The system, known as dynamic pricing, is designed to help companies squeeze out every drop of revenue by charging more when demand is highest. (Even the lobby stores in Las Vegas are getting in on the action!)
With the incorporation of new technologies, attractions ranging from the Empire State Building to small-town museums are now using dynamic pricing. Therefore, prices may change depending on when you book, how many people you book, or even when you want to visit. It’s confusing, frustrating, and often means paying more than you expected.
But this is not necessarily the case. Understanding how these price changes work and using a few simple tips can keep more money in your wallet. Here’s what you need to know to outsmart dynamic pricing while still getting the experience you want.
What is dynamic pricing?
Dynamic pricing means ticket prices are not fixed – they change based on demand. When a lot of people want to join, the price goes up. When things are slow, prices fall. It’s simple, but it can disrupt your trip if you’re not careful.
This system can be as simple as dividing the calendar into high and low seasons. However, with AI-driven strategies, price changes are possible based on real-time visitor numbers, weather, and even Google Analytics search volume.
The key word to understand dynamic pricing is “when” – both when you buy and when you want to buy. Wait too long or choose a busy day and your wallet will take a hit. But if you know how the game works, you can use it to your advantage.
Let me give you an example from my upcoming trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. By visiting on a Thursday instead of a weekend, one-day admission is reduced from $139 to $109. I would love to turn the savings into butterbeer!
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It all starts with the mouse: How Disney pioneered dynamic pricing of attractions
In 2016, Disney introduced seasonal pricing, a new concept for attractions.
The new system divides the calendar into value, regular and peak periods, with different prices for each period to reflect expected crowd levels. For example, a one-day ticket to the Magic Kingdom is $105 during value hours, but the price jumps to $124 during peak hours.
The strategy aims to better manage visitor numbers and spread visitors more evenly throughout the year, while keeping prices in line with demand. Once Disney started the trend, Universal Studios and other theme parks across the country started seasonal pricing within a few years.
Fast forward to today, and theme park pricing is more complex, with prices changing by the day rather than by season.迪士尼有一个优势，因为它通过“我的迪士尼体验”应用程序以及来自Disney+ 和Hulu 的数据宝库非常了解客户的行为。 Last summer, Disney World even offered exclusive discounts for Disney+ members.
Consider Disney World ticket prices in August 2026 to understand how dynamic pricing works. One-day tickets to the Magic Kingdom range from $119 to $164, depending on which day of August you visit. That’s a difference of $45 per day, or 27%, which quickly adds up when you factor in multiple tickets. This difference can be attributed to back-to-school season, so unless your child returns to school in early August, you may want to hold off until the end of the month.
The Journey Never Stops: Why Dynamic Pricing Is Taking Over All Your Favorite Attractions
Even a decade ago, smaller attractions did not have the technological prowess needed to handle dynamic pricing on a day-to-day basis. Large parks like Disney have their own systems in place, with entire teams calculating when to raise or lower prices. But now, off-the-shelf software systems enable dynamic pricing for zoos, museums and smaller attractions.
When off-the-shelf tools do the heavy lifting—analyzing visitor trends, weather, and demand—there’s no need for a data science department. This technology shift opens the door for more attractions to adopt dynamic pricing, allowing them to adjust prices without adding staff. That’s why you now see variable pricing outside of the theme park giants, and even at your local aquarium or history museum.
帝国大厦已成为人工智能驱动的动态定价的典范，它使用机器学习算法根据需求、天气、一天中的时间甚至当地活动等因素实时调整门票价格。 This means that the price you see online today may go up tomorrow.
This approach enables management to optimize revenue and crowd management, helping to alleviate busy days and fill quiet times. Check out the December 13 price list above. If you come at 2pm instead of 1:45pm, the price per person will go up $10. It’s best to make lunch reservations as early as possible.
Dynamic Pricing Across the Pond
Dynamic pricing is no longer red, white and blue; it’s making waves in museums and cultural attractions across Europe, too.对于目的地对抗过度旅游的人来说，这是一个方便的工具，TPG 在其2025 年旅游趋势报告中将过度旅游列为一个主要问题。
For example, the German Museum in Berlin has a chart where prices may double depending on the date and time you choose.
Even entire cities are following this trend. Venice, Italy, currently charges day trippers up to €10 per person during peak season. Destinations are taking advantage of peak seasons and dynamic pricing to encourage “off-seasoning,” or spreading out tourism so attractions and city streets are less likely to be flooded.
How to beat dynamic pricing
Now that you understand how dynamic pricing works, here’s how you can avoid paying a premium when visiting attractions.
Go when others don’t
Knowledge is half the battle. If your travel dates are flexible, check attraction prices along with your hotel and flight purchases. Most websites publish a monthly calendar so you can know what to expect and plan to avoid the highest prices.
Also make sure you check the daily (or even hourly) admission fees before purchasing your tickets. Even with a 15-minute time difference, a family of four can save $40 when visiting the Empire State Building.
Find combos and passes
例如，如果您想在高峰时段访问纽约，请考虑使用纽约城市通票，无论您在一年中的哪几天或一天中的哪个时间使用它，价格都是相同的。 You can visit five of eight top attractions in 10 days. If you want to visit multiple attractions with variable prices, including the Empire State Building, the savings can add up quickly.
This is especially important during peak seasons like spring break. By purchasing a $156 CityPass, you can save over $100 on your spring break trip to New York City without having to suffer from dynamic pricing.
| Empire State Building | $77.30 |
|---|---|
| American Museum of Natural History | $36.00 |
| Circle Line Landmark Cruise | $45.00 |
| top of rock | $66.00 |
| 9/11 Memorial Museum | $36.00 |
| all | $260.30 |
Stack offers to save
You might think that buying tickets directly from the source is the way to get the best deal, but that’s not the case. Viator 等景点经纪人通常以与您直接购买时支付的价格相同的价格出售门票和旅游通行证，但您可以叠加优惠券和购物门户，以最大限度地提高积分并省钱。
For example, Viator offers Empire State Building tickets for the same price as purchasing them directly.美国航空eShopping 最近不仅在通过其门户网站Viator 预订时每消费1 美元即可获得4.5 英里里程，还展示了300 美元12% 的优惠券。 In addition to the miles or points you’d normally earn on a $300 purchase, you’ll get an additional 1,350 AAdvantage miles and $36 back in your wallet.
But we’re not done yet. Always check your credit card offers before clicking the buy button.您可能会发现一项有针对性的优惠，例如美国运通最近提供的优惠，可以在您300 美元的购买中额外增加30 美元的现金返还。 Additionally, Viator tickets come with a free cancellation policy, which is not available for tickets purchased from the Empire State Building website.
bottom line
Dynamic pricing is here to stay, but it’s not all bad news. Once you understand how the system works, you can avoid the highest prices. By using passes and stacking offers, you can outwit the bots trying to destroy your vacation budget.
Best of all, you can use the knowledge provided by the system to schedule your visit for cheaper days and times. Not only will you save money, but visiting when others aren’t has the added benefit of less crowds.
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