If you’re not a fan of change, buckle up! BIG things have changed or will be changing soon in Disney World.
Time to Visit Disney World
Paid FastPass+ replacement systems (Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection) have debuted, the parks are celebrating the Resort’s 50th Anniversary, the Magical Express service has ended, and more. And with some of those changes come additional costs that you’ll need to factor into your trip. So, just what could it cost a family to “do” Disney World in 2022 in light of these changes. We’re breaking down what you need to know right here.
First, let’s introduce our family. We’ve got Peter (+18), Agatha (+18), Belle (8), and Flynn (4). Our family of 2 adults and 2 kiddos is planning a trip for the holiday season in 2022. Let’s see what it’ll cost them.
Note: This post was originally published in 2021 with an estimated total trip price of $7,391.22. In May of 2022, we went through and updated all applicable costs. Because we calculated these costs closer to the December 2022 trip, that closeness alone could impact the prices. But, there have also been increases in costs when it comes to Disney World ticket prices so we wanted to update the post to ensure the greatest accuracy at this time. Note that prices can (and likely will) continue to change.
Hotel + Tickets
First, we’ll look at the cost of a hotel and ticket package. Our family’s trip will take place from December 15th through the 19th, 2022. There were a variety of options available, from the least expensive…
©Disney
…and mid-range options…
©Disney
…all the way up to the most expensive options available.
©Disney
For our choice, we stuck near the cheaper side with a stay at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, priced at around $225 per night.
We then added on 4 days of theme park tickets and stuck with 1-park per day tickets (rather than add on the Park Hopper option — note that the Park Hopper option would have made these tickets more expensive). Also, keep in mind that tickets are date-based when it comes to price, so (just like the hotel rooms) they can vary widely depending on when you choose to visit.
We also added on the Disney Genie+ service for our trip. When added ahead of time, Genie+ will be charged for all days of the trip. You could save some money by skipping Genie+ entirely or buying it day-of only for the days you want/need it.
NOTE: Starting June 8th, you will no longer be able to add Genie+ to your ticket ahead of your trip. You will have to purchase Genie+ on the day of you trip, one day at a time, through the My Disney Experience app. Genie+ will still cost $15 per day.
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The total for our tickets and hotel stay was $3,460.54.
Click here to see some of the latest Disney World discounts.
Transportation to Orlando
Next, we’ll need to figure out the cost of getting to Orlando. This will vary greatly depending on where you’ll be visiting from. Maybe you’ll be traveling to Orlando via your own car. If so, you’ll need to factor in gas costs. If you’re thinking of driving but are going to rent a car, that car rental is another cost to think about.
Perhaps you’ll be taking a bus to Orlando from your home. You’ll want to factor in the cost of that bus to get there.
Hollywood Studios
Or, you may be flying into Orlando from another location. You’ll want to set aside part of your budget to account for your airfare and any associated fees (like checked luggage or fees for seat selection, etc).
Our family lives in Dallas so we got the cost for a round trip from Dallas Fort Worth to Orlando International Airport. We want them to arrive early so they can spend the rest of their arrival day in the parks.
We’re On Our Way
The estimated cost for the roundtrip for all 4 passengers was $1,673 based on the flights we selected.
©Google Flights
There were other options available, however, and the price can vary depending on what options you select.
Click here to see the average cost to fly to Disney World in April of 2022.
Transportation to/from Disney World and the Airport
Next, since Disney’s Magical Express has been discontinued, the family will need to figure out how to get to and from the airport to their Disney World hotel. There are a variety of options they could use including a rideshare service, a taxi, a private car transfer, and more.
One specific option quite a few families may be interested in is Mears Connect. Mears Connect is a new service offered by Mears. Mears is the company that had been operating the Magical Express on behalf of Disney. Mears Connect is meant to essentially provide “the same reliable, safe, express service” guests are used to, though it does have some key differences compared to Magical Express.
Mears Connect
The price for Mears Connect’s Standard Service which is a shared service that includes monitored wait times and limited stops is $32 per adult and $27 per child (round trip).
We took a look at what our trip on Mears Connect would cost (with 4 bags).
©Mears Connect
The total cost was $118.
Click here to see Disney fans’ first reactions to the Mears Connect service.
Parking
Next, we’ll talk a bit about parking. Our family won’t be driving to Disney World, won’t be renting a car, and will be relying on Disney transportation while on property, so parking costs won’t apply to them. But, if you do drive a car (either your own or rented) to Disney and park it at your Disney World hotel, there is an overnight parking fee that you will be charged.
The overnight self-parking rate varies by the type of Disney World hotel you’re staying at. Check out the information below for more details.
©Disney
Note that special parking rules apply to Disney Vacation Club members.
If you’re not staying at a Disney World hotel and will be using a car to travel to the parks each day, you’ll need to factor in parking costs at the theme parks. Disney World hotel guests get complimentary parking at the theme parks, but guests not staying at Disney World hotels will need to pay to park at the theme parks.
The price for parking at the theme parks is $25 per day for standard cars and $30 per day for oversized vehicles.
©Disney
Once you pay for parking at one of the theme parks on any particular day, your parking will be valid for all of the theme parks for that specific day.
Click here to see everything you need to know about parking in Disney World.
MagicBands & MagicBand+
Next, we get to MagicBands! MagicBands used to be free for Disney World hotel guests, but in 2021, Disney stopped providing hotel guests with complimentary bands. If you want to use a MagicBand throughout your trip because you find them stylish, convenient, or for any other reason, you could utilize a MagicBand from home (i.e. one you already have from a past visit). If you don’t have one from a previous visit or you want a new one, you’ll have to purchase it.
Halloween MagicBands at Frontier Trading Post
Disney World hotel guests do, however, often get access to discounted rates for select MagicBands, so that might be a good way to grab one while still saving money.
Assuming our family doesn’t want any of the discounted MagicBands, but instead wants to buy some new ones of their own, the cost of the MagicBands can vary depending on the style of the band. The most basic style of MagicBand is now typically priced at $19.99, while others with more elaborate designs or those that are limited-edition designs are more expensive.
MagicBands
For our example, we’ll assume that our family buys 1 MagicBand for each member of the group but sticks with the cheapest options available in the park (not the discounted ones available to hotel guests). That would make the total cost of MagicBands about $79.96 (without tax).
Keep in mind that you do not have to use a MagicBand at all if you don’t want to. Guests can ask for a Key to the World card to use during their stay. They can also use MagicMobile and the My Disney Experience app together to do many things MagicBands can do, like unlock their hotel room door and scan their ticket to enter the theme parks.
©Disney
It’s also important to note that Disney World will be launching MagicBand+ before our trip, which will provide more interactive and immersive park experiences! While we could still use the classic MagicBands around the parks, our family may want to use MagicBand+ to have more fun around Disney World.
MagicBand+
When the item was accidentally released in World of Disney, they were $29.99. So, for our family of 4, that would cost $119.96.
Click here to learn more about MagicBand+.
Food
Then, our family will have to factor in food. There can be a LOT of variation here. Some families will eat exclusively at quick service restaurants. Others will make heavy use of table service spots. Some skip breakfast and just drink coffee in the room. Others like to eat 3 full meals. What we’re saying is pricing here will vary a LOT depending on your family’s own eating habits and how much you’re looking to spend.
And keep in mind that food costs can change. In early 2022, we saw HUNDREDS (literally, hundreds!!) of price increases impact food items across property, including Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, DOLE Whips, and more. So you’ll want to set aside extra money in the budget for further increases.
Also note that the Disney Dining Plan is not being offered at the moment, but it is set to return to Disney World at some point in the future (Disney has not yet announced a date). It’s possible the Dining Plan could be available again once our family’s imaginary trip takes place.
So pretty!
But, for now, we’ll just estimate food costs without the Dining Plan. For our example, we’ll estimate the cost of 2 quick service meals and 1 table service meal per main day of their visit (16th, 17th, and 18th). We’ll include 2 quick service meals for the day of their arrival (15th) and 1 quick service meal for the day of their departure (19th).
We used Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe as an example for quick service meals and estimated each adult meal (without drinks) would cost around $13, while kids meals would cost around $8. That’s about $42 for a quick service meal for the group of 4.
Sonny Eclipse at Cosmic Ray’s
For table service, we used Jungle Cruise Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen‘s lunch menu as an example. The average cost was about $29 or so for an adult entree (again, no drink), and about $12 for a kids entree. That’s about $82 for a table service meal (without a tip included). A tip would add on about $16.40 (20% tip) to the table service meal, bringing the total to $98.40.
So, in our example, that’s about $182.40 per day on the full days ($547.20 for 3 days) (2 quick service, 1 table service per day), $84 for their arrival day (2 quick service), and $42 for their departure day (1 quick service). That’s a total of $673.20 for their trip.
“Hardy Har Char” Siu Pork at Skipper Canteen
Again, keep in mind these are just estimates and examples. You could potentially eat items for slightly less or (more realistically) MUCH more in Disney World depending on how you arrange things.
Remember these estimates only included entrees, did not include drinks, and there was no allotment for snacks. So, likely the food costs would be higher. For purposes of our example, we’ll push it up a bit to $775.
Disney Genie+
We already mentioned Genie+ above in terms of adding it into our tickets, but we just wanted to discuss it again briefly here. FastPass+ has ended in Disney World. In its place are 2 paid FastPass-like systems, the main one of which is called Disney Genie+. With Genie+, guests pay $15 per ticket per day to select the next available time to ride an attraction using that ride’s “Lightning Lane” (a.k.a. the old FastPass lane).
Attraction selections can be made one at a time throughout the day, and over 40 attractions are included in Genie+ at Disney World.
Splash Mountain Lightning Lane
Paying for and using Genie+ is entirely optional. That means our family can continue to just use the standby lines already included in the price of their Disney World tickets if they want to.
But, maybe our family really wants to skip those standby lines and they figure they won’t be back to Disney World for a while, so they really want to make the most of this trip. In that case, they may opt to buy Genie+ for each day of their trip. They could also just buy it (day-of) for 1 or 2 days of their trip if they’d prefer.
Lightning Lane sign at EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After
For our example, we’ll propose that they buy Genie for each day they have park tickets — that’s 4 days at $15 per person per day, which comes out to $240 for their trip. Again, for this example, we included Genie+ in the cost of our hotel and ticket package, but we did want to point it out here as well.
Individual Attraction Selection
Another thing the family might want to pay for is Disney’s NEW Individual Attraction Selection service (what we often call pay-per-ride).
With Individual Attraction Selection, guests will be able to schedule a time to arrive at and use a popular attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance. Guests can only make up to 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day. Individual Attraction Selection will be available for some of those super popular rides in Disney World like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Rise of the Resistance
The rides that you can buy an Individual Attraction Selection for will NOT be included in Genie+ (that means you won’t be able to make a Lightning Lane selection for a ride like Rise of the Resistance through standard Genie+, you’ll have to specifically pay for it individually through the Individual Attraction Selection service).
Again, using this service is optional. Guests can continue to use the standby line which is included in their ticket.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
But, let’s say our family wants to purchase 1 Individual Attraction Selection per day for all of the members in their group. That’s a cost they’ll have to plan ahead for. But there’s a little wrinkle here. Pricing for Individual Attraction Selection can vary by date, attraction, and park. From what we’ve seen, pricing can be as low as $7 or as high as $15. Since part of their trip takes place over a weekend and it also is near the holiday season, they could see some surge pricing.
So, for purposes of our estimate we’ll go with the $15 cost per Pay-Per-Ride selection per day just to be extra safe and (hopefully) leave some wiggle room in the budget at the end of the day. If you factor in the cost of 1 Individual Attraction Selection per member of their group per day that would be $240.
Click here to see our step-by-step guide on how to book and pay for Individual Attraction Selections.
Other Costs
On top of the costs already discussed, our family will need to consider whether they want to pay for additional things for their trip. For example, does our family want to purchase any souvenirs during their trip? If so, they’ll need to think about that cost. For our trip, we’ll set a $100 merchandise limit.
Merchandise
Since they’ll be visiting during the holiday season, they may want to also add on the cost of a holiday party. During these special ticketed events, generally, families get to experience special entertainment, holiday-themed treats, and more.
In 2021, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was canceled, and Disney Very Merriest After Hours essentially replaced the event. The event began in the evening, but guests could enter Magic Kingdom as early as 7PM on the day of their event. For our example, we’ll assume that our family would like to attend Very Merriest After Hours if offered in 2022 (or a similar holiday-themed event is offered with similar pricing).
Happy Holidays from Disney World!
The cost for a date during a similar weekend in December of 2021 was about $975.56 for the entire family.
©Disney
Keep in mind that our family could lower their overall costs by simply not going to this event OR by purchasing a ticket to this event instead of a park ticket. For example, on the day they fly into Orlando, they could hang out at their resort, use the pool, visit Disney Springs, etc. (for free), and then go to Magic Kingdom for this holiday event (rather than buy a park ticket for that day).
Parade!
The family may also want to consider the cost of purchasing Memory Maker or buying select PhotoPass photos. With Memory Maker, the family will be able to download photos either from one day or from their entire trip, depending on what they choose to buy.
©Disney
Or, our family could save money by simply taking photos with their own phones or cameras.
Click here to learn more about Disney Very Merriest After Hours.
Total
In total, the trip is priced as follows:
- Hotel and Tickets: $3,460.54
- Airfare: $1,673
- Mears connect: $118
- Parking: N/A
- MagicBand+: $119.96
- Food: $775
- Genie+: Already built into the ticket price
- Individual Attraction Selection: $240
- Merchandise: $100
- Very Merriest After Hours: $975.56
- Memory Maker: $169
Total: $7,631.06.
Again, some of these costs may not be the best in terms of planning. For example, our family could easily skip on a park ticket for one day and just rely on the Very Merriest ticket for that day, which could help them cut costs. They could also share meals, or do other things that could either make their trip less expensive or potentially more expensive.
Animal Kingdom
And that’s a basic look at how much it would cost our family to go on a trip to Disney World. Of course, prices can change and vary often and will be different depending on how many people are in your party, what their ages are, what time you’ll be visiting Disney World, etc. But, we hope this snapshot gave you a general idea of where to start your budgets for future trips.
We’ll keep looking for Disney news and working on posts that can help you with all of your future trip planning, so be sure to check back with us for more.
Click here to see how inflation could impact your 2022 Disney World vacation
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So in this scenario, the family is playing an extra 650+ USD for things that would previously have been included in their package: transport to and from the airport, the magic bands, and the new ‘Genie’ fast pass replacement. And that’s just for a 4 day stay without park hopper?? Profiteering madness.
I think there’s a typo in the article…admission to the park is 7pm for the Christmas After Hours Party; not 7am as mentioned.
Thanks, Ann. The writer went in to fix up that mix up. 🙂
Wow, for only 4 days!!
That is the time our family usually comes to Disney. We are now a family of ten, so it looks like we are not going to be able to afford it. Like many others we feel that Disney corporate greed has priced themselves out of visitors. We normally fly, no airline business, I bet that the airlines love that. No need for Mears transportation, they will love that. Fewer people at the resorts, empty rooms, less food sales, less tickets to the parks, less food being sold in the parks, less buying in the stores. Less Park Hopper tickets because people will have to spend their day in one park in order to ride less rides waiting in the stand-by lines. Disney, I think that you have lost more in the long run by your money grab.
As I read all of the comments, many are unhappy with the Disney World changes both financial and convenience related, but there are still enough guests coming to keep the doors open. Will Disney World ever close, probably not, but it will take years to get back to where they were pre-Covid. Another school of thought is the travelers that come to WDW will have no recollection of the “way is was” and will see the traip in the same light as we saw it pre 2020. Disney is counting on enough of people to come regardless of the perks that have disappeared since Covid took over. Disney is a pubically traded business and needs to keep their investors happy. If you only come to WDW because of the Disney Express service or free Magic Bands, then go to Universal or some other vacation spots in Central Florida.
This isn’t even realistic!
For our family of 4 we can’t comfortably fit in a Disney budget hotel = +$
We will NEVER not have our own transportation so add the cost of the car rental and fuel before we even get started. With parking costing the same as one round trip on Mears connect.
We set a food budget of $60 per person per day ($240 daily total, $960 for a 4 day trip) and it was HARD to stay in that budget and we ate breakfast at our resort every single day. Plus we only did ONE character meal our entire trip! You can easily blow the entire $60 pp on one decent sit down meal.
Honestly DFB using Cosmic Rays 🤮 as your example (cheapest possible option) is seriously misleading!
We set a $100 PER person merch budget and again … difficult! That is 2 sets of ears and a trinket or 4 decent pins, not a whole lot.
Not sure how you found flights for so cheap either, the estimate for our next flight to Orlando is over $3,000 for economy seats.
Plus tips, taxes and incidentals …
Add another $3,500 MINIMUM to your total and that is at least getting closer to what a family of 4 will actually spend to visit Disney World.
$10,891.22
Wow. Your total for a family of 2 adults & 2 kids for 4 days in Walt Disney World came to approximately $7,500, and that was for a value resort. Yowsa. I can only imagine what that trip would cost if it were for an entire week. A Disney vacation truly has become a once in a lifetime vacation for the average family. That makes me sad.
DVC member, Annual Pass Holder 7 days at Saratoga Springs plus air fare on Southwest with points and companion pass, premium dining, gifts and swag is about the same. Three times a year. Yes it’s expensive but it’s the experience.
I think Walt Disney would be disgusted with the way Disney is bleeding people dry.
He wanted this to be a park where families could go and have a wonder experience together..
Originally they didn’t charge for parking. No fast lines , everyone waited their turn and it didn’t take hours to get on a ride.
Park was clean, no smoking, no alcohol was sold. Times have certainly changed
That’s so sad because with these prices the lower class /middle class families that struggle to raise their children will never be able to afford this and so many children will ever be able to visit Disney world. So heart breaking. I know my grandkids that I’m raising will never have that fantasy come true.
