Walt Disney World and Disneyland usually increase costs yearly. Will increase on park tickets, meals, parking, Annual Passes, upcharges and extra all happen across the similar time firstly of the fiscal 12 months. This put up affords affords dates of previous value will increase and after we’re anticipating this to occur in Fall 2024. Plus commentary about the best way to put together for (and shield your self from) the will increase, why they might not occur for as soon as, and extra.
For starters, we should always emphasize the “usually” within the above paragraph, as costs will increase will not be a certain factor at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. There are good examples of this within the pent-up demand period, similar to when Walt Disney World raised ticket costs in mid-February 2022 and once more on December 8 of that 12 months.
This isn’t solely unprecedented, as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have raised costs twice yearly on just a few events within the final decade. That’s why we’ve been advising readers to buy tickets prematurely to lock-in present costs in our 2024 Low cost Walt Disney World Ticket Shopping for Information and our 2024 Low cost Disneyland Ticket Ideas guides.
The attention-grabbing wrinkle there may be that’s truly (nonetheless!) the final time costs elevated for present admission at Walt Disney World. You learn that accurately: the bottom costs of 2024 Walt Disney World tickets are the identical as they had been as of December 8, 2022. That doesn’t imply particular dates or the distribution of costs haven’t modified (learn: shifted upwards), however that’s the final time ticket costs went up throughout the board.
With that stated, the annual launch of trip packages earlier this 12 months did carry with it 2025 Ticket Value Will increase at Walt Disney World. That is additionally an attention-grabbing quirk, as there was no enhance for 2024. Usually, a value enhance takes impact instantly, impacting all future dates–not simply the annual product launch for the next 12 months.
This isn’t to say Walt Disney World hasn’t elevated any costs within the final almost 2 years. Anybody who visits often is aware of that’s patently false–an totally asinine notion. Walt Disney World final raised charges across-the-board on Annual Passes, parking, water parks, Reminiscence Maker, and quite a few eating places firstly of the final fiscal 12 months, on or round October 11, 2023.
Walt Disney World additionally launched date-based costs for fireworks dessert events and excursions, successfully rising costs for these most dates, too. We’ve additionally seen localized will increase at random dates for numerous menus and different issues. It’s not as if Walt Disney World merely sat on its arms for the final couple of years. Quite a lot of costs have gone up throughout that time frame.
One of the notable ones is Lightning Lane pricing. I’m not going to rehash this complete saga, however suffice to say, you’re paying much more (on common) for Lightning Lane Multi-Move at this time than you’d’ve again in late 2022. Though separate from admission and (arguably) elective, paid FastPass is bought by a excessive proportion of company and thus acts as a de facto enhance to admission costs for a big subset of company.
It’s additionally honest to level out, nonetheless, that Walt Disney World has ramped up reductions considerably since final elevating ticket costs in December 2022. That was nonetheless throughout the interval of pent-up demand, and offers had been pretty scarce apart from Annual Passholders and Florida residents. Even then, there have been some dates when resorts had been full value, with zero particular affords.
Walt Disney World has introduced again the 2019 deal playbook, providing reductions on par or higher than that 12 months after slim pickins’ between 2021 and early 2023. There are already a ton of reductions accessible for now by way of Christmas 2024–and even the whole thing of 2025 if you happen to e-book a bounceback. (See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for 2024.)
As somebody who books a whole lot of Walt Disney World lodge stays, I’m paying much less for that part of journey now than I did in 2022. Small victory, I suppose. (We’re nonetheless spending about the identical quantity as we did in 2022 and far, far more than we did in 2019–it’s all the different stuff that’s making a distinction, with Lightning Lanes being the largest factor.)
Talking of which, perks have been minimize as in comparison with 2019. Free FastPass turned paid Lightning Lanes, Disney’s Magical Specific ended, and many others–the nickel and diming has undoubtedly elevated. Resort rack charges have additionally gone up whilst reductions have returned. As we prefer to level out, Walt Disney World way back adopted the “Kohl’s Mannequin” to pricing, the place the sticker costs are nearly meaningless resulting from reductions. As Kohl’s discovered ages in the past, if the bottom value is larger, it makes the discounted fee appear to be much more of a cut price!
