Florida Theme Parks Raise Entrance Fees

Is it our imagination, or are theme parks raising their prices more often? There used to be annual raises, as we recall, but last week Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure park in Orlando increased the price of daily tickets for the second time in 7 1/2 months. Tickets now cost $46 ($48.76 with tax) for adults and $37 ($39.22 with tax) for children ages 3 to 9, an increase of $2.

The Florida parks raised rates the week after Disneyland instituted an annual increase of $2. In May, the month it opened, Islands of Adventure announced adult tickets would be $42, then increased them to $44. The increases come despite slipping attendance last year at most of the parks, according to estimates by Amusement Business magazine.