Theme Park Rangers Radar again dives into a pool of mathematics, looking at theme park ticket prices for just a day and simultaneously longing for the days when the rate didn’t vary with the date. There’s also future talk with the Six Flags-Cedar Fair merger and reasons to save the date for 2024 festivals.
Radar is a weekly account of spending and planning at Orlando’s attractions. It appears on OrlandoSentinel.com on Wednesdays.
Today’s ticket
When Universal Orlando recently raised ticket prices on daily rates, I realized I had lost grip on how its rates really compared with Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando on a day-to-day basis.
It’s kind of a trick question, thanks to variable pricing, in which the companies charge different rates depending on the day and sometimes the park in question. That’s not factoring in combo packages or discounts for multi-day tickets or Florida resident benefits or any add-ons such as express passes.
One pass that all the parks have is a one-day, one-park ticket. Just for grins, I charted the posted prices from their official websites.
Universal now says its one-day pass starts at $119 and peaks at $179, depending on the day. SeaWorld’s one-day ticket ranges from $84.99 to $119.99, but those are the online/advance prices, and the usual price (marked out in red on the site) appears to be $138.99 every day.
Disney’s site indicates that one-day ticket prices are “from $109.” But once you find a $109 day on the site – look for August and September weekdays – you’ll see $109 gets you admission only to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For instance, that’s the DAK price for Aug. 21, but on that day you’d pay $119 for Epcot, $129 for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and $134 for Magic Kingdom.
That day in August would cost $139 at Universal’s parks, Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios, and $138.99 at SeaWorld, though its advance purchase price is posted as $99.99.
It could be pricier, say, for snowbirds on Feb. 17. That’s when a one-day pass is $164 for Animal Kingdom, $179 for both Epcot and Hollywood Studios and $184 for Magic Kingdom. Universal parks are $169 that day, and SeaWorld is back with $138.99 or $114.99 in advance.
Granted, the one-day, one-park system isn’t the fairest barometer, but it is consistent across the parks. (A friend recently paraphrased my oft-used riff as “One day, one park is for … chumps.”)
But let’s make it worse: One-day, one-park tickets for use on Christmas Day.
Oh, the humanity. These are among the highest of the high-end single days to buy. This year, a Dec. 25 ticket will be $159 for Animal Kingdom, $179 for Hollywood Studios and Epcot, then $189 for Magic Kingdom. Both Universal parks will be $179. SeaWorld is posted at $99.99, a relative gift, for an advance purchase.
But wait’ll next year. Prices go up, according to the Disney website, for Christmas Day ‘24 … by $5 at only Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Bean counters move in mysterious ways.
None of this is corporate wrongdoing, mind you. But the lesson could be you better click around.
Bonus notes:
• Disney’s $109 deals – aka DAK days – are in late August and 12 days in September. Its priciest stretch is Feb. 16-24 and then the tail-end of March.
• Universal’s lowest prices ($119 for a day) are Sept. 9-12. They hit their heights the last between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It levels off in summer. July is $154 every day except for two days when it’s $164.
• SeaWorld leans heavily into the day of the week factor in the new year. One-day tickets go for $114.99 on Saturdays in January, February, March, April, August, September and October. That goes up $5 on Saturdays in June and July.
New math: Six Flags + Cedar Fair
Six Flags and Cedar Fair, two major theme park companies, have agreed in principle to a merger deal. It’s pending approval by Six Flags shareholders, but it could be complete next year. The resulting company could operate 27 theme parks and 15 water parks in 15 states.
But not Florida. The closest attractions to Orlando would be Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta. So the merger won’t directly mess with Orlando.
“This isn’t going to affect Disney and Universal that much immediately,” said Dennis Speigel of International Theme Park Services.
“But you’re taking and you’re homogenizing the two largest regional operators, which are 42 parks,” he said. “If it’s properly executed and well-marketed, you could see where the season- pass programs and the cross-pollination of promotions could create longer and more staycations in their areas in those markets.”
A stay-away-cation from Florida?
“That’s not going to pull away millions and millions of visitors,” Speigel said. “But, you know, it could definitely have an impact.”
Save the dates
• Epcot International Festival of the Arts will be Jan. 12-Feb. 19 and will again feature the Disney on Broadway Concert Series.
• Universal Orlando says dates for its Mardi Gras celebration at Universal Studios theme park are set for Feb. 3-April 7. The parade will be nightly, and there will be big-stage concerts on select nights.
Weekend outlook
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, the after-hours, extra-ticket event at Magic Kingdom, begins Thursday. Activities include “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,” a seasonal stage show at Cinderella Castle, “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show,” dance parties and character meet-and-greets.
• Disney Jollywood Nights, a new after-hours, extra-ticket event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, kicks off Saturday. Festivities include “Disney Holidays in Hollywood” stage show (Kermit/Piggy alert), a “Nightmare Before Christmas” singalong, “Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam” nighttime spectacular plus “swanky” venues with themed holiday music.
• SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration – with Sea of Trees, stage shows, Sesame Street Land parade, storytelling, “Holiday Reflections” fireworks – starts Friday.
• Aquatica’s Beach Nights movie is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” this Saturday.
• Orlando Science Center’s $12 Day, featuring $12 admission, is Sunday.
• It’s the penultimate weekend for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The final performers for its Eat to the Beat concert are Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on Friday and Saturday and 38 Special on Sunday and Monday.
What’s on your radar? Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com.
