Disneyland raises prices for out-of-town visitors, but gives locals a break

Mainland and overseas visitors to Disneyland will pay up to 14 per cent more from next month, while Hong Kong residents can enter at the current price until December.

The price increase, announced yesterday, is the theme park's first since it opened in 2005 and follows Ocean Park's announcement of a 12 per cent fee rise last month.

Under Disneyland's new pricing, adult tickets will rise from HK$350 to HK$399 and for children from HK$250 to HK$285. Meanwhile, tickets for people aged 65 or above will fall about 40 per cent, to HK$100. There will be no price adjustment for annual passes.

The new pricing will only affect walk-in, non-local visitors in the first four months, as ticket prices for locals and from travel agencies will remain unchanged until December 1. Identity documents will be checked at the gate for visitors holding local tickets.

A spokesman for the park said the price adjustment was to combat inflation and higher operation costs. 'Cumulative inflation over the past six years has run at 20 per cent, and the Hong Kong dollar has lost more than 20 per cent of its value against the yuan. The park is expanding and we foresee an increase in operating costs in the future,' he said.

He expects the new pricing will have a minimal impact on most visitors, and the lower price for the elderly will lure more family travellers during the summer vacation.

'We have few walk-in visitors in the park. Most local visitors have bought annual passes, and most foreign guests get their tickets from travel agencies before they arrive,' he said.

He said the park had seen a healthy rise in the number of visitors in the past eight months and expected the increase in ticket prices would not have any impact on the number of visitors.

Tourism lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun agreed. 'The increase is not too big, and the impact on tourism will be minimal.'

He said the delay in raising the fee for local visitors was reasonable. 'The government has invested a lot in the park, and it's fair to give preferences to locals.'

But Democratic Party lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming said it would be better for the park to impose the increase after new rides opened in November.

Ocean Park announced in June that it would increase its daytime ticket price from HK$250 to HK$280 in September for adults, and from HK$125 to HK$140 for children. Prices for the 'gold smartfun' annual pass will also increase to HK$780 for adults and HK$390 for children.

$3.63b

The cost, in HK dollars, of Disney's addition of three new attractions, including Toy Story Land. They will open in December.