You better adjust those Disney souvenir budgets — things could be getting MORE expensive soon! 😫

There are a few different reasons why your 2024 Disney World trip could be much more expensive than you might have previously thought. Sneaky ticket price increases, continued price increases at Disney World’s restaurants, and even the return of the Disney Dining Plan could totally mess up the budget you might have had planned in your head. And on top of all of that, Disney merchandise could be more EXPENSIVE in 2024 too — here’s why.

Likely Price Increases

First of all, souvenirs could be more expensive in 2024 simply because Disney could choose to increase the prices for that merchandise. We’ve seen plenty of merchandise-related price increases in the past few years and these could happen again in 2024 (or perhaps late 2023, impacting your 2024 trip). Oftentimes, these increases happen suddenly and without warning, so it’s a good idea to build some wiggle room into your budget to account for that.

Here are some of the merchandise price increases we’ve seen in recent years (which could give you an idea of what might be coming in the future):

• October 2022 — Price increase at Savi’s Workshop in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (build a lightsaber experience) — $219.99 to $249.99
• October 2022 — Price increase at Droid Depot in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (build a droid experience) — $99 to $119.99
• October 2022 — Price increase on Minnie Ears — $29.99 to $34.99
• July 2021 — Price increase on Spirit Jerseys — $69.99 to $74.99
• May 2021 — Price increase on MagicBands — $14.99 to $19.99
• nuiMOs — Price increase from $17.99 to $19.99 and then $21.99

There’s no guarantee that these items will increase in price again or that increases will happen at these same times, but given the fact that we have seen some recurring price increases on park tickets and other things in the past, it is a possibility and something you’ll want to potentially be prepared for.

Click here to see Disney World souvenirs you should buy BEFORE they raise prices

Inflation

For quite some time, inflation was a big topic of conversation and it continues to be an important issue for many. In an article shared in May of 2023, Fox Business noted that some of America’s top economists expect inflation could remain “persistently high through 2023 and 2024.” This was based on survey results from the National Association for Business Economics.

At the time of the survey, a 59% majority of NABE forecasters did not believe that inflation would decline to the Federal Government’s target level until 2025 or later. The report does suggest, however, that inflation could slow in 2024 while job growth is expected to moderate and the unemployment rate is expected to rise.

According to Yahoo (in sharing an article by Fortune), asset management firm BlackRock has predicted that the economy will “flatline” for a year. They anticipate that as labor shortages start to “bind” in 2024, “inflation will go on a ‘roller-coaster ride’ and reemerge.”

If inflation continues to be an issue into 2024, then we could still see some increasing prices on various merchandise items (or other things) in the parks as Disney passes on certain increased costs to the consumer.

Need to Generate More Cash

Disney may also increase the price of its merchandise items if it feels like that is a way to make up for some of the less-than-ideal financial results from Disney World lately. Specifically, in the third quarter earnings report for fiscal year 2023, Disney revealed that there was “lower operating income at our domestic parks and resorts…attributable to a decrease at Walt Disney World Resort.”

The decrease at Disney World was due to higher costs (inflation and accelerated depreciation from the closure of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser), as well as lower volumes (decreases in hotel bookings and attendance).

Disney has also seen some decreases in certain merchandise licensing. In the same report mentioned above, they said that there was a “decrease at our merchandise licensing business…due to lower revenue from merchandise based on Star Wars, Toy Story and Avengers.”

Additionally, Disney is still facing losses in its direct-to-consumer division (though those losses are reducing compared to some prior quarters). Considering all of these factors, Disney may feel some financial pressure to increase costs somewhere so as to make up for lost profits elsewhere. That could end up resulting in higher merchandise prices (or higher prices in other things!).

We’ve Seen Price Increases in Other Merchandise Spots

Disney wouldn’t be alone in increasing its costs. In May, The New York Times reported that despite decreasing costs for some raw materials, many big businesses are still increasing the cost of their items. They shared, “Some of the world’s biggest companies have said they do not plan to change course and will continue increasing prices or keep them at elevated levels for the foreseeable future.”

This strategy, they point out, has helped “cushion” profits for these corporations and that practice could “keep inflation robust, contributing to the very pressures used to justify surging prices.”

As Long As People Keep Spending, There’s No Real Incentive to Drop Prices

As long as guests continue to spend big bucks on Disney’s merchandise, then it seems like there might not be any incentive to lower costs. In August of 2023, The Hill reported that “Americans increased their purchases at retailers last month – for clothing, dining out, online goods and other areas – in a sign that solid consumer spending is still powering a resilient U.S. economy.”

So, if the $75 Loungefly bags continue to fly off the shelves, there’s less of an incentive for Disney to reduce those prices. Instead, if interest is still strong in their items (especially the pricier ones), they may feel that they actually have the power to increase costs.

What do you think? How do you think Disney World souvenir prices will change in the coming years? Tell us in the comments.

We’ll continue to watch for updates on souvenir pricing (as well as food pricing, hotel pricing, and more) in Disney World and share the most important updates with you so stay tuned for more news.