood Studios this year, including a stage show.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $109-$129 

Inflation-adjusted price: $131-$155 

Disney World ended 2018 with four pricing categories: peak, regular, value, and low. Peak-day prices ended the year at $129, more than six times what it cost to visit Magic Kingdom when it opened, accounting for inflation. Disney also tacked on an overnight parking fee for resort guests, ranging from $13 to $24 a night. At Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land opened at the end of June.

Price of a 1-day ticket: $109-$159 

Inflation adjusted price: $126-$184

In March 2019, Disney decided peak pricing no longer sufficed and introduced yet another ticket tier for holiday visitors. For some, even holiday pricing was still worth it, as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened at Hollywood Studios in 2019.  

One-day ticket prices held steady for a few years. But 2021 brought the news that Disney would do away with its beloved FastPass ride reservation system, requiring visitors who wanted to cut their wait times to shell out $15 per day for the new Disney Genie+ service. 

Price of a 1-day ticket: $124-$189 Magic Kingdom, $124-$179 for Hollywood Studios, $114-$179 for Epcot, $109-$159 for Animal Kingdom

If you hurry, you'll be able to nab Disney World tickets for $109 to $159, before they increase (for three of four parks) to the above prices on Dec. 8. This comes after Disney already increased rates at the beginning of 2022. Disney patrons can also anticipate more costly annual passes, which are jumping by as much as $100.