Best Value Splurges at Disney World
If you want to splurge on a bit of luxury for your Walt Disney World vacation but are on a budget–or are simply a frugal tourist who is conscious of value–this list is for you. We cover which resort, dining, and other add-ons are worth the money, as well as some that are not worth it.
We’ll start by quickly dispensing with what isn’t worth your vacation dollars. As is likely obvious from previous posts, we’re not huge on up-charge offerings at Walt Disney World. You won’t find dessert parties, fireworks cruises, or pretty much any special experience on this list. Not because we haven’t done them–but because we have and wouldn’t bother with any of those things again. We also typically don’t recommend paying extra to upgrade room views, nor are we keen on spas or makeovers.
One splurge we really do enjoy is staying Club Level, but even that’s one with which we grapple. As noted in our Guide to Club Level & Concierge Lounges at Disney World and some specific reviews, it’s difficult–if not impossible–to justify Club Level at Walt Disney World from an objective, value-for-money perspective. In fact, the exorbitant cost and desire for reasonable alternative splurges is the main motivation for this list.
In our Review of Atrium Club Level at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, several readers left comments requesting a list of more attainable splurges that we recommend. Specifically, ones that offer sufficient value for the cost. That’s what this list is all about, with the operative question for inclusion on this list being, “is the quality of the experience commensurate with the cost?”
With that in mind, we have a variety of great splurges at Walt Disney World at all price points and for guests with pretty much any budget!
Genie+ at Magic Kingdom – Let’s start small. Many of you are stretching your budgets just to make a trip to Walt Disney World happen in the first place. You might already be worried about cascading costs, or not having a memorable trip because you won’t be able to do the things on this list.
Let me stop you right there. Like so many things in life, Walt Disney World is what you make of it. There are so many ways to beat the crowds and have a great time with “only” the base experience. Few things in life and when visiting Walt Disney World are more valuable than knowledge, and that’s free.
With that out of the way, there is one small splurge we typically recommend: Genie+ at Magic Kingdom. Arriving early, staying late, or following the other Best Time-Saving Strategy for Walt Disney World can help you avoid long lines in other parks, but there’s no such fool-proof approach to Magic Kingdom. This is also one case where time is money, and buying Genie+ can mean doing Magic Kingdom for only 1 day instead of 2.
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine – In and of itself, character dining is expensive and is not categorically a worthwhile splurge in all cases. Sure, we love and highly recommend a good pre-park opening breakfast as well as several resort character meals, but most in-park character meals don’t even come close to making this list.
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine is one exception to that. We’re particularly big fans of Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Christmas and Minnie’s Halloween Dine. With the value proposition of both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party being more and more dubious, these meals are great alternatives. Not only is the food good, but it’s a great chance to get dressed up for the season and take family photos with characters that are likewise in special attire.
Behind the Seeds Tour – I’ll preface this by saying that I’m the wrong person to ask about backstage or VIP tours. We’ve now some from both categories, and Behind the Seeds at Epcot is the only one I’ve loved. (Almost everyone we know has nothing but effusive praise for every Walt Disney World tour they’ve done, so what do I know.)
Irrespective of all that, Behind the Scenes at Epcot is the perfect way to get your feet wet with the world of Disney’s tours. It’s the cheapest tour you can do, offers fun info, and interesting backstage access–all at a price point that feels fair for the duration of the tour.
Upgrading to a Moderate – While we love Pop Century (especially now that it offers Skyliner transportation), there’s definitely something to be said for the resort experience at Walt Disney World, and that doesn’t really kick in until you’ve moved from the Values to the Moderates.
Fortunately, at the Moderate tier, there’s an option for everyone. Want a compact resort layout? Go with Port Orleans French Quarter. Looking for a romantic resort suitable for a honeymoon? Port Orleans Riverside all the way. Want a business-class hotel? Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs is your best bet. Prefer something with good transportation, diverse dining, or tropical ambiance? There’s a reason we call Caribbean Beach Resort the “Poly Lite.”
This hotel tier truly offers something for everyone–see our Walt Disney World Moderate Resort Rankings for pros & cons of each, and which might be best for your family.
Upgrading to the Lodges – It’s increasingly difficult to justify an upgrade to Deluxe Resorts unless you rent DVC points or manage to score a great discount. Even those aren’t sure things, as DVC availability has become more competitive and general public discounts are rarer, with more exclusions and less availability. The rack rates have gotten so high that even with a 20-30% discount, the prices don’t match the level of service, room quality, etc.
The two exceptions to this are Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge, which also just so happen to be Walt Disney World’s two least expensive (typically) Deluxe Resorts. They are themed to the hilt and generally offer something you cannot get from a real-world counterpart. Of course, we still go for the best possible deal at both (we try to book the “Value Studio” at Animal Kingdom Lodge whenever possible).
Dining at the Lodges – If staying at the lodges is out of the question, we highly recommend dining at them. This one actually started out as specific restaurant recommendations, but we quickly realized that we enjoy literally every restaurant at both Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. So, why not include both for the sake of offering a variety of options at various price points?
Our top recommendation here is to slow down and make an evening of it. Do either on a non-park day, and if you’re going to Wilderness Lodge, take the boat over. Enjoy sunset on the savanna if you’re heading to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Unwind in the lobbies after dinner. There’s no reason not to turn this into a 3-hour, leisurely experience. (As for specific dining recommendations, our favorites are Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge and, for something totally different, Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge.)
Toledo Steakhouse – This one making the list really illustrates the operative question of the post. Here, it’s important to remember that there’s a huge difference between cheapness and frugality. We are willing to pay for quality and luxury, especially when the value given matches the price paid. In the past, that meant doing and recommending Victoria & Albert’s on rare, special occasions. However, it has become a non-starter for us after the latest price increase.
Instead, we’re turning to a sleeper Signature Restaurant: Toledo at Gran Destino Tower. This is an exceptional date night destination, with an ambitious and fun concept, delicious food, exceptional views, and prices–for the quality of the cuisine–that are not inflated too much by Walt Disney World standards. The fact that Toledo caters heavily to conventioneers plays a huge part in all of this, and will likely ensure that the restaurant maintains its high standards. Toledo is absolutely worth the challenging commute–and the Signature Restaurant we most consider splurge-worthy. (Topolino’s Terrace and Flying Fish are also right up there.)
Sebastian’s Bistro – If Signature Dining is too rich for your blood–or you have small children and it’s simply not suitable for your party–here’s a mid-tier alternative. Sebastian’s Bistro is a sleeper pick, and one that’s easy to access from the Skyliner. Despite that convenient location at Caribbean Beach Resort, this restaurant still flies under the radar of most Walt Disney World fans. The new family style service at Sebastian’s Bistro holds its own and offers exceptional quality on par with traditional table service dining.
It’s arguably the best buffet or family-style meal, right up there with Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Far superior to ‘Ohana, which definitely qualifies as a good splurge that you’ll remember, but not a good value splurge. By contrast, Sebastian’s Bistro offers exceptional value for money. For $35 per person, you’ll have a meal that’s better than the $59 dinner at ‘Ohana.
SS Harbor Beach Club – We spent a lot of time covering this in our Stone Harbor Club Level Review and I’m not going to rehash all of that here. Basically, you want to do a split stay (see our How to Do a Split Stay at Walt Disney World Hotels post) and take full advantage of the Club Level lounge and Stormalong Bay over the course of two days.
Booking a 1-night stay at Beach Club for the end of your trip and taking a late flight out on your last day is perfect. Alternatively, you could do that night in the middle of a three-resort trip, with a couple of relaxed resort days to decompress amidst your vacation. It’s worth noting that this is not our favorite Club Level at Walt Disney World, but the “SS Harbor Beach Club Strategy” is your best bet for squeezing every ounce of value out of a Club Level stay.
