what impact for the dynamic pricing implemented by the amusement park?

Prices for traveling to what remains the leading tourist destination in Europe have until now depended on the period. From now on, they will vary depending on demand. As in planes or trains, to pay less, you will have to book in advance.

The Disneyland Paris theme park is implementing dynamic pricing on Tuesday, November 19. From now on, the price of the entrance ticket increases according to demand. This is what we call “yield management” in English. Until then, there were already price differences depending on the period. It was more expensive during school holidays or weekends, for example, but the prices were fixed, they no longer changed. From now on, as with train or plane tickets, the more the park fills up, the more the price will increase. This is a first in France for an amusement park. English parks have implemented progressive pricing, but in France, neither Parc Astérix, nor Futuroscope, nor Puy du Fou have yet used it.

Disneyland Paris emphasizes that with this new pricing, the cheapest price drops slightly. Some tickets, which were 56 euros before for an adult, have gone down to 50. This is the lowest price at the moment, for a weekday reservation during the off-peak period in January 2025. On the other hand, the prices of undated tickets will increase by around fifteen euros. Disneyland does not reveal the maximum price, but for a busy day in its historic park, it easily exceeds 110 euros. For the three special days – July 14, October 31 for Halloween, December 31 – where there is a special program, with shows and fireworks, the price even goes up to 150 euros.

If you want to pay less, you have to book early to lock in the price, otherwise depending on the crowd, you risk paying more. For Disney, this new pricing has the advantage of pushing visitors to choose off-peak periods, to better smooth out attendance at the site throughout the year. An easier technique for assigning teams and managing the park's 16,000 employees.

Visitors fear price increases, even if Disney insists on the possibility of booking 18 months in advance, compared to 12 months before, and on modifications and refunds possible up to three days before their visit. In fact, the amusement park is seeking to relaunch its model, because even if Disneyland Paris remains the leading tourist destination in Europe, between the Covid epidemic, inflation, change in consumption patterns, the wonderful world of Mickey has lost a little its attraction.