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(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

Even within the walls of the Happiest Place on Earth, there's no escaping inflation.

Disneyland patrons entering the park are used to enduring regular price increases for daily tickets, annual passes and parking. They've accepted a new fee to skip the lines on the most popular attractions.

And they're having to spend more once they get inside as well, with prices on food and drink items rising by as much as 12% over the last two years.

A mint julep that sold for $4.99 in 2020 now costs $5.49. An Angus beef burger that sold for $14.49 two years ago is now priced at $15.49. A drink called the Tatooine Sunset climbed to $5.99 from $5.49 over the same period.

Some customers have also complained about portions shrinking - something a Disney executive suggested during an earnings report last year might be enacted to help save money, but which the company denies doing.

The price increases come as inflation has hit a four-decade high, spurring the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates aggressively in a bid to quell it.

For Disneyland fans, the added food costs come on top of jumps in ticket prices, up as much as 8% last year, and parking, which soared 20%. The new skip-the-line fee, introduced in December 2021, adds $7 to $20 per ride for those who pay it.

Some say they're fed up.

"I've definitely noticed that the prices are going up, and that the 'price floors,' depending on the dish, are getting higher and higher," said Hastin Zylstra, a Santa Ana resident who is a longtime theme park fan.

He was particularly upset at recently paying $12 for a sandwich at the Sonoma Terrace restaurant at Disney California Adventure, with no side dish. "No chips or anything," Zylstra fumed.

Disneyland representatives noted that the resort is dealing with the same economic strains facing grocery stores and restaurants. Food prices nationwide jumped 10.5% in the 12 months that ended in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

They also point out that park visitors can bring their own food and nonalcoholic drinks into the park, with some exceptions.

A Times review of six Disneyland and California Adventure Park menus over the last two years found a handful of drops in food prices. Apple juice at the Galactic Grill at Disneyland dropped to $1.99 from $2.69. Funnel cakes at the Hungry Bear Restaurant at Disneyland fell to $7.49 from $8.99.

Of the other food items on the menu in both 2020 and 2022, about as many increased in price as stayed flat.

Food portions at the park have not changed, Disneyland officials say, despite a comment made during a November 2021 earnings report by Christine McCarthy, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, about ways the company can battle the effects of inflation.

"[T]here are lots of things that are worth talking about," she said in response to a question by an analyst. "We can adjust suppliers. We can substitute products. We can cut portion size, which is probably good for some people's waistlines. We can look at pricing where necessary."

Some park visitors say they have noticed portion cuts.

In the second quarter of 2022, the segment of Walt Disney Co. that includes theme parks collected $6.7 billion in revenue, compared with $3.2 billion a year earlier, soon after the parks reopened from the pandemic.

"Guest spending growth was due to an increase in average per capita ticket revenue, higher average daily hotel room rates and an increase in food, beverage and merchandise spending," according to Disney's earnings report.

The rise in theme park prices is not limited to Disneyland. Higher labor costs, fuel price hikes and inflation in general, along with supply chain problems, have pushed food prices up at theme parks across the country, according to industry experts.

"In our industry, yes, food prices have increased necessarily to adjust for the cost of food and labor, but honestly it's not any different than any restaurant on the street," said Ken Whiting, a food consultant for the theme park industry and chairman of the International Assn. of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, Butterbeer, a soft drink flavored with cream soda and butterscotch, sold for $5.50 when the park opened in 2016 ($6.50 for a frozen version). All versions of Butterbeer today sell for $8.00, a 45% price increase.

"Consistent with the food service industry, we adjust prices based on market conditions," a Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson said.

On a handful of food items such as churros and popcorn, Disneyland's prices are surpassed by prices at rival parks such as Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park and Universal Studios Hollywood.

In theme parks, just as in grocery stores, managers don't pass along all price increases consistently across all food items but instead raise prices on those foods that won't prompt strong pushback from consumers, said John Gerner, a theme park consultant and managing director at Leisure Business Advisors.

Price hikes on some foods, including seasonal offerings such as Christmas cookies or Halloween drinks, won't spur consumer anger as much as increases on more typical items such as hamburgers and soft drinks, industry experts say.

Theme park managers "are in a dilemma right now," he said. "They are feeling their way on all of these questions."

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Disneyland has been raising food prices. Blame inflation

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For Magic Kingdom patrons, the added food costs come on top of jumps in ticket prices, up as much as 8% last year, and parking, which soared 20%.

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How Much does Food Cost at Disney World? - Magic Guides

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How much does food cost at Disney World? Find out how much you will spend on meals while you’re on a Disney family vacation.

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Disney Guests have been complaining about high Disney prices for many months now - and even resorting to deception in order to avoid paying said high prices in Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort - and now it looks like Disney Guests have found something else to complain about in that realm: Disney's luxury dining options!

This time, Disney Fanatics have chosen the prestigious Walt Disney World Resort restaurant called Victoria and Albert's as the recipient of their ire. This high-end Grand Floridian Resort & Spa restaurant features luxuries like well-vetted wine pairings, an exclusive Chef's Table experience with the likes of Chef Scott Hunnel and sommelier Israel Perez, and plenty of award-winning dishes.

The AAA 5-Diamond restaurant has just gotten an upgrade before its 2022 reopening at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Walt Disney World Resort, and apparently, those upgrades have brought Victoria and Albert's back into Disney Guests' minds.

The prices for meals at Victoria and Albert's have apparently increased by $195 just as its new upgraded style has been put on display at the Grand Floridian, and Disney Guests who would like to eat some fancy meals during their Walt Disney World Resort vacations are not very happy about the change.

The Victoria and Albert's meal prices have increased to $295 per person (with add-on wine pairings costing a minimum of $150 and nonalcoholic pairings costing a minimum of $110). The Chef's Table tasting menu has also increased in cost (from $350 per person to $425 per person) and has its own $200 wine option, which brings that exclusive version of the meal up to $625 per person.

Disney Guests have begun attacking the fancy restaurant on Reddit, expressing their dismay over the restaurant's pricing. "Crazy overpriced Michelin-Star restaurants in NYC don't even cost that much!" one Reddit user wrote, while another declined because there was "no chance [they were] spending $300 a person to eat some food."

Another Reddit user claimed that this kind of pricing even exceeds the prices for four-course meals at Disneyland's VIP club, Club 33.

Do you think that high prices like this are out of place in the Disney experience - or do you agree with the Reddit user who said the following: "not everything Disney has to be attractive or affordable for every person"?

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$625 Per Meal? Guests Complain About Disney's High-End Dining Prices

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Guests have been complaining about high Disney prices for months -- and now they have found something else to complain about in that realm!

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500 S Buena Vista St, United States

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Food tastes good

rides are amazing

so much things to do in California Adventure

the parades

Disney hotels (especially in the one in Hawaii)

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Should Disneyland decrease their food prices?

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Should Disneyland decrease their food prices?

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Should Disneyland decrease their food prices?

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prices on food and drink items rising by as much as 12% over the last two years

complained about the portions shrinking

a drink was $5.99 from $5.49

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you can spend up to $200-$300 per day

an adult meal is $12 and a kids meal is $7

dining plan is about $94.28 or $97.69 per night for adults and $29.69 or $30.85 per night for kids

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Victoria and Albert's increased by $295 per person

spending $625 at that one restaurant

someone said there was "no chance spending $300 a person to eat some food"

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To much money for food

waits are too long

to many people

to many meltdowns

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I believe that Disneyland is a very good place to be. However, I would like to say that the food prices there are a bit too high. According to the article, “Disneyland has been raising food prices. Blame inflation.” written by Hugo Martin, it states that the food portions are shrinking and the prices have risen by 12% over the last two years (paragraph 3). However, my opponent may claim the prices for the actual Disney tickets are more expensive than the food prices. I believe that even though the tickets are expensive, the food plus the cost of the ticket is too much. To sum up, it is better to decrease the food prices.