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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company is considering a comprehensive overhaul of its global pricing model for theme park tickets. At a technology summit on Wednesday, a company executive confirmed that Disney is evaluating and testing a dynamic pricing model at Disneyland Paris Resort, with plans to expand the program to Disney parks worldwide.
What is a Dynamic Pricing Model?
Even if you’re not familiar with the term, you’ve likely experienced dynamic ticket pricing. Maybe you and your friend bought two equivalent seats for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, but yours cost $800, while hers cost $400. She got into Ticketmaster minutes before you, and due to the overwhelming demand, Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model spiked the price of your ticket to maximize profit on the popular event.
Airlines use this model, too. Have you ever heard that there are better days of the week to purchase a flight, or that you should book your trip exactly _ weeks in advance? Airlines adjust ticket prices based on customer demand, time, and even the frequency of individual customer visits to their website. (As a side note, always book your flights in Incognito mode for the best prices.)
Disneyland Paris Resort has been testing a dynamic ticket pricing model for some time, giving us a hint at what a global expansion of this program might look like.
What Does This Mean For Disney Park Tickets?
On Wednesday, Disney CFO Hugh Johnston spoke about dynamic pricing at the Wells Fargo Technology, Media, and Telecom Summit. Johnston said Disneyland Paris Resort has been testing this model for about a year, and that it could be introduced to Disneyland Resort (California) and Walt Disney World Resort (Florida) within the next few years.
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said the company is investing in dynamic ticket pricing and has already been testing it at Disneyland Paris for about a year. He noted the approach could make its way to the domestic parks in the coming years as Disney works to optimize the system.
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said the company is investing in dynamic ticket pricing and has already been testing it at Disneyland Paris for about a year. He noted the approach could make its way to the domestic parks in the coming years as Disney works to optimize the system. pic.twitter.com/0HDWS7AwCT
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) November 19, 2025
Johnston avoided comparing Disney’s dynamic pricing model to that of airlines, which often change their prices by the hour. This isn’t how the rollout has worked at Disneyland Paris Resort, so it’s unlikely that the domestic theme parks would see such frequent pricing changes. He also said that the European Disney parks haven’t “seen any” negative feedback about the pricing change.
Johnston avoided directly comparing it to an airline model (because it’s really not an accurate comparison), but he said it is similar in concept.
Johnston said Disney already does it in hotels to some degree, and this is bringing it to the parks. He said Disney will “do it in a way that doesn’t create guest experience issues or consumer negative feedback … and in Paris, we haven’t seen any.”
Johnston said Disney already does it in hotels to some degree, and this is bringing it to the parks. He said Disney will "do it in a way that doesn't create guest experience issues or consumer negative feedback … and in Paris, we haven't seen any."
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) November 19, 2025
You might be thinking that Disney Park tickets are already priced differently based on perceived crowd levels and holidays. However, these prices rarely change once set by Disney. Under a dynamic pricing model, date-based theme park tickets could become cheaper or more expensive as the day approaches, based on weather forecasts, changes in anticipated demand, and other external factors. To some extent, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort already do this with hotel room prices, where price hikes often come when guests search the Disney website for a last-minute room.
At Disneyland Paris Resort, the ticket calendar is no longer filled with preset prices. Instead, dates are organized by color, and each color corresponds to a specific range of prices, determined by weather forecasts, predicted crowd levels, and other factors. For example, in the screenshot below for December 2025, single-day tickets (valid for two parks) in the purple range could cost anything from $134 to $197. The lowest-priced ticket for December is currently $106.
The cost can change at any time; however, once guests make a selection, they are locked into their chosen ticket price for one hour. Thus far, Disneyland Paris Resort has not updated prices as frequently as airlines do.
The dynamic ticket pricing model has enabled Disneyland Paris Resort to sell tickets 18 months in advance, compared to a previous limit of 12 months. Date-based tickets can be refunded up to three days before the scheduled visit.
Guests can also purchase a non-date-based one-or two-park ticket at a flat rate, which is typically more expensive than the average date-based ticket (currently around $161). These tickets are non-refundable but remain valid for one year from the date of purchase. They can be used any day except July 14 (Bastille Day), October 31 (Halloween), and December 31 (New Year’s Eve), offering a full day of experiences at a fixed price 362 days of the year.
If dynamic ticket pricing were to be implemented at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, date-based theme park ticket prices would likely change the closer to their chosen date (as is often the case with Disney Resort hotel rooms). Disney appears to be adjusting prices in response to factors such as changes in crowd predictions and weather forecasts, which are not typically available far in advance.
The Walt Disney Company has not shared a timeline for the domestic rollout of dynamic theme park ticket pricing beyond the next few years. Disney officials didn’t say whether Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort would also offer the non-date-based, flat-rate ticket that Disneyland Paris Resort currently offers.
What do you think of The Walt Disney Company’s plan to switch to a dynamic pricing model for theme park tickets? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments!