How Do the Cheapest Theme Parks in the Country Compare to Disney World? The Answers May Shock You!

When it comes to budget-friendly theme parks, Disney World isn’t one you might typically think is very high on the list.

Disney World can be expensive — there’s no sugar-coating it. If you’re a theme park fan and are curious about how Disney World pricing compares to some of the cheapest theme parks in the country, this post will break that down for you. Theme parks can be fun AND budget friendly — you just have to know where to go!

We took a look at statistics provided by HometoGo, which looked at prices for tickets, parking, and accommodations to determine the most affordable parks for 2023. Some of the parks they ranked were outside of the United States, so for this post, we’ll just focus on those in the U.S.

Ticket Prices

First, we’ll take a look at single-day ticket prices alone. A standard park ticket to Disney World in 2023 starts at $109, and that does not include parking or accommodation costs. Note that this is just a starting price for 1-day, 1-park tickets. Disney World tickets vary in price depending on the date you’ll be visiting and for 1-day, 1-park tickets they also vary on the park you’ll be visiting.

This study listed the entry price for Disney World’s theme parks a bit higher — $144 for Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, $154 for Hollywood Studios, and $159 for Magic Kingdom. That does focus mainly on the higher side of the ticket price ranges in terms of 1-day tickets.

When you use those numbers, Disney World’s theme parks are toward the bottom of the list in terms of affordability. Out of the theme parks listed above that are within the U.S., Tropic Falls at OWA in Alabama has the cheapest daily ticket rates at $26.99.

Following that (and all above Disney World’s theme parks) are Quassy Amusement Park, various Six Flags parks, the Peppa Pig Theme Park, Fun Spot America in Orlando, LEGOLAND, and even Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.

In terms of pure ticket pricing, it takes QUITE a while before you get to any of the Disney World theme parks on that list.

Parking

But what about parking? Parking at Disney World’s theme parks is $25 per day typically. Some parks, however, like Fun Spot America Orlando or Tropic Falls at OWA don’t charge for their parking at all. That’s a significant savings.

Disney World wasn’t too far down on this list though. While some spots — like DollyWood (parking is $22.80) are ahead of it, other parks charge MORE for their parking than Disney World does. 

Universal Studios Florida ($30), Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ($30), SeaWorld San Diego ($35), and others were MORE expensive than Disney World when it comes to parking costs.

Accommodations

As far as nightly accommodations go, stays at Disney World can be quite pricey. But interestingly enough, if you look at the pricing of “nearby accommodations” according to this study, you can find some really cheap spots in Orlando it seems.

The study actually ranked Magic Kingdom at the top in terms of cheap nearby accommodations. But that was followed by things like Six Flags Darien Lake in New York with nearby accommodations with costs as low as $26.54 per night.

Again, this is just for “nearby accommodations” not accommodations ON property at Disney World — that’s why there’s such a big difference in the pricing there compared to what you might have seen when searching for a Disney World hotel for your own trip.

Staying off property is a big way to save money when planning a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth. But it isn’t the only way to save on hotel stays. You could look at things like the Disney Springs hotels (which offer great Disney World benefits with cheaper prices) or discounts and deals offered by Disney at various times throughout the year.

Total Cost

Finally, let’s take a look at total cost — this seems to factor in the previous items we mentioned and give these theme parks an overall affordability score. Six Flags Darien Lake takes the prize here as the most affordable theme park. In the U.S., that is followed by Fun Spot America Orlando, Tropic Falls at OWA, and some other places.

In terms of overall rank, Universal’s Islands of Adventure was 30th while Magic Kingdom was 32nd. Universal Studios Florida followed in 33rd place, and then a bit later we get to Animal Kingdom (36th), EPCOT (36th), and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (43rd).

ALLLLLLLL the way at the bottom of the list was Universal Studios Hollywood in 44th place, but Disney’s own Hollywood Studios in Florida wasn’t far above that in 43rd place. And Disney California Adventure Park as well as Disneyland Park were just above that in 41st place (tie).

So there you have it! Some of these theme park tickets, parking fees, and accommodation prices COMBINED still aren’t as expensive as a theme park ticket alone at Disney World. But, you do have to consider what is included in your ticket to Disney World — as well as the quality of service and entertainment that you are looking for. That can vary a lot depending on what spots you’re looking at.

When determining where to travel to, it’s about more than crunching the numbers. You’ll have to research tickets at each of the theme parks and see if the value of the ticket competes with Disney World’s value.

What do you think? Is Disney where you expected it to be in terms of affordability? Do you think that Disney World is worth the cost? Tell us in the comments.

When it comes to affordability and Disney World, check out some of our posts below for more details:

• CEO Bob Iger Was Reportedly “Alarmed by Increases in Prices” at the Disney Parks
• Disney World Ticket Prices Are INCREASING in 2024 — Here’s a FULL Breakdown
• The CHEAPEST Days to Go to Disney World in 2024
• How to Eat at Disney World On ANY Budget

We’ll continue to keep you updated with any and all Disney news and updates! Make sure to follow along for more.

Looking for more theme park news? Click here to check out some happenings at Universal Orlando

Have you been to any of the theme parks featured in the above statistics? Let us know about your experience in the comments! 

Comments (1)