The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the increasing costs of visiting Disney World and Disneyland. When Walt Disney was initially developing the parks, he envisioned an “affordable playground for families, where visitors could imagine themselves entering the dreamlike world of Disney’s animated movies.”
Magic Kingdom
However, price increases and the reduction of complimentary services like the Magical Express and FastPass+ have made a Disney vacation out of reach for many people.
In late 2023, Disney World and Disneyland surveyed guests and found that there had been a downturn in guests who were planning return trips. While park attendance has grown slightly, it only increased by 1% in the fiscal year ending in September, compared to a 6% growth for the same time in the prior year.
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland
With the rising costs, it can be challenging for middle-class families to fit a Disney vacation into their budget. It quickly becomes a very expensive vacation when you start accounting for transportation, accommodations, tickets, add-ons, food, and souvenirs.
Hollywood Studios
In fact, the WSJ article highlights a family that was only able to afford Disney World due to a generous inheritance. The family stated that “there’s no way we could afford this from our savings alone.” As well, according to a survey by LendingTree, it was found that 45% of those who visited Disney with children went into debt to afford the trip.
Animal Kingdom
Although for many, the cost of a trip to Disney World is still worth it for the experience and memories, more and more people are feeling priced out by the increasing costs or simply don’t think the parks are worth the cost anymore.
EPCOT
However, Disney argues that its theme parks “are within financial reach for middle-class families and that it offers a range of price offerings for different products, as well as year-round promotions, to keep it that way.”
Disney California Adventure
If families are hoping to travel to Disney on a budget, they should take advantage of slower seasons with lower prices and consider which aspects of their vacation are most important. They could opt for off-site hotels or value resorts, skip purchasing the Lightning Lane services, and take advantage of discounts offered by Disney.
Magic Kingdom
In response to the Wall Street Journal article about increasing prices, Disney recently posted a blog post about the various Disney parks offers that visitors can take advantage of. The post highlights deals at Disney World, such as free water park admission, free dining plan, and hotel offers. At Disneyland, you can take advantage of a special kids ticket offer, Southern California resident ticket offers, and hotel offers.
Disney Springs
If you are looking for even more ways to save on your 2025 Disney World trip, make sure you check out our video that has new ways to save money:
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WE KNOW DISNEY.
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What deals and discounts do you take advantage of to save money on your Disney vacation? Let us know in the comments!
The post “No Way We Could Afford This From Our Savings Alone.” Americans Say They’re Going Into Debt for Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.