Walt Disney World management studied on the Kohl’s Faculty of Enterprise, and discovered that lesson throughout the Nice Recession. Since then, we’ve seen costs hold going up, whilst reductions get higher. That’s kind of what we’re seeing now, with the tip end result being a worth proposition that’s worse than 2019, however higher than 2022, all issues thought-about.
Regardless, the underside line is that we will count on Walt Disney World to extend costs across the begin of the brand new fiscal 12 months, which is October 1, 2024. The title says “possible” however that’s solely as a result of this isn’t an official announcement or a reputable rumor. Nonetheless, it’s one thing that occurs 12 months in and 12 months out across the begin of Disney’s new fiscal 12 months.
It’s not a matter of “if” however “when” and, equally as necessary, “on what.” Costs will go up, however what the will increase will embody is the thriller. My guess is that there’ll not be a rise on park tickets for the rest of this 12 months or 2025. In spite of everything, if Disney wished to try this, why not simply rip the bandaid off and enhance 2024 costs when 2025 tickets had been launched at larger value factors? That’s only a guess although, and maybe a foolishly optimistic one–I definitely wouldn’t wager towards it.
Turning to California–which can be instructive for Florida–Disneyland final raised its costs on October 11, 2023. Earlier than that, Disneyland elevated costs on October 11, 2022. (As you may see above, that very same date is when Walt Disney World raised costs final 12 months on trip parts apart from tickets.)
In all probability, each Walt Disney World and Disneyland will increase charges on the identical date. We’re not saying the subsequent value enhance goes to happen on October 11, 2024. On the contrary, I’d count on extra of a day-of-week cadence than calendar date–which means the rise occurring on October 8 or 9, 2024 is extra possible than October 11.
Final 12 months’s enhance was a typical one at Disneyland, with costs going up on most well-liked parking on the theme parks, valet parking on the motels, Magic Keys (this occurs even after they aren’t being actively offered), and the Lightning Lanes service. Naturally, admission was the massive factor that went up, with proportion will increase that had been pretty hefty.
As an “offset” to the adverse information, it’s additionally attainable that Disney will make different ancillary adjustments within the title of visitor satisfaction or substantive choices to take the “sting” out of the value will increase. Potentialities for Walt Disney World may embrace Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice becoming a member of Lightning Lane Multi Move (uncertain), information about returning leisure, or the dropping of the digital queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Disneyland may reveal extra particulars in regards to the seventieth, return of Paint the Night time in 2025, and many others.
The excellent news is that you would be able to shield towards the possible will increase. For those who’re a potential Annual Passholder, you should buy a voucher or certificates to safe present pricing. When you have a Walt Disney World journey deliberate between now and December 2025, you should purchase tickets now to lock-in present prices and guard towards future will increase.
Once more, see our 2024 Low cost Walt Disney World Ticket Shopping for Information and our 2024 Low cost Disneyland Ticket Ideas posts for suggestions on the place to purchase to avoid wasting essentially the most cash. That additionally covers matters like whether or not to buy Park Hoppers, AP breakeven level, and extra.
With that stated, if you happen to’re on the fence however planning on shopping for by way of a licensed third celebration ticket vendor, you might be most likely wonderful to attend till after the value enhance is introduced/happens. For the previous decade-plus, approved sellers have maintained stock of the present tickets on the “previous” costs, often for a few weeks after the value enhance. I can’t bear in mind the final time that was not the case, so it’s protected to say it’ll possible occur once more with the October 2024 value will increase.
Nevertheless, if you happen to’re reserving a Walt Disney World trip package deal that features tickets, don’t wait. Lock-in one thing ASAP. As soon as these costs go up, there’s no workaround for getting the previous costs. Your solely various can be a room-only fee, and shopping for tickets individually by way of the aforementioned approved low cost sellers.
That is very true for these of you touring between now and Spring Break 2025. Though reductions for January by way of late March 2025 haven’t but been launched, there’s a excessive likelihood that they are going to inside the subsequent two weeks. I’d put the probabilities round 95% that these reductions will probably be accessible earlier than the value enhance.
