These Disney World Splurges Are Not Family Friendly

Overwhelmed planning your next Disney World trip? You’re not alone.

There’s a lot that goes into it like choosing dates, grabbing park pass reservations, booking a hotel stay, and so much more. Luckily we’ve got plenty of guides and how-tos here at AllEars, but there is one factor you may not be considering when planning and budgeting for you trip!

Genie+, room upgrades, rideshares — what do they all have in common? These are extra expenses you can choose to purchase for your Disney World trip and they are NOT family-friendly (in some cases). These expenses can add up depending on how many people are in your group and they are much more budget-friendly to solo travelers or smaller groups.

That’s not to say that these splurges cannot be affordable for large groups — if one of these extra expenses is a must-have, it’s something you can budget in from the get-go. So let’s dive deeper into these expenses to see just how much they would cost a smaller group versus a larger group!

Genie+

Genie+ is Disney’s skip-the-line service that allows you to book Lightning Lane reservations to expedite your wait time. However, Genie+ comes at a cost, unlike its predecessor called FastPass, and the price fluctuates depending on the day.

Genie+ used to be a set price of $15 until October 2022 — as of the writing of this post, you’ll be able to buy Genie+ from $15-$29 per person per day. So let’s say your group was headed to Disney World for a holiday trip in December with Genie+ being at the highest price we’ve seen so far, $29.

A group of 2 would be paying $58 for the day to skip the lines at some attractions. But, if you’re traveling with a group of 6, you would be paying $174 per day to use Genie+.

On top of Genie+, there is Individual Attraction Selection which is available at one popular ride in each park. With this service, you are essentially buying a skip-the-line pass for one attraction — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom ($10-$12), Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom ($13-$16), Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios ($15-$25), and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT ($14-$17).

If you want Genie+ AND want to buy an Individual Attraction Selection, it can seriously add up. Before heading to Disney World, decide if Genie+ is something your group wants to use on the vacation.

Preferred Rooms

Another splurge that applies to anyone staying at a Disney World hotel is paying for preferred rooms. Disney World value, moderate, and deluxe resorts have gone up in price over the past few years, but on top of that, you can upgrade your room.

Preferred rooms can be anything from room location to the view, but they come at a cost. When you have a bigger group, you’ll already be spending more on a hotel room — with a group of 6, you would need two hotel rooms or a suite which will cost more than if 2 people booked a hotel room.

Moana-themed room at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

The cost will depend on the hotel, the dates, and the type of room you want to upgrade to — price everything out when planning and see which option would best suit your group and budget.

Rideshare

Have you ever been running late to a dining reservation? Or you saw the Disney bus line at your hotel in the morning and thought “no, thank you”? This is where using rideshare at Disney World comes into play.

Disney offers free transportation with the buses, boats, Monorail, and Skyliner, but sometimes taking a rideshare is the easier or quicker option. However, this is another splurge that can add up over time.

For example, here’s a look at the prices for a quick trip from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. An Uber X that fits 4 people costs $13.93 while an Uber XL that fits 6 people costs $21.80. The price varies by time of day, but this is a general look at the price difference between Uber’s options.

There is also a service run by Lyft and Disney called Minnie Vans, but these come at a pretty high price tag. Although the Minnie Vans keep you immersed in the Disney magic, they are much more expensive than a typical rideshare. We compared the same trip as above on Lyft and it would cost $49.35 for 6 people.

It’s ultimately up to you to decide which splurges are worth it or not, however some splurges may not be worth the cost with a large group due to the high price tag. For more tips for your next Disney World trip, stay tuned to AllEars!