NEWS: Disney World Raises Prices for Tickets, Parking & More – Multi-Day Tier Pricing Coming

Ticket prices at Disney World have gone up along the the cost of parking, locker rental and Minnie Van service. Increases were made across a variety of different tickets and passes. While Disney World tends to make price adjustments to their tickets at least once per year, this time around Disney World has also announced they are expanding date based tiered pricing beyond one day tickets. Changes went into effect February 11, 2018. More details below.

Two years ago Disney World introduced tiered ticket pricing with one-day admission costing more or less at different times of the year depending on historic crowd levels. Citing the very low percentage of guests that purchase one day tickets and their efforts spread crowds evenly throughout the year, Disney will extend tier based pricing to multi-day tickets as well later in 2018.

A Magic Kingdom one-day ticket for mid-tier dates is changing from $115 to $119. Premium season Magic Kingdom tickets will jump from $124 to $129.

One-day ticket prices at the other three parks will see changes to all three tiers. Premium season tickets increase from $119 to $122. Mid-tier tickets increase from $107 to $114. Value season tickets will increase from $99 to $102 dollars.

For multi-day, Magic Your Way tickets, the three day base ticket prices have increased from $303 to $305. Prices for 4-10 day base tickets will increase $12 to $25 depending on how many days you purchase. For help understanding how Magic Your Way Tickets work click here)

The Park Hopper option will remain a flat fee of $75 regardless of how many days your ticket includes.

Annual pass prices increased $70 for the Platinum Pass and $80 for the Platinum Plus pass.

Florida Resident Annual Pass prices jumped $20 for the Silver Pass, $30 for the Gold Pass and $50 for the Platinum Pass  and $60 for the Platinum Plus Pass.

All price examples above are for adult tickets and do not include tax. Tickets for children under 9 will see similar increases.

In addition to ticket prices, parking prices are increasing as well. Parking fees for guests not staying on Disney property have gone up from $20 to $22. Locker rentals appear to have increased $1.

Prices for Disney’s Minnie Van service have gone up as well from $20 to $25. For more information on Minnie Van, click here.

REALTED ARTICLE: Money Savers: Top Ten Money Saving Tips for a Disney World Vacation

By Paula Kennedy

A Walt Disney World vacation is not cheap, and many families assume that the trip of a lifetime is out of reach because of the cost. That does not need to be the case. Here are ten tips to help you save money on a Disney World holiday. You just might be surprised by how affordable your dream vacation can be.

10 – Bundle

You can often save quite a bit of money by bundling together several different needs. You might pay less for airfare, hotel, and car rental if you buy them together than you would pay if you purchase each separately. You can also bundle together the things that you’re looking for at Disney World. You can purchase a Magic Your Way Package that includes your room, theme park tickets, and other services that you will want while you’re there. Make sure you don’t order things that you don’t really need, even if it seems like a good deal. It is possible to add too much to your bundle or package.

9 – Wait for Free Dining

The Disney Dining Plan allows guests who stay at a Disney World Resort hotel a chance to include their meals in their package. Sometimes the Quick Service Plan is included for free. The plan will give each member of your party two counter service meals and one snack per day. There are no set dates, but traditionally the free Disney Dining Plan is offered in the fall, and it is announced several months in advance. There are plenty of requirements that need to be met for free dining, and Disney could discontinue the program at any time. Free dining is so popular that many families plan their vacations around the offer.

8 – Buy One Annual Pass

Annual Passes are not cheap, but they come with lots of benefits. For some families it makes sense to purchase an Annual Pass for one member, and then everyone can take advantage of it. Some of the benefits are free theme park parking, merchandise discounts, free Memory Maker, discounted dining at some restaurants (mostly outside of the parks), special activities savings, and more. The Passholder needs to be present in order to use the benefits. The amount saved could be worth the price. Read our article 11 Reasons You, Yes You, Should Get an Annual Pass.

7 – Use a Travel Agent

Don’t assume that doing it all yourself will save money, or that a travel agent will cost you more money (100% untrue). Booking your trip through a travel agent can actually help you to save. Travel agents know where to find deals and what the current Disney sales are, and will pass those savings along to you. They know the best times of year to travel, when to book the flight, and how to pay less for the hotel. He or she will know many tricks of the trade that the general public won’t know about. Best of all, they get paid by Disney so your price is the same if you book with them or Disney direct (and then someone else does all the work)!

We highly recommend booking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner to ensure you are well taken care of and get all the discounts available to you. We personally book all our Disney trips (and we do Disney a lot) with Magical Vacation Planners because they are the best and we trust them. For more details and help booking your vacation, call 407-442-0227. You can also get a no obligation, FREE vacation quote by clicking here.  Their services are free to you and they can answer any questions you may have.

6 – Skip Park Hopper

Park Hopper is a great option that you can add onto your ticket. With it you can enter more than one park per day while you’re at Walt Disney World. The problem with Park Hopper is that it is expensive, especially if you’re traveling with a large group. It can add hundreds of dollars onto your ticket costs. Don’t purchase Park Hopper unless you’re sure that you’re going to use it. If you don’t buy it and realize that you want it, you can always add it once you’re at Walt Disney World.

5 – Limit Souvenirs

It is all too easy to overspend on souvenirs. You might not even think twice about pulling out your credit card or swiping your MagicBand, because you’re on vacation. You don’t want to be hit with a huge credit card bill once you return home, so set a souvenir budget. Limit each member of your family to one T-shirt per park, and one set of Mickey Ears. One great way to make sure that you don’t overspend is to buy Disney Gift Cards and use those for souvenirs. Give one card to each child, or use one per day. Also, buy your souvenirs at the end of the day, instead of making impulse buys. You’ll be able to better control your spending, and you’ll end up with the souvenirs that you really want.

4 – Bring in Snacks

You are allowed to bring snacks into the parks with you, so do it! Granola bars, crackers, trail mix, apples, and similar items are easy to carry and will help keep hunger away. Peanut butter sandwiches or bagels can replace a meal. Remember to only pack things that will travel well in the Florida heat. Instead of buying drinks bring in water bottles and keep refilling them, or ask for a free cup of ice water at a quick service restaurant. It is possible to keep your food budget under control with a little advance planning.

3 – Stay off Property

There are thousands of hotel rooms in Orlando and Kissimmee that cost less than those at Walt Disney World. For many people, staying off property makes good financial sense. You might find a hotel with free breakfast, which is one less meal that you’ll have to pay for each day. Many of the hotels that are close to Disney have shuttles to the parks, so you won’t have to pay for parking. Off property hotels need to fill their rooms, so ask about discounts when you book. Also ask about any other fees that might not be part of the initial price that you’re quoted. You don’t want to be surprised by a resort fee or anything similar. Read our article 7 Reasons to Stay Off Property.

2 – Stay on Property

If you’re flying into Orlando International Airport, you won’t have to rent a car if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Take advantage of Disney’s Magical Express. They will pick you up at the airport, and then take you back when your vacation is over. There are also other benefits to staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, such as Extra Magic Hours and free theme park parking. Always ask about discounts when booking your room. Staying on property doesn’t have to be too expensive. Read our article 10 Reasons You Need to Stay on Property.

1 – Travel off Season

The time of year that you visit Central Florida will have a huge impact on how much your vacation will cost. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if schools are out, the price will be up. Mid-June through mid-August are some of the busiest weeks of the year, so your room (on or off property) will cost more. The holidays can be insane as well. Spring Break weeks, especially the weeks before and after Easter, are usually packed, and three day weekends are also popular. The more people in the parks, the more you will pay for your vacation. If you can avoid the peak times, you’ll pay less. It’s as simple as that.