If there’s one thing Disney fans love almost as much as the parks themselves, it’s being honest about what’s actually worth spending money on and what’s just a very expensive lesson learned.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
We put the question to you over on Facebook about which Disney World upgrade you thought wasn’t quite worth the money, and you definitely had a lot of feelings. Here are six upgrades that you said you’d skip next time around.
We reached out to our followers on Facebook and Instagram to ask: “What’s one Disney World upgrade that sounds great but isn’t worth the money?” We had quite a few people leave their opinions in the comments!
What do you think?
Now, let’s go over some of your top responses!
Deluxe Resorts
First up, Philip made a point that a lot of people are probably thinking but afraid to say out loud:
“I might get flak for this, but besides the occasional splurge, deluxe resorts. don’t get me wrong, super nice and the upgrades are noticeable, but I’m there to sleep and shower. paying double or more didn’t seem worth it for our family. would rather have a room with access to the skyliner and extra money for souvenirs and food!”
Grand Floridian
And look, we get it. Deluxe resorts are stunning, but when you’re spending most of your time in the parks, you start doing the math in your head at check-in, and sometimes that math doesn’t always feel great. If a moderate resort gets you Skyliner access and a pile of extra spending money? That’s a real argument.
Park Hopper
Teresa is sticking to one park at a time, and she’s not apologizing for it:
“Definitely the park hopper. I’d rather take my time at 1 park and return another day on our visit if there is time. Our favorite trips our 6 days or more. With 4 days at the park and 2 days of swimming and activities at the resort/Disney Springs! Just enough time to enjoy the parks with a bit of downtime!”
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort pool
This is solid logic, honestly. If you’re rushing between parks all day, you’re probably exhausted and overstimulated and maybe missed half of what you paid to see. A longer trip with slower days might be the real flex here.
Upgraded Room Views
Victoria kept it short, and we respect that:
“Upgraded views. We’re in the parks. The only view in the room is the back of my eyelids. lol”
Balcony lagoon view
Honestly, this one is hard to argue with. For a lot of people, when you do Disney correctly, you’re barely in your room. You’re there to crash, charge your phone, and do it all again tomorrow. Paying a premium to stare at a specific view sounds lovely in theory, but in practice, most people might already be staring at the back of their eyelids by 9:30 PM.
The Dining Plan
Lulu had a more nuanced take:
“I’m not sure I ever paid for anything I didn’t feel I got my money out of. I probably won’t do the dining plan again simply because I think it takes effort to make it worth it, and I ate WAY more than I needed to, but I enjoyed the experience.”
Look for the Disney Dining Plan symbol!
The dining plan is one of those things that requires a lot of homework to actually work in your favor. You have to book the right restaurants, hit the right price points, which makes it feel kind of like a part-time job. For some people, that planning is half the fun. For others, it’s a lot of pressure on a vacation that’s already packed.
Dessert Parties
Christy got straight to the point:
“Dessert parties. You can see the fireworks anywhere.”
Fireworks Dessert Party
True. The fireworks at Magic Kingdom are visible from so many spots around the park, and the desserts, while fun, aren’t exactly a steal at their current price point. If you have little ones who need a guaranteed viewing spot, it might make sense. But for most people, a good spot in front of Cinderella Castle is free.
The Minnie Van
Finally, Samuel weighed in on Disney’s stylish rideshare option:
“The Minnie Van. It’s cute and convenient, but it’s also expensive and not worth it for my family anyways.”
Minnie Van
Cute? Absolutely. Worth the price tag for most families? That’s a harder sell when Disney’s own bus system gets you to the same place for free.
Minnie Van
Those were just some of the responses we got from you about Disney World upgrades that don’t always deliver on their promise. Now we want to hear from you. In the meantime, stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney news!
2 Replies to “We Won’t Lie. These 6 Disney World Upgrades Are NOT Worth It For Everyone”
I disagree on the view, to an extent. I have DVC at The Riviera and ALWAYS ask for a fireworks view room. It is just SO nice to leave the parks before the crush of crowds does, get back to the room to watch the fireworks from the room balcony, piping in the music from the TV, and then retire immediately after they are done.
Deluxe resorts for the most part are a location thing. Love being able to avoid the busses. They are way over priced for what you get anymore. When they first began they had watersporta or boat rentals, spas. You’d frequently see people playing tennis or basketball, just a resort like atmosphere. Now they’re pretty bare bones with minimum effort.
Park hopping is great if one park is just overly crowded that day or if it has limited dining options. Just pop over to another park to eat. I like the freedoms.
Room views are often to Disneys interpretation of what’s a preferred or park view and it’s very liberal. Been burned in that more than once.
Dining plan you barely break even. It’s way too much food and planning involved.
The Sweets and Seats dessert party is a great view but def not worth it for what you get for food and drinks. The other dessert parties I would never pay that much for the desserts they’re serving and to be led to a crowded area to stand and watch.
I disagree on the view, to an extent. I have DVC at The Riviera and ALWAYS ask for a fireworks view room. It is just SO nice to leave the parks before the crush of crowds does, get back to the room to watch the fireworks from the room balcony, piping in the music from the TV, and then retire immediately after they are done.
Deluxe resorts for the most part are a location thing. Love being able to avoid the busses. They are way over priced for what you get anymore. When they first began they had watersporta or boat rentals, spas. You’d frequently see people playing tennis or basketball, just a resort like atmosphere. Now they’re pretty bare bones with minimum effort.
Park hopping is great if one park is just overly crowded that day or if it has limited dining options. Just pop over to another park to eat. I like the freedoms.
Room views are often to Disneys interpretation of what’s a preferred or park view and it’s very liberal. Been burned in that more than once.
Dining plan you barely break even. It’s way too much food and planning involved.
The Sweets and Seats dessert party is a great view but def not worth it for what you get for food and drinks. The other dessert parties I would never pay that much for the desserts they’re serving and to be led to a crowded area to stand and watch.
Minnie vans, get an Uber or Lyft.