Trip packages, together with discounted ones, mirror the value of tickets when initially booked. This implies if basic public reductions are launched on September 24 and ticket costs had been to go up on October 8, you’d pay extra if you happen to booked that deal on or after October 8. Accordingly, we’d extremely advocate reserving or reaching out to a journey agent proper now. As in, earlier than the subsequent wave of reductions is launched.
As all the time, we advocate requesting a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Approved Disney Trip Planner (they’re paid by Walt Disney World–so free to you!). Journey brokers will do the maths for you, reserving your trip with the best-available particular provide, and monitoring your package deal for future reductions that may be utilized retroactively. Past that, they assist take the stress out of planning and can help with itineraries, eating reservations, and far more.
That “apply retroactively” line is the necessary half–which means they’ll e-book at this time and modify on the morning offers are launched to use the low cost. For those who do that, we’d additionally advocate providing them flexibility in your most well-liked resort/room–not all motels are included in promos or have availability as a part of the deal. A lot of exclusions, each what’s listed and what isn’t.
It’s additionally necessary that the modification to use the low cost is made earlier than costs enhance. Finalize your plans sooner moderately than later, as modifications after October 8 (or no matter day costs go up) will end in paying the brand new fee.
Belief us–that is necessary. Through the years, we’ve heard from readers who’ve been stunned that their value is larger with a reduction than with out. That is often why–base costs elevated between the time they made the reservation and the time they utilized the low cost. That’s why it’s finest to each lock-in charges and apply reductions ASAP, each time attainable.
For those who’re touring later in 2025, you’re not going to have this feature since reductions for these dates most likely gained’t be launched this month.However it’s attainable to not less than e-book the undiscounted package deal now. After these potential value will increase, it’s attainable that’ll find yourself being higher than future promotions. (We extremely doubt it given how aggressive discounting has gotten, however we’d nonetheless advocate hedging!)
There’s additionally no actual technique to guard towards value will increase on the “little issues” like parking, upcharges, meals, and so forth. Air quotes round little issues as a result of these are literally the ‘budget-busters’ that catch planners abruptly, and end in journeys costing far more than initially anticipated.
As we’ve beforehand mentioned, there have been different compelling “arguments” towards value will increase. The primary is that, upon returning, Bob Iger indicated that he was “alarmed” by earlier Walt Disney World value will increase and layoff plans in leaks to media.
On condition that Iger was largely introduced it to stem the bleeding from streaming and enhance Disney’s financials, I had a tough time believing that he’s going to take the speedy hit on theme park costs so as to enhance goodwill amongst Walt Disney World followers. It was tough to examine Iger reversing course at the moment provided that streaming has hemorrhaging over a billion {dollars} per quarter.
The circumstances are very completely different now. Streaming is lastly, barely worthwhile. And it’s the parks which are beginning to battle, with pent-up demand lastly and absolutely within the rearview mirror. Whereas Iger and D’Amaro have made adjustments to enhance the worth proposition and enhance visitor satisfaction because the begin of 2023, it would lastly be time to deal with pricing.
It will likely be a really daring transfer to extend costs for 2025 regardless of no main sights opening subsequent 12 months on both coast. That’s not even the largest concern, as Common’s Epic Universe will open someday in 2025 and is the elephant within the room. Elevating costs within the face of elevated competitors, declining demand, and nearly no new advertising attracts (save for Disney Starlight Parade) is a very daring transfer. Nonetheless, I might not wager towards it. By no means underestimate Disney’s want for extra income at any (long-term) value. Plan and put together accordingly.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study motels on our Walt Disney World Inns Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part it’s good to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the potential value will increase? Assume Walt Disney World and Disneyland will increase charges throughout the board in October 2024, or will they hit pause in gentle of the financial system? Do you suppose Disney goes too far with will increase in a approach that’ll go away lasting reputational injury, or will the corporate be capable of shortly pivot together with financial circumstances? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Some other concerns we did not take note of or particulars we missed? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
