Since their grand openings, the popular Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks have been marketed as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” These attractions, along with several others, were built as an outlet for fantasy, entertainment or a way to escape everyday life for all ages. At amusement parks, families are able to take their children for one or several days of fun and joy. Now more than ever, the amusement park industry capitalizes on providing families with promises of a joyous experience. Other popularly visited parks, such as Universal Studios, Hershey Park, Cedar Point or Kennywood, share the same initial goal, but over the years have managed to become an industry of covetous intent and consumerism to make a profit. Theme parks are marketed as fun for all ages and short-term getaways from stressful lives; however, more and more families are becoming unable to afford the price of amusement.
Kennywood, a park located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in May of 1899 with several attractions and rides, some of which still operate today. In 2024, the price of a general admission ticket is $75, not including the optional added cost of a Speedy Pass, which puts individuals in virtual queues for rides of their choice while they visit other areas of the park. This is a raise from last year, when tickets were approximately $70. In 2007, when Kennywood was sold for $200 million to Palace Entertainment, tickets cost even less, with general admission costing $36.
Larger parks, such as Universal Studios, make even more money with higher prices. Universal Studios, located in Hollywood, California, opened in July of 1964, then set forth another location in Orlando, Florida in June of 1990. The company is currently estimated to make $4.2 billion per year in Hollywood. This year, Universal Studios in Orlando has made $1.9 billion, a decline from years prior. This damaging decline in revenue has been caused by a decrease in park attendance; however, with the prices of inclusions that the parks have to offer, it is no wonder why attendance rates have become lower. With four parks, including the all-new “Epic Universe” section opening in May of 2025, Universal Studios offers single-park and two-park ticket options, along with other packages and bundles to include resort times and multi-day vacations. In the two main parks, Universal Studios and Universal Island of Adventure, prices start at the lowest tier at $119 per ticket. These prices vary per day and do not include tax or Universal Express passes, which cost an additional $104 per person, or Express Unlimited passes for $134. While fast passes at any park can be convenient, the lines at the parks are so long that one must pay an additional cost to have a good time. These can make visits easily cost over $300 per person for one day at the park, which becomes overbearing when families decide to visit together. They have also increased from previous years, starting at a range of $109-159 for one-day tickets.
While Universal Studios holds largely expensive prices for their admissions, Disneyland and its larger sister park, Walt Disney World, have even higher expenses. Disneyland, established in 1955, was founded by animation film producer Walt Disney. Located in Anaheim, California, Disneyland was built to feature popular Disney characters and attractions, making it one of the US’s first fully-themed and immersive parks. Since its construction, the park has become a staple of entertainment in the US. Ticket prices today vary on days, but fall around $154 for guests over the age of nine, with multi-day tickets costing over $330. For Park Hopper tickets, which allow one to travel between both theme parks in a day, costs start at over $400. This was raised over the past ten years, with prices for general admission tickets costing $105 per person as of 2016. An even larger difference in prices is between 2024 prices and the $1 ticket price sold in 1955. When adjusted to inflation today, ticket prices then would equate to $11.53. This is comparable to Disneyland located in Paris, which costs $51.41 per one-day ticket and Tokyo’s Disneyland, which costs around 7,900 yen for adults, which is around $52.68 in US dollars.
As Disney’s company grew into an entertainment giant, Walt Disney World opened in 1971. Walt Disney World is a larger theme park located in Orlando, Florida, featuring four different parks and other adjacent attractions, such as the “downtown” shopping district, Disney Springs. Standard tickets at Walt Disney World cost $119 per day for ages 10 and up. This also does not include add-ons of resort pricing, meal plans, expensive packages, Lightning Lane passes and more. Walt Disney World offers a large variety of packages and plans to choose from, most of which cost families thousands of dollars for a trip lasting a few days. Walt Disney World does have some features for adults to enjoy, it is mainly marketed toward children and families, many of which are unable to afford a trip. During its opening, tickets cost $3.50 per person. While these were equal to much more money today, the prices were still affordable for families who wanted to enjoy a day or multiple at the park with their children.
Amusement parks are intended for what they sound like: amusement and entertainment. Ticket and package prices for today’s time, however, often make it impossible for families to book trips and enjoy an escape from everyday life, adding even more stress with money spending. Being marketed as magical places, these parks should focus more on the happiness of the families and children who deserve to experience their theme parks at least once in their lifetime, not the company’s excessive greed.