When you think of theme parks, giants like Disney and Universal should come to mind ASAP. The brands have opened parks around the world with top-tier attractions, and both compete in Japan for dominance. That is why Studio Ghibli is planning its theme park’s debut carefully, and it has found a way to outdo the pair without much effort. It all comes down to cost because Ghibli Theme Park won’t demand an arm and a leg from visitors.
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According to one of the park’s planning managers, Tetsuya Okamura, Ghibli Park will have a tiered ticket system. This means attendees will pay more for each area of the park they wish to visit. Right now, Okamura says the team wants a full-access ticket to cost under $35 USD when it opens this fall.
When it comes to theme park pricing, this full-access price is insanely cheap. Theme park goers in Japan are used to pay twice that as Tokyo Disneyland can cost fans close to $90 while Universal Studios Japan is often priced close to $80. And of course, these prices in Japan pale in comparison to average ticket prices for parks stateside. A base ticket for Disney World is over $100 these days, and the same goes for Universal Studios. They only get more expensive as add-ons rack up, so park-hopping tickets can run fans upwards of $300 depending on the season.
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Clearly, Ghibli Park is trying to be friendly with fans’ budgets, but these low prices are liable to change. After all, the park will be opening this fall with just three areas open. Another two zones will be added following the new year, so they will likely cost more to visit. But if you know your park itinerary well, you can definitely plan ahead and save with the park’s tier-based tickets.
What do you think of this park update? Are you glad to hear Studio Ghibli is keeping its attendees’ budgets in mind? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.