Disney fans who already feel that the parks are just a little too expensive got a nasty shock on Sunday as the theme parks raised their prices... bringing the cheapest tickets to over $100 a piece. Disney may be known as the 'happiest place on earth', but it's certainly not known as the cheapest. Everything from admission to food and drink at the park is known for being pricey, although Disney aficionados will argue that the experience of the park is more than worth the price.

There are also ways for regular visitors to save money, including regular sales, seasonal passes, and taking advantage of special deals and discounts. However, that's not much consolation for those Disney fans who don't plan to go to the park on a regular basis, or who don't have the ability to take advantage of all those tips and tricks. And now, Disney is raising prices even further, breaking the milestone of $100 for even the cheapest tickets.

Related: Disney Is Having A Huge Sale Right Now, Including Summer Dates

Ticket prices were raised on Jan 6th, with an average increase of 8% across the board. The cheapest ticket before the price hike was $97, for a one-day single-park 'value' ticket, which has now risen to $104. Other tickets have seen similar increases, with the one-day single-park 'regular' ticket going from $117 to $129, and a one-day single-park 'peak' ticket going from $135 to $149. Other increases are also seen in the MaxPass system, which will now be $15 to use, and in parking, which will rise to $25 (a 25% increase).

Of course, this is far from the first time that Disney have increased their prices fairly dramatically. Since 2000, Disney Parks guests have seen the costs of their visits more than triple, although the price increases haven't hurt attendance. As Dennis Speigel, an industry expert with International Theme Park Services explains:

There hasn’t been any real kickback from the marketplace. People still enjoy theme parks and they want to go. They realize the entertainment value and they keep coming.

While the milestone of $100 per ticket may seem like a big one, in reality, this has been a slow increase, and people expect to be paying higher prices to attend Disney parks. The difference is less than $10 a ticket from 2018, which, considering the cost of a vacation, really isn't that much. And of course, Disney is continually bringing out new attractions in order to entice more fans into the parks. The latest 'land' to be added to the parks is Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and there is little doubt that this one is going to be hugely popular with park guests. Of course, for those pinching pennies, this is not going to be great news (especially for larger families, where an eight dollar difference can be a big one), but if penny-pinching is the aim, there are far better family holiday options to enjoy.

Next: 20 Sneaky Ways People Can Save Money At DisneyLand

Source: OC Register