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!
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom or DHS
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 are more valuable than knowledge, and that’s free. Knowing how to zig when others zag and beat the crowds at Walt Disney World will put you in a better position than those who mindlessly drop thousands of dollars to buy their way out of lines.
With that out of the way, there is one small splurge we typically recommend: Lightning Lane Multi-Pass 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 LLMP can mean doing Magic Kingdom for only 1 day instead of 2. Multi-Pass can likewise relieve a lot of pressure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but there are other ways to beat the crowds there.
Cake Bake Shop Restaurant
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is such a safe and obvious choice, so let’s cut to the controversial: Cake Bake Shop. One of our most memorable experiences last Christmas was dining at Cake Bake Shop. And isn’t that why we keep revisiting Walt Disney World–for those memories that form the foundation for lifelong nostalgia and sentimentality?
The menu was undeniably expensive, but we ordered smartly and felt that the restaurant was not out of line with other Walt Disney World locations. Most importantly, the overall experience was downright magical, with the restaurant’s interior transformed into a veritable winter wonderland. It was resplendent, by far the most gorgeous dining room at WDW during the holiday season.
If you previously dismissed Cake Bake Shop out of hand for a regular meal, we’d encourage you to reconsider–especially at Christmas. Many Walt Disney World fans, even those who hate on it, would end up loving Cake Bake Shop if they gave it a chance. Here’s our full review: The Best Thing About Walt Disney World’s Controversial New Cake Bake Restaurant Is Not Cakes.
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. The other ones for winter, spring, and summer are good, but the options for August through December are next-level. Part of this is probably that we’re particularly partial to these holidays.
Not only that, but the value proposition of both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is becoming more and more dubious. These meals are great alternatives that’ll cost less and leave you satisfied. 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
Honestly, I’m the wrong person to ask about backstage or VIP tours. We’ve now done 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.
For a totally different experience, there’s also the Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses tour held at night during the Christmas season. This is hugely popular, and fills up fast!
Upgrading to On-Site
Actually, this may not even be a splurge at all. There’s a lot of value wrapped up into staying at the Value Resorts, to the point that we have a hard time justifying an off-site stay in budget or mid-tier accommodations. The base price might be lower off-site, but all of the unavoidable fees at the off-site hotels typically bridge the gap.
In many cases, you’re going to be hard-pressed to do better than the discounted rates Walt Disney World is offering. For instance, there have been many recent special offers on the Value Resorts that put them around $100 to $200 per night; we often pay $120 per night at All Star Sports, which is right around the average for Flamingo Crossings or other nearby off-site resorts.
This nightly rate includes overnight parking at the hotel, theme park parking, new rooms, and on-site perks such as Early Entry and free resort-to-park transportation that’s actually (reasonably) efficient. The nightly rate at Flamingo Crossings includes none of this, and we’d incur added costs for transportation at the absolute minimum. That’s to say nothing of the other benefits of staying on-site that aren’t as easy to quantify.
Even if you ignore Early Entry and the bonus booking windows, on-site is worth it for flexibility, convenience and comfort alone. Staying on-site makes a big difference that it’s difficult to fully quantify. This doesn’t even get into the rental car vs. rideshare or Disney transportation debate, which is a whole different can of worms. Suffice to say, there’s a reason why the answer to Are Walt Disney World’s Cheapest Hotels Actually Good? is a resounding YES!
Upgrading to a Moderate
We love Pop Century, but there’s 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 “Poor Person’s Poly.”
Our favorites are Gran Destino Tower if we want a luxury hotel at a Moderate price or Caribbean Beach if we want Deluxe-caliber transportation…again, at a Moderate price. 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 can be 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. There’s a wide range of options, too, from Sanaa and Whispering Canyon on the lower end to the superlative Storybook Dining at Artist Point (character meal) and sophisticated Jiko (Signature Restaurant).
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. And it’s one of only a small handful of WDW restaurants to receive Michelin Guide recognition!
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.
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 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 $39 per person, you’ll have a meal that’s better than the $60+ dinner at ‘Ohana.
Chronos Club
Located in Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, this is the only Club Level that isn’t in a Deluxe. Consequently, the premium for staying in Chronos Club is always much lower than all other Club Levels. It can be less than $100 extra for many nights after discounts. Again, this is because Chronos Club is at a Moderate Resort, so the baseline price is lower to begin with.
Despite this, we view Chronos Club as one of the very best Club Levels in all of Walt Disney World. That’s not just grading on a curve due to the lower price–it’s objectively superior to most of the Deluxe Resort Club Levels. Like Gran Destino Tower as a whole, Chronos Club punches far above its weight, and offers tremendous bang for buck.