Disney After Hours – I hesitate to include these paid evening hours for a couple of hours. First, because doing so makes us “part of the problem” of guests willing to pay extra for something that used to be free, and could lead to the further erosion of regular hours. Second, because I don’t totally trust that Walt Disney World won’t oversell these in the future, as has been the case with the Halloween and Christmas parties.
With that said, Disney After Hours offers great opportunities to get a ton done with minimal waits. These are particularly good options if you’re interested in doing the headliners repeatedly, you don’t score the most coveted Genie+ ride reservations, or you have limited vacation time. (Essentially, this is one for people who prioritize their time over their money.)
As with all things, Disney After Hours is not for everyone. The event also is not strictly necessary if you follow one of our Walt Disney World Itineraries and only want to do each popular attraction once per day. However, After Hours is great for guests who want a stress-free way to enjoy the best time of day at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (the jury is still out on EPCOT After Hours). That could be said about everything on this list of WDW’s top splurges, though.
Savi’s Workshop – Here’s another one along those same lines, albeit with a value proposition that’s incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to quantity. Sure, there’s the real world cost of a lightsaber like the one you build, but Savi’s is so much more than that.
As you can read in our Is Star Wars Land’s $250 Lightsaber Experience Worth It? review, we were blown away by this. We almost didn’t do it because of the cost, but are very glad we did. For adult Star Wars fans or kids, this is something special that will make a lasting memory. It’s arguably worth it as a splurge or Christmas present. (At half the cost, Droid Depot might seem like a better alternative–it’s not.) It’s tougher to justify with recent price increases, but we still think this is the type of experience that’ll make indelible memories for kids who are Star Wars fans.
That’s it for our list of the best value for money splurges at Walt Disney World. As with pretty much everything WDW-related, your mileage may vary. Some of you will likely find great value in the things we wrote off as “not worth it” at the top of the post, whereas others may disagree with what we think is worth the extra money. Reasonable minds may differ and all that.
One thing that does bear stressing before we close out this article is that no enhancements or up-charges are necessary to have a great trip to Walt Disney World. When it comes to online trip planning and social media, there’s a pervasive sense of FOMO that drives many people to spend on unnecessary experiences. This is exacerbated by certain popular experiences booking up quickly, but that’s less a reflection of quality and demand than it is limited supply and the FOMO machine. (Looking at you, dessert parties!)
It’s easy to fall into this trap, but you should try to avoid it. You could easily drop an extra $5,000 or more on extras and upcharges to “guarantee” a great trip to Walt Disney World…and end up having an inferior experience to someone who didn’t buy any of those things. Spending more creates more pressure, meaning more tension, and leading to a great chance of meltdowns. We see this all of the time.
Regardless of how much you spend or plan, you’re going to miss out on something. That’s the bad news. The good news is that some of the best magical moments at Walt Disney World occur by chance, and no amount of spending or planning can “force” those to happen. In short, spend strategically on splurges to treat yourself here and there, but don’t chase perfection. It’s a fool’s errand, and you can have an amazing trip without spending anything extra.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What are your favorite Walt Disney World splurges? Anything offering great bang for buck that you think we missed? Anything that made the list you feel does not belong? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We stay at deluxe resorts so the splurge for us are the extras. We did xmas party last year and enjoyed so we doing again next month. My kids built the droids at galaxies edge which was fun and the droids are pretty cool. I can’t justify the lightsaber- it seems really overpriced when we already have several lightsabers. We did a MK dessert party in 2019- it was very basic stuff not really worth it for the “party” but the viewing area for fireworks without being squished in with a bunch of people was nice. The same year we did the starwars dessert party- that was actually awesome- the food was unique and also the cocktails- not to mention hanging out with stormtroopers. The show itself was ok afterwards but again in a reserved area which was nice and overall has been our best extra.
We’ve done the after hours event at Magic Kingdom 3 times and it’s our absolute favorite way to experience the park.
One of my favorite restaurant used to be Whispering Canyon but the last time we were really disappointed. Apparently there is a new chef who changed whole menu to basically Barbeque. I really miss the trout. It was much tamer in there not as much fun. Won’t go back.
