Walt Disney World and Disneyland increase sure costs all year long, however main will increase on park tickets, meals, parking, Annual Passes, upcharges and extra all often happen concurrently firstly of the fiscal 12 months. This covers dates of previous worth will increase and after we’re anticipating this to occur in Fall 2025. Plus the right way to put together for (and shield towards) will increase, why they might not occur for as soon as, and extra.
For starters, we must always emphasize the “often” within the above paragraph, as costs will increase should not a certain factor at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. There are good examples of this within the pent-up demand period, reminiscent of when Walt Disney World raised ticket costs in mid-February 2022 and once more on December 8 of that very same 12 months.
This isn’t totally unprecedented, as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have raised costs twice yearly on a number of events within the final decade. That’s why we’ve been advising readers to buy tickets upfront to lock-in present costs in our 2025 Low cost Walt Disney World Ticket Shopping for Information and our 2025 Low cost Disneyland Ticket Suggestions guides.
Disneyland’s final main worth improve occurred on October 9, 2024.
Final 12 months’s improve was a typical one at Disneyland, with costs going up on single-day and multi-day tickets, Magic Key Annual Passes (this occurs even once they aren’t being actively bought), and extra. As standard, admission was the large factor that went up, with proportion will increase that had been pretty hefty.
Within the 12 months previous to that, Disneyland raised its costs on October 11, 2023. Earlier than that, Disneyland elevated costs on October 11, 2022.
Final 12 months, Walt Disney World raised costs on October 23, 2024. Prior will increase had occurred on the identical date as Disneyland.
These largely impacted restaurant menus, from out of doors merchandising carts to character eating experiences, in addition to different add-ons and upcharges. Annual Cross costs additionally went up on the similar time.
Just a few issues are price mentioning with regard to the Walt Disney World will increase. First, the one motive they seemingly occurred two weeks after Disneyland was Hurricane Milton. That storm made landfall in Florida on the evening of October ninth. It will’ve been dangerous optics for Walt Disney World to boost costs throughout that devastating storm system. (And as a sensible matter, the parks closed, so there in all probability wasn’t adequate staffing to implement a worth improve.)
Second, there have been fewer worth will increase on each coasts final 12 months than within the earlier two years.
The beginning of the fiscal 12 months sometimes brings with it larger costs on parking, VIP excursions, eating packages, dessert events, PhotoPass packages, and a variety of different upcharges. There was a few of that, however not almost as a lot as regular.
Third, as an offset to the unfavorable information, it’s frequent for Disney to make different ancillary modifications within the title of visitor satisfaction or substantive choices–methods to take the sting out of the value will increase. Potentialities for Walt Disney World may embody Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare becoming a member of Lightning Lane Multi Cross, information about added leisure, or returning perks for on-site visitors–that sort of factor, not essentially these particular examples. Similar for Disneyland; possibly that is once they’ll lastly announce a reimagining of Fantasmic, which is in sorry form.
Lastly and most significantly, Walt Disney World didn’t improve costs on common theme park tickets final 12 months. That is in all probability as a result of Walt Disney World had debuted larger costs for the next 12 months’s tickets (2025) when releasing trip packages and annual product earlier within the 12 months.
The identical factor occurred this 12 months with the annual launch of trip packages, which introduced with them 2026 Ticket Worth Will increase at Walt Disney World. Usually, a worth improve takes impact instantly, impacting all future dates–not simply the annual product launch for the next 12 months. The final two years have thrown a monkey wrench into issues, however this upfront method makes a whole lot of sense and leads to fewer worth improve headlines.
Based mostly on final 12 months’s precedent plus Walt Disney World doing the identical factor once more this 12 months with the annual product launch plus softening attendance and demand, it’s our prediction that Walt Disney World is unlikely to boost common ticket costs for 2025 or 2026 when different costs go up firstly of the fiscal 12 months.
(Notice that Walt Disney World nonetheless has not launched tickets for November and December 2026. These months are usually the costliest of the 12 months, they usually virtually actually could have dates with larger costs than this 12 months as soon as launched. It’s successfully a worth improve, however the mechanics on the way it works–a brand new product with the next value at launch–differs from a conventional worth improve on an current product. There’s additionally no option to get round paying the elevated costs for November and December 2026 dates.)
In all chance, each Walt Disney World and Disneyland will increase charges on or round October 8, 2025. (Once more, in all probability not for base tickets at WDW, however for different choices.)
That’s a really particular date, however it’s kind of when costs went up in every of the final three years. It’s often across the first week in October, on both Tuesday or Wednesday. Each coasts will seemingly revert to the identical date this 12 months within the (presumptive) absence of a hurricane closure.
