The start of a new year is often a time when vacation planning for the year begins! If a trip to Disney World is in your plans, you’re probably already budgeting and saving for it!

Some prices have changed recently at Disney World, so we’re here with some important reminders today!

Be sure to factor these increased costs into your vacation budget!

Disney Genie+

Genie+ is a paid service that allows you to book specific windows to ride an attraction at Disney World without waiting in line. When it was introduced in 2021, it cost $15 per person, per day.

But starting on October 11th, 2022, Disney introduced surge pricing for Genie+. On the busiest days around Christmas, the price of Genie+ rose to $29 per day. If you had planned for $15 per day for the service, you’ll need to add extra to your budget.

Disney Genie+ and Surge Pricing: What You Need to Know

Park hopper add-ons

When you travel to Disney World, you have the option of buying tickets that will get you into one park per day, or you can “park hop” for an additional fee. That fee used to be $65 for a 1-day ticket, and it went up from there.

As we noted with Genie+, Disney World is starting to introduce “surge pricing” into many of its products, and surge pricing went into effect for park hopper tickets starting on December 8th. In short, on busier days in the park, it will cost more to add the park hopper option to your tickets. For example, on President’s Day, February 20th — typically a day with high crowds — adding the park hopper option to your 1-day ticket to Animal Kingdom will cost you $85, rather than the previous $65.

How Surge Pricing Is Changing the Way People Go to Disney World

1-Day Tickets

Yes, we said “1-day ticket to Animal Kingdom.” If you are buying a 1-day ticket to Disney World, you now have to choose the particular park you will be visiting, and the prices vary depending on which park that is. Going back to our President’s Day example …

You can see that a ticket to Magic Kingdom costs $179 on February 20th, while a ticket to Animal Kingdom costs $159. If you tend to go to Disney World for quick trips, 1-day tickets will cost you more (or less!) depending on the park you choose.

Disney Will Raise Prices in 2023. Here’s When To Be Ready.

Merchandise

Ah, the souvenirs you will want during your trip. Disney World has no shortage of tempting ways to treat yourself, and the prices of them — just like the prices of consumer goods all over the world — are going up.

The base price for Minnie Ears has recently increased from $29.99 to $34.99, building a droid in Galaxy’s Edge is now $119.99 when it used to be $99.99, and the list goes on. You may want to increase your souvenir budget for your next Disney World trip — or lower your expectations.

Disney Just Raised Prices Everywhere. Here’s What You Should Do Next.

Food

Food at Disney World is definitely one of the most expensive parts of the trip. (Well, not for everyone — you CAN pack your own food and take it into the parks if you really want to save.) And the prices of that food have been trending up (which is the same thing we’re seeing at our local grocery store, how about you?).

The price of nearly everything to eat and drink at Disney World has gone up at least a few cents in the past few months. Mickey pretzels increased in price from $7.19 to $7.49. A Dole Whip Pineapple Cup went from $4.99 to $5.29. The cost of a prix fixe dinner at Be Our Guest increased from $62 to $67. And sure — 30 cents more for a Dole Whip or $5 more for a sit-down dinner doesn’t seem like a lot. But for four people, over the course of several days, you’ll need to increase your food budget.

You also may want to adjust your dining plan. Opt for more counter-service meals and snacks, and less table-service meals to save.

Our BEST tip for sticking with your budget at Disney World will forever be to plan ahead – especially for dining! When you buy our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World, you’ll get immediate access to our downloadable worksheets for planning your trip, as well as sample one-day dining itineraries! And as a DFB reader, you’re entitled to a discount! Use code WDW2023 for 25% off your purchase. 

See the Hundreds of Food Price Increases That Recently Hit Disney World Here

Gas

If you’re driving to Disney World for your vacation, we’re sure you’re paying attention to gas prices. While they cooled a bit during the fall, the predictions for 2023 do show some times when they will rise.

GasBuddy predicts that gas prices will climb back up to around $4 in spring and summer 2023. So if that’s when you’re planning to drive, be sure you have budgeted enough money for your gas.

50 Free Things to do in Disney World in 2023

That’s a look at some rising costs that could blindside you on your trip to Disney World in 2023. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got some resources to help you save on your trip!

• The Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip

• Is Disney World Too Expensive For Average Families?
• 5 Ways to Save $1,000 on Your Disney Trip (Really!)
• Our NEW Tips for Saving BIG in Disney World!
• Step-by-Step Guide to Ordering Instacart Grocery Delivery to Disney World

It is possible to have a wonderful time at Disney World, no matter your budget! Stay tuned to DFB for more money-saving tips!

Are you planning a trip to Disney World in 2023? Tell us