Walt Disney World and Disneyland sometimes increase costs yearly. Will increase on park tickets, meals, parking, Annual Passes, upcharges and extra all happen across the identical time firstly of the fiscal yr. This submit gives gives 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 defend your self from) the will increase, why they might not occur for as soon as, and extra.
For starters, we should always emphasize the “sometimes” within the above paragraph, as costs will increase aren’t a positive factor at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. There are good examples of this within the pent-up demand period, equivalent to when Walt Disney World raised ticket costs in mid-February 2022 and once more on December 8 of that yr.
This isn’t totally unprecedented, as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have raised costs twice yearly on a number of 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’s that’s truly (nonetheless!) the final time costs elevated for present admission at Walt Disney World. You learn that appropriately: the bottom costs of 2024 Walt Disney World tickets are the identical as they have 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 mentioned, the annual launch of trip packages earlier this yr did deliver 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 yr.
This isn’t to say Walt Disney World hasn’t elevated any costs within the final almost 2 years. Anybody who visits commonly is aware of that’s patently false–an completely asinine notion. Walt Disney World final raised charges across-the-board on Annual Passes, parking, water parks, Reminiscence Maker, and numerous eating places firstly of the final fiscal yr, 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 varied menus and different issues. It’s not as if Walt Disney World merely sat on its fingers for the final couple of years. Loads 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-Cross at present than you’d’ve again in late 2022. Though separate from admission and (arguably) optionally available, 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 through the interval of pent-up demand, and offers have been pretty scarce apart from Annual Passholders and Florida residents. Even then, there have been some dates when resorts have been full value, with zero particular gives.
Walt Disney World has introduced again the 2019 deal playbook, providing reductions on par or higher than that yr after slim pickins’ between 2021 and early 2023. There are already a ton of reductions out there for now via Christmas 2024–and even everything of 2025 for those who e-book a bounceback. (See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for 2024.)
As somebody who books plenty of Walt Disney World resort stays, I’m paying much less for that element 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 the entire different stuff that’s making a distinction, with Lightning Lanes being the largest factor.)
Talking of which, perks have been reduce as in comparison with 2019. Free FastPass grew to become paid Lightning Lanes, Disney’s Magical Categorical ended, and many others–the nickel and diming has positively 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 charge seem like much more of a discount!
Walt Disney World management studied on the Kohl’s College of Enterprise, and discovered that lesson through the Nice Recession. Since then, we’ve seen costs hold going up, whilst reductions get higher. That’s roughly what we’re seeing now, with the top outcome being a price proposition that’s worse than 2019, however higher than 2022, all issues thought of.
Regardless, the underside line is that we are able to count on Walt Disney World to extend costs across the begin of the brand new fiscal yr, which is October 1, 2024. The title says “probably” however that’s solely as a result of this isn’t an official announcement or a reputable rumor. However, it’s one thing that occurs yr in and yr out across the begin of Disney’s new fiscal yr.
It’s not a matter of “if” however “when” and, equally as vital, “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 yr or 2025. In spite of everything, if Disney needed to do this, why not simply rip the bandaid off abruptly and enhance 2024 costs when 2025 tickets have been launched at larger value factors? That’s only a guess although, and maybe a foolishly optimistic one–I actually wouldn’t wager in opposition to 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 possibly can see above, that very same date is when Walt Disney World raised costs final yr on trip elements aside from tickets.)
In all chance, each Walt Disney World and Disneyland will increase charges on the identical date. We’re not saying the following 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–that means the rise occurring on October 8 or 9, 2024 is extra probably than October 11.
Final yr’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 lodges, Magic Keys (this occurs even once they aren’t being actively bought), and the Lightning Lanes service. Naturally, admission was the massive factor that went up, with proportion will increase that have been pretty hefty.
As an “offset” to the damaging information, it’s additionally potential 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 Cross (uncertain), information about returning leisure, or the dropping of the digital queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Disneyland may reveal extra particulars concerning the seventieth, return of Paint the Night time in 2025, and many others.
The excellent news is which you could defend in opposition to the probably will increase. In the event you’re a potential Annual Passholder, you should purchase a voucher or certificates to safe present pricing. You probably have a Walt Disney World journey deliberate between now and December 2025, you should purchase tickets now to lock-in present prices and guard in opposition to 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 save lots of probably the most cash. That additionally covers matters like whether or not to buy Park Hoppers, AP breakeven level, and extra.
With that mentioned, for those who’re on the fence however planning on shopping for through a certified third celebration ticket vendor, you might be in all probability positive 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 “outdated” costs, often for a few weeks after the value enhance. I can’t keep in mind the final time that was not the case, so it’s secure to say it’ll probably occur once more with the October 2024 value will increase.
Nevertheless, for those who’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 outdated costs. Your solely various could be a room-only charge, and shopping for tickets individually through 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 via late March 2025 haven’t but been launched, there’s a excessive likelihood that they are going to throughout the subsequent two weeks. I’d put the probabilities round 95% that these reductions might be out there earlier than the value enhance.
Trip packages, together with discounted ones, replicate the value of tickets when initially booked. This implies if common public reductions are launched on September 24 and ticket costs have been to go up on October 8, you’d pay extra for those who 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 following wave of reductions is launched.
As all the time, we advocate requesting a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Licensed Disney Trip Planner (they’re paid by Walt Disney World–so free to you!). Journey brokers will do the mathematics 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 vital half–that means they’ll e-book at present and modify on the morning offers are launched to use the low cost. In the event you do that, we’d additionally advocate providing them flexibility in your most well-liked resort/room–not all lodges are included in promos or have availability as a part of the deal. Plenty of exclusions, each what’s listed and what isn’t.
It’s additionally vital that the modification to use the low cost is made earlier than costs enhance. Finalize your plans sooner slightly than later, as modifications after October 8 (or no matter day costs go up) will lead to paying the brand new charge.
Belief us–that is vital. Over time, 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 greatest to each lock-in charges and apply reductions ASAP, each time potential.
In the event you’re touring later in 2025, you’re not going to have this feature since reductions for these dates in all probability gained’t be launched this month.However it’s potential to at the least e-book the undiscounted package deal now. After these potential value will increase, it’s potential 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 solution to guard in opposition to 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 lead to journeys costing far more than initially anticipated.
As we’ve beforehand mentioned, there have been different compelling “arguments” in opposition to 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 in an effort to enhance goodwill amongst Walt Disney World followers. It was tough to check Iger reversing course at the moment provided that streaming has hemorrhaging over a billion {dollars} per quarter.
The circumstances are very totally different now. Streaming is lastly, barely worthwhile. And it’s the parks which are beginning to battle, with pent-up demand lastly and totally 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 is going to be a really daring transfer to extend costs for 2025 regardless of no main sights opening subsequent yr 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 extremely daring transfer. However, I’d not wager in opposition to it. By no means underestimate Disney’s need for extra income at any (long-term) price. Plan and put together accordingly.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study lodges on our Walt Disney World Lodges Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing you should know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the potential value will increase? Suppose 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 manner that’ll go away lasting reputational injury, or will the corporate be capable to shortly pivot together with financial circumstances? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Another issues we didn’t take into consideration or particulars we missed? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
