Is Disney World Worth the Cost?

The question of whether Walt Disney World is worth the cost is asked in various different Disney Facebook groups in a variety of ways. As a blogger about planning trips to Disney World, I obviously feel it is worth it.  But I understand why anyone would ponder this, as I did before our first trip as a family.  WDW is expensive, and it has very few real comparables for price and value, but I am going to try to share some in this post.  Another thing that complicates this question further is that there are so many ways to do a trip to Disney World.  You can drive or fly, stay on or off site, go for one day or a couple of weeks, combine it with a trip to Florida or a cruise.  But having all these options, including so many different accommdation types and levels within the Walt Disney World Resort, provides the flexibility to tailor your trip to your budget.  Other all inclusive vacations or some other destinations do not offer this opportunity.                                  

Let's start with a simple premise.  Let's say that you were going to Florida for a vacation.   Most of your costs would be similar.  You could stay in the same priced hotel, resort or condo, eat at similar restaurants and transport yourself the same way.  Yes, some (but not all park meals) can be more expensive, but we havs paid similar prices for food at other Florida, and even local attractions.  So the biggest cost factor for Disney World are the park tickets.  For one day at one of the four theme parks it costs over $100 US per person, and that doesn't include the extra cost to park hop.  The cost for a second park day is not much less, but after that each extra day costs only $10 to $20 more.  I am not suggesting that it is cheap, but on a per day basis, if you were to have 6 park days, the cost would be the same or less than if you did a day at Seaworld, another at Legoland, Universal Studios or the Kennedy Space Center.   And you can't fairly compare it to other normal theme parks.  You are paying for more and better rides and shows, a multitude of classic and iconic characters, nightly incredible fireworks and light shows, daily multidimensional parades, the Fastpass selection system, and the usually excellent customer service.  You don't get most of these at other theme parks and attractions and still pay 60 to 80 percent of the cost of a day at a WDW theme park.                                                    

Now let's take the most comparable destination , Universal Studios Orlando.  First of all, while Disney World has 4 theme parks and 2 water parks, Universal only has two parks and a water park.  This is an important distinction, because many guests to Universal stay one or two days because that is all that is required.  The prices for one or two days are similar, and the "park hopper" at Universal is pricey, especially when you are only going to two parks.  The Universal Fastpass equivalent also costs extra (Disney's is free) unless you are staying in one of their deluxe level hotels.  And if you decide to do both parks, one each day, you will still miss out on the new Hogwarts Express train ride, which runs between both parks, because you must have the two park pass to ride it.  There is also the possibility that without an opportunity to skip the ride lines, you could be spending the day just lining up.  That's not good value in my opinion.  My wife is a Harry Potter fan, and she wanted to experience that section in Islands of Adventure, along with the Hogwarts Express. I calculated that it would cost us over $600 US (plus the Canadian exchange rate) for four of us for one day, not including food!  It was too expensive for our family, and so we chose to spend our money elsewhere.                                                                        
But there are other extras that give a Walt Disney World vacation extra value, especially if you stay in a Disney Resort.   The Magical Express service that shuttles you to your resort, with your bags sometimes beating you to your room.  The Disney Transportation system is free and takes you from your resort to parks, other resorts and Disney Springs on buses, boats and monorails. If you prefer a vehicle during a resort stay, you can park for free including at the parks. Each resort is themed down to the smallest detail, and resort hopping, such as in Vegas, has become a tradition of many visitors.  The restaurants and quick service dining options are often themed too, and the choices are seemingly endless.  There are several golf courses, other leisure activities, and a fabulous shopping and dining area called Disney Springs to enjoy, all within WDW.                                        

And you always have the choice of what you want to do, where, and for how long, where you want to stay, where you care to dine (on almost any budget), and even cost certainty to a large extent is possible.  I discuss the Disney Dining Plans in a previous blog post, but purchasing one in a package can help do that.   There are also numerous discounts on accommdation, tickets and dining to be had, as well as added value with festivals and holiday celebration.   The bottom line is that while a vacation to Disney World is not inexpensive, it actually contains a great deal of value as well. If you want to save money and increase your value, I encourage you to read several of my other Disney World trip planning tips blog posts.                                                                           
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Nightly fireworks and light shows add extra value to a trip to Disney World.