In fact, if you want to splurge on Club Level and your primary consideration is value for money, you can stop right here: Chronos Club is the clear winner, and the competition isn’t even close. It also helps that Gran Destino Tower as a whole is a very nice hotel, with the only real downside being bus-only transportation.
Disney After Hours
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 Lightning Lane ride reservations, or you have limited vacation time. (Essentially, this is one for people who prioritize their time over their money.)
If you’re debating between buying After Hours tickets or Lightning Lane Premier Pass, our advice would be After Hours, hands down. Not only is After Hours less expensive than Lightning Lane Premier Pass, but it also allows re-rides. This means that you can loop Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle Run, or whichever attractions are your favorites. You might wait in slightly longer standby lines, so there is that element of unpredictability, but we’ve accomplished a ton at After Hours in the past.
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.
“Unlocking” Extended Evening Hours
Walt Disney World’s decision to retire Extra Magic Hours and replace that offering with Extended Evening Hours has been controversial. Since the latter is limited to Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, and other select hotels, it has been incredibly controversial. Understandably so. It adds further fuel to the fire that Walt Disney World only “cares” about the rich and is squeezing out the middle class.
That’s certainly one perspective–and it’s a valid one! Our view is that it’s no use crying over spilt milk, and your energy is better focused on how to work the system–beating Disney at its own game. To that end, potential options for taking advantage of Extended Evening Hours without breaking the bank include doing Renting Disney Vacation Club Points or booking the Swan & Dolphin Resorts (or better yet, the nicer and newer Swan Reserve). Any of these options will often cost you about as much as a Moderate Resort.
Some Walt Disney World fans may not like to hear it, but from our perspective, this simple ‘hack’ makes Extended Evening Hours much better than Extra Magic Hours. While we have our misgivings about Disney’s increasing tendency to target the bigger-spenders (what happened to everyone is a VIP?), the fact is that evening Extra Magic Hours were prohibitively crowded to the point of being worthless on some nights. By contrast, Extended Evening Hours are usually glorious–to the point that we never buy After Hours tickets anymore because the “free” thing is good enough for us!
Savi’s Workshop
Here’s another one along those same lines, albeit with a value proposition that’s incredibly difficult to quantity after the latest price increase in late 2025. 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.
Savi’s Workshop is arguably worth it as a splurge or special occasion present. 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. (At half the cost, Droid Depot might seem like a better alternative–it’s not.)
Cool Cups
At the other end of the souvenir spectrum is an item that is more of an anti-splurge. Consider this the chaser to a bunch of expensive items that might be out of reach–this is something anyone visiting Walt Disney World can afford.
In our decades of experience doing Disney, the souvenir that we get the most mileage out of is cups. Everyone drinks, every day. While a Spirit Jersey will wear down over time, cups keep going strong. We literally still have cups we purchased from Walt Disney World in 2007!
Our personal favorites are resort-specific Tervis mugs, unique coffee mugs, and steins like the one above. The Tervises can be a bit pricey, but you can easily find coffee mugs and other unique cups for under $20. My only word of warning is to look for ones that are dishwasher safe, as many of the cheapest ones aren’t.
For the most part, we are “collect memories, not things” people. But we make an exception for cups of all kinds because they’re so practical and inexpensive. We use Disney cups daily, and some of our longest-lasting ones have had thousands of uses at this point.
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.
Not to undercut this entire article, but no enhancements or up-charges are necessary to have a great trip to Walt Disney World. 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 more a result of limited supply and the FOMO machine.
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 increases pressure, adding tension, and leading to a great chance of meltdowns. It’s a vicious cycle that 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, like you guys are collector of memories, not things, I just hope I can keep my memories and we don’t lose them as we keep getting older. I agree that both Minnie’s Halloween dine and the dinner with Snow White at wilderness were both worth the splurge. The character interactions were all good with most of them stopping by our table twice at both places and the food was great at both. We usually eat one big meal a day so for the two of us the price for both would be less than if we ate three meals at Wdw.
I would add Hoop Dee Doo Revue to the list. It’s not cheap, but it’s money well spent in my view. Great memories.
Definitely need to give the bakeshop restaurant a try then. The cakes were simply outrageous and over over-sweet. I get most of this list. Extended evening Hours needs a caveat though. It is useless and not worth the cost during party season. Non-party nights make magic Kingdom far busier than the days. I’ve only done 8 – over 3 holidays but they have all been super busy. It wasn’t until you pointed the reason in a comment to me that I got it. It’s far from the walk-ons one probably experiences in mid-June! Even when not busy, EPCOT is always a 50/50. Size, ride choice, ride reliability and the fact that half the park gets in line for Cosmic Rewind mean its value is virtually useless. Fine if you’re already at a Deluxe but are if your goal of a Deluxe is to get access to this “Perk”
At what price-point are the Value resorts a worthwhile splurge? I re-checked today for my upcoming trip the second week of December, and every Value is over $300 per night. Clean, highly-reviewed offsite budget properties are available for the same dates for under $100 per night, even after accounting for resort fees.
(I agree that the All-Stars and especially the Skyliner moderates are a great deal at the $100 a night price they command in mid-summer.)
Maybe I will give Disney Springs another try to see Cake Bake shop. We went once and it felt too much like leaving the magical Disney bubble and being at a mall type environment, but maybe we just didn’t go to the right places.
My biggest splurge at Disney is cafeteria or cafe food and park snacks. To me that’s an extremely worthwhile splurge – not cooking one single thing. Also, not bringing on the “mental load” (as they like to say on mom social media) of figuring out what foods my kiddo is “on” or “off” that week, how many yogurt packs and such we need, if the room has a fridge or drink cooler that needs ice, and arranging the grocery pickups. Nothing, not anything. Literally I am not even putting peanut butter and jelly on bread. Food is someone else’s deal for the week. Best feeling! If anyone is hungry just go tell the nice people at the cafeteria what you need, ha ha.
Cake Bake is inside the bubble at the Boardwalk, so no need to go to Springs!
I have 3 suggestions for this list:
– Ale and Compass restaurant- it punches above its weight in terms of food quality compared to prices. And its quick access from Epcot’s International Gateway makes it a great dining option when visiting Epcot.
– Lounges for dining – as an interim option between quick service and full table service, the lounges often feature good meals or snacks at more wallet friendly prices than their table service equivalents.
– Waterpark addon to multi-day tickets. If visiting for multiple days and not visiting parks each day, the waterpark addon is about $75, but it gives the same number of waterpark days as park days, so a 3day with waterpark gives 3 park days and 3 waterpark days, which can be used the same day as a park day (great in the summer to cool off) or to provide daytime entertainment on a rest day. For the latter, if visiting Typhoon lagoon from a resort, you will need to go via Disney Springs, so combining the two is a full day out.
Thanks for the update, Tom. I’ve been to WDW twice this year and have plans to go again in Jan ’25. I now have Toledos Steak House and Behind the Seeds on my list of to-do’s. An “extra”: that I never see referred is the segway tour at Ft Wilderness. This definitely falls under the catagorie of expense vs. pay-off. This segway tour is more expensive for sure than what you would find in…say… Las Vegas. For those who don’t stay at Ft Wilderness, this is a fun and informative adventure tour, and well-worth the price.
Some great suggestions here. The single most game-changing thing I’ve ever learned is renting DVC points to stay at Deluxe resorts. I don’t know how much of a secret it is these days, but there’s no going back for me.
Or go one step further and buy a resale DVC contract.
Great list! I did two of these last time, upgrading to a moderate and eating at Toledo. We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter. The small size and the atmosphere with all the trees and greenery was perfect for me. I enjoyed Toledo and brought my kids (6 and 9). I made sure they had books to read before the food came so they wouldn’t get too squirmy, but I felt comfortable having them there. I wouldn’t bring kids younger than that though.
Hi Tom, we are actually on our way home from our Disney vacation . We stayed yet again at Destino Tower with Chronos club level. This is by far the best option . We spend a lot of time at the resort and definetly get our moneys worth. They are a phenomenal group of cast members. We already booked our bounce back for next year. It is far superior to animal kingdom club level. We had freakishly good luck with the bus system. We never had to wait for a bus going to or from a park. We visited the Poly as that used to be our go to spot. It’s way too busy for us. Coronado springs is beautiful , relaxing and so much fun. We also were put in a room that we could see magic kingdom fireworks. We always were on the other side seeing Epcot fireworks. This is a great place !!!
I agree about not paying for a view upgrade EXCEPT for Animal Kingdom Lodge – it’s so worth the extra $$ to sit on the balcony eating breakfast watching the animals on the Serengeti rather than a parking lot!!! ( this alone makes it my favorite Disney property)
Yeah we just got back a few weeks ago, jumped to CBR on a short visit, usually stay and love AoA, but CBR won our hearts. Better food options, better pool, and one skyliner trip to EPCOT and HS. Future trips will see us back at CBR, totally worth the extra cost.
Genie + in MK is a must for sure, best bang for the buck. Epcot is questionable, but if you have kids that MUST do Frozen and Ratatouille, you either get there at rope drop, skip fireworks, close drop, or get Genie+. Animal Kingdom definitely doesnt require G+, better off getting a lightning lane for Avatar FoP.
Will have to give Sebastian’s a go next time we are at CBR! We love the tacos at Spyglass Grill!
I wholeheartedly agree with Savi’s Workshop at WDW. The BEST experience my two children have had at WDW. It was a true show and we walked out full of wonder, awe, and Disney magic. The leader was absolutely flawless and none of us will ever forget that experience. (Note: It was not the same at DL, we took the stepchildren to Savi’s there and it was not even close to the experience at WDW).