On each coasts, Annual Cross and different costs will in all probability improve. However as famous above, the chance of base tickets going up is much decrease at Walt Disney World. That doesn’t imply it’s a assure, and it’s all the time a ‘finest follow’ to purchase ASAP to lock-in present costs and shield towards will increase, however it’s not crucial.
Our expectation is that the majority of the upper costs disproportionately hit Disneyland, seemingly together with base tickets. It’s the “different stuff” that’ll seemingly go up on that date at Walt Disney World.
The excellent news is that you may shield towards the seemingly will increase.
For those who’re a potential Annual Passholder, you should buy a voucher or certificates to safe present pricing. We really advocate doing this ASAP earlier than the present Free Present Card for New Walt Disney World Annual Cross Buy Promo involves an finish on September 30, 2025.
There’s a good probability one other promo might be launched in some unspecified time in the future within the coming months for APs, however it’ll seemingly be hooked up to larger base costs. Perhaps it’ll be 15 months for the value of 12; maybe it’ll be one other present card deal. Or it is likely to be nothing in any respect. Simply larger costs with no offset. It’s not of venture we’d make!
In case you have a Walt Disney World journey deliberate between now and October 2026, you should buy tickets now to lock-in present prices and guard towards future will increase. As all the time, we advocate utilizing Get Away Right now, our really helpful approved third get together ticket vendor, for the largest financial savings, plus flexibility and customer support. They presently have the favored “Adults at Youngsters’ Costs” deal occurring, so now is an effective time to lock-in one thing.
With that stated, should you’re on the fence however planning on shopping for by way of a licensed third get together ticket vendor, you might be in all probability high-quality to attend till after the value improve is introduced/happens. For the previous decade-plus, approved sellers have maintained stock of the prevailing tickets on the “outdated” costs, often for a few weeks after the value improve. I can’t keep in mind the final time that was not the case, so it’s protected to say it’ll seemingly occur once more with the potential upcoming worth will increase.
One factor we’d advocate not doing is ready till Black Friday gross sales. For every of the previous few years, the pre-increase costs in September have been higher than the sale costs in late November. That’s virtually sure to be true once more this 12 months, too. So should you’re on the fence or in ‘wait and see’ mode, you actually ought to decide earlier than the tip of this month. It’s more likely that there’s draw back in ready than there’s upside.
It’s truthful to level out that at the same time as base costs have gone up, Walt Disney World has ramped up reductions considerably within the final couple of years. Walt Disney World has introduced again the 2019 deal playbook, providing reductions on par or higher than that 12 months after slim pickins’ between 2021 and early 2023. (See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for 2025-2026.)
As somebody who books a whole lot of Walt Disney World lodge stays, I’m paying much less for that part of journey now than I did in 2022. That was very true this summer season, when Walt Disney World had unprecedented reductions that basically provided 2019 pricing.
This isn’t tremendous shocking, as Walt Disney World is Frightened About Its Excessive Costs has been an ongoing matter since this spring. We provided a radical dialogue of demographics in Disney’s Response to Rising Prices Criticism. That particularly focuses on why Walt Disney World wants to proceed attracting its core viewers of households with younger kids.
You is likely to be questioning why Walt Disney World and Disneyland would improve costs at the same time as attendance stagnates and reductions ramp up. As we prefer to level out, Walt Disney World way back adopted the “Kohl’s Mannequin” to pricing, the place the sticker costs are virtually meaningless resulting from reductions. As Kohl’s realized ages in the past, if the bottom worth is larger, it makes the discounted charge appear to be much more of a cut price!
Walt Disney World management studied on the Kohl’s College of Enterprise, and realized that lesson in the course of the Nice Recession. Since then, we’ve seen costs maintain going up, even when reductions get higher. That’s kind of what we’re seeing now, with the tip consequence being a price proposition that’s worse than 2019, however higher than 2022, all issues thought-about.
Regardless, the underside line is that we will anticipate Walt Disney World to extend costs across the begin of the brand new fiscal 12 months, which is October 1, 2025. This put up makes use of a whole lot of weasel phrases since this isn’t an official announcement or a reputable rumor. Nonetheless, it’s one thing that occurs 12 months in and 12 months out across the begin of Disney’s new fiscal 12 months. I might be completely flabbergasted if Walt Disney World and Disneyland don’t improve costs in October 2025. (Effectively, until they transfer ahead the date to late September. That may additionally take a look at.)
It’s not a matter of “if” however “when” and, equally as necessary, “on what.” Costs will go up, however what the will increase will embody is the thriller. My guess is that we’re going to see one other 12 months of extra restrained will increase. Disney has garnered a whole lot of headlines about pricing out the center class. Not sufficient to not maintain elevating costs on some issues, however they are going to be extra cautious and measured about it–particularly as financial uncertainty will increase.
