Could Disney-Style Surge Pricing Hit Your SUPERMARKET?!

Prices have been going up and up everywhere, but we hate to break it to you — it could be getting worse.

You might be familiar with dynamic pricing, which is where the price of an object changes depending on market demand. It can cost more when demand is high and less when demand is low.

Disney is known for their dynamic prices when it comes to ticket sales. On busier dates, expect prices to be higher. It can be higher for tickets to the theme park, Lightning Lanes, and resorts.

It’s why we created a calendar with the best times to go to Disney, including times when ticket prices are at their lowest:

THE CHEAPEST DAYS TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD IN 2026

Is this type of pricing coming to grocery stores? According to the U.S. Sun, Walmart and Kroger have added electronic labels to products, allowing them to change prices at will.

Other countries in Norway use this system, and a single product can change prices up to 100 times a day. It uses a computer system that automatically updates items.

Walmart has digital shelf labels in more than 400 of its nearly 4,600 stores in the U.S. Cedrick Clark, Walmart’s executive vice president of U.S. store operations, said, “Imagine just pulling out your phone, and about two clicks in, when it’s time to actually change those prices…just hit the button.”

Kroger says they don’t plan on using the tags for dynamic pricing, but that they “are a great way to take manual shelf tagging work off our associates’ roles so they can have more time to work with our customers directly — and it’s a huge reduction in the apparent waste generated by tags.”

Last year, Wendy’s announced that it would test dynamic pricing, but faced backlash from customers. While Wendy’s said it was to provide better deals for their customers, many feared price surges. They said, “We didn’t use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice.”

Some analysts are saying that the price changes within grocery stores would happen at night since it would be frustrating to customers who grab a product from the shelf at one price and check out a different cost, while others believe consumers won’t be able to see the final prices until they’re at the checkout.

While Disney has been using this system for years, once the price is listed, they rarely change ticket prices, making it easier to plan for trips, even before you purchase. Special events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party also use this type of pricing, with the most expensive dates being closer to the holidays.

We’re going to be keeping an eye on this to see if this continues to happen in the grocery stores and if Disney finds new ways to add dynamic prices. Make sure you continue to follow AllEars for more.

DISNEY WORLD EXPERTS ARE SHARING THEIR BEST MONEY-SAVING TIPS

What do you think about dynamic pricing? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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