I heartily agree with Annette. I went inside Savi’s with my two grandsons and it was akin to a theatrical experience.
I’ve been to WDW a few times in the 1990s and 2000s..and wish to bring my granddaughter for a visit. There seems to be such huge changes, high charges and charges for everything as well as huge queues. I’m really beginning to wonder whether it’s worth all the stress. I feel I need a complete course just to navigate how to go about a visit to get anything like the best from it. You need to pre book days rather than just turn up?
Neil, my husband and I have been going yearly since 1974. Just us, then with 3 kids, then with 4 grands and now us again. Since changing things in 2020, we have had less enjoyable experiences than prior to Covid. All the planning, reservations, crowds, huge prices, closed rides, limited dining choices in restaurants have been more than disappointing. This will be our last year as we cannot tolerate the long, long waits. The increased prices, inconveniences and free things that have been taken away is just not worth it. You will be shocked if you haven’t been in the last few years.
Neil,
If your granddaughter is between 6 and 12 – mine was 6 – she will love the makeover at Bibbidi, Bobbitty Boo in Magic Kingdom. We coupled that with a late lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table, where she could show off her finery with all the Princesses, who were extremely gracious. A memory for a lifetime.
I’ve been a DVC member for 25 years. The quality of just about everything except the staff has deteriorated greatly. Prices are insane. Portions of food have been reduced while charges have increased dramatically. There is no longer a time to visit without a huge crowd – and the lack of common courtesy is out of control – complete mayhem at times. I’m done with “The Magic”. I wish you all good times but it’s going to get tougher and tougher and a lot more expensive to have them
Joe is so right. My wife enjoyed have been visiting WDW since 1972, when it was a relaxing time. It remained that way for us through 2018, when we took our extended family for two weeks. But when we all returned in 2023, it was a different animal. Greed ruled the day, with the focus being to wring out every last dime from the patrons…and give them very little in return. Everything we enjoyed in 2018 had been taken away by 2023, including the magic.
We’ve done almost everything mentioned here except Toledo and Sebastian’s. I agree with the list. I would also throw in breakfast at Toppolino Terrace. It was by far the best brunch we had. The food quality was superb and we liked it more than Minnie’s Seasonal dine (which we also liked a lot too). Genie plus I would say is a value in every park, and yes even AK. Why? Because even for not so popular rides, you can walk on. Sure 15min isn’t a long time but walking on in 2min is even better (two toddlers here). At our recent Oct trip, I overheard a family at Epcot saying they had only done two rides in four hours, it was about noon. By that time, we had already done Remy, Frozen, Guardians, Mexico ride, Soaring, had a snack, let the kids play on the playground across from test track and went all around the aquarium and did Turtle talk. Albeit we are early risers and were in line at Epcot international entrance by 7:30. Another value? Be early risers no matter how hard it is. It costs you nothing. Also, staying near that epcot gateway entrance so you are within walking distance to both epcot and HS is a tremendous value, and many hotels around there are more affordable vs around Magic Kingdom. We stayed at Beach Club by renting DVC points. Disney can be expensive, and we calc that we probably pay $500 more now than before (mainly Genie plus and airport car service that were once free), but we offset by packing food and we hardly ever buy souvenirs in general. No doubt we still spend a small fortune going, but we always make sure we plan ahead and have a good attitude when we’re there. The attitude is the most important thing. That’s also free.
Thank you for this! This is the type of content that really helps my family.
Tom, it seems Disney is continuing to try to squeeze every cent out of it’s guests. Do you know if with the paid Disney After Hours events in 2023 will they still have extended evening hours on select nights for deluxe resort guests?
They’ll have a few ticked off deluxe resort regulars if they add this to their never ending quest for nickels and dimes.
It’s been confirmed that Extended Evening Hours will continue through 2023, though hopefully the lack of a schedule means that they’re still considering having Hollywood Studios some weeks. (I wasn’t 100% certain about that myself, especially given the month between announcing After Hours parties and the extension of Extended Evening Hours.)
Source: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/extended-evening-hours-disney-world-info-tips/
For an adult trip to Disneyland we did the Blue Bayou Fantasmic dinner package. The food was wonderful (we had the fillet). The best part was not having to worry about finding a spot hours ahead of time and fighting the thousands of people for viewing the show. It was just a special night and we would do it again.
I’m a big fan of the Beachcomber Shack rentals at Typhoon Lagoon; in particular I think they’re very convenient – more than I would have thought – and well themed. While I don’t think they’re a *great* value for smaller groups during much of the year, they would be a great value for larger groups given the cap is 10 people. Also, it’s considerably cheaper off season, most of September through most of March.