Walt Disney World Increases Daily Ticket Prices

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla – Walt Disney World (search), revamping its admissions policy for the first time in at least two decades, is offering lower prices for longer stays but raising the price of single-day tickets by 9 percent.

The pretax price of a one-day ticket to a single park will rise $5 to $59.75 when the changes go into effect Jan. 2 and a week's admission will cost $199 -- $28.43 a day.

For children ages 3-9, prices range from $48 for a day to $160 for a week.

The system currently in use gives visitors only two choices when it comes to the length of their stay: one- or four-day passes.

Disney's "Magic Your Way" package also offers a la carte alternatives, such as a "Park Hopper," allowing guests to roam among the four theme parks for $35 in addition to the regular admission fee.

"The No. 1 request at our ticket booths today when a guest comes up and is buying a one-day ticket is, they want to hop to another park," Walt Disney World president Al Weiss said Wednesday.

The tickets have 14-day lifespans, so visitors can break into chunks their trips to the parks --Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom. A no-expiration option is available for a fee.