And even cheaper tickets will be available, if Ghibli Park can find a way.
There’s been plenty of whimsy and wonder surrounding the recent reveals of what’s going to be waiting for us when Ghibli Park, the world’s first theme park inspired by the anime films of Studio Ghibli, finally opens this fall. But as the dream of stepping into the worlds created by Hayao Miyazaki and his creative comrades gets closer to becoming a reality, it’s time to start thinking about some real-world concerns, like how much it’s going to cost to get in.
Make no mistake, for all of its artistic ideals, Studio Ghibli is still a business. There’s an entire chain of stores in Japan dedicated to selling Ghibli merchandise, and while its plushies, accessories, and other trinkets are of fine quality, they’re not necessarily budget-priced. Remember too that this is Japan, a country with a passionate fan culture that doesn’t mind opening its wallet for special experiences.
Thankfully for Ghibli fans, though, it sounds like Ghibli Park is going to be trying to keep admission affordable, and flexible too. In speaking with Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Tetsuya Okamura, Ghibli Park’s “producer” (planning manager), said that they’re looking into a ticket system where price is dependent on how many areas of Ghibli Park a guest wants access to. Okamura says the park is targeting an adult admission price point of about 4,000 yen (US$34.80) for access to all areas when the park opens in November.
▼ Thanks, Ghibli Park!
That would make a full-access Ghibli Park ticket roughly half the price of a ticket to Tokyo Disneyland (adult admission 7,900 to 9,400 yen, depending on date) and Universal Studios Japan (8,400 yen).
Naturally, tickets that grant access only to specific parts of Ghibli Park would be less expensive. So, for instance, if you’re a My Neighbor Totoro fan who only wants to check out Dondoko Forrest (where Mei and Satsuki’s house is located), or a Whisper of the Heart lover hoping to see its sets brought to life in the Hill of Youth Area, such single-area tickets would cost less. The flexible pricing also sounds great for fans who might be making their second trip to Ghibli Park to see a part they couldn’t fit in on their first visit, or those who did see it all and want to revisit just their favorite spot.
But before you stick 4,000 yen in an envelope, write “for Ghibli Park ticket” on it, and consider your ticket expense accounted for, there’s something to keep in mind. Well, two things actually. As mentioned above, when Ghibli Park opens on November 1 there will be three finished areas: Dondoko Forrest, Hill of Youth, and Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse. Okamura says the 4,000-yen all-access price target is for access to all three, but there are two more Ghibli Park zones, Mononoke Village and Witch’s Valley (modeled on Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service), that will be opening at later dates. In other words, in its final form, Ghibli Park will consist of five areas, and if you want a ticket for all of them, odds are it’s going to cost you more than 4,000 yen.
It’s also worth noting that Ghibli Park isn’t going to be as large as Tokyo Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan, and its focus on atmosphere and environments, as opposed to rides or shows, likely means some visitors will feel like they’ve seen all there is to see in less time than they’d spend at a conventional amusement park.
Setting aside the highly subjective question of value-for-money, though, for fans who simply want to go to Ghibli Park, it doesn’t sound like the tickets are going to be prohibitively expense.
Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun via Ghibli no Sekai
Top image: Studio Ghibli
Insert image: Studio Ghibli
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