I recently got lost on a deep dive into the history of prices at Disney World, comparing ticket, Annual Pass, Genie+, and food prices to the rate of inflation over the same time period, and I came out with some SHOCKING results.
Now, another recent study took a close look at those price increases, and the numbers they reported confirm my research. All of it paints a somewhat scary picture of how prices have changed and how they might change in the future.
Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle
Luckily, here at DFB, we have all kinds of tips to help you save big on your next trip! Let’s take a look at these price increases to get a good idea of what’s happening, and then I’ll spill some big money-saving secrets to help make your next vacation much more affordable.
FinanceBuzz recently published their findings from a study comparing Disney World price increases to the rate of inflation over time.
Overall, they found that prices for some popular Disney World food items increased by an average of 61% since 2014, while the rate of inflation was just 32%. That means that prices for Disney eats have been increasing at almost double the pace of inflation. Compared to the park ticket price changes, food prices are increasing at a higher rate: Park tickets increased by 56% in the last ten years. (Note that park ticket prices are going to increase again in 2025 — you can learn more about that here.)
Mickey pretzel
The worst offender for price increases since 2014 is unfortunately one of our favorite snacks in Disney World: the bread service at Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. In 2014, the bread service cost $9.99. Now, it’s $22. WOW. This appetizer comes with several different kinds of naan bread and a BUNCH of different dips, and although we highly recommend it as a delicious way to kick off your meal, we’ll definitely be thinking of that price increase the next time we buy it.
Sanaa Bread Service at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Another one of our top snack picks is the corn dog nuggets from Casey’s Corner in Magic Kingdom. These have unfortunately doubled in price over the last ten years as well. In 2014, they were $4.99, and now they cost $10.79.
©FinanceBuzz
FinanceBuzz listed a few more iconic treats that had price increases outpacing the rate of inflation:
- Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar — 63% price increase
- DOLE Whip — 58% price increase
- Churros — 54% price increase
Although not every food price change outpaced the rate of inflation, food prices throughout Disney World all went up by at least $1.50 since 2014.
Corn Dog Nuggets and Plastic Cheese
In some happier news, Mickey Waffle prices actually increased at a rate LOWER than inflation, at just 30%. We’re taking that as a great excuse to buy more Mickey waffles the next time we visit!
Mickey waffle
In my own recent research, I looked into historical price increases for Disney World tickets, Annual Passes, Genie+, and Mickey Ice Cream Bars. I found some really surprising results, such as this one: If Annual Pass prices increased at the normal rate of inflation since they were first introduced in 1982, the Incredi-Pass would cost about $325 today instead of $1,449.
Annual Pass Prices
If you remember a time when Mickey Ice Cream Bars cost less than $3 in Magic Kingdom (or if reading that just now made your jaw drop), you need to check out more of my findings here!
4 Charts To Explain Disney World’s Freakish Price Increases
Even though Disney World is clearly an expensive vacation, there are definitely some great ways to save money and cut down on the overall cost.
To save money on dining, try visiting quick-service restaurants instead of table-service restaurants. Those sit-down meals can be tempting, but there’s some really great food at Disney World’s quick service (fast food) spots, and your meal will be MUCH cheaper there compared to the table service alternatives.
Custom Bowls at Satu’li Canteen
Although the food prices don’t fluctuate based on the time of year, ticket and hotel prices definitely do. You can save room in the budget by avoiding busy seasons like Spring Break, summertime, and the winter holiday season. February, early May, and September tend to be good times to go when crowds are a bit lower and thus hotel and ticket prices are similarly subdued.
Main Street
I almost always choose to stay at a value hotel instead of deluxe because you can save THOUSANDS of dollars that way. While deluxe hotels get up to (and exceed) $1,000 per night, you can often find value hotels at around $200-$300 per night.
My personal favorite value hotel is Pop Century (because it has both cheap prices and a Skyliner station), but if you’re willing to give up the Skyliner, you can get even CHEAPER rooms at Disney’s All-Star Resorts.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Also, make sure to watch out for deals and discounts. Disney frequently offers limited-time and seasonal savings that can help you save BIG money on tickets and hotel stays (we’re talking up to 35% off with some of them).
It can be tough to predict when new deals will pop up, but that’s why you follow us! You can keep checking our Disney Deals and Discounts page to stay on top of all the latest discounts.
If planning a Disney World vacation while sticking to a budget sounds like a lot of work to you, you’re absolutely right. It’s no joke. If you want some help along the way, contact our friends over at Small World Vacations. Their travel agents have decades of experience planning Disney vacations, and they’re amazing at tracking down the best deals for your trip. Plus, their services are completely FREE.
Our BEST tip for sticking with your budget at Disney World will forever be to plan ahead – especially for dining. When you buy our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World, you’ll get immediate access to our downloadable worksheets for planning your trip, as well as sample one-day dining itineraries, which can be a huge help when it comes to keeping to your budget.
DFB Guide
Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news!
Click here to learn how Disney World ticket prices will change in 2025.
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I read that article on Apple News and it does make me a little angry. The main reason I go to Disney is for all of the food …..so many different choices in one place. But now I feel taken advantage of. So glad I have already had the Sanaa bread service…..while it was delicious, it is now a one and done for us. We started staying off property after Covid when Disney hotel prices went off the charts and now we are going to have to eat off site as well. There was also an article that families are incurring debt in order to go to Disney. Sad. I think that would take quite a bit of the Magic out of that vacation.
Frankly, I’m tired of wasting my hard-earned money in a crowded, non-magical place just to make Iger and the stockholders rich. Wdw is no longer Walt’s vision for middle class Americans and I’m saying No More! There are more fun and less expensive places to be relaxed and stress-free. Wdw has been slowly ruined since Eisner was booted out. I’m glad I have my memories (been going since year one) but have no interest in going anymore. It’s gotten too complicated, and even with your tips I just have no heart for it anymore. They’ve taken away all the pixie dust fun and caring and convenience for guests while raising prices only the wealthy can easily afford.
Good work by DFB by explaining a not so Customer centric aspect of The Disney Company.
Also using % to show the impact makes the article easier to follow & more impactful.
Overall Disney has no valid rationale for their degree of gouging done.
This article didn’t surprise me. Inflation is not what is causing prices to go up around the country, it’s corporate greed. As a whole consumer product companies are reporting record profits. Until there’s a consumer backlash I’m afraid it will continue.
Some of the higher prices would have to be attributed to the increasing costs of personnel and insurance which can’t be changed by Disney. (Remember everybody, including me, wanted Cast Members to be paid better.) And everything that Disney contracts out is going to be more expensive because those companies also have increased costs. Set those facts against, for example, the removal of free Fast Pass for a paid service, the cancellation of Magical Express for an inferior service, and the curtailing of housekeeping for all but deluxe hotels.
I’m not saying that I believe the massive difference between costs of 20 or 30 years ago is justified, but there are reasons to believe that just-plain-inflation is not the only cause of the huge rise in actual prices.
All that said, my husband and I have cut back on what we spend on Disney. We take more day trips because we live close enough to do that. We are more likely to eat off-property for breakfast or dinner, rather than stay in a park for meals. We don’t get Genie+ because we do few rides at our age and physical condition.
But we still go to Disney because nowhere else do we get the feeling that Disney can give us. It’s hard to put a cold hard price on that.
I would agree that price Increases have dramatically outpaced inflation. We go at least once every year, and every year it cost more. But fortunately for me, my wages/salary have kept up with inflation every year, so it is not as bad for our family. Unfortunately, most American wages have been stagnant over the years/decades, and have not kept up with inflation and today’s cost of living. So yes, it has become too expensive for some people, including the what is left of the middle class.
I get it, Disney is a business and out to make money. It’s not the 80s or 90s anymore, Disney has grown and evolved in to a major mega corporation. So just like everything else with any other business, prices are always going to increase all the time. So for now we are still able to go, but who knows some day we also may be priced out.
And don’t forget that while food prices have been increasing, portions/serving sizes have decreased. The same goes for the hotel and park costs – less service/perks, higher prices. So the simple dollar amount increases only paint part of the whole, sad, picture. The Mouse is slowly turning into a Rat.
I agree with the previous comments, that Disney has crushed the magic with the price increases that have made a trip to WDW impractical. We have been going for years and had a trip planned for this Fall – but am now rethinking what else I could do with that kind of money – have a real yet also magical experience somewhere else…these days a trip to WDW just feels like taking a trip down the toy aisle of WalMart – it’s all about merchandise and the newest movies
So WDW keeps raising prices and feeding their own greed and we reward them by paying outrageous prices and going into debt so their stockholders can get richer. Paying for the opportunity to be pushed around by oversized crowds and having to plan when to go on rides and when to eat instead of enjoying the spontaneity that is supposed to be vacation is ludicrous. No, thank you. I had a WDW trip planned for October but I’m canceling today.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Disney has become a greed machine and Walt would not approve of this. It’s ONE of the reasons I will not be visiting WDW anytime in the foreseeable future.
I agree there is some greed involved in the rising prices. What everyone seems to forget on the cost of park tickets and hotel is that it is all about supply and demand. Disney has to price things in a way that keeps crowd levels to a reasonable level. If the cost of a park ticket was much lower and had only gone up by the rate of inflation, the tickets would be a lot cheaper but the parks would be sold out every day and very crowded. I don’t disagree that it has become an expensive vacation so some just have to go less often and make the most of it when they do go. Everything is priced based on demand today. We have a local fair that is very popular and 15 years ago you could get for around $10 per person. It is so popular now that they are now charging closer to $30 per person just for entry to the fair and they sell out everyday yet. If their price was closer to the rate of inflation, a lot of people would be turned away everyday shortly after opening. WDW is not any different. Could you imagine planning a vacation to WDW and getting turned away at the gate to every park an hour after opening due them being at capacity already.