You're going to be there for hours, you're going to need to eat at some point, and you're going to buy food on site. They're going to use that to their advantage and charge as much as they can possibly get away with, because profit is the main (and in some cases it appears only) consideration.

Theme park food is expensive in 2026 due to a combination of monopoly economics and high operational "hidden" costs. Once you pass through the turnstiles, you are a "captive audience"; the "monopoly" the park holds over your immediate options allows them to set prices based on "guest tolerance" rather than the cost of the ingredients. Economically, food and beverage (F&B) is the primary "cash-flow generator" that allows parks to service the massive loans used to build $200-million roller coasters. Additionally, you are paying for infrastructure and labor: theme parks must employ specialized engineers, security, and maintenance crews year-round, and the cost of powering high-tech "LSM" launched coasters is astronomical. Many items, like a "Blue Milk" or a "Souvenir Bucket," are priced as "exclusive merchandise" rather than food, tapping into the "experiential value" that you simply cannot buy anywhere else. While a $15 pretzel might seem like "price gouging," in the eyes of the park's finance team, it is a necessary "tax" that pays for the world-class entertainment and high-tech safety systems you enjoy throughout the rest of your visit.