Summer vacation is getting more costly as prices for amusement parks and airfare go up. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Every year, thousands of American families plan a fun getaway that often involves extensive travel and locations like theme parks. However, the cost of vacations is rising as things such as amusement parks and flights are becoming more expensive.
Cost of Disneyland getting less enchanting
Disneyland, the “Enchanted Kingdom,” is practically a Mecca for American children and for parents wanting to fulfill childhood ambitions for their little ones and see the joy on their face as they get a photo op with Donald Duck. However, the current price of admission may cause many parents to wince. Disney has raised prices, according to WalletPop, for single day admission by 5.3 percent to $80 per person for admission to one of its two Anaheim-based parks. The cost of a three-day pass to both parks now costs $224, though the cost is about $6 less for kids 3 to 9. Costs across all amusement parks went up by 2 percent per year since 2008, when attendance was down. Attendance has been rising again, but so have prices.
Getting there is half the battle
As oil and gas prices have gone up, so has the cost of airfare. Average airfare in the United States has gone up by 10 percent since last year, according to the Los Angeles Times, reaching $247 in the first quarter of 2011. That is an increase from the 2008 peak of $233, observed just before prices went lower in the midst of the recession. Fuel surcharges and baggage fees have been hitting travelers where it hurts, and international travelers will feel the pinch more than others, according to the Wall Street Journal. The average international flight costs 8 percent more this year, at an average of $1,888. Budget airlines are raising prices, too. RyanAir, among the cheapest airlines in Europe, recently raised prices by 12 percent, according to MSNBC. Travelers can also expect to pay more at the destination because hotel prices are also up. The price of a typical domestic hotel room rose 3 percent to $150, and international rooms rose 4 percent to $238 since this time last year.
Aggravation at cost of big vacation
Vacation costs are creeping up, but the biggest effects seem to be confined to people who want to fly to the most popular destinations. A recent American Express survey, according to CNN, found that only 20 percent of respondents were planning on flying somewhere in the U.S. this summer. However, more people were apparently planning on traveling somewhere by car, as 59 percent of survey respondents were planning on taking some form of summer vacation, compared with 51 percent in 2010. However, Americans might actually be a bit more willing to spend on a holiday than people in some other core countries. It is estimated that up to 17 million people in Britain are foregoing a summer holiday entirely, according to the Telegraph.
