Disney World changes ticket prices and how to buy them

Main Street at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. Disney World is changing its ticket structure, moving to date-based pricing. (James Lileks/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS)

Main Street at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. Disney World is changing its ticket structure, moving to date-based pricing. (James Lileks/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS)

Walt Disney World is changing its ticket structure by moving to date-based pricing that reflects the expected demand on specific days. It’s also introducing a new platform on which to make those purchases.

The changes and additions, including the price to enter the parks, kick in Oct. 16. At that time, a one-day, one-park ticket price will become between $109 and $129. The current range is between $102 and $129, depending on the season schedule.

Another change is that the admission to Magic Kingdom park will again be the same as at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a company spokeswoman said Monday. Magic Kingdom prices have had a small per-day premium for the past two years.

“As we continue to expand by adding world-class attractions and amazing entertainment, we also are introducing date-based tickets and pricing, which gives guests tailored choices and better allows us to spread attendance throughout the year to improve the guest experience,” said Jacquee Wahler, a Walt Disney World spokeswoman.

Ticket purchases will still be available at park gates, guest relations, Disney’s call-in reservation center and third-party vendors.

No changes were announced about Disney World annual-pass prices on Monday.

The full calendar of preset park prices will be available Oct. 16, Disney says. The date-based prices are established in advance; they do not fluctuate, Disney says.

The ticket-buying process will still go through the disneyworld.com website. Users will select the start date of the visit and its length to see a total price. The per-day rate decreases as the length of visit increases.

The interactive calendar will also feature a way to find the least expensive dates, which will coincide with off-peak travel periods, Disney says.

The site will also include park-by-park breakdowns highlighting their attractions and entertainment options plus recommendations from the Disney Moms Panel. There will be suggestions on the site that are tailored to specific groups, such as foodies, thrill seekers and parents traveling with children.

Once tickets are purchased, vacation planning — FastPasses, dining reservations, etc. — will continue on the My Disney Experience site and app.