Credit: Disney / CanvaEarlier this week, Disney shocked everyone by raising prices on nearly everything at its American theme park. While the prices were modest in relation to overall inflation, the headlines were extremely bad for Disney.
While Disney raised ticket, hotel, food, and souvenir prices, it also offered some of its deepest discounts for the remainder of this year and early 2026. That juxtaposition just doesn’t make sense: Why would Disney raise prices while at the same time offering deep discounts?
The reasoning behind Disney’s thinking reveals some of the larger issues the company faces at its theme park in 2026 and some of the larger problems facing the overall economy.
The headliner of Disney World’s price increases was that the top-tier price for a single day topped $200 for the first time in the park’s history. However, the key is that those prices are only for the times when Disney World is at its busiest.
Disney knows that holidays and spring break will continue to sell out, and guests tend to stay for extended trips during those busy time frames. However, the lowest-tier pricing has remained relatively steady over the last decade.
In 2015, a one-day Disney World single-park ticket cost $97. That same ticket will cost $119 in 2026. That’s a 22 percent increase over a decade, which is below the inflation rate over the last decade.
Theme park expert Don Munsil told CNN, “It’s been extremely rare for them to go for more than a year without raising the ticket prices. So for them, a very small raise that’s kind of more in line with inflation is almost like a non-raise.”
Disney keeping the lower-tier ticket prices the same in 2026 as in 2025 shows how low the crowds have recently been. Reports indicate that September had the lowest wait times at Disney World since before the pandemic.
These discounts also show that Disney World needs to fill hotel rooms. Disney World knows how many guests have booked for the 2026 Spring Break, and it’s not looking good. The discounts are Disney World’s hope that more people will jump on and spend their break at Disney World.
Next year will be difficult for Disney World, with construction taking over three of the four parks and very few new attractions opening in the coming year. These discounts show how desperate they are to get people in the parks and hotel rooms.
So, don’t pay attention to the price increases. Over the next year, Disney will continue to offer discounts that more than offset those increases. It could be the best time to book a trip, even with the construction and without any new attractions.
Are you concerned about Disney’s price increases, or are you planning to visit the parks anyway? Let us know in the comments.