Credit: DisneyThe dates have been revealed for a government-mandated sale at two Disney parks.
When “Disney” and “prices” appear in the same sentence, it’s usually for one reason and one reason only: things have become more expensive. From park tickets to merchandise and iconic Mickey Premium Bars, the cost of enjoying a Disney vacation has surged in recent years.
A one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom Park at Disney World, for example, will cost as much as $199 per person (yes, really) in 2025. To put that into context, the most expensive ticket pre-COVID was $159. Annual Passes have also soared, with the most expensive option priced at $1,295 before the pandemic and today’s premium pass – the Incredi-Pass – costing guests $1,549 (with rumors suggesting that these prices will be increasing again soon).
Even things that used to be free have become more expensive. Both Disneyland and Disney World replaced FastPass+ with Genie+, then Lightning Lanes, with the most expensive option (Lightning Lane Premium Pass) costing guests as much as $400 per person. Disneyland Paris has also gone all-in on a similar (but cheaper) system, Premier Access.
But it’s not all bad news. While sales at Disney parks are rare, they do happen—often when promotional items have run their course and need to clear out quickly. Take Wish (2023) merchandise, for instance. Shortly after the film’s release, plenty of items hit the sale racks, with discounts reaching up to 30%.
Walt Disney World Resort also tried to shift its 50th Anniversary Celebration merchandise in a similar way back in 2022 after it proved relatively unpopular with guests.
Winter Sales at Disney
Disney bargain hunters have more reason to celebrate in a few weeks, as one resort is rolling out a government-mandated sale.
According to DLP Report, Disneyland Paris will conduct sales across both of its parks – Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park – from January 8, 2025, with discounts running until at least February 4, 2025.
This comes as part of a program from the French government, which runs two official sales periods per year. Winter sales traditionally start on the second Wednesday of January at 8 a.m. (or the 1st Wednesday after January 12). Meanwhile, the summer sales usually start on the last Wednesday of June at 8 a.m. (or the Wednesday before if the last Wednesday of the month falls after June 28).
Stores are only allowed to sell items at a loss during these two periods (known as “les soldes”). The goal of both sales periods is to help stores clear out old inventory ahead of the new season. During the last sales period at Disneyland Paris, the parks sold items for up to 50% off.
There’s been some controversy around prices at Disneyland Paris lately. Last month, it introduced a new tiered dynamic pricing system for park tickets, with some guests outraged by the highest prices listed on the calendar due to the fact that guests are currently getting less for their money at the resort.
Walt Disney Studios Park is currently a maze of construction walls as it undergoes its transformation into Disney Adventure World – one that will see it introduce its own version of World of Frozen, a lake for nighttime spectaculars, a Tangled (2010) ride, and, eventually, an area inspired by The Lion King (1994).
Disneyland Park may be much less construction-stricken, but there are still walls up around the castle as the resort refurbishes Sleeping Beauty Castle’s stage.
It’s also still working on the new seating area for Casey’s Corner (a project that started in late 2023), while the park itself hasn’t received a new ride since Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast was added in 2006. (For context, that means that entire humans have been born, graduated high school, and started college in the time it’s taken Disneyland Paris to get a new attraction).
Do you plan on visiting Disneyland Paris in 2025?