Going to Disney World can be EXPENSIVE, and if you’ll be traveling during that period of time around Thanksgiving and Christmas, things can get even pricier!

2021 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

That period of time also happens to be exactly when the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays takes place (of course!). But you want to check out the festival-themed snacks, the cookie stroll, and the holiday storytellers! So how do you do the Festival of the Holidays on the CHEAP? We’ve got just the information for you!

Today we’re breaking down the CHEAPEST days to go to the Festival of the Holidays in 2022!

Festival of the Holidays Basics

First, let’s start with details about WHEN the Festival of the Holidays takes place. These dates can vary from year to year, but in 2022, the Festival of the Holidays will take place from November 25h through December 30th, 2022.

Norway Storytellers

During the Festival, you’ll be able to grab all kinds of unique treats at the food booths (including one spot that is new in 2022), go on a cookie stroll, check out unique entertainment (including an appearance by Santa), and watch the classic Candlelight Processional.

Again, the Festival takes place during some of the most expensive days of the year (in terms of the Disney calendar), so how can you beat the high costs and do this festival on the cheap? Let’s look.

Click here to see everything that is confirmed to return to the 2022 Festival!

Ticket Prices

One of the ways you can go to the Festival of the Holidays for cheaper is by going on dates when the ticket prices are the cheapest. Disney World operates on a date-based system for ticket prices, meaning ticket costs vary by date depending on expected demand.

For our analysis, we looked at 1-day tickets that allow entry into 1 park for the day. Ticket prices will obviously vary depending on what ticket type you pick, but this should give you a sense of what dates are on the lower end in terms of cost.

The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays!

The single CHEAPEST day (in terms of park tickets) to visit the Festival of the Holidays is actually Thursday, December 8th. This is the only day between November 25th and December 30th that is priced at $134 for a single-day ticket. All the other tickets are more expensive. So if you’re really hoping to go on the cheapest day possible, that might be your best bet.

Next up would be the days that are priced at $139. These are: November 28th, 29th, and 30th; and December 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th.

©Disney

The next cheapest price for single-day tickets is $140. Tickets at that price are available on December 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th.

©Disney

Beyond those dates, prices just go up. You’ll find tickets for $147 per day, $149 per day, $154 per day, and $159 per day (which is the most expensive cost).

If you stick to one of the dates above, you can at least get the least expensive single-day ticket for EPCOT during this time, which will then let you enjoy the Festival.

Here’s an overview of the CHEAPEST ticket dates:

• November 28th — $139
• November 29th — $139
• November 30th — $139
• December 1st — $139
• December 5th — $139
• December 6th — $139
• December 7th — $139
• December 8th — $134
• December 12th — $140
• December 13th — $140
• December 14th — $140
• December 15th — $140

WOW

If you’ll be going for more than one day and will be purchasing a multi-day ticket, consider placing the dates of your trip within the lower-cost dates noted above. Be sure to play around with that ticket start date to get the best deal possible.

For example, a 4-day ticket (1 park per day) starting on November 25th was priced at $515 per ticket; while the 4-day ticket starting on December 5th was $504.95 per ticket. It might not seem like a big difference but those $10 can add up.

Click here to read about the cheapest days to visit Disney World in 2023

Disney World Hotels

If you’ll be staying at a Disney World hotel, those generally follow the same indications as Disney World tickets when it comes to price. The cost of a hotel stay varies by date, with “peak” (or more popular) dates priced higher.

So, generally, if park tickets are priced higher on a particular date, you can expect the hotels to similarly be priced higher on that same date.

Snowmen!

BUT hotels present the unique situation of featuring their own internal ranks of pricing (value, moderate, and deluxe) and the risk of cheaper hotels getting booked up. So, if for example, all of the rooms at a Disney World value hotel have been booked for a particular date (albeit a date with cheaper tickets on the ticket calendar), you may be “stuck” staying at a moderate or deluxe resort which will naturally be more expensive.

