With Disney World opening up reservations for 2023 vacations soon, it might be a good time to start thinking about the future.
What’s more magical than balloons on Main Street, U.S.A.?
It’s no secret that planning a Disney vacation is somewhat complicated right now when it comes down to rising airfare prices, navigating Genie+, park reservations, crowds, and more. We asked DFB readers to share whether they are (or are not) planning a 2023 Disney World vacation, and there were lots of responses!
We reached out on Facebook (go ahead and give us a follow if you want to share your thoughts in the future!) to find out who’s planning a Disney World vacation in 2023 — and who’s not. There are a lot of reasons why you might be planning a 2023 trip — and plenty of other reasons to put a Disney trip on the back burner for a few years. We’re breaking down what our readers said, so let’s get into it!
Yes
Many of our readers are planning 2023 Disney World trips! Several readers mentioned that after having to reschedule several trips over the past few years due to COVID, 2023 is finally the time they can visit. One reader said, “Yes! We had to reschedule our trip 3 times since 2019 […]. It has been a rough couple of years so we are planning to go for our Spring Break.”
Spaceship Earth at EPCOT
Another reader said they too have had a difficult year. They commented, “YES. We’ve had a tough year and plan on treating ourselves.”
Tower of Terror
Some readers said they visit Disney World annually and 2023 will be no exception. One said, “Absolutely!! We go every January. We save money all year for our four-night trip. We take the earliest flight to Disney and the latest flight home to get nearly five full days at our happy place. We travel with my best friend and her family and the memories we make are precious. We love our Disney trips!”
Tree of Life
Other readers noted that 2023 is the last chance to check out Disney World’s 50th anniversary festivities, and a reader said, “I was there for the 25th anniversary and want to be there for the 50th before it ends.” The 18-month 50th anniversary celebration ends on April 1st, 2023.
50th Anniversary on Cinderella Castle
And for some readers, 2023 will be their FIRST trip to Disney World (woohoo!). A reader commented, “Yes! It’ll be my first time ever visiting WDW and I am so excited! Currently binge watching allll the DFB videos on resorts and food.” We’re happy to help!
The Monorail in EPCOT
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about a 2023 Disney World trip but not every reader is, so next up, we talk about all the reasons our readers are NOT planning a trip next year.
EVERYTHING you need to know before booking a 2023 Disney World trip!
No, it’s too expensive
Many of our readers are concerned about the rising expenses of a Disney World trip. As one reader put it, “Nope, I can take my entire family to Europe for 2 weeks for the cost of a WDW vacay. And I live in Central FL!”
Even Mickey Bars have gotten more expensive
Some of our readers have Disney World plans in 2022, and the cost of that trip means they may have to wait for some time to return again. A reader said, “No, because I am going to Disney World for the first [time] ever (I’m 42) in 29 more days, and I have a crazy long travel bucket list. More places to visit, not enough money to travel as often as I would like, unfortunately. I can only afford one trip per year.”
Price increases happen!
Another reader added, “We are going this summer. With the price of a trip to Disney these days, it will be a little while before we consider it again.”
Many iconic Disney World snacks got a BIG price increase
There ARE ways to budget and visit Disney World but we understand that with tons of price increases, it doesn’t work for everyone. Don’t forget to visit our Disney discounts page before deciding to skip a 2023 visit!
Why are prices increasing in the parks? Here’s what Disney CEO Bob Chapek has to say.
No, too much has changed
Many of our readers cited all the changes in Disney World over the past 5 years as reasons to avoid a trip anytime soon. One reader summed it up, “1. DDP is not available. 2. Genie+ is not in my opinion a good enough substitute for FastPass, especially when you have kids. FastPass was a lifesaver. 3. The money… I don’t mind spending the money IF it is worth it. Right now it’s not.” The Disney Dining Plan has been unavailable since 2020, and Genie+ is the new paid version of FastPass+.
Disney Genie
Another reader said, “No, and probably not for quite some time. I really don’t want to start my day at 7am to get [Lightning Lane reservations with Genie+], then spend my day attached to my phone in order to get more [Lightning Lanes]. I’m definitely a planner, but it’s a little excessive for me — especially when it’s supposed to be a vacation. But, that’s just me.” When making Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations, guests can start scheduling them daily at 7AM, which means quite the early wakeup time for a vacation.
Everest Lightning Lane
And despite all the changes in the parks, sometimes it feels even more crowded than ever! Many readers mentioned waiting until the surge of crowds die down a bit, and a commented, “If all the people who say they are never going back actually never go back, then yes, that’s when I’ll return. Too crowded now so I’m gonna wait til everyone else gets so mad that they mean it!”
Crowds on Main Street, U.S.A.
If you’re overwhelmed by everything there is to learn about Disney World now, it’s not a bad idea to take some time to research all those changes before planning a 2023 visit.
Beware of these 5 Disney World changes.
If you’re still on the fence about visiting Disney World in 2023, we recommend starting below to help you make your decision!
- How Disney World has changed over the past 5 years
- Everything you need to know about Disney Genie and Genie+
- Learn all about Disney’s Park Reservation system
- EVERYTHING you need to know before booking a 2023 Disney World trip
There are definitely reasons to visit Disney World in 2023, but we understand why you might want to wait until 2024! Keep reading DFB for more Disney World tips and tricks!
EVERYTHING You Need to Know BEFORE Booking a 2023 Trip!
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WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
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To all the people who say it’s too crowded.
Right now capacity is not at what it used to be pre-pandemic. Going on New Years Eve before COVID is crowded. Not what it is now 🙂
Won’t go until Chapek is gone and they start returning to guest experience over profits. I do not get up at 7:00 a.m. on a vacation and certainly don’t want to be tied to a cell phone. I don’t live on mine now; don’t plan on doing it on a vacation. I will return when Genie+ and Lightning Lanes are a thing of the past. I do not want to make reservations just to enter a park I’ve already purchased tickets for and I want to park hop to my heart’s content if and when I feel like it. Return perks that guests are now required to pay for and be the company with the great reputation you used to be. Then I will return. Return the magic.
Maybe the executives at Disney will listen to the people!
We were just in WDW last week and the parks were packed, way beyond anything I remember.
I’m going in 2023 to meet up with friends. But, after next year I’m planning on taking several years off to save for, plan, and go on a trip to a non Disney destination.
No, I have no plans. It broke my heart when my friends and I had to cancel our bucket list 2-week trip back in 2020, but it was a very different Disney World back then. We had a very detailed plan and all our reservations booked, including restaurants–we were just about to book FPs when it shut down. It would be impossible to plan the way we did now–so much of it would be in the air because of ditching of FP. Now you have no clue whether you can even GET on a ride until 7 am, when you have to be in the park, and it may force you to just sit there waiting IN CASE you get called before the day ends and cancel diner reservations, etc. We went through this on a quick trip back in November and I hated it–our Genie+ reservation was for 5 but it got pushed back so much that we were literally the last called group before it closed for the night–and we almost missed it completely. For what you pay now, it’s simply not worth risking not even getting to ride the things you went to ride! Paying exorbitant prices in order to play a lottery the moment you walk into the park is not my idea of a good time. Add to that that the pure VALUE (all the perks and live entertainment stripped away), and I’m left to wonder what it is I’m actually paying for that I couldn’t get elsewhere for a lot cheaper. Disney is heading in the wrong direction and they’ve lost me unless/until things change back.
For the person asserting that they could go to Europe for 2 weeks for less than a WDW “staycation” (they mentioned being Central FL locals)—I’d love to see that deal.
I agree WDW has gotten more expensive. So have most all destinations. We recently returned from a 9 day West Coast trip, and prices everywhere are UP, UP, UP on travel.
We used points for flights, and for 2 people, the extras alone cost almost $500.
Travel is very expensive right now. But I don’t think WDW is especially out of line.
Oh it’s too crowded for sure, but I am remembering years ago when there actually were times that were low crowd times, when you could ride every ride in the park if you came early and stayed late.
When you could just go early or later and get in about any dining location that day. Walk up a grab a fast pass through out the day.
Could call on a Weds and make a hotel reservation for that weekend.
How times have changed
We started going to Disney when our kids were 4 & 5 and now they are 50. For about the last 15 years my husband started going ourselves at least twice a year sometimes more. I grew up loving Disney, but now it’s not what it used to be. Walt is probably rolling over in his grave! I am so so angry with all the changes and how liberal they have become. We have made the decision to not go back, we are that angry with them. It is not what Walt wanted for families ! The normal family today can’t even afford to go! It’s totally ridiculous!
New Years Eve is one day a year,(obviously), it’s near NYE crowded everyday anymore. I just got back on 5/25, 45 minute wait for WEDway PeopleMover, is unacceptable, E Ticket rides constantly broke down, crowds that get in fights, INFLATED WAIT times so people will buy Genie+ or LL.
ALL TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!
It’s not the crowds. It’s the cost !!
Who can afford to bring a family of four or five for a week ?! A Mickey ears ice cream bar is over $6.00. This is a joke.
I can’t think of anything good that has happened at Disney in the last two years. People who have never been may not know it has gone down hill fast. The loss of the fast pass system was the straw that ended it for me and family. No way I’m paying extra money to get less service. Also no more Disney cruises. No more Disney streaming services. No more Disney credit card. Done with Disney forever.
