Sticker Shock! Disney's 2025 Prices Have an Unpleasant Surprise

With the release of Disney World’s 2025 room reservations, excitement builds toward your next Disney trip. Without even thinking about it, guests book their Walt Disney World vacation, and the anticipation takes over any rational thought.

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However, when it comes time to check out, the reality starts to set in. It’s at that moment you realize Disney World has drastically raised its ticket prices for 2025.

Like the sun rising in the East, the Walt Disney World Resort will undoubtedly increase the price of its tickets and rooms. However, after a year that saw a dramatic decline in theme part attendance, one would think that The Walt Disney Company would have given its fanbase a break and a reason to head to a Disney park.

With mainstream news sites like CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times writing about families being priced out of a Disney World vacation, it would’ve given Disney pause to at least keep Disney World ticket prices at the same rate as 2024. Instead, they doubled down on their price increase.

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The Walt Disney World Resort raised guests’ costs across the board. The average daily ticket cost went up between $5 and $10, depending on the theme park and the time of year.

In the busier months, like March/April and September, the ticket prices jumped by more than $25 per day. Disney did not release its 2025 prices beyond October, so we don’t know how much the prices will increase for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Beyond just the Disney World ticket prices, Disney also raised prices on everything else. Room rates increased by three to seven percent, and some deluxe resorts increased by 10 percent.

The cost for a week’s vacation for a family of four at a Disney Deluxe Resort with tickets and the Disney Dining Plan increased by nearly $1,000.

These price increases also don’t include some of the “extras” that have become necessary for a Walt Disney World vacation. For a weeklong stay, Disney increased the price of its Park Hopper option by $30.

In the grand scheme of a Disney vacation, $30 isn’t much, and when combined with all the other price increases, it starts to add up and become a problem for families.

Related: It’s the Money! There’s a Valid Reason Disney Parks are Empty

These increases don’t include the cost of a day’s Lightning Lane pass, which could add up to $120 a day or $840 a week for a family of four.

Undoubtedly, Disney will raise the prices for its Lightning Lane passes, further making a Disney World vacation unaffordable for some people. 

So, despite the pressure to lower prices, Walt Disney World went in the opposite direction, raising the cost further. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way.

How have price increases changed your Disney World vacations?