A NEW Hotel Tax Increase Could Impact Your Next Disney World Trip

If you’re like us, you’re carefully considering your budget when you’re booking your Disney World trip. You might even make lists like we do of how much tickets are going to cost, as well as how much you need for food (the biggest part of our budget) and souvenirs.

However, you’ll also have to consider the price of the hotel you book. A lot goes into the pricing of hotel rooms, and prices can vary depending on when you stay. Now, though, a new proposed tax could make that stay a little bit more expensive.

According to The Orlando Business Journal, a new proposal is seeking to increase Orange County’s hotel tax rate to help fund transportation and infrastructure within the county. The idea is to create a new stream of revenue to support tourism while also taking some of the tax burden away from locals.

The proposed increase is a pretty big one, too. It would take the Orange County tourist development tax from 6% to as much as 10%. This would, however, generate $60 million per percentage point per year. Counties with an existing hotel tax could add just 1 to 2% to their existing tax rate for funds earmarked exclusively for transportation and infrastructure projects in high-tourism areas.

Florida residents, though, would be exempt from paying the tax. Note that this is just a proposal, and the new tax rate requires Florida Legislature approval. Those who support the new tax are trying to get it in place within the next two years.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, the tax you pay when you book a hotel in Orange County would probably increase. That could be something you would need to account for in your travel budget.