My husband and I did the Wild Africa Trek a couple of years ago and LOVED IT. It was pouring down rain that day, so it was just the two of us and a mother/daughter team in our tour. We strapped on rain coats and dove right in. Between getting to feed lettuce to the hippos, stopping long enough with the giraffes to have one of them stick it’s head in our truck, and being lucky enough to be able to sit and watch lions in a playful mood, it was just the best day. As a bonus… you can’t take your phone or camera with you, so we were completely in the moment (a WD photographer takes pictures for you. We have about 200 from the half day excursion). Not sure what it runs now… it was $175 + admission then, but it was some of the best money we’ve ever splurged with in the parks. A++
Yeahhh I have to disagree on Victoria and Alberts. It was on my bucket list and then we went and I was like “omg I can’t believe i just paid this crazy amount for this”…my husband i didn’t even like most of the courses. Apparently it used to be like forty dollars cheaper and then they upped the price about six months before we went wahwahhh. Maybe if it had been the original
Price I would not have been so “meh”
I will go one better on the room upgrade from value to moderate. I found that for the same price as a moderate resort I could rent DVC points and get deluxe accommodations at Saratoga springs or old key west. Bigger rooms, extra sink / separate coffee and fridge area, better pools… all for the same price as a moderate. That splurge has now become the norm for my family!
Tell me more. How much better are the pools at key or Saratoga vs Caribbean beach or Coronado or port?
SS Harbor Beach Club & Upgrading from a Value to a Moderate: Welp, we did the Beach Club part, not the SS Harbor club level part, and it was a complete success for us. As much as I love the Poly (and the Contemporary…and the GF), the most bang for the buck from a deluxe hotel has to be Yacht and Beach Club (with all due respect to AKL, where you get a zoo at the resort). The reason is that Stormalong Bay is a mini-water park. We got a great last minute deal for our stay. I would completely agree that a club level upgrade would have made it an even better splurge, for me, less so for my wife for whom Stormalong Bay was perfection. Bear in mind, that the value of this upgrade over the Lodges is Stormalong Bay. The Lodges are great upgrade (WL for us), but if you or a member(s?) of your party are water babies (no matter their age), Yacht and Beach Club upgrading over them is going to be worth the while. As the article mentions, this is really only maximized if there’s going to be a day off from the parks, or if you’re spending morning in the parks, afternoon at Stormalong Bay, and then back to the park at night, or some other variation which involves lots of time spent at Stormalong Bay.
As to upgrading to a moderate, this is another nice upgrade. Even with the new space saving room redos at the Value resorts, the extra elbow room in a moderate room can really make a difference. The article runs down a good listing of the various options with the Moderates, as they’re not a one-size fits all choice
I agree with you on Minnie’s Seasonal Dine.
My splurge on a trip is typically a character dining since I very rarely eat at table services during trips.
We attended Minnie’s Halloween Dine this October and it was possibly the single most Fun thing I’ve experienced at Disney. The food was fine (not great, but nothing was noticably bad) with a few interesting flavors, but the characters were definitely ON the day we went.
And as a bonus, it can be plussed even more if you’re on the standard Disney dining plan because you can book the Fantasmic Dining Package for one table service credit, same as the standard meal. So it’s a “free” upgrade to anyone who’s already paid through the nose for the dining plan. Even though the seats don’t actually make a ton of difference for the show, you *feel* special.
Hey Tom,
Been following your blog for about six months in preparation for our once in a lifetime trip from Australia.
In relation to Extra Magic Hours (we attended in the supposed low week of Nov 10-19) we found zero benefits in terms of ride wait times unfortunately. This is an odd time of year though, with the Mickey’s Christmas parties on. By the end of our trip we discovered that the crowds stay away on the days the Mickeys Christmas Party was on. In hindsight we would have gone to Disney World on the days the Christmas Party is on. Lower ride wait times and crowds not as bad.
