Price Increase on Snacks & Drinks at Disney World
Walt Disney World has once again raised food prices across the hotels and parks, with some significant increases at outdoor vending carts and on counter service menus for beverages and popular snacks. In this post, we’ll share the new prices, and add our commentary as to whether we view these price trends as sustainable in the long term.
Here’s a partial rundown of the price increases:
- Regular soda: $3.99 – up from $3.29
- Large soda: $4.49 – up from $3.49
- Coffee: $3.29 – up from $2.79
- Orange Juice: $4.99 – up from $4.29
- Bottled soda: $4.50 – up from $4
- Bottled water: $3.50 – up from $3
- Powerade: $4.50 – up from $3.50
- Mickey Pretzel: $7 – up from $6
- Mickey Ice Cream: $5.75 – up from $5
Some people are bound to defend these price hikes with retorts like, “if $1 more for a pretzel is make or break, you shouldn’t be vacationing at Walt Disney World in the first place.” To be sure, it’s highly unlikely that any of these price increases will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of vacation affordability. Presumably, Walt Disney World is counting on that.
Where these price increases, and the barrage of across the board hikes, do the most damage is in terms of perception. No one is going to cancel their vacation upon reading this news, and it’s certainly not going to make headlines on the nightly news or in the mainstream media (as has been the case with ticket pricing and parking charges).
For regular guests, this news is just the latest in a long line of stories about Walt Disney World nickel and diming guests. It’s unlikely to be what turns them off of a WDW vacation, but the cumulative impact of this type of news could do exactly that.
Even among first-timers and infrequent guests, this image seems more pronounced. There’s always been the running joke that every ride exits through the gift shop, but lately there’s been an odd proliferation of guests wearing homemade (or Etsy-made) shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Disney ATM,” “Most Expensive Day EVER!” and lines about working to support Disney addictions.
The notion that there’s no such thing as bad publicity doesn’t apply here, but Disney has no one else to blame for the burgeoning market for this apparel. (Now the question is whether Disney will make its own shirts like these–does profitability or dignity will win out?)
This is all fun and games now. While we’re not huge fans of shirts like that, we realize they are worn in jest. However, the underlying sentiment rings true, and that is something the general public will remember in earnest once the economy goes south.
When you couple the acute awareness of Walt Disney World’s priciness with regulars who are growing increasingly frustrated with the blatant cash grabs, there’s the potential for real issues. We sound like a broken record harping on the impact of consumer confidence on travel and tourism, but it is a big deal.
People are willing to laugh off the expensive nature of a Walt Disney World vacation right now as they are confident about their economic prospects, but what happens when confidence in the economy is not so high? The U.S. economy has been growing for a while now, and it’s hard to imagine that we aren’t at or near the late cycle phase. That doesn’t necessarily mean another recession is right around the corner, but a slowdown likely is.
When that inevitably occurs, some people will have second thoughts about booking a Walt Disney World vacation. Not everyone, but it doesn’t take everyone for there to be a big impact on hotel occupancy and attendance. Even 10-15% of people hesitating due to perceptions of pricing is a huge deal.
Of course, Walt Disney World benefits in the short term from people who purchase snacks on impulse and those who need their Coca-Cola fix. In the immediate future, it seems unlikely that the loss of sales from people balking at the increased prices outweighs the added revenue from the price differential.
There’s also the added byproduct of the value perception of the Disney Dining Plan improving. This could lead to more purchases of the Dining Plan from people who do the math, or simply peruse online menus and are taken aback by high out of pocket snack and drink costs.
As for us, none of this will affect us in the least. The last time I purchased a large soda at Walt Disney World, it was $3.29 (so, two years ago). I remember that because I flinched at that price, and realized it was an unnecessary expense. Even before then, we had mostly switched to using these Mount Hagen Organic Instant Regular Coffee sticks. The last time I purchased large sodas with regularity, it was the good ole days (~4 years ago, I believe) when they cost $2.79.
We sometimes get odd looks as we mix up our own coffee, but as caffeine addicts, we “need” our fix. (It’s not even close to the weirdest thing we do in the name of blogging.) There’s no way we’re spending ~$60 on a week’s worth of caffeine at Walt Disney World. In that sense, Disney has saved us money, because if prices were still in the realm of reasonable, we wouldn’t be doing this. (On a related note: we highly recommend grocery delivery–read our tips for having groceries delivered to your Walt Disney World resort at a reasonable cost.)
To be sure, this price increase, as with all past price increases, is a calculated decision with clear advantages for Walt Disney World. However, those advantages lie entirely in the short term. As with a lot of moves Disney has made in the last couple of years, there are also potential negative repercussions in the long-term. We’ve been sounding this same alarm bell for over two years now, so at this point you might be inclined to disregard our commentary, but it will happen at some point. It may not happen in the near-term with Walt Disney World’s golden goose set to debut in a little over a year, but we maintain that this is not a viable long-term strategy for a vacation destination that still largely caters to the middle class.
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 do you think of these and other recent price increases at Walt Disney World? No big deal for you, or a reason for concern as you plan where to take future vacations? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Think there will be long-term consequences for Disney resulting from its pricing trends the last few years? Any 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!
Yes, Disney is nickel-and-diming us; but you have to be smart and spend time planning. I come with my family and bring groups of girl scouts to Disney. My #1 advice (especially with these price increases) is one of the dining plans. (I know I would not pay $7.00 for a Mickey pretzel.) Do not buy water; bring a bottle to refill at at QS restaurants. Bring flavor packets from home so you do not buy soda or lemonade. You can use some snacks as meals (soup, salads, mac & cheese at Harbour House, oatmeal for breakfast). Share some QS lunches like the ribs and chicken at Animal Kingdom, Disney Food Blog books help with this. If you are really careful, you can get three meals per day out of the dining plan. I also advise everyone to put spare change in a jar every day. It adds up, and it helps pay for the food.
I always freeze 6 20oz bottles of fruit drinks or Gatorade 48 hrs before our Disney day. I also freeze another 6 bottles 12 hours before we leave. I put the solidly frozen drinks into my backpack first, then the newly frozen ones on top. Along with lots of snacks, we save so much money. I have to deal with a really heavy backpack, but it’s worth it. I think Disney is so wrong to charge more than $2 for a bottle of soda or water.
All to help justify the cost of Disney’s dining plan. Along with making ticketing more confusing. So more guests will do what Disney wants and get the package. Hotel, tickets, and food for one big price. Disney continues to do whatever guests will continue to tolerate.
Corporations don’t pay for increases in salaries, minimum wages, or for taxes due the government, consumers do. That’s what a 50% increase in pay per hour will do to the prices we have to pay to enjoy WDW. Recall the recent union approval of a new contract:
https://www.apnews.com/6fc73107814142529304232626e32fc1 .
So what your saying is these people who work hard everyday DO NOT DESERVE TO MAKE DECENT MONEY they can actually live off of? Wow
No, he was commenting on the simple economic fact that corporations do not pay for tax and wage mandates. They are a passthrough straight to their customers. So we will be the ones covering that expense through increased costs. Anna before you get all worked up and accuse me too of not caring about the cast members, realize that I am one of them, or was. Add a DCP CM at MK, I was at the bottom of the ladder for pay. Guess what, I still did all kinds of things to enhance the experience for our guests, often just by talking to the kids waiting in line to board a submarine. Maybe the company philosophy should be to direct some of the gross film profits back into the parks for higher pay but that could anger stockholders.
Thank you Nick. That is exactly what I mean. I have never met a cast member that wasn’t helpful and courteous. I don’t begrudge anyone for trying to make the most they can.
We are just wrapping up our first trip to Tokyo Disney and I really think the way to save on a Disney trip in the future is going to be to skip the U.S.! We paid $25 for Minnie ears for BOTH my daughter and me, water was $2 and most snacks were $3-$5. Even the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, which is still a splurge, is $100 per night less than WDW Deluxes, despite service that’s actually on par with a true luxury hotel. If only the flight was shorter, we’d never need to go to Orlando!
AMEN TO THIS.
We’ve gone to Disney every other year for the last 8 years, plus many times before our daughter was born, and this year will be the first time we go to Orlando but don’t stay in a Disney Hotel or buy park passes. We are going to do 5 days in Universal, 1 night for the Christmas Spectacular at the Magic Kingdom, then spend a few days on the west coast at a beach trying to get a tan in November, lol. Between the new parking fees for hotel guests, lack of “magic” and very few character experiences like I remember when we used to go in the late 90’s, it’s just not worth the $5,000 for a week. We will go back, but probably not for another 5 or 6 years until there’s plenty of new stuff experience.
Sometimes I feel like this is some kind of social experiment to find out just how much people are willing to pay. But seriously, the continued increases are just plain mean. How can anyone afford to have a fun family vacation? It is literally the same cost as I’m paying for my son to dorm for a semester at his college. I want so badly to reminisce and spend time with my children at WDW but it’s not worth putting ourselves into debt for one week!
We decided to save until we had enough to take our trip. We set aside money each pay period until we had enough. The money sat in our account until our trip needed to be paid for. We would never go into debt over a vacation and there are ways to save. Took us 9 years but we finally went last year! Took our 5 kids and we are hoping to go again!
