Disneyland just increased ticket prices. Here’s how to get around it.

Disneyland just increased its ticket prices. 
Both the top end of park tickets and Magic Key (annual pass holder) prices jumped Wednesday, Disney shared first with USA TODAY. The price of advance-purchase Lightning Lane Multi Passes also went up, but depending on when and how you visit, you may not notice a difference. That’s because the starting price is staying flat, and other discounts will be available next year. 
“I want as many people in the world to experience everything that we have,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro told USA TODAY. “In order to do that, the way that we’re going to design our experiences and design access into these experiences is to create as much flexibility as we possibly can, so that every fan can decide what’s right for them.”  
Here’s how much it now costs to visit Disneyland, and how to save as much as possible. 
Disneyland prices vary by date and demand. 
A nondiscounted one-day, one-park ticket to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure starts at $104 for guests over age 9. That’s been the same since 2019 and will remain so. 
However, tickets for the most popular dates now cost more. Those are typically around the holidays and other peak periods. 
One-day, one-park tickets used to top out at $194 for guests over age 9. They now go up to $206, which is a 6.2% increase. Two, three, four and five-day tickets saw about a 6.5% increase. 
“We have a wide range of prices to choose from that might depend on the season or how much you actually want to take in,” D’Amaro said.  
The starting price for the Park Hopper add-on remains $65. 
Parking prices also remain flat at $35 per car or motorcycle. 
Lightning Lane Multi Pass previously cost $30 when purchased before a park visit. 
That pre-arrival price has now jumped to $32, which is the same as the starting price for same-day Lightning Lane Multi Pass purchases. 
Only existing Magic Key holders may renew plans. New Magic Key sales are paused but will resume later this year, according to Disney. 
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Magic Key passes are now notably more than they were in June. 
◾ Inspire Key – Previously $1,649. Now $1,749. That’s a 6.1% increase or $8.34 per month increase for California residents on a monthly payment plan. 
◾ Believe Key – Previously $1,249. Now $1,374. That’s a 10% increase or $10.44 per month increase on the monthly payment plan. 
◾ Enchant Key – Previously $849. Now $974. That’s a 14.7% increase or $10.42 per month increase on the monthly payment plan. 
◾ Imagine Key – Previously $499. Now $599.  That’s a 20% increase or $8.34 per month increase on the monthly payment plan. 
A new graph on Disneyland’s website can help guests decide if a Magic Key will be worth it. For example, an Imagine Key costs less than four single-day Park Hopper tickets at the lowest starting price, but it would take 11 such visits to offset the cost of an Inspire Key. It would take fewer visits on more expensive park dates to even out. 
In addition to providing reservation-based entry to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, Magic Key holders get discounts on select food and merchandise purchases, Lightning Lane Multi Passes, and sometimes, hotel stays.  
Going forward, they’ll be eligible for even bigger discounts on Lightning Lane Multi Pass at certain times of the year, including 50% off between Jan. 6 and Jan. 31, 2025. 
Both Inspire and Believe Key holders get unlimited PhotoPass downloads. Inspire Key holders also get free standard parking. 
Other perks include getting to be among the first to experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland later this year. Details are still to come on that. 
“There is nothing like a Disney experience, whether it’s a cruise ship or a theme park visit, or even a hotel that you might stay at while on Disney property,” D’Amaro said. “We will continue to make these experiences even better, even bigger, even more innovative, even more far-reaching around the world … I think at D23 that was on full display about how serious we are in continuing to add to what we already have, thereby creating even more value for our fans.” 
The cheapest way to visit Disneyland is to go off-peak. Look for those $104 dates on the resort’s ticket calendar and you won’t have to worry about price increases. 
Families with younger kids will especially want to consider visiting earlier next year. That’s because the resort is bringing back its $50 kids ticket offer for visits between Jan. 7 through March 20. That’s nearly half off the regular starting price of one-day, one-park tickets for kids ages 3 to 9. Those specially priced tickets go on sale Oct. 22. 
Additionally, during that same January to March timeframe, guests can get up to 25% off stays of four or more nights at Disneyland’s three resort hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, and Pixar Place Hotel.  
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It’s worth noting, even at a discount, Disneyland’s resort hotels are not cheap and budget-conscious guests may want to consider staying at one of the resort’s myriad Good Neighbor Hotels instead. Many are within walking distance of the parks. Others offer shuttle services or are located along Anaheim Regional Transportation bus routes to the parks. Good Neighbor Hotels have a wide range of price points, and when bundled into a Disney Vacation Package, you can pay for stays in installments to spread out costs. 
To save on dining, guests are welcome to bring outside food and non-alcoholic drinks into the parks. Ice water is available for free wherever dispensed drinks are sold. 
D’Amaro wants guests to have a variety of options so they can cater Disney vacations to their own needs. 
“We’re thinking really hard about making sure there’s flexibility and that we set the experience up for what you specifically want as an individual, and when we do that right, which I think we do, we’ll be able to invite as many fans as we possibly can to all of our experiences around the world,” he said.