If you’ll be heading to Disney World for the holiday season in December, you can expect big crowds, all kinds of holiday snacks, and special Christmas time events. But what can you expect when it comes to flight costs?

We’ve tracked flight costs over the past several months to see whether prices are increasing or decreasing. So what does December look like? Let’s break it down so you know what to budget for your trip.

Our Method

Every month we look at the average cost to fly to Disney World from select airports within the U.S. on select airlines. Your preferred airline or airport might not be included, so just keep that in mind!

When it comes to dates, we typically look for flights that leave on a Thursday and return on a Monday. For December 2022, we picked a trip that left on December 8th and returned on December 12th. This wasn’t the cheapest weekend but was also wasn’t the most expensive weekend in the month, so it provided a nice middle ground.

The days around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as well as days at the very start of the month, were more expensive, so just keep that in mind. Note that we used Google Flights to pick these dates and based it on flights from JFK and LGA (New York) to MCO (Orlando).

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

• Your flight costs could vary dramatically depending on the airline you pick, the seats you buy, the dates you choose for your travels, and many other factors
• We used Google Flights to get our flight prices (except for flights from Southwest Airlines)
• Flight costs can change frequently
• Other fees and taxes might be due when booking
• For each “low” average cost, we looked for the least expensive departing and returning flights for that airline from that airport. For each “high” average cost, we looked for the most expensive departing and returning flights for each airline/airport.

• The departure times, layovers, and other things associated with these flights might not work with your plans
• We only picked “Wanna Get Away” tickets for Southwest Airlines whenever available
• We stuck to flights that arrive on the same day as their departure (when possible)
• All prices are for 1 individual

Now, let’s take a look at those flight costs.

New York (JFK or LaGuardia)

Southwest:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $324.96 from LGA
• Most expensive combination of flights: $655.95 from LGA

Delta:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $218 from LGA
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,614 from JFK

United: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $340 from LGA
• Most expensive combination of flights: $762 from LGA

American Airlines:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $253 from LGA
• Most expensive combination of flights: $788 from JFK

Spirit:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $107 from LGA
• Most expensive combination of flights: $430 from LGA

Los Angeles (LAX)

Southwest: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $545.97
• Most expensive combination of flights: $902.96

Delta:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $318
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,427

United:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $339
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,041

American Airlines: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $324 
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,278

Spirit:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $221
• Most expensive combination of flights: $717

Chicago O’Hare (ORD)

Southwest:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $338.96
• Most expensive combination of flights: $698.95

Delta:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $330
• Most expensive combination of flights: $793

United:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $242
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,211

American Airlines:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $238
• Most expensive combination of flights: $763

Spirit: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $110
• Most expensive combination of flights: $363

Dallas (Love Field – DAL, or Fort Worth – DFW)

Southwest:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $300.96 from DAL
• Most expensive combination of flights: $719.46 from DAL

Delta:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $318 from DFW
• Most expensive combination of flights: $1,378 from DAL

United: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $347 from DFW
• Most expensive combination of flights: $984 from DFW

American Airlines:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $333 from DFW
• Most expensive combination of flights: $853 from DFW

Spirit:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $138 from DFW
• Most expensive combination of flights: $758 from DFW

Atlanta (ATL)

Southwest: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $177.96
• Most expensive combination of flights: $529.96

Delta: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $288 
• Most expensive combination of flights: $718

United:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $394
• Most expensive combination of flights: $890

American Airlines:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $285
• Most expensive combination of flights: $893

Spirit:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $93
• Most expensive combination of flights: $651

Denver (DEN)

Southwest:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $484.96
• Most expensive combination of flights: $827.96

Delta:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $398
• Most expensive combination of flights: $938

United: 

• Cheapest combination of flights: $296
• Most expensive combination of flights: $971

American Airlines:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $256
• Most expensive combination of flights: $892

Spirit:

• Cheapest combination of flights: $231
• Most expensive combination of flights: $302

The Average Cost

When we average the low costs and high costs, it looks like the average cost to fly to Orlando in December (for the week we looked) is around $286.36 on the low end and $858.34 on the high end. Averaging those together it’s around $572.35.

So, how has that changed from what we’ve seen in recent months? Well, the lower-end cost is about $60 CHEAPER than what we saw in November and cheaper than what we saw in October, but it is more expensive than the lower-end average we saw in September.

When looking at the higher end, the average cost for December is almost $200 CHEAPER than what we saw in November and also cheaper than what we saw several months before that.

But what does this look like compared to the costs for December 2021? Compared to prices from a year ago, airfare costs are slightly UP on both the low and high end ($280.36 and $801.49 from December 2021 compared to $286.36 and $858.34 from December 2022).

Overall, compared to last month, prices are down, but compared to a year ago we’re still seeing increased costs.

Of course, plane costs, fuel costs, and other factors could change things in the coming weeks. And remember that we picked a week that was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive in the month (according to the Google Flights calendar we looked at). If you travel on different days, your flight costs could vary dramatically.

What Now?

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what a flight to Disney World in December 2022 will cost. So what should you do now?

If you’re hoping to travel during this particular week (or another time in December) and you think the average costs are within your budget, you might want to take a closer look at the flights and get booking. You can also utilize apps or websites like Google Flights to track the travel you’re looking to book to see whether the cost is low, typical, or high at this moment, and see when costs could drop.

Want more airfare booking tips? Check out our posts below:

• Our complete guide to booking the CHEAPEST flight to Disney World
• How to find the best flight deals on Skyscanner
• How to find the best airfare DEALS on Google Flights
• The secret app that can help you save BIG on flights

If you want to do some planning before your flight (or even on the plane!), check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining.

We’ve compiled all of our BEST tips and tricks from years of Disney World travel into one eBook that you can download to your tablet or smartphone and take with you!

We’re offering our readers 25% off with code WDW2022!

Are you flying to Disney World in December? Tell us in the comments!

The post How Flight Costs to Disney World Are CHANGING for December 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog.