Watch Out For These Hidden Fees in Disney World

There are a number of expenses and fees to keep in mind when it comes to planning a Disney World vacation. A lot of these charges are known, like park tickets, food, and those must-have souvenirs.

But there are also several hidden fees that lots of guests may encounter while visiting Disney World! We have a list of some of the most common ones to keep in mind.

Overnight Parking at Hotels

If you drive to Disney World or plan on renting a car when you arrive, be prepared for those pesky overnight parking fees at your resort hotel.

If you are staying at a Disney Value resort, you’ll pay $15 per night to park your car at the hotel. If you’re staying at a Moderate resort, parking will cost $20 per night, and if you are staying at a Deluxe resort, parking will cost $25 per night.

If you do bring a car, keep in mind that parking at the theme parks will be included in your stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel.

Tips and Gratuity

While not mandatory, adding tips and gratuity for various services like housekeeping and baggage handling is very much appreciated! These can add up to an extra few dollars each day, depending on your needs and the size of your party.

When available, remember that tips and gratuity are NOT included in the Disney Dining Plan. So if you are budgeting that into your vacation, remember to always add tip to the total cost of food.

Cancellation and No-Show Fees

A number of experiences at Disney World require advance reservations, especially dining. If you make a last-minute cancelation or are a no-show to your reservation, Disney will charge the credit card linked to that reservation. For dining, it’ll cost you $10 per person on the reservation.

If you think you’ll miss your dining reservation, try to have it moved to a later time or another date altogether instead of dealing with a last-minute fee.

Day Rentals

If you need any special equipment while at Disney, such as a stroller, wheelchair, or ECV, be prepared to pay! If you don’t have one of your own strollers with you, Disney provides day rentals to use in the parks. You can rent a single stroller for $15 for a single day, or you can book a multi-day rental for the length of your stay for $13 per day.

Wheelchair rentals cost $12 for a single day or $10 per day for a multi-day, length of stay reservation. ECV rentals cost $70 per day, but that includes a refundable $20 deposit.

Tiered Ticket Prices

Finally, you might not be aware that Disney charges different amounts for their theme park tickets, depending on when you would like to visit. In order to save the most on park admission, look to travel during their off-peak seasons and visit during the work week. Weekend visits and peak season travel will cost you an additional amount of money for each ticket.

We hope this helped to prepare you for some potential hidden fees! Disney World is largely upfront with all of their costs associated with booking a vacation, but some of these fees can still take folks by surprise if they weren’t aware of them. Be sure to follow along for more planning and budgeting tips!

Click here to read about what to do when everything goes wrong at Disney World!

What is your number one go-to tip when looking to save money on a Disney vacation? Drop your suggestions in the comments!

 

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