Disappointed in the price increases. I haven’t bought soda anywhere in years but I’m thinking I’ve had my last Mickey bar. At least to me it seems they are pushing people from the snack carts to QS restaurants.
And my next trip I’m bringing my Starbucks Via packets. I assume I can get hot water the same as iced at restaurants. Love my coffee
What does the price hike mean for snacks purchased as part of the dinning plan? Does it mean the value is going to be more than $5 now or just less choices?
“It’s not even close to the weirdest thing we do in the name of blogging.”
I literally laughed out loud at this sentence!
We’re currently planning our 3rd trip to Disney for February 2019. This won’t affect us at all because we hadn’t planned to buy any drinks or snacks in the park. We’re driving and bringing most of our food with us. We have 4 in-park meals planned and the rest will be groceries. That’s our standard vacation meal planning though. We always take meals and snacks with us to save $$. My friends always tease me about being cheap but it means we can spend 3 days at Universal and 5 at Disney as a 3 person, 1 average income family so I don’t mind the teasing at all. 🙂
I visit WDW 3 or 4 times a year. I am fortunate that I can afford all this stuff, but I am also a man of principle.. I have often said that Disney is expensive, but it stops short of a gouge. I am rethinking that position. Even though I may be able to afford a $5 soda (that costs Disney less than $.50), enough is enough. I will NOT be buying these kinds of things at WDW any more. Perhaps if enough of us actively avoid the snack carts, and soda fountains, the message will get through to Iger (with whom I went to college). I have too damned many DVC points to stop going, but I sure can be a LOT more selective in what I do while there. It’s still a good time for me and my family, but I don’t NEED to spend that much money for carbonated water with a little caramel color and a few drops of flavoring. I admit, however, that I am finding it hard to say that I will no longer be buying Mickey Bars. Ask me in late January after my next trip.
We went to Disney in the second week of September. Because we didn’t have the dining plan we each carried a water bottle and filled them up at quick service places everywhere. WE did bring flavor packets to make the water taste ok at Magic Kingdom. WE probably saved several hundred dollars on drinks.
We bought the Brita water bottles on Amazon recommended by Tom and Sarah and they were amazing they took that disgusting taste right out of the water. It was a really good investment for four people and we got a great deal they were about 6+bucks a piece.
Disney is like cookie butter for me. It’s so good you can’t stop, but a part of you knows there’s a better way to eat, or in the case of Disney a better way to spend your money. That being said, I agree with Tom that it’s better to control what you spend at Disney rather than have Disney dictate everything. My family is going for a week in April and I am crunching numbers to determine how to maximize spending on meals and snacks. These price hikes will be part of that decision process.
Well I am one of those people that go to WDW every year just the wife and I as our kids are grown. Yeah its getting more and more expensive to go every year but I can’t seem to help myself. The wife and I love going and have such a good time. We go for a week with 6 day park tickets and one day just doing nothing but go to Disney Springs, miniature golf stuff like that. We have a good income but I did get a part-time job two years ago at just 10 hours a week ( i enjoy this job a lot!!) so the extra $385 take home each month goes toward the disney trip. It pays for an awesome trip for the two of us.
Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Is it a naked money grab? Of course. But so was the parking fee. Not buying sodas and snacks in the park is something I can control. Not paying to park my car at a resort is also something I can control by either flying or staying on DVC points. So these money grabs are not things that bother me because they are things I can control and limit. I’ve always said the only thing that will really bother me is if Disney introduces a dynamic pricing model for tickets – bc tickets are the only thing I HAVE to buy to take a Disney Parks vacation. So that’s really the only thing I’m still pissed about for being nickeled and dimed over. Once my stockpiled 10 day no-expy tickets and unused free dining package tickets from the mid 2000’s run out, that is when I will no longer be a once a year visitor, but a once every 2-3 years visitor. It truly is the ticket pricing model and not the snack/drink/parking price hikes that have gotten me. Besides, I’ve always thought Disney’s food and drink were way under-priced as far as what they *could* charge. Ever been to Busch Gardens? Sesame Place? Hershey Park? These places have outpaced Disney for years in terms of food and bev prices – and their food items tend to be much lower quality. I take 8th graders on a field trip to Busch Gardens Williamsburg every year, and I think sodas there hit the $4 mark a few years back.
My child’s school choir is taking a trip down next year and staying offsite. The cost is supposedly all inclusive. The tour group allocated a mere $30 per day for all meals on full park days. I was aghast! I’ve been nearly every year for the last 10, and there’s no way that’s paying to keep the kids fed and hydrated. I couldn’t convince anyone that the figures needed to be rethought. Now MORE price hikes?? So looks like my kid will be taking lots extra on gift cards. I truly never minded paying a premium for the Disney vacation experience – but the last few years of nickel and diming have made me wonder if Scrooge McDuck was voted CEO when I wasn’t looking.
I personally don’t buy many snacks, soda, or bottled water while at WDW, BUT, people with young children do, and this latest round of money grubbing is OUTLANDISH!
We did 4 family vacations at WDW in a 6 span, staying on site the last three trips. We skipp d this year due to it being our 10th wedding anniversary, and going on a second honeymoon. My wife had already said we will not take a vacation next summer, when she finally comprehended how much our anniversary trip cost (comparing it to three one week stays at Disney helped it sink in). When we finally go on our annual “big” summer vacation in 2020, it will likely be Universal rather than WDW this time. Part if that is our 9 year old Harry Potter fanatic will be the same age as “first years” in the Potter books, and has expressed a desire to see the Potter attractions at Universal, and part of it is because all the upcharges lately (charging guests to park at resorts, the new ticket pricing structure, etc) is making it harder to justify going to WDW every 2 or less summers (our last three trips were in a 34 month span…2 years apart, then 10 months apart). We love WDW, and as much as I’ve joked in the past that “the rat” doesn’t miss a dime remaining in your pocket, it really is starting to feel that way.
You will have to pay parking at Universal. The price of a Universal trip was way higher for us than Disney. In March 2018, we did 2 days at Universal parks with park to park tickets and 2 nights at Royal Pacific (with free Express Passes). The total for 2 adults, 1 child was $1,834. We are going to Disney in Nov. with 2 adults, 1 child staying 6 nights at Pop and 1 night at POR in a Royal Room with 4 day tickets (base) and the dining plan (mid level) and Memory Maker and it is $3,424.
The royal Pacific is equivalent to a deluxe hotel. Plus it comes with unlimited express passes where there is no Disney equivalent. You’re comparing apples to oranges. Plus like all theme park trips the longer you stay the less per day cost occurs. Disney Jan 6-12 i got a price of $3884. I did the same for universal at cabana beach and no meal plan and got $1789. So you have $2k for food and have to take your own pictures. So universal is A LOT cheaper.
Maybe I should compare our stay at Wilderness Lodge (Sept-Oct 2017) where we stayed for 8 nights with 5 day park hoppers, dining plan and Memory Maker for $4,100. The price of tickets goes down the longer you stay but not the pricing of anything else (and Universal doesn’t have enough for us to stay longer than 3 days). The price of food seemed higher as well and there are far less options for table service restaurants. We paid $60 at Universal Studios for 2 milks, 2 soft drink, 2 burgers, 2 fries and 1 chicken fingers.
I DO work for my Disney addiction…literally. I got a part time job in 08/2017 to pay for my surprise Christmas trip for my husband and I. I work anywhere from 65-80 hours a week so that we can have an amazing trip, and not feel the need to count pennies when we are there. Obviously its a kick in the ol’ coin purse when they increase prices, but that is the world of economy. Supply and demand and all. I can stay at a budget hotel off property, pack all our meals and buy like 1 souvenir and have just as much fun, put I make a choice to live it up when at Disney. So in conclusion, it doesn’t effect me, but I am me and you are you.
I visited Disney World at the beginning of September. We were lucky to get the free dining promotion (but still paid the extra bit to get the Deluxe plan). It had been almost 10 years since I had been to Disney. I’m 27 now and was 19 when I last went with my mother. My mother and I planned a mother daughter trip to visit Disney. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed having the dining plan. It was an extreme amount of food. But with it, we were able to eat at places we would have never eaten at because of the price, and we experienced some of the best food we have ever eaten. I highly recommend Jiko!
The park at the beginning of September (8-15, to be exact) seemed crowded but it was normal for rides to have a 5-15 minute wait. Of course, the Pandora rides and some of the staples had waits up to 75 minutes but low as 35. It was a happy change in waiting 240 minutes for a ride.
Needless to say, I was HIGHLY disappointed in Disney World. I won’t go back for at least a number of years until all of this construction is done, and by then, I may not be able to afford it as a middle class family. There was barely anything to do in Hollywood Studios. I felt like a lot of money and time was wasted going during this time. And the walk to the park from the buses! Holy crap! With it feelings like over 100, the last thing I want my aching feet to do is walk what felt like 5 miles to my bus.
I warn anyone to save your money and try and go in a few years when your hotel isn’t completely under construction (Caribbean Beach was a terrible experience) and half of the parks aren’t sitting full of empty buildings and or barriers for construction and beloved rides closed and gone. However, who knows what the next several years will bring in terms of price increases.
I also wish Disney would make hotels a consistent number with the busing system at the parks. It’s quite hard to remember that your hotel is 18 at one park, 3 at another, 16 at another, and some other random number for the last one. I’m not sure why it can’t be a consistent number.