We went to Hollywood Studios yesterday and not only was it crowded but most of the rides we wanted to go on had around TWO HOUR WAITS!
Wasn’t really a fun day and if we haven’t been on the rides many times before (being AP holders), we would have questioned our decision to go to Disney.
Just a side note . . . many of the eating places had no place to sit after you grabbed your food.
Amen to several of the “NO” comments regarding a WDW trip in 2023. However, I might be tempted to go; I have not been there since 2019 thanks to Covid. As for Genie+, I’ve not read anything in the various Disney blogs that makes it appealing. I’ld just as soon skip the rides, unless the line is short, than deal with Genie+. Just walking the parks, people watching, and enjoying a great meal at my favorite WDW restaurants is entertainment enough.
Scott+D – My family of four went to Amsterdam, NL for spring break this year. We stayed 10-nights in a beautifully appointed 2-BR, 2-bathroom rental apartment in a historic canal house in the centrally located Jordaan neighborhood. We ate about 1/3 of our meals in nice restaurants, and split the remaining meals between casual eateries and cooking at the apartment with ingredients purchased at the city’s many open air farmer’s markets. We rented bicycles for the entire stay, visited 5 museums, saw a show, took day trips to the tulip gardens and windmills, and took a canal tour on a historic, privately captained canal boat. The total price for 2 adults, a 13-year old and 11-year old, inclusive of airfare and transfers was $8500. We could have economized on several aspects of the trip and still had a great time for under $7000. Our planned WDW trip for the same amount of time, booked with the Disney+ 20% room discount, during the value season at the end of August/beginning of September is coming in at $12000. We did spring for parkhoppers, but this price is assuming we’ll prepare 2/3 of our meals in our Ft. Wilderness cabin, and won’t spend on Genie+, ILLs, souvenirs or any “magical extras,” etc.. We wouldn’t be able to afford both of these trips in the same year, but we hadn’t spent much on travel during the preceding 2-years. We’re dedicated Disney people, but we all agreed that there are way too many places in the world to explore to spend this kind of money on a WDW trip again. This is, for sure, our last “big” WDW stay. We’ll likely do a day or two when we drive down to see our relatives in Sebastian, Fl, but if we’re going to have to spend $12k on a vacation, we’re going to tick off our bucket list trips to places like Japan, Italy and Hawaii. To put this into perspective, a couple of years ago I was filtering through old emails and found my check-out folio from an 11-day stay for 3 adults and 2 kids at Art of Animation from 2014 – the trip included free dining, DME and park hopper passes at the beginning of December. The total spend was $6400. I know inflation counts for a lot, but it’s absolutely insane to me that roughly the same trip, in a lower value season, should now cost twice what it did 8-years ago!!
I totally agree. Me and my family are Disney fanatics and go every two years to the parks. It is a 7 hour drive for me to get there and it used to be so worth it. The changes they have made are not only ruining the magical experience we so love, it is to expensive. I save for a year to afford to take my family of 5 to Disney every two years and now it is twice as much to go and that’s using the Military appreciation discount. I hate the idea of the Genie since we have to get up early every day and enter the lottery to get my genie pass or whatever it is being called today. It is ridiculous that these reservations cannot be done in advance. We will not be returning any time soon unless genie is gone and the DDP returns. Is just seems like a ton of hassle now to visit the parks. Disney I know you will never read this post or any of the others but we as Disney fans are begging you to return it to the way it used to be. Here’s to wishing on a star.
Can’t wait for Disney 2023! Coming from Australian had 5he trip booked in 2920, cancelled due to covid, rebooked the trip. Family’s super excited! Staying onsite too😍🙌🏻
It’s so overpriced!
It’s unbelievably crowded!
You can’t make park reservations!
Genie+ is a hassle!
It’s toooooooo hot!!!
I’ve loved Disney since 1980, but they have taken away the fun!
We’ve been going to WDW since 1993 thru 2018 at least once a year. It’s gotten too difficult and the focus has changed from the guest experience to money. Epcot is less about the cultures and more about the movies, MK is just too crowded, AK is more about Avatar and DS is about Star Wars. You buy a pass, then you buy Genie +, then you pay extra to ride what’s on Genie + (go back to the old ticket system if you’re gonna do that). You can’t even sit down to get a bite without a reservation. It’s just too difficult anymore. The magic is just gone. The whole vibe has changed. It used to be an escape for my wife and i (no kids). Now you have to do so much planning. You can’t just go and enjoy anymore. In the words of Big Z in Surf’s Up (NOT Disney!): “No joy, man. No joy. FAIL!”