Speaking of the Christmas Party, as first timers to Disney World we thought this was an absolute highlight for us. Our kids aren’t big into meeting characters but the entertainment, smaller crowds, the treats, just magic. Again in hindsight we would have dropped a day from our Disney pass and replaced it with the Christmas Party. Highly recommend that everyone. Oh and make sure you get there at 4pm, the entry time permitted by your Christmas Party ticket. You won’t find that info on the Disney site but it’s in Tom’s guide and various other guides.
Thanks for your great work Tom and family. Not sure we’ll ever get back there but your blog was invaluable.
He was talking about the morning and night events you have to pay extra for to go….not the free EMH times. We never go to the park that has EMH because they get busier since everyone goes to “get a better value” with more hours.
I really appreciate you saying that no matter what, the trip will be special and that you’ll always miss something but that’s okay. We just got back from what may be a once in a lifetime trip and I feel like there are so many things we didn’t do but you’re right, it was so wonderful and we created some amazing memories. Nice to be reminded of that and that you continue to encourage people to not worry too much and have fun. I remember reading a comment on one of your posts about choosing when to visit and this fabulous person said they’d rather be at Disney than not, regardless of the crowds. Having now been, a crowded summer day sounds a bit like hell but it helped me relax around finding the “perfect” time to go and stressing that it wouldn’t go to plan. I hope we get to visit again and that we can enjoy some of the suggestions in this article.
Unless I am going somewhere I am absolutely positive I will never return to (and this is rare), I love the “here’s what we get to do next time list” that I make on the way home and off and on for the next few days. I always get post-vacation depression a bit and it helps me think of the wonderful times we had and the wonderful things we’ll get to do next time. For those who don’t live in the United States and it may very well be a once in a lifetime trip, I recommend watching Disney specials and Disney+ for information on the parks, which can help with “withdrawal.”
Hi Susan, I was so glad Disney + came out so soon after we got home! I’ve not had such bad post-holiday blues before and it did help a lot. We live in New Zealand so it’ll be a while before we look at going back to Orlando – it’ll be so fun seeing what’s new when we do visit the parks next though. I thought I’d stop reading this blog because it might make the withdrawal worse but here I am, checking in every day!
Thank you for your advice, I’ve definitely got a little list going in my head but I’m going to write it down now so I can come back to it whenever we’re lucky enough to visit again. We had such a lovely time in the US.
Hey Tom, before I read this, I was wishing you had something similar to this, but rather than the top splurges, would you mind doing one that’s solely focused on the best resort recreation (free/low cost) activities? I know Fort Wilderness has the horse ride options and some other resorts have fun things to do as well, but without checking the rec page for each resort, and not knowing if it’s worth it, I don’t really know of another place to find a list of the best activities. You usually put together great top 10/15 lists, so hope you have time to put something like this together! Thanks in advance
In my opinion two of the very best free things to do at Disney World are ride boats between visiting different resorts (where we are NOT staying since we always stay at the least expensive one we can find since we’re in the room just to shower and sleep) and visiting the horses and ponies at the Triple D Ranch. OH! Riding the boats between Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk (and Swan & Dolphin and Beach & Yacht Club) AND Epcot too!
GREAT post! We did the Animal Kingdom After Hours on a recent trip (August) and we loved it. The rest of our trip was very budget – we stayed and ate (mostly) off site so we did not have access to any extra Magic Hours or other Disney hotel perks. So despite our best planning efforts and booking our FastPass+ rides early we still encountered long waits when we arrived at DAK. The After Hours option just happened to be taking place the evening we were there so we decided to go for it. We had a fantastic time and rode Flight of Passage 3 times without line-ups plus several loops around Dinosaur and other favourite rides. And Pandora at night with no crowds was beautiful.
That does sound like a great way to experience DAK. It’s crazy how FoP constantly has 2-3 hour or more wait times during the day. Was there any concern on your end that buying the night pass tickets after experiencing a busy day, they would be busy at night? Glad it wasn’t for you, but seems sketchy to buy, basically, another day park pass and only get a few hours out of it.
