Disney Park Update: Guests Face $254 Dinner Charge Amid Price Hike

Disney just confirmed some pretty dramatic price increases.

It’s no secret that Disney’s theme parks are expensive, but it feels like the cost has reached a whole new level since the pandemic. As the parks reopened post-lockdown, they’ve notoriously raised the prices of various aspects of the theme park experience.

As per CNN, when Disneyland Park first opened in Anaheim in 1955, the price of admission and 10 rides (which were charged separately at the time) sat at just $2.50. That’s roughly equal to $28.74 today when adjusted for inflation.

When Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando, Florida, in 1971, the combined cost of admission and a ticket book for seven rides was $8, which translates to $61.66 in 2024. And yet, the cheapest one-day ticket for Disneyland Resort currently sits at $104 per day, while Walt Disney World will set you back a minimum of $116.09.

Tickets aren’t the only things to suffer. Smaller charges — such as water, Mickey ears, and ice cream — have also surged, while once-free items have been reduced or even eliminated completely.

Related: New $20 Per Person Upcharge System Kicks in at Disney Park, Effective This Week

That includes the likes of the Magical Express, the free service that once transported Disney World resort guests from Orlando International (MCO) to their hotel that was axed at the end of 2021.

FastPass was removed in favor of the paid service Genie+ (which was then replaced with Lightning Lane Multi Pass in July). Meanwhile, Evening Extra Magic Hours are no longer, with Extended Evening Theme Park Hours taking their place (and only offered to guests at Deluxe Resorts, instead of all Disney hotels as was the case pre-pandemic).

These changes aren’t limited to Disney’s U.S. parks. At Disneyland Paris, price increases have also been noted resort-wide. For example, for those purchasing an Annual Pass (renamed a Disneyland Pass in 2023), these increases – plus the perceived reduced value of purchasing a pass – have led some to renounce the program entirely.

Food has also become more expensive at the parks. Considering the infamous criticism of the quality of food at Disneyland Paris, this is much harder to stomach than price increases at Disneyland or Disney World.

This week, the resort has confirmed another set of price increases—this time limited to diners at its table-service restaurants on the two priciest dining days of the year: Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31).

Reservations are in high demand on these dates, which also come with separate menus from other days of the year, and, as per DLP Report, the resort has increased prices at Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney Resorts, and Disney Village to match.

– Character Dining: Auberge / Plaza €150, Banquet €190, Lumière €230

– Table Service: Silver Spur €75, Bistrot €90, Jack’s €110, Walt’s €120

– Hotels Table Service: €110

– Hotels Buffets: Lake Disney €90, others €75

🥂 December 25 and 31, 2024 Festive Menus Prices:

– Character Dining: Auberge / Plaza €150, Banquet €190, Lumière €230

– Table Service: Silver Spur €75, Bistrot €90, Jack’s €110, Walt’s €120

– Hotels Table Service: €110

– Hotels Buffets: Lake Disney €90, others €75 pic.twitter.com/XjhwfQ5Quk

— DLP Report (@DLPReport) September 3, 2024

Unsurprisingly, the resort’s character dining meals are the most expensive. Both Auberge de Cendrillon (a princess dining experience at the base of Sleeping Beauty Castle) and Plaza Gardens Restaurant (where guests can meet Mickey Mouse and friends) are located within Disneyland Park and will cost €150 ($166 USD) per adult.

Even pricier are the additions to Disneyland Paris’ character dining lineup. Royal Banquet Restaurant, where Mickey Mouse and friends meet guests in regal attire, is €190 ($210 USD). Meanwhile, La Table de Lumière – where guests can “indulge in a rich variety of fine-dining dishes inspired by the finest offerings of French cuisine and from around the world” – is a whopping €230 ($254 USD) per person.

Related: Disney Increases Food Costs Dramatically, New Prices Announced

The latter has stirred its fair share of controversy since opening. Like the rest of the Disneyland Hotel, the restaurant is inspired by the regal Disney princess aesthetic, with Disney also noting that it takes its cues from the iconic Hall of Mirrors in the royal Palace of Versailles.

As of right now, only Disneyland Hotel guests can place reservations – but if they do manage to secure a table, they can meet several of the studio’s most famous princesses, such as Snow White, Aurora, and Cinderella.

However, complaints have rolled in about the quality of the food, which many argue does not warrant the extortionate price tag – and that’s just when it’s wielding its regular cost of €120 ($132 USD) per person.

As noted on the Disneyland Paris website, this price increase isn’t inescapable to those on the Disneyland Paris Meal Plan. A notice reads: “Meal Plan vouchers can be used for their monetary value only for dinner on 24 December or 31 December. You will be required to pay the difference.”

This is La Table de Lumière’s first Christmas in operation, so there’s no benchmark for its festive prices. However, as per DLP Report, prices resort-wide have increased by 10 to 15%.

Beyond Christmas, there’s plenty to come from Disneyland Paris in the coming years. The biggest changes are occurring at Walt Disney Studios Park (which is notably lacking in solid dining options right now, despite boasting Pym’s Kitchen and Bistrot Chez Rémy).

Not only is its entry land, Studio 1, undergoing a major transformation to become World Premiere, but the park is also set to welcome its own version of World of Frozen, plus Disney’s first land inspired by The Lion King (1994) – complete with a Pride Rock water ride à la Splash Mountain.

Other additions include a Tangled (2010) attraction, Adventure Bay – a 70,000 cubic meter lake around which Disney can host nighttime spectaculars – and a brand-new table service restaurant, The Regal View Restaurant and Lounge, where guests can also meet Disney princesses.

The park will ultimately change names, with Disney confirming that it will adopt the new moniker of Disney Adventure World at some point in the future.

What’s the maximum price you would pay for dinner at Disney?