With all of that stated, this 12 months would possibly see fewer worth will increase than regular–or on fewer issues that matter to a majority of visitors. There are rising fears of a pullback in shopper spending, and Disney already seems to have hit some partitions on the subject of balking factors on pricing. Therefore the elevated discounting.
They thus is likely to be reticent to boost the sticker costs on ‘on a regular basis’ journey elements, and as a substitute deal with extra area of interest or upmarket choices. Perhaps the common worth of Lightning Lane Premier Cross will go up, with fewer of the “cheaper” dates. Similar goes for Lightning Lane Single Cross. There are methods for elevating common costs by shifting the distribution of prices in direction of the upper finish of the spectrum–with out altering the vary (e.g. a particular LLSP nonetheless costing $15 to $20, however with fewer $15 days and extra $20 days).
It’s additionally doable that Disney will attempt to discover new income streams with out essentially elevating costs. Final 12 months’s launch of Lightning Lane Premier Cross is an ideal instance there. For all the fan complaints about that, each standby traces and Lightning Lane stream have improved this 12 months. Premier Cross in all probability satiated Disney’s thirst for income positive aspects, stopping a worth improve on one thing common visitors really buy.
One other chance, if not an inevitability, in some unspecified time in the future is a swap to dynamic ticket pricing at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This can occur finally, however I’m skeptical it’ll be in October. I’ve heard zero rumblings, and this strikes me as a switchover that’ll be made with the launch of annual product.
With all of that stated, should you’re reserving a Walt Disney World trip package deal that features tickets, don’t wait. Lock-in one thing ASAP. If these costs do go up, there’s no workaround for getting the outdated costs. Your solely different can be a room-only charge, and shopping for tickets individually by way of the aforementioned approved low cost sellers.
That is very true for these of you touring between now and Spring Break 2026. Though reductions for subsequent January via late March haven’t but been launched, there’s a excessive chance that they may inside the subsequent few weeks. I’d put the possibilities round 95% that these reductions might be obtainable earlier than the value improve.
Trip packages, together with discounted ones, replicate the value of tickets when initially booked. This implies if common public reductions are launched on September thirtieth and ticket costs had been to go up on October eighth, you’d pay extra should you booked that deal on or after October 8, 2025. Accordingly, we’d extremely advocate reserving or reaching out to a journey agent proper now. As in, earlier than the following wave of reductions is launched.
As all the time, we advocate requesting a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Licensed Disney Trip Planner (they’re paid by Walt Disney World–so free to you!).
Journey brokers will do the mathematics for you, reserving your trip with the best-available particular provide, and monitoring your package deal for future reductions that may be utilized retroactively. Past that, they assist take the stress out of planning and can help with itineraries, eating reservations, and far more.
That “apply retroactively” line is the necessary half–that means they’ll ebook as we speak and modify on the morning offers are launched to use the low cost. For those who do that, we’d additionally advocate providing them flexibility in your most well-liked resort/room–not all resorts are included in promos or have availability as a part of the deal. Numerous exclusions, each what’s listed and what isn’t.
It’s additionally necessary that the modification to use the low cost is made earlier than costs improve. Finalize your plans sooner reasonably than later, as modifications after October 8 (or no matter day costs go up) will lead to paying the brand new charge.
Through the years, we’ve heard from readers who’ve been stunned that their worth is larger with a reduction than with out. That is often why–base costs elevated between the time they made the reservation and the time they utilized the low cost. That’s why it’s finest to each lock-in charges and apply reductions ASAP, at any time when doable.
For those who’re touring later in 2026, you’re not going to have this selection since reductions for these dates in all probability gained’t be launched this month. However it’s doable to not less than ebook the undiscounted package deal now. After these potential worth will increase, it’s doable that’ll find yourself being higher than future promotions. (We extremely doubt it given how aggressive discounting has gotten, however we’d nonetheless advocate hedging!)
There’s additionally no actual option to guard towards worth will increase on the “little issues” like parking, upcharges, meals, and so forth. Air quotes round little issues as a result of these are literally the ‘budget-busters’ that catch planners without warning, and lead to journeys costing far more than initially anticipated. On condition that and the distinct chance that Walt Disney World gained’t increase ticket costs for 2026 once more, there’s probability that there’s nothing you are able to do with this data. Nonetheless, higher protected than sorry…proper?
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about resorts on our Walt Disney World Resorts Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every little thing you’ll want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the potential worth will increase? Suppose Walt Disney World and Disneyland will increase charges throughout the board in October 2025, or will they hit pause resulting from financial uncertainty or decreased demand? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Another concerns we did not bear in mind or particulars we missed? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!