"It makes me feel more conscious of what we're spending. We go down the boardwalk, I want to buy it, but it's like, do I spend $20 or $30 on this, or do I pay for the parking or pizza I want to eat later?" said Alyssa Gallone, of Glassboro, New Jersey.
Wes Kazmarck, the president of the Ocean City Boardwalk Merchants Association, says everything is higher across the board, and he's trying to help.
"We're very mindful of the consumers on a budget this year, and there's only so much we can pass onto them, so some things we do is we don't charge credit card fees, we don't charge for bags," said Kazmarck.
Employers say they are also feeling the hike.
"We're trying our best to keep it at a reasonable price, but we have to pay a lot of employees, ride operators," said Andrew Deebold, the operations manager at Playland's Castaway Cove.
Some store managers say they've noticed fewer customers in their clothing stores.
"People are on the beach and in the evenings they come, but very little. Most of them are day trippers," said Nick Lalwani, the manager at V R Connection.
Folks tell Action News they're still making time to come down the shore, but they just might not indulge in everything they want to on vacation.