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Credit: Inside The MagicA Disney World vacation can be expensive. There really is nothing new there.
Related: Sticker Shock! Disney World’s 2025 Prices Have an Unpleasant Surprise
However, guests already know this simple fact heading into their Walt Disney World vacation. They also know that Disney can trick you into paying more.
When you arrive at the Disney Resort, you no longer need a physical form of payment. You can make all your purchases at the Walt Disney World Resort simply by tapping your wrist.
The true shock doesn’t come until you check out of your Disney Resort Hotel and get your final bill. It’s only then that Disney guests truly understand how expensive their vacation really was.
Related: It’s the Money! There’s a Valid Reason Disney World is Empty
For one Disney guest, the experience ruined his life in the real world. He spent so much on his Disney vacation that he’s been forced to cut back on everything in his life, ruining his mental health.
Frank Olito returned from his Disney trip in August with a $3,000 bill he couldn’t afford. He wrote an Op-Ed in Business Insider to talk about all the sacrifices he’s had to make to pay for his Disney World vacation.
He created what he called “Stay-at-home September” to help make up for the money he lost at Disney World. Olito vowed not to eat out, go out for drinks, or have food delivered to his house for the entire month.
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His Disney vacation will strip him of all opportunities to socialize, which Olito worries will damage his mental health. He wrote:
As an introverted extrovert, I get a lot of my energy from being with people and hanging out with friends. I’m worried that staying home for most of the month will make me feel isolated and left out.
But even after all the sacrifices Olito has made for his Disney World trip, he still thinks it was worth it. Like most Disney fans, he’s willing to pay any price for a trip to Central Florida.
The Walt Disney Company knows this mentality isn’t novel among the Disney adult crowd. The company knows that no matter how high the expenses get, a diehard segment of fans will sacrifice anything for that Disney trip, even the depression that comes afterward.
This would help explain why, despite a decline in attendance in 2024, Disney raised prices across the board in 2025.
The decline in attendance has not led to a decrease in revenue. Disney is charging more to fewer people so that its parks remain profitable.
There seems to be no limit to what Disney fans will pay or the anxiety they will experience during a Disney World trip. But every Disney adult has their limit.
Have you reached your financial breaking point at Disney World yet?