Remember the time when you didn’t have to take out a loan and sell a vital organ to take your family to amusement parks and theme parks?
The price hikes put in place over the past few years are beyond stiff … they’ve been downright painful, making many of these parks outright unattainable for a large segment of the public.
Granted, these amusement park operators are just giving the public what it wants, and what it’s willing to pay for — bigger and better mind-blowing attractions — maximizing revenue rather than maximizing foot traffic.
Even the affluent, however, are starting to balk at what it costs to enter some of America’s most popular theme parks.
In order of the cheapest to the highest priced, here’s a look at the nation’s most expensive theme parks.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: SeaWorld
Location: Orlando, Florida
Cost: $89
Fans of ocean life as well as rides and shows will need to shell at $79 to visit Orlando’s aquatic theme park … if they buy their ticket online. The cost is $10 higher for walk-up guests.
For hard-core theme parkers, though, multi-day passes to the company’s other parks in the area, like Tampa Bay’s Busch Gardens, can lead to significant savings.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Legoland
Location: Winter Haven, Florida
Cost: $91
For those guests willing or able to book a ticket at least two days in advance, entry into Florida’s Legoland park is a considerably more affordable $71. For visitors looking to buy a ticket at the front gate, however, adult access to Legoland will set them back $91.
Admission for kids between the ages of 3 and 12 is a slightly lower $84.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Universal Studios Hollywood
Location: Hollywood, California
Cost: $95
A general admission to the park that made movie-making a tourist attraction starts at $95, but watch out — that price doesn’t apply too often.
More often than not, the busy summer vacation period will bump ticket prices up to $105 or even $110 per day.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
Location: Anaheim, California
Cost: $95
This is the one that made theme parks a destination rather than just a diversion, giving families something they’d never quite seen before — at least to its caliber — when it opened in 1955.
Getting past its front gates will cost you $95. Tickets to the park’s companion site, Disney California Adventure Park, also sell for $95. Same-day access to both parks will cost a guest $160.
Visiting both of these parks on the same day is more feasible than doing so at the company’s Orlando sites.
Speaking of …
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot
Location: Orlando, Florida
Cost: $97
Although they’re three separate parks, they’re all tied for their spot in the list of the country’s most expensive theme parks. No matter which one you visit, one adult entry is going to cost $97.
A multi-park day pass is also available at a highly discounted rate, which allows access to the Magic Kingdom park.
It would be tough to visit all four parks in one day, however.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Busch Gardens
Location: Tampa Bay, Florida
Cost: $105
One day’s access to the popular Florida theme park will cost $89, but the per-day price for multi-visit tickets drops dramatically. Two visits to any of the company’s several Orlando parks (including SeaWorld) will only cost a total of $99, and three visits will only set an adult back a total of $109.
That’s on online-only price, though. Guests planning on buying one ticker for one day at the gate are going to pay $105.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Universal Studios Florida
Location: Orlando, Florida
Cost: $105
For anyone over the age of 10, one day at only one of the two popular (side by side) theme parks in Orlando will cost you $105. If you want a same-day park-to-park ticket, it’ll set you back $155.
Half the Harry Potter attractions are at one park, and the other half are at the other park.
Most Expensive Theme Parks: Disney’s Magic Kingdom (aka Disney World)
Location: Orlando, Florida
Cost: $105
It should come as no real surprise the quintessential (and near-perfect) family theme park is also one of the priciest. One day at Disney World will set you back $105 per person — the same as Universal Studios Florida’s parks. But many would argue you get a lot more magic per dollar at a Disney park.
Adding the park-hopper option bumps the price up to $164, though gives guests access to several different parks. Also note, however, that the base ticket price can vary depending on the time of year.
As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
