If you thought a trip to Disney World was already expensive, just wait—prices have gone up at both Walt Disney World in Orlando and at Disneyland in California.
According to the Associated Press, “value” days at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will now cost $109 for adults and $103 for children, which is $2 increase. During non-value days, a visit to the park will cost $4 more, with prices now at $119 for adults and $113 for children. Want to go on a “peak” day, which is the busiest time of year? That’ll cost you $129 for adults and $123 for children—a $5 increase.
Visiting Disneyland instead? While the price of the value ticket remains the same, prices have increased even more there. A regular day at the California park will cost you $7 more and, during peak times, expect to pay $135, an increase of $11.
While the increases may not seem like that much, if a family of four wants to go to Disneyland around Christmas, that’s an extra $44 spent on tickets, which can for sure cut into your souvenir budget.
With new attractions on the way—like Pixar Fest, Disneyland After Dark and Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire—a price hike isn’t exactly shocking—but it can be to your wallet. If you can’t live without a trip to Disney, however, there are ways to save money in order to offset the cost of the ticket price. Check out these 7 tips:
1. Take Advantage of Value Days
Go on the value days when the tickets are the cheapest. Take a look at the 2018 calendar, which shows the dates for all three ticket prices. The value dates for 2018 are as follows:
- Jan. 8-11
- Jan. 16-19
- Jan. 21-26
- Jan. 28-31
- Feb. 1-2
- Feb. 5-9
- Feb. 12-15
- Feb. 26-28
- March 1-8
- April 23-27
- April 30
- May 1-3
- Aug. 27-31
- Sept. 4-6
- Sept. 10-13
- Sept. 17-20
- Sept. 24-27
- Oct. 1-4
- Oct. 29-31
- Nov. 1
- Nov. 12-15
- Nov. 26-29
2. Look Into Special Hotel Packages
Walt Disney World also has seasonal prices for its themed hotels. There are usually promotions offered during that particular hotel’s value season. A couple of these deals include:
- “Free Dining” package: This package means every member of a reservation for a Walt Disney World hotel and ticket package receives a free meal plan.
- Room-only discounts: You can get some some pretty good discounts if you book a Walt Disney World resort room during this promotion. While the promotions run throughout the year, they are mostly during January through March, May through August and September through December.
You could also look into staying at hotel that is off-site, as some are likely cheaper than those inside the park.
3. Stay Longer To Spend Less
Ticket prices also go down the more days you stay, so if you’re looking to save some cash when it comes to the actual ticket, make your trip longer! For example, if a one-day ticket cost $104 and you purchased a three-day ticket instead, your cost would be $101 instead. Able to stay for 10 days? It breaks down to only $44 a day!
4. Use Gift Cards
Buy discounted Disney gift cards at stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. A $500 Disney gift card from Sam’s Club will cost you $484, a savings of $16. While it might not seem like much, every penny adds up!
5. Get Thrifty Inside The Park
Once you’re at the park, there are some more things you can do to save some cash. Traveling Mom has multiple ideas on how you can conserve your spending money, like packing your own food and even buying your souvenirs from somewhere other than at the actual park.
6. Be Your Own Personal Photographer
It may be tempting to share a photo from your trip while you’re there, but you can avoid data charges if you connect to the park’s free WiFi network. And while you’re at it, skip the special photographer at the park. It can be enticing, but the costs can really add up and you can most likely get pretty good pictures yourself.
7. Earn Disney Rewards
If you’re a frequent visitor, it might also be worth opening up a Disney credit card. You’ll find two different choices through Chase bank, and each will give you rewards that can be used at Disney, along with dining and merchandise discounts.
Do you have any other tips on how to save money at the “most magical place on earth”?
About the Author
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Don't Waste Your Money, she also writes for Simplemost, where she covers new product and food launches and overall general news. You can email her at kaitlingateswrites@gmail.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/KaitlinGatesWrites. More.