You can actually get in at 7 pm (2 hrs early) if you buy your wristbands in advance so you actually get 5 hours of access However they only start checking wristbands at 9 pm so that is when you get the best value. We found the DAK After Dark way less crowded than we expected but we were also there at the end of August so still shoulder season. Even though it is only 3 hours there were no line ups when we did it so we were able to do lots of rides which was our main focus. We also left for several hours midday and had a break then came back at 7. If I was to do it again I might even just do the After Hours on its own.
Breakfast at Boma is a splurge that’s worth the cost; just a fantastic and varied breakfast.
We really enjoyed Dining With An Animal Specialist at AKL. It was right after Hurricane Matthew, and the Cast Member was really interesting and informative. At the time it was about $50 adult/$30 child but included a multi-course meal (and drink) at Sanaa. Well worth the price. The Star Wars dessert party, about $70/50 when we did it, was not worth the money. Especially since none of us drank adult beverages.
Superb article. If anyone has done keys to the kingdom please provide a review and whether it is worth it or not.
My adult daughter and I did Keys to the Kingdom two years ago, and we both though it was worth it. We saw so many of the backstage areas including where the parade floats are kept, and the “utilidors” which is the complete city beneath the Magic Kingdom. We breezed through several rides and, because they took our orders before we started out, a fine counter-service lunch was ready and waiting for us in a reserved area of the restaurant. And of course so much general information about the history of WDW was provided. It was sweltering hot, but our fully-costumed tour guide never missed a beat. Here’s a tip: we saved 15% off the price of each ticket by using the Chase Disney VISA card when booking the tour.
Hi Steve
Once was enough for me. It was interesting and informative but expensive and its not so magical seeing the utilidors and backstage areas after being in the immersion of Magic Kingdom.
This is a great list, and it helps to confirm the inclusion of several of these experiences on my bucket list as “worth it” – thank you!
Thanks Tom! Never heard of the behind the seeds tour, but it’s one of my wife’s favorite rides, and tomorrow is her birthday. I just booked it for our trip in 2 weeks. Great article.
Totally agree with you! Thanks.
I am surprised you didn’t include Brunch at the Top at the California Grill?
The price has gone up, so I guess the value proposition has gone down…but we loved it. It ended up being a 3.5 hour affair as our server encouraged us to hang out as long as we wanted, which ended up with all the adults having maybe a few too many mimosas (blown away that they weren’t watered down…at all) on the deck while the kids ran around and went crazy. It’s been our favorite splurge.
If you read the section In this post on Victoria & Albert’s, he explains why he didn’t include it.
Ah, thank you; my eyes missed the parenthetical reference.
I guess I will respectfully disagree :-).
I’d probably have a different view point if I had paid the original price vs. what they charge now. I’d still hold it’s a “good” value by Disney standards when you compare it to basically any character meal. Assuming you enjoy mimosas.
Thank you for the great info as always. I am still a big fan of the Frozen Ever After dessert party at Epcot. The desserts themselves are not fabulous but having a seat at a table and eating them with a front row view of the fireworks is. (And no wasting time camping out for a spot for the show.). Bonus: you get to ride Frozen after the fireworks and enjoy the long lovely walk around the lake heading out of the park after the closing. it’s my go to splurge whenever I can a ticket.
Agreed with the Behind the seeds tour, but I’ve enjoyed a lot the Keys to the Kindgom tour as well. I did backstage magic, which was great as a splurge, but I think KttK offers better value.
Agreed. Done the Seeds tour 4 times or so. KTTK was awesome as it let me see things I haven’t been to since I worked there.
All these add-ons add up quickly though. That being said, I’d be fine if they doubled ticket prices, as long as crowds dropped back to 90s level. But we all know that wouldn’t happen.
Such incredibly helpful information! You are a gift! <3
In August we rented two two-seater speed boats out of the Grand Floridian. $35 for a generous half hour zipping around Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. Great fun for older kids!