By Jim Donovan: Usually when companies engage in a price war it benefits consumers, well not this time! As Orlando theme parks battle for your business, the prices are going UP and you may need a score card to keep track.

In the last two weeks both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World have raised their ticket prices for one-day one park admission purchased at the gate. As of today, both stand at $89 plus tax.

The price hikes started two weeks ago when Universal announced a $3 hike and raised the one-day ticket price from $85 to $88. Disney apparently couldn’t let Universal be the most expensive park in the U.S., so it boosted its price to $89. Not to be outdone, yesterday Universal added an extra dollar effectively matching Disney’s price.
It’s like a tennis match! But in this case a price hike of even a buck can add millions to a park’s bottom line.

You can always save a few dollars by buying multi-day passes, or if you buy online. Universal said that tickets sold online will continue to be available at the base price of $88.

What’s available at other parks? Well tickets to SeaWorld Orlando are a bit cheaper $82, or $72 if bought online. But the best deal is the newly opened LEGOLAND Florida in Winter Haven, (about 40 minutes outside Orlando) a single-day ticket will cost you $75, or $68 if you buy online.

By the way, in our recent series about Orlando travel deals I mentioned a website that you may want to check out too, www.undercovertourist.com. They buy tickets from the parks in bulk and sell them at a slight discount.