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Friday, September 01, 2006

M-I-C-K-E-Y O-U-C-H!


Well, ladies and gents... the Mouse has done it again! Another price hike to visit the good 'ole Walt Disney World! I LOVE the place, but this is getting a tad bit ridiculous, wouldn't you say??

Read the article below from Frommers...

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Theme Pork: Prices Rise (Again) at Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando
By Laura Lea Miller
August 31, 2006

Disney has once again raised the price of admission. Normally this would come as no great shock or surprise, but it's the second time the Mouse has done this within a single year -- a rather unprecedented move even for them.

The following don't include the 6 to 6.5% sales tax (Disney actually falls in two different counties) unless noted. Price hikes are frequent occurrences, so call 407/824-4321 or visit WDW's website (www.disneyworld.com) for the most up-to-the-minute pricing.

All tickets include unlimited use of the WDW transportation system. Bear in mind that Disney considers children 10 and older as adults for pricing purposes, and children under 3 aren't charged admission.

One-day/one-park tickets, for admission to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or Disney-MGM Studios, are $67 for adults, $56 for children ages 3 to 9. Ouch! Four-day base tickets (1 park per day) are $202 adults, $168 children ages 3 to 9. A 7-day base ticket (1 park per day)costs $210 for adults (about $30 a day), $173 for kids ages 3 to 9 (about $25 a day).

Adding on a Park Hopper option to your ticket allows you unlimited admission to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney-MGM Studios for the duration of your base ticket. Pricing for the Park Hopper is the same for adults and children and costs $45 above the price of your base ticket (no matter how many days that ticket is valid for). So if you purchase a single-day base ticket, adding the Park Hopper will cost an additional $45 (for a total of $112 for an adult -- not very cost effective), but if you purchase a 7-day base ticket, the option will still only cost you $45 (for a total of $255 -- a very good deal).

If you add a Water Park Fun & More option to your base ticket, you'll get several admissions to some of WDW's smaller attractions: Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, Pleasure Island, and Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. The number of visits allowed depends on the number of days your base ticket is good for (3 visits for base tickets covering 1-3 days; 4 visits for 4- and 5-day tickets; 5 visits for 6-day tickets, and 6 visits for any base ticket 7 days or over). This option adds an additional $50 to the cost of your base ticket, and, like the Park Hopper, the longer you stay at Disney, the more cost-effective the option becomes. If you only plan on visiting one smaller attraction while at WDW, paying the separate admission fee is cheaper and smarter than opting for the Magic Plus Pack.

If you're adding both of these options to your base ticket, a way to save a bit more money is by buying your tickets in advance.

A 1-day ticket to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, or DisneyQuest is $36 for adults, $30 for children.

A 1-day ticket to Pleasure Island is $21.95. Because this is primarily an 18-and-over entertainment complex, there's no bargain price for children.

If you're planning an extended stay or going to visit Walt Disney World more than once during the year, annual passes ($434-$559 adults, $382-$493 children -- pricing for Florida residents is slightly less and includes a season pass option) are another great option.

Universal Orlando (www.universalorlando.com) jumped at the chance to follow the Mouse's rather large footsteps -- they too have increased their theme park ticket prices for the second time in a year. An adult 1-day theme park ticket now costs a whopping $67 (whether for Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios) while a child's ticket (ages 3-9) now runs $56. Two-day 2-part tickets will cost you $114.95 regardless of age.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Source: Frommers