I don’t know how people can make these kinds of trips. They must save years to be able to go. That’s unless your rich. We don’t make that kind of money. So I guess I’ll never be able to take my Grandchildren to see this park. I just think this is sad bc it’s sounds like a socket to you kind of trip. I think Disney, everything , & everyone should be ashamed of the prices. It sounds like nothing but a big money maker without the satisfaction of enjoyment for knowing what it’s going to set me back. I don’t understand places now days bc it’s not about pleasing the customers. It’s all about pleasing the companies pockets. This world is gone to crap. You can’t enjoy yourself without being loaded with money. If someone in these comment section can please help me understand how I can make it possible for me to take my 3 Grandchildren to Disney and enjoy the experience without using this much money I’m up for listening to you. In the meantime, I guess they’ll never get that experience. What a shame. Maybe I need to buy some stock in the Disney company. Then maybe with what I make off the stock will pay for the trip? Just saying. I’m outraged at the pricing of everything. It’s not the writers fault. This person is just writing the truth. It’s all of the companies that are mentioned here’s fault for it sounds like a bunch of price gouging to me. Once again, just saying. It’s just my opinion of what is wrote here that is true. To the author of this article. Ty for telling me what things really cost there. Now I don’t have to get my hopes up or waste my time trying to think that I can ever afford a trip to this place. I don’t mean to say that in a bad way. I’m thanking you in a good way. Great article & a great help in acknowledgment in the truth of what I can do & not do without wasting my time. Ty
I’m from Hawaii big island, grandma & grandpa raised 1 grandson. Semi retired don’t think we can afford it? Prices are outrageous!!! Just to get there it will cost over 3,000 to fly plus hotel, tickets, food, shopping & car rental. Etc…. Would love to take my grandson (9yrs old)”Dreams do come True”
Carol,
I’m saddened too. We’re going to Disney World because it’s my daughter’s Make-a-Wish trip. But we’re not made of money so we’re looking for ways to save. 1) Look at Fort Wilderness or off Disney property for lodging. Lots of hotels have shuttles to Disney. 2) Bring your own food. You can have food delivered to where you are staying (some places charge a fee to hold it for you). 3) Buy “Disney” stuff before you go. Dollar Tree has a lot of trinkets or books. Also, you could buy a Disney gift card for each of the kids for their spending money. Talk beforehand about expectations – lots of waiting in lines, not buying snacks/meals. You might buy the reusable popcorn tub (about $18 but each refill through your trip is $2 if information I’m reading is correct). Research “how to save money at Disney”.
Thanks for this breakdown, DFB! Other commenters need to remember that the prices DFB came up with are an example of an average trip with amenities many people might want. My family travels MUCH cheaper than this by cutting some things out and finding cheaper alternatives where available.
Examples include flying with Spirit or Southwest (or your local airline) instead of a major airline; the savings is worth the loss of legroom. We fly Spirit and pack for a 4-5 day trip in our one free personal item. If you max out the size bag they allow and pack light, you don’t have to pay additional fees for bags.
We always stay in Value, or off-property if we have a big group. Renting a house and splitting it with others will keep the costs down. Same for car rentals. This trip we are chartering a van with Transportation by Mike and the round trip is less than Mears for our group of 9.
Plan your meals in advance. Know where you’re going to eat and what you’re going to eat. Pack snacks and drinks into the park. This allows you to accurately budget meals in advance.
Buy Disney “souvenirs” from the Target Dollar Spot and dollar stores for the kids, and pack them with you. Then each night, Tinker Bell can bring them a surprise gift!
Honestly, DFB has been invaluable in helping us develop some of these cost-savings techniques. Disney is more affordable than people think if you’re willing to put in the time and effort into planning and strategizing. And you obviously have to be willing to stick to a budget while in the parks, too.
Disney is expensive, but doable for most people. Just like any vacation, it is a luxury expense and you have to be willing to save and sacrifice other things. It’s not the right choice for everyone, but if you want to go, there are definitely ways to cut costs.
My family of 5 are from Hawaii so we have to add on about $5,000 more just to get there. The last time we went was 2017 and we have been saying for 5 years to go back in 2022 for a graduation celebration and wedding anniversary milestone. With all of the huge price increases I would like to cancel but decided just to stick with it. But sadly this will probably be our last trip to DW its just getting outrageously overpriced. Sad face emoji
I personally am finding more and more that the cost of going to Disney is no longer viable for me. I have a trip planned for 2023 and this will be my last trip to Disney in general. I am finding with the Genie+ feature, being a Canadian that I can’t use it, due to the additional costs of using my cell phone in the US. I will always love the visionary that is Walt Disney, but with the rapidly escalating costs of going to visit the mouse, I can do alot better vacation for a lower price point elsewhere. If my younger son didn’t want to go, I’d be spending my money at Knotts Berry Farm instead of Disneyland. In fact we may end up doing both. I am deeply saddened at the direction that Disney Corp is heading.
