The play and movie “The Lion King” is a staple in children’s lives around the world.

And now, going to the Broadway play may cost you more – or less – depending upon who else wants to see it that day.

Disney Theatrical Productions has been using an undisclosed algorithm to recommend the highest ticket prices so that they could successfully and more efficiently fill each of the 1,700 seats at every performance in the Minskoff Theater. Only Disney has been able to reach the level of success achieved by continually using its algorithm to calibrate prices based on demand and ticket purchasing patterns.

The algorithm recommends prices for five different types of performance. Peak dates like Christmas, their slowest nights of the year and periods in between. To keep the audience demand strong, Disney has made a highly unusual choice among Broadway hits, limiting ticket prices to a maximum of $227, far less than some of the top Broadway shows. Like many Broadway hits “The Lion King” enjoyed increasing ticket sales early on but then plateaued as newer musicals have made a stand.

At AIC, one student expressed frustration over the new pricing system.

“I don’t personally agree with the idea of fluctuating ticket prices,” said junior Blake Peake, a psychology major. “You are paying more money for the same exact performance just because there are more people going to the performance the night I would want to go. I feel that it’s more their problem than something a consumer has to pay more for.”

But Ronja Haag, also a junior psychology major, saw the bright side.

“From a business aspect I believe it’s a great idea for Disney to do. Especially during the holiday seasons, when so many people want to go and they know they are going to sell out, it’s great for them that they are able to get a greater amount of money from each show,” said Haag.

Available in 44 different languages for markets almost everywhere, The Lion King has reached and touched the hearts of many. From its very popular children’s film to a dramatic, entertaining and lavish show on Broadway, this production has grown into a money-making empire for Disney Theatrical Productions.

The musical debuted July 8, 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was an instant success. Drawing in the fans and even skeptics, the musical flourished before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997.  After winning six Tony Awards, including best musical The Lion King enjoyed increasing ticket sales early on often grossing $1 million a week. But like many other musicals, earnings plateaued as newer musicals premiered; Disney even discounted for a time.

The animated musical takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa and was influenced by the biblical tales of Joseph and Moses and the Shakespeare play hamlet. In the pride lands of Africa, a lion king rules over the animals, completing the Circle of Life.

For the first time, this year The Lion King stunned Broadway and came in as the number 1 earner for the first time since 2003. Even passing the previous champ ‘Wicked’ and managing to do it while charging half as much for their top tickets at some of their rivals.

By 2010 Disney stopped the traditional strategy of charging one price for whole sections of seats; instead, the producers decided to raise ticket  prices for busy weeks by making predictions based on “Lion King” previous ticket sales during a particular time. A new interactive seating map allows people to pick locations within the theater, and they often opted for better, pricier ones, Disney executives had stated. The introduction of the algorithm along with strong advertising was a cause for even greater gross earnings success.

Consumer demand has also grown with 50,000 more people attending the show in 2013 than in 2008. This is comparable to shows such as “Wicked” which has been consistently strong, sometimes using dynamic pricing to sell premium tickets for the most popular spots in its 1,900-seat theater. “Mamma Mia!” has been slowly fading with the popularity of their tickets sales, while “Jersey Boys” is counting on a movie adaptation to help boost interest in the Broadway musical.