Disney raises prices of some U.S. theme park tickets

Walt Disney said on Sunday it was changing the admission price for its U.S. theme parks, raising the cost of some single-day tickets by almost 9 percent.

Disney, which has a three-tier structure that charges visitors more during peak periods to help spread out crowds, said peak one-day tickets for a single theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, would see the biggest increase, rising to $135 from $124.

Value and regular one-day tickets are now $97 and $117, respectively, compared to $97 and $110 last year.

One-day prices to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida rose 2 percent to 4 percent, with tickets there now ranging between $109 and $129.

The company also said it plans to make changes to its annual pass program at Disneyland as well make its multiple-day tickets to Walt Disney World date-specific in order to help manage crowds, particularly as it prepares to open a new Star Wars attraction at both parks next year.

Theme parks are Disney's second-largest division, bringing in $18.4 billion in revenue and $3.8 billion in operating income for the fiscal year that ended in September, according to company earnings reports.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Paul Simao)