Thank you so much for this summary. We’ve cancelled 2 Disney trips since the pandemic hit. Our youngest is not vaccinated, so we keep pushing the date of our trip. We’re itching to go back but also wanted to have an understanding of the increase in cost. This is extremely helpful!!!
Disney has lost the connection to GUEST SERVICES. The cost is ever increasing and the benifits are ever decreasing. I think people would understand price increase. What they dont understand is increase with decline in service.
Prices continue to go up and people continue to pay. But at some point people will start looking else where for their vacation value.
Staying off property is cheaper, if you take away the Magical Express factor and Free magic bands, extra magic hours, Staying at a off property Hotel is a much better value. Some of them offer free Breakfast, Transpost to the transportation hub or a park inside WDW. and Airport Pick up service.
People dont explore those options now because Disney made it easy with the Complete package Vacation. THat may no longer be the case when people start looking outside the box.
It is so sad to see the end of Walt’s dream. He wanted to build a place for families to enjoy, have fun, and be AFFORDABLE.
His dream has become a nightmare for the average person/family.
Now we must worry constantly about how much money we are having to spend to just have an average day family day at one or more of the parks. Saying no to children who want another souvenir, treat, soda anything not budgeted for.
Oh I know there are people out there who earn enough money to not even have to blink an eye at an extra few ( or more realistically lot) of dollars. These people don’t ever have to wonder if they have gone over budget, and when the credit card bill comes in at the end of the month , it will be paid without even looking at it. I know I and countless others will be counting how much we are spending each day, how much more expensive things are than we budgeted for, how many more things we, the kids, want than what we budgeted for.
Then we are home and dread the mail
the bank statement, because this once in a lifetime trip has cost us so much more than we wanted or were able or should have spent.
So while the kids go to sleep each night still thinking about the 3 rides they did, yes 3, because they couldn’t get on any more with such long lineups, they will smile, and I will be in tears , wondering how I am able to pay for all this overspending.
A lifetime of Disney has just ended. What was once so much fun, as an affordable, enjoyable, frequent holiday has just ended.
I’m over 70. In a wheelchair on disability left with only my,and Walt’s dream.
We just got back from a 10 day trip and feel the magic is gone – no matter the cost. Previously we did a Disney park every 2 years or so. We did Castle Club (room 2406) at DLP. Stayed at The Ambassador at TDR. We were willing to spend because of the great experiences. We took a pause from all vacations in 2010 to look after my mom. This was our first trip since then. We stayed at the Pop Century since our “regular” French Quarter hadn’t reopened. Our issues with the whole trip were numerous. The primary gripe was that the 50th was unimpressive. The 25th was wonderful with special songs, parades, etc. aside from banners and reusable shopping bags you would never know it was something special. So many rides had broken or missing elements. It would only be obvious to someone that was familiar with an attraction Add to that the construction in MK and Epcot. They did piss poor planning I get the pandemic had an effect but it was used as an excuse for so many cutbacks. Paying for resort parking is a blatant money grab. The parking lots are already there. What do they need the money for? And the whole mobile ordering nonsense. I’m an IT Manager and the last thing I want to do is have to rely on my devices to participate in the parks experience. It’s just arrogant to assume guest use their own devices and data to experience the parks. And the prices! I remember a time when there was a perceived value to food at the parks. Not anymore. Folks that don’t remember the parks from 15-25 years ago might not notice the decline in the overall experience but it has greatly lessened my desire to return. And I’m the fool that typically spends $2-3000 on souvenirs alone on a trip. Disney need ms to seriously do some damage repair to return the magic to the parks
I’d have gladly paid COVID-related fee if it was going to help out the many employees laid off due to the pandemic. It could
be a hefty fee, too. But the changes Disney has made
seem designed to be permanent and for all I know will be going to executive bonuses. Not thrillied. Haven’t canceled next year’s trip yet but I am now decidedly on the fence.
I believe Chuck said, ” If you only come to WDW because of the Disney Express service or free Magic Bands, then go to Universal or some other vacation spots in Central Florida.” Well those were not the things we came to WDW for…it was the Magic, that’s what we miss.
I am a 50+ year (former)customer. My first introduction was in 1967 to Disneyland. My last trip was 2015. Multiple family and friends trips throughout the years. The best advice I have is– DO NOT GO AND CANCEL YOUR RESERVATIONS!
You all know better!! Stop the madness and please, please do not introduce any children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or anyone else to this sub par and disgraceful experience!! Do NOT normalize this outrarageous money grab replete with poor service, downgraded experiences and never-ending disappearing “perks”.
Once you give your approval..and..your childen over to this modern day folly all IS lost and the REAL Disney will never return!
My reservations have been CANCELED! I hope you do the same!
Believe me, YOU can create beautiful magic and memories elsewhere without the enormous amounts of planning, headaches and stress and paying tons of money for very little.. It’s heartbreaking to acknowledge the decline (which began at least 8-10 years ago) but, it’s true and this is enough for my family to finally say enough is enough and not expose our children to the “machine”.
Good luck everyone… an era is gone..
@Carol—I hope you read this. A Disney vacation does NOT have to be this expensive. You seem to want to take the grandkids there. I am not sure of the ages but let me assume they are young. First, you don’t have to stay on property. Even the Values are WAY more money than a simple Hampton Inn, in Disney Springs, where breakfast may very well be included. Or you can get a VRBO. If you do a VRBO, you can make many meals at the house. You are allowed to bring snacks in the parks so if the kids are getting hungry, you can deal with it this way. Also, if the kids are very young, it’s really the Magic Kingdom that they will care about. You can do 2 park days there and give them amazing memories. The other parks are great too but it’s really the MK that your grandkids are going to care about so just try to go there. This still isn’t going to be cheap but it can be manageable and you certainly don’t need $7500 to go.
i AM GOING IN 19 DAYS (WITH 2 OTHER ADULTS) AND THE COST OF ROOM, MEALS, AFTER HOURS PARTY IS RUNNING ME CLOSE TO 8,000.THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY MEMORY MAKER, OR EXTRAS.WE HAVE ALL DECIDED THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER VACATION ELSEWHERE FOR LESS MONEY. SHAME ON DISNEY FOR BECOMING SO GREEDY.NOW THEY WANT TO CUT THE SIZES OF MEALS BUT i BET THEY DON’T LOWER THE PRICES.
Just returned from our first Disney World trip, 2 adults and my two girls, ages 7 and 5.
NEVER Again. We reserved the first two days at Magic Kingdom, and after the first day, the girls didn’t want to go back. Since we bought Park Hopper passes, we decided to hang out at the hotel and pool until 1:00 on the second day and then do Animal Kingdom at 2:00 with the Park Hopper. But guess what? We had to actually enter Magic Kingdom before we could use the Park Hopper at Animal Kingdom! It took over an hour and a half to jump through that hoop! Really disappointing. This was the most expensive family vacation we have ever taken, and the most disappointing. All told, we spent over $9000 for a six day trip. And we really didn’t splurge. Only two sit-down dinners the entire week, mediocre food at the restaurants, and school cafeteria food everywhere else. Really, don’t expect anything to be remotely enjoyable unless you’re willing to spend a lot more than we did for a family of four. The girls were bored for the most part, and don’t care if we ever return. This is the most over-rated vacation on earth!
Good ad for DVC! Have things changed, yes. As does everything and everyone. Has cost gone up? Yes! Check your grocery and gas bills. Joined DVC so I can enjoy 20 to 30 days a year, and do. Happiness is what you make it, not bought.
We go often to Disney but with more people going, we no longer stay on the property. We drive down, rent a house they Airbnb. We eat breakfast at the house, pack a lunch and fill our water bottles. We eat as cheap a dinner as we can find. We buy our souvenirs at the Disney outlets and Walmart. Last June we took 3 grandchildren to Florida for a week, including 3 of the parks. We paid a bit less than $5,000. I hate Holiday Inn points to get free nights up and down. I also used Disney Points for. Some snacks and drinks at the parks. On days we were not at parks, we either packed lunches or ate in the rental. You for sure can’t save $$ on tickets.
As a family of 5 from canada, we priced our our vacation without flights, food, souvenirs etc and it came to your cost total, we always do park hopper because of the rides we all like to do and now with the genie plus added. We go for 7 days since we are coming from farther. Since we are a family of 5 we are limited in the room categories available so yes that ties us up for a more expensive option, but at bare minimum we can stay at port orleans in a 5 sleeper and it’s close to 300 a night give or take 10$ depending on discounts available. Our flights for the 5 of us from Montreal, or Ottawa are 3000 on a good day. So we are talking a bare minimum of 10,000 without food or souvenirs. Realistically we could be upwards of 11-12k for 1 week at Disney.. we love it there so much and have been many times, but since the new cost changes we find it completely unaffordable now. Instead we use our 11-12k for two all inclusive week long trips through the year. And still have money left over to add to the next years trips. Until something changes, we don’t feel we can visit Disney again sad to say
Thanks so much for the breakdown. It’s amazing how over the years it now costs double for my family to go. This time we’ve opted for the Magic Key at Disneyland and can hopefully go to WDW or Tokyo Disney in the future. And crossing our fingers that free dining will be back one day.
I reviewed all the comments on this thread and not a single person saw any benefit in any of the services or changes made to Disney. Corporate Disney is completely out of touch with the average family income or maybe they just don’t care. I suspect the latter. I have a friend who can afford a Disney vacation without even flinching. When I try to explain it from my point of view, single mom with two kids, she can’t even relate. She’s not a bad person but it’s clear that Disney wants a certain market of people coming to their parks who really have no concept of having to have a budget. They don’t care if you take that once in a lifetime trip because there are people willing and able to continue to pay the prices they set.
Great breakdown of the costs associated with a trip to WDW! This was very informative in that it makes you think of all the ways you spend money on the trip. My wife and I tend to go once or twice per year. Even when using DVC points for the room, the total price gets close to your imaginary family’s cost. Granted, we do like to dine well at least once per day, such as at the California Grill or Steakhouse 71, but we also enjoy Pecos Bill’s and other quick service options.
It really does not matter how much it costs. Disney can care less if you can’t afford it. There are so many people that will unfortunately charge their credit cards, foolishly, and risk a good time, to later get that reality check and possibly declare bankruptcy, in the most extreme cases, of course. Look, yes, it costs a lot. So what ? Save money, when you have the money to cover the whole trip, then go. Otherwise, don’t go. Disney welcomes anyone that is willing to pay the price. You can complain all you want. The “magic” still goes on. Next ?
As some other people have said, there are some things you could do to lower your overall cost. The first is to stay off-site. Whether you stay at a hotel that offers breakfasts included in the Disney Springs area or use a VRBO, you will get a lot more space and possibly even your own pool for less than staying on-site. If you travel at the holidays, you are going to pay a premium for park tickets. Go at a less busy time of year and the tickets will be cheaper. THere are resources online that will show you the historically cheapest times to go. Eat breakfast at home — cereal bars or cereal and milk — and pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and refillable water bottles and snacks for some of your food. If you choose to do an after-hours holiday event, you will pay a premium. Anybody looking to save money should either do that or go to the park with a regular park ticket, not do both. So I want people to understand you can find more economical ways to go to Disney and make fun memories — which will depend more on your attitude and stress level than anything to do with your hotel. Many many things have gotten more expensive, and it is really frustrating. I agree that Disney corporate leadership seems to have forgotten what makes a Disney vacation special — it’s not the endless amount of Disney merchandise you can buy. It’s the Cast members. It’s creative, unique experiences you can only get on property. If people saw the company investing in these areas, I think higher prices would be largely forgiven.
Yep. You’re spot on in your costs. My family of four is doing a 5 day 6 night trip for about that in the future. Remember, it’s never where you are, or what you spend, it’s who you’re with. Prior planning WILL help you get the most from your stay to cut costs where able, to get the most for your money in souvenirs and your preferable food options, and to maximize your time and experience in the parks. Just know your kid doesn’t care about the dollars! Their greatest thrill will be the hotel pool and most fun ride will be the parking lot tram or the monorail! (You think I’m joking-but there’s a bunch of parents nodding their heads with me cause they’ve been there and it’s true. ) Disney is a great place to escape from the real world to focus on our families in a fun environment. Focus on everyone’s one top must do of the day (even the littles) and you can’t go wrong. If you focus on the money you lose sight of what’s important, you’re time together, and that’s precious time you can’t get back. While this may be our last Disney trip for awhile, as the kids are getting bigger and we want to start traveling out west and out of the country, their favorite characters still bring a smile to their face and the pictures are priceless. Find joy around you, in the nature of Animal Kingdom, the pop up performances, in the pavilions at Epcot-stop and learn about other cultures and history, taste the food and indulge in favorite treats. Be willing to ditch it all if everyone gets exhausted by noon for a rest and a pool break, you’ll be happier and have more energy to return in the evening or to go explore in a new way. Remember, what you paid for is a vacation, so don’t ruin it by being put out about the cost the whole time. Relax and enjoy the time together, for we are not promised tomorrow, the kids are growing fast, and the pictures will be wonderful keepsakes. If the dollars are a bother, save and pay as you go so the trip is paid off when you get there. It’s easier to relax and enjoy everything when you know it’s paid for!