Credit: Disney If you want to dine with Santa Claus at Walt Disney World Resort over the holidays, be prepared to pay a premium.
The holidays are expensive no matter where you spend them, but at Disney, the price tag climbs even higher as Mickey Mouse’s magic collides with the season’s festivities. As thousands of guests rush to Orlando to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, they can expect a slew of upcharges that take an already costly vacation to new heights.
For example, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – which runs at Magic Kingdom Park on select nights through November and December – will set you back $169 to $229 per ticket. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Jollywood Nights costs $159 to $199 per person.
While EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays is free, it also comes with its own array of upcharges. Those hoping to secure a seat to see their favorite celebrities recount the Christmas story at the Candelight Processional will need to pay anywhere between $41 and $110 for a dining package.
Disney Restaurant Charging $200 for Santa Claus Dining Experience
Disney has also announced another costly upcharge for those wanting to meet Santa Claus over dinner.
The Cake Bake Shop at Disney’s BoardWalk will charge adults $200 and kids $150 for its Dinner with Santa event, which takes place on November 18, November 25, December 2, and December 9.
This comes with a three-course dinner that starts with Champagne and cocktails (for adults, of course), an hors d’oeuvre, entrée (roasted chicken, beef bourguignon, or roasted leek pasta), and a seasonal dessert.
For kids, the entrée menu consists of homemade chicken tenders, cavatappi pasta and cheese, or cheeseburger sliders.
Guests can enjoy up to three drinks during their visit, plus take home a photo with Santa Claus (downloaded through Disney PhotoPass) and a gift.
Notably, The Cake Bake Shop isn’t actually owned by Disney. For that reason, you can’t book your table through the regular Disney reservations system. Instead, you’ll need to fill out the form on the Cake Bake Shop website. Gift cards also aren’t accepted.
The Cake Bake Shop has a reputation for high prices. First opened in 2024, it caused controversy by charging a whopping $23 for a slice of cake. Customers were even more frustrated to discover that the prices were significantly higher than other Cake Bake Shop locations not on Disney property.
In the wake of the backlash, the restaurant surprised everyone by lowering some of its prices. The eggs Benedict, for example, dropped from $23 to $19.99, while a baguette went from $12 to $8.99.
Where Else Can I Meet Santa at Disney World in 2025?
If you’re hoping to meet Santa at Disney over the holidays but don’t feel like paying $200 to do so, the good news is that you can actually meet him for free in several locations.
While the exact details for the 2025 season have yet to be confirmed, you can typically find him at Santa’s Marketplace near Disney’s Pin Traders in Disney Springs. Guests are required to join a virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app to meet Santa at this location, and there is no standby queue available.
Santa will pop up in EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall during this year’s Festival of the Holidays, while several pavilions in World Showcase feature “Storytellers” who represent the respective country’s version of Santa Claus. For example, you’ll find Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, Père Noël in France, and Barn Santa in Norway.
In 2024, Santa Claus was available for meet-and-greets at Restaurantosaurus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. While the quick-service restaurant is still open, huge areas of DinoLand U.S.A. are currently under construction to become Tropical Americas, so it’s unclear whether he’ll return in 2025.
Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Santa was available at It’s a Wonderful Shop on Grand Avenue last year. Of course, this store has now closed as the area is transformed into a new Monsters, Inc. land, so we’ll also have to wait and see whether Santa is relocated accordingly.
In the past, Santa Claus has popped up at Blizzard Beach during the festive season. Whether or not that is the case for 2025 remains to be seen.
You can also find him in Storybook Circus during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (although this obviously also comes with the paywall of a ticket). Santa passes through the park during Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, which also runs at Magic Kingdom during regular park hours after the party has wrapped up for the season.
Do you plan on attending Dinner with Santa at The Cake Bake Shop?