When I had the chance to talk to him last week, I wanted to know if having that image bothers him. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not concerned about it,\u201d he says, speaking via phone from his Florida home. \u201cI don\u2019t give that any thought at this point. But I\u2019m very proud of the performance of the parks segment during my time. The numbers bear that out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapek, in his role as chairman of the parks division and later CEO of the company, presided over an eight-year period beginning in 2015 in which Disneyland would significantly raise prices, introduce add-on perks, and, in my opinion, create the unsettling sense that you could be having more fun if you just spent more money. <\/p>\n
When Chapek took over the parks segment, Disneyland would begin to fully remake its annual passholder program, largely by significantly increasing its price and limiting access. (In 2015, the top priced annual pass was close to $800<\/a>. Today, it\u2019s $1,899.) Single-day tickets to the parks would also begin a period of aggressive price hikes. Today, a one-day, one-park ticket tops off at $224. It\u2019s widely expected that Disneyland will be raising its prices again this October, as it has done nearly every year in recent history. <\/p>\n Additionally, benefits that Disneyland guests long took for granted as free, such as the line-skipping Fastpass program, would become a paid perk on Chapek\u2019s watch. Access to some attractions would be grouped together as part of a package now known as a Lightning Lane. In-demand rides such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance would be sold separately. <\/p>\n Bob Chapek has defended price increases at Disneyland, noting that ambitious projects like Galaxy\u2019s Edge require capital.<\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Prices on all of the above typically increase yearly. Today, guests who spring for the front-of-the-line Lightning Lane pass as well as individual access to Rise of the Resistance can expect to pay around an extra $65 per person once having their tickets scanned. <\/p>\n Chapek notes he faced significant opposition at Disney in making these changes. <\/p>\n \u201cTo all who come to this happy place, welcome,\u201d goes Walt Disney\u2019s original dedication speech, which for decades was used as a guiding light that every guest who entered Main Street, U.S.A., would be treated as an equal. That meant, with limited exceptions, no special access for anyone. <\/p>\n This was seen as an \u201cinviolable virtue\u201d at Disney, but one Chapek was ready to break, as he writes in his book. <\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is equal when they come through the gates no matter what walk of life they come from,\u201d Chapek tells me. \u201cWhat\u2019s different, though \u2014 and this isn\u2019t because we say it\u2019s different, it\u2019s because the guests say it\u2019s different \u2014 it\u2019s that guests say they want an experience that\u2019s tailored to what they can afford.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe. I don\u2019t have access to guest satisfaction surveys, but that sounds like something only people with a certain privilege say. No doubt guests who can afford less don\u2019t want a worse experience. <\/p>\n Chapek in his book describes himself as a \u201cdisruptor,\u201d and considers Lightning Lane-like add-ons \u201cbespoke\u201d experiences that appeal to guests who crave a more customizable day. While they are common at nearly every theme or amusement park, I consider them classist<\/a>, creating a haves-versus-have-nots mindset as soon as guests step through the gates. <\/p>\n Chapek defends the move to me, pointing out that while he presided over the parks, it\u2019s lowest price one-day, one-park ticket stayed steady at $99 (today it\u2019s $104). While true, and while Disneyland has even sought to increase the number of days offered at its introductory price since Chapek was ousted from the company in 2022, these are often midweek tickets, necessitating that working families take a day off and force a child to skip school. <\/p>\n \u201cHow about demand?\u201d says former Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek, seen here with Minnie Mouse at Hong Kong Disneyland, when defending his price hikes. <\/p>\n (Kin Cheung \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n \u201cHow about demand?\u201d Chapek says to me when I point out that I have been critical of the moves<\/a>. \u201cDo people stop coming? That would obviously be a big concern. Even with the increase in prices that were taken on the annual passes, it would temporarily soften demand, but a year later they were subscribed just like they were before. Wall Street has certain expectations that may not be consistent with the expectations of guests of a certain pass type.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapek reveals in his book that there is somewhere around 1.1 million annual passholders to Disneyland, which is today known as a Magic Key. With each price increase, he writes, that number would tumble to around 1 million, but within about 12 months they would be back to a level they were at before the rise in prices. <\/p>\n During Chapek\u2019s reign, the company also introduced a reservation system, which asks guests to plan in advance. The price increase, later coupled with a reservation system, is designed to cut down, in part, on spontaneous trips to the resort, forcing guests to be more intentional about their Disneyland plans. This can aid, of course, in forecasting crowds and park staffing, but is also intended to limit days in which the park can feel overcrowded. <\/p>\n During his five-year tenure as parks chairman, Chapek writes that profits within the segment went up 18%. And that was largely due to an increase in individual guest spending. Over the decades, certain leaders of the Walt Disney Co. have arguably more closely ingratiated themselves with fans<\/a> than Chapek has, but the fact remains that Chapek fundamentally and forever altered the approachability and the affordability of a Disneyland visit. <\/p>\n \u201cIn order to build things like Galaxy\u2019s Edge and Avengers Campus, that takes capital,\u201d Chapek says. \u201cThat capital takes revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n My long-term fear, however, is that this has created a slippery slope. Disneyland guests now brace for yearly price hikes each fall, and this is coupled with yearly spikes on food prices<\/a> each summer. Once the company and its shareholders become accustomed to such a financial boost, an environment where individual guest spending sharply increases even when domestic park attendance is soft or steady<\/a>, there\u2019s likely no turning back. Disney has created a business that will target the highest-spending consumer year in and year out. <\/p>\n And thus, guest equality, what was once an \u201cinviolable virtue,\u201d is forever a thing of the past, no matter who is in charge.<\/p>\n This week in SoCal theme parks The X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. <\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n X2 has been retired. Six Flags has officially pulled the plug on Magic Mountain\u2019s X2 coaster, which has been the subject of recent controversy<\/a> after several lawsuits allege people were injured on the ride. Six Flags shut down X2 in July amid a state investigation into the coaster. \u201cWhile X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it\u2019s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,\u201d Brian Oerding, Six Flags Magic Mountain president, said in a statement. The Times\u2019 Fedor Zarkhin has more on the news<\/a>. Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com<\/a>. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter. <\/p>\n Ride on, <\/p>\n Todd Martens<\/p>\n P.S. Me, enjoying a beverage, on the now shuttered Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.<\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n There is one area where the former CEO of the Walt Disney Co. and I are in complete agreement. Chapek and I both miss Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, colloquially known as the Star Wars Hotel. The ambitious, but costly, multi-day experience was one of the most creatively inspiring offerings<\/a> in company history.<\/p>\n In \u201cBehind the Castle Walls,\u201d Chapek writes that he believes it was shuttered too soon. The Starcruiser closed after about a year of operation. \u201cWas it perfect the first time? Absolutely not,\u201d Chapek tells me. \u201cWas it one of the most ambitious lodging experiences we have ever created? Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n A place dedicated to play \u2014 and light role-play \u2014 the Starcruiser allowed guests to fully inhabit a fictional world. It was an argument that interactivity could have been the future of theme parks. \u201cIt seemed to have the plug pulled on it prematurely,\u201d Chapek says, \u201cand I think it was a big opportunity missed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014![\"Bob](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790707330_421_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790707331_858_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790707331_492_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss Disneyland\u2019s mariachi band. There are a few more opportunities to catch Mariachi Alegr\u00eda de Disneyland in Rancho Del Zocalo park inside Frontierland. The performances, set for the evenings of Oct. 6, 7, 13 and 14, are part of the resort\u2019s National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations<\/a>. Also, beginning Oct. 4 and lasting through Oct. 15, guests can meet the character of Elena of Avalor near Royal Hall next to Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Heads up for those attending Halloween Horror Nights. If you have a visit planned to Universal Studios Hollywood\u2019s Halloween Horror Nights and you\u2019re interested in the park\u2019s new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster<\/a>, there\u2019s now an opportunity to ride it. For a cost. Universal is selling access <\/a>to the coaster for $19.95 per person. Previously, the coaster was only available to those who sprung for the fancy R.I.P. Tour, which is now sold out.
Work out in Disneyland! The Disneyland Resort has announced new fitness classes<\/a> across its two parks, an early morning perk for guests staying at one of its three hotels. Among the offerings is the ability to do yoga in Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge, agility and strength exercises in Cars Land, and a mini-boot-camp-style class in Avengers Campus. Classes range in price, but most are under $49.
Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.<\/p>\n![\"Me,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790707331_625_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
This newsletter is free thanks to the support of L.A. Times subscribers. If you\u2019re not yet a subscriber, explore subscription packages<\/a> to unlock unlimited digital access and support award-winning local reporting.<\/p>\n