Universal Studios raises ticket prices

LOS ANGELES — Only a few weeks before the opening of its much-anticipated Harry Potter attraction, Universal Studios Hollywood is performing a shrinking spell on visitors’ wallets.

This month, the park quietly raised prices up to 20 per cent, pushing its highest-priced daily ticket beyond that of its sister parks in Orlando, Florida.

“The Harry Potter attraction is expensive, and it’s the perfect excuse to raise prices because they know they are going to have the crowds regardless,” said David Koenig, a themepark expert and author of several books about Disneyland.

Universal Studios Hollywood is not alone. Disneyland adopted a new set of ticket prices in February that raised its highest daily ticket by about 20 per cent. And both parks have instituted pricing systems that base ticket costs on daily demand.

The moves shouldn’t come as a surprise because both Southern California parks are preparing to open what may be their most popular attractions in years.

Universal Studios officially unveils the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on April 7, although random visitors are getting a preview of the 2.5hectare land before then. And Disneyland has begun construction of a 5.5-hectare expansion based on the Star Wars movie franchise.

“A lot of people suspected that a price increase was going to come before April 7,” said Robert Niles, editor of the Theme Park Insider website.

Price increases at theme parks are almost certain before the opening of major new attractions. Disney boosted daily ticket prices nearly nine per cent two months before the opening of its five-hectare Cars Land expansion at California Adventure Park in 2012.

Before a similar Harry Potter attraction opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 2010, the Orlando park raised the price of a two-day, two-park pass 36 per cent, to $135 US when purchased online. The park also ended a discount offer — a weeklong pass for $99 — that had been in place since 2007.

Theme-park experts and fans say the higher prices won’t keep them away.

Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services in Cincinnati, said Universal Studios Hollywood may anger a few guests with the higher prices, but will still come out ahead with overall higher revenue. “They might lose a few people at the low end of the pay scale, but they will more than make up for it.”