In other words, things can vary a bit more on this front. So we took a look at some hotel stays to get a better feel for just what prices look like. We looked exclusively at 1-night stays for 2 adults, but keep in mind that your price might be different if you stay for longer or stay with more guests.

November Dates

First, we looked at some November dates. For a one-night stay on November 28th (1-day ticket priced at $139), the cheapest rooms available were the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort for $124, followed by Disney’s All-Star Music Resort for $142.

On November 29th (1-day ticket price: $139), prices were similar with the Campsites at Fort Wilderness at $92 and All-Star Music at $142. Hotel prices for November 30th (1-day ticket price: $139) were similar — $92 at the Campsites, $142 at All-Star Music.

Broadway Street at Disney’s All-Star Music

Compare that to other dates in November and you can see a big difference. On November 26th for example (1-day ticket price: $159), the cheapest hotel price was $543 for a 1-night stay at Disney’s Old Key West Resort!

Overall, the dates in November with the cheapest 1-night stays were:

• November 27th — $92 at Campsites, $153 at All-Star Music
• November 28th — $124 at Campsites, $142 at All-Star Music
• November 29th — $92 at Campsites, $142 at All-Star Music
• November 30th — $92 at Campsites, $142 at All-Star Music

Interestingly, November 27th had some lower hotel prices though the 1-day ticket for that date is priced at $149 (a bit on the higher end for our particular date range).

December Dates

When it comes to December, again you could see some big differences in prices, and the ticket prices can help guide you to the best deals. The cheapest rooms for a 1-night stay on December 5th (1-day ticket priced at $139) were The Campsites at $121 and All-Star Music at $160.

A 1-night stay on December 8th (1-day ticket priced at $134 — the CHEAPEST during this season) would cost you $121 at the Campsites, but the next best available was Coronado Springs Resort at $285 (it seems the value resorts are all full on this date).

Gran Destino

Ticket prices can give you a good indication of what days might be particularly expensive. For example, a stay on December 9th (1-day ticket price: $149) is $608 at the cheapest for a room at Disney’s Old Key West Resort (again, it seems cheaper rooms have filled up).

Here’s a breakdown of the CHEAPEST 1-night hotel stays in December at a Disney World hotel based on availability as of November 1st, 2022:

• December 1st — Campsites: $92 (but the next available after that is Port Orleans Resort French Quarter at $327)
• December 4th — Campsites: $121; All-Star Sports: $160
• December 5th — Campsites: $121; All-Star Music: $160
• December 6th — Campsites: $121; All-Star Movies: $160
• December 7th — Campsites: $121; All-Star Music: $160
• December 8th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is Coronado Springs at $285)
• December 11th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is All-Star Music at $192)
• December 12th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is All-Star Movies at $192)
• December 13th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is All-Star Movies at $192)
• December 14th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is All-Star Movies at $192)
• December 15th — Campsites: $121 (but the next available after that is All-Star Music at $192)
• December 18th — Campsites: $165 (but the next available after that is All-Star Movies at $236)
• December 19th — Campsites: $165 (but the next available after that is All-Star Music at $236)

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Ticket + Hotel Combinations

Based on these numbers, some of the cheapest combinations of tickets + hotel would be at the Campsites.

If you’re not about that camping life, however, the cheapest combination would be for the following dates: November 28th, 29th, or 30th. 1-day tickets on these days are $139, while stays at an All-Star Resort are $142 on each of those dates, bringing that total to around $281 for one day.

The next cheapest combination would likely be December 5th, 6th, or 7th, where tickets are $139 but hotel stays at the All-Star Resorts are a little more expensive, at $160 per night — bringing the total to $299 for one day.

All-Star Movies

If you go to December 12th, 13th, 14th, or 15th, you’re looking at $140 for 1-day tickets and All-Star Resort stays at $192, bringing the total for 1 day to $332.

Click here to see our list of the BEST Disney World hotels for 2023

Genie+

When it comes to Disney Genie+ (Disney’s replacement services for FastPass+), the cost of the services now varies by date. The cost of Individual Lightning Lanes also varies by date, ride, and park.

Though it’s not an exact tie, generally speaking, you can expect Genie+ prices to be higher on peak-demand days. Meaning, if ticket prices are higher on that date, there’s a higher chance that Genie+ (and some Individual Lightning Lanes) will be more expensive.

Disney Genie

For example, Genie+ has been priced at $22 4 times between October 12th and November 1st. These were the ticket prices on those dates:

• October 15th, 2022 — Genie+ cost: $22; Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance: $22; 1-day ticket price: $154
• October 17th, 2022 — Genie+ cost: $22; Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance: $22; 1-day ticket price: $139 (this is a unique one where the ticket price was NOT that high, so it just goes to show that things can vary — keep that in mind)
• October 22nd — Genie+ cost: $22; Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance: $22; 1-day ticket price: $154
• October 29th — Genie+ cost: $22; Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance: $22; 1-day ticket price: $154

With the exception of October 17th, all of the other most expensive Genie+ days were also tied to some higher ticket prices. But, again, it’s not a perfect match.

Genie+ has been priced at $20 on several days over the past month (with the Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance generally priced at $20 on those same days). Ticket prices for those days have varied, with some priced at $139 and others priced at $149.

Genie+ can vary in price based on demand

Still, generally, if you visit on a day with lower ticket prices, you put yourself in a better position to get lower Genie+ prices and Individual Lightning Lane prices, though it’s not guaranteed.

Click here to see 7 things we’ve learned after using Genie+ for a full year

Price Increases

And finally, you might be worried about price increases and how that could impact your trip. Disney World has seen a number of price increases over the years. In October of 2022, we saw HUNDREDS of food prices increase, and cost increases on everything from photo shoots to the lightsaber-building experience.

Generally speaking, the prices you’ll pay for snacks at the Festival of the Holidays food booths or Festival of the Holidays merchandise will remain the same throughout the season, so there’s no real way to visit during a time when items are “cheaper.” The main exception would be if price increases hit those items.

Festival of the Holidays Merchandise 2021

This past year, we saw big food price increases in January and October. We also saw some sneaky ticket price increases put into effect in February for 2022 tickets and June for 2023 tickets. Whether we’ll see more increases remains to be seen.

But, in case it serves as any indication, our friends over at AllEars track historical Disney ticket price increases. According to their data, there have been around 3 ticket price increases in November and 5 in December. That might indicate that November could be a “cheaper” month to visit with a lower risk of being hit by price increases.

2021 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays Cookie Stroll Jar

If you’re worried about how a ticket price increase specifically could make your trip more expensive, our advice is to buy your tickets well in advance. That’ll allow you to “lock in” the current rate, so you won’t get impacted by any future increases when it comes to tickets specifically.

We planned the CHEAPEST trip in Disney World history

And those are our tips for arranging the CHEAPEST visit to the Festival of the Holidays in 2022.

Before you head to Disney World for the holiday season, you need the perfect holiday look — that’s where our DFB Exclusive shirts come in!

Main Street Christmas Sweatshirt

We’ve got designs the whole family can wear! Plus, they’re exclusive to the DFB shop so they’re not something you’ll find in the parks or anywhere else.

Click here to grab our holiday (and other Disney-themed) shirts!

Want to make sure you CONQUER the holiday season in Disney World? Pick up our DFB Guide to the Holidays! It has all kinds of details about events you can’t miss, tips for avoiding crowds on the busiest days, and more. It’ll be your go-to for all things holidays in Disney World.

Go Into the Holiday Season Prepared!

And it’s digital so you can carry it around with you EVERYWHERE!

Click here to make the holiday guide yours!

Are you going to the Festival of the Holidays this year? Tell us in the comments!

The post The CHEAPEST Time to Go to the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays in 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog.