Economic uncertainty, declining consumer confidence and a shift in visitation trends has forced Disneyland, Universal Studios and other Southern California theme parks to offer deep discounts on tickets during what used to be their busiest time of the year.
Summer ticket deals abound this year at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California long before the kids get out of school and the family vacation season kicks into gear.
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Disney, Universal and other major theme parks have begun a wave of heavy discounting as summer approaches to drive attendance amid economic uncertainty, according to International Theme Park Services CEO Dennis Speigel.
“Disneyland has wasted no time in rolling out enticing offers to mark its milestone 70th anniversary,” Speigel wrote on the ITPS website. “The summer discounts are not only a celebration of the park’s historic anniversary, but also a strategic response to broader economic conditions.”
Hogwarts Castle by day at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood. (File photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Theme parks are betting that the additional attendance driven by discounted tickets will translate into increased revenue from in-park dining and souvenir shopping, according to Speigel.
“There are always pitfalls associated with over-discounting risks,” Speigel wrote on the ITPS website. “If parks lean too early and too heavily on discounts, they risk devaluing their brand. Frequent, deep discounts can train guests to wait for sales, making it harder for parks to return to full pricing.”
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There are essentially three seasons for Southern California theme parks: Holidays (Halloween and Christmas), Festivals (January through April) and Summer (May through September).
The local parks have done such a good job enticing annual passholders and daily visitors to return during the holidays and seasonal festivals that the summer vacation season no longer ranks as the busiest time of the year.
Christmas is certainly the busiest season at Disneyland and Halloween is king at Knott’s and Universal. Magic Mountain, SeaWorld and Legoland have followed the leaders and leapt into the spring festival business.
Visitors at Knott’s Berry Farm ride the new HangTime rollercoaster during it’s first day of public operation in Buena Park on Friday, May 11, 2018. The new coaster brings riders up 150 feet, holds them for several seconds, then drops them almost straight down. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)To help boost attendance, the parks are rolling out enticing deals to make summer feel less forgotten and neglected.
The Disneyland 70th Anniversary offer makes tickets available for as low as $100 for a one-day, one-park ticket good for May 16 through Aug. 14 when prices typically hover between $142 and $206.
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Universal Studios Hollywood’s buy-a-day/get-a-day discount offer is available through Aug. 13 with prices as low as $55 per day.
Knott’s has tickets as low as $62 all summer if you’re willing to visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Twisted Colossus was the only Southern California roller coaster to rank in the top 20 in the world in a recent annual survey for the website Theme Park Insider. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)Magic Mountain is even cheaper at $49 on most weekdays throughout the summer. Attendance is so slow just before Memorial Day that the Valencia amusement park is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday during most of May.
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SeaWorld San Diego offers a two-day ticket starting at $100 — bringing the cost down to $50 per day. You have six months to use the second ticket.
Legoland California offers a similar two-day ticket deal for as low as $99 — but you only have three days to use the second ticket.
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