Almost everyone expects a Disney World vacation to be expensive.
Things like ticket prices, merchandise, hotel rooms, and food all add up, and that’s before you start adding anything else onto the trip like Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. Many people say that Disney World has gotten more expensive recently, so we’re rounding up some of the ways that you’re paying more for Disney this year than you were before.
Disney Genie+
If you purchase Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes (also known as pay-per-ride) in Disney World, then you are paying more for Disney this year than last year.
Genie+ replaced the previously free FastPass+ and costs $15 per person per day. That amount can add up fast, especially if you purchase Individual Lighting Lanes for the more popular rides, as well. Individual Lightning Lanes are a separate purchase on top of Genie+ and allow you to skip the line at some of the more popular Disney World rides like Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The price for Individual Lightning Lane purchases varies by ride and by the time of year, so it’s never certain just how much more it will cost to make those reservations.
Even if you and your travel group only decide to purchase Genie+, that’s still an extra $15 multiplied by the number of people in your group and the number of days you purchase the service.
Can buying Genie+ in Disney World actually save you money?
Airport Transportation
Another thing that makes a trip to Disney World more expensive now is that the Magical Express has been discontinued.
The Magical Express was a free shuttle service that would pick you up at Orlando International Airport and transport you to your Disney World hotel. Disney discontinued this service at the beginning of this year. In its place, several replacement shuttle services like the Mears Connect and the Sunshine Flyer have cropped up in its place, but neither of those options is free.
Aside from the two shuttle options, you also, of course, can take rideshare services to your hotel like Uber or Lyft or rent a car at the airport and drive yourself.
Click here to see how to choose the best Disney Magical Express replacement!
MagicBand+
MagicBand+ was released this year as an alternative to the MagicBands we’ve seen around Disney World for years.
MagicBand+ has all the same functionality as the original MagicBand (it can act as your park ticket, get you into your Disney World hotel room, etc.), but it also comes with interactive capabilities. You can wave at the Disney World 50th Anniversary golden statues and they’ll talk to you, play Batuu Bounty Hunters at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and even interact with Disney World’s fireworks shows.
The original MagicBands are $19.99 for a solid color, with designs costing a bit more, but MagicBand+ is $34.99 for solid colors, and designs are more expensive. MagicBand+ is definitely not a requirement to enjoy your Disney World vacation, but if you decide to purchase it, then it is definitely a way that your trip will be more expensive.
Click here to see what you need to know about MagicBand+
General Price Increases
It’s possible that you’ll pay more for Disney World tickets this year, as well. Some ticket prices increased marginally this year, with multi-day, single-park tickets seeing an increase of $1-$2 some days.
Additionally, with the holidays coming up, average ticket prices are higher due to demand. Single-day, one-park tickets for Disney World range in price from $109-$159, and at the end of the year, towards the holiday season, you tend to see ticket prices at the higher end of that spectrum more often.
We’ve also seen marginal price increases on food, some merchandise items, and more. While many of these increases are small, they all add up to make your trip to Disney World more expensive, with Disney even acknowledging that guests are spending more in the parks.
Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek even said in a recent interview that prices may continue to increase in Disney World as long as the demand is there.
In the interview, Chapek said “Well, it’s all up to the consumer. If consumer demand keeps up, then we act accordingly. And if we see a softening (which we don’t think we’re going to see) then we can act accordingly as well. We’re very flexible.”
Hotel rooms are also more expensive with Disney citing “higher average daily hotel rates” as a contributing factor for increased profit in a recent quarterly earnings call.
Inflation has also been impacting the parks negatively, causing price increases for certain items; however, as inflation stabilizes, we may start to see the negative effects in the parks stabilize, as well.
Inflation may impact your Disney World trip — here’s how
Travel Costs
In addition to higher prices for goods and services at Disney World, we’re currently seeing higher-than-average travel costs, as well. Gas prices hit record highs (though we’re seeing that normalize, now) and the cost to fly was incredibly high, as well.
As summer comes to an end, we’re seeing airfare dip in price again, but experts have warned that this stabilization might not last long as we head into the holiday season, which is known to produce high prices and lots of flight delays and cancellations. If you’re planning to travel at the end of this year, experts say to book as far in advance as you can before prices start to increase again.
Click here to see the U.S. airlines with the most travel delays and cancellations
Disney+
And finally, in the company’s most recent earnings call, Disney announced that the price for Disney+ will be increasing at the end of this year.
An ad-supported version of Disney+ is coming on December 8th and will cost $7.99 (which is what the non-ad version — the only version — of Disney+ costs now). When the ad-supported version is introduced, Disney+ with no ads will increase to $10.99 per month.
Again, this is a marginal price increase, but all of the marginal price increases really do add up for a more expensive experience overall.
Click here to see 22 movies you had no idea were on Disney+
Those are just a few ways you’re paying more for Disney this year. If you’re planning a trip, and are looking for ways to save money, check out some of the Disney World discounts you won’t want to miss out on for your next trip, as well as a realistic budget for your 2023 Disney World trip.
And, of course, make sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney world news and information!
Click here to see six big lessons we’ve learned for navigating Disney World!
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When is your next trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
Quit calling Fast Pass “Free”
It was never “Free”. It was part of what you paid for when you purchased a park ticket. It was an enhancement to ride access that was a “Use” or “Don’t use” part of what you paid for when buying a ticket.
If Fast Pass was truly “Free” it could have been obtained without requiring a Disney Theme Park ticket. As you are well aware, or should be, that was impossible.
Genie + and Individual Lightning Lane access are now separate costs, for those who want to buy the enhanced ride access.
Also nearly all perks have been withdrawn, All DVC member discounts have disappeared, tables in wonderland etc. Disney has always been expensive, but IMHO value for money, but now with Chepck in charge Disney has gone fully corporate, charging the absolute maximum for everything and providing little customer service. Disney has gone from being a company that was very customer focused, to just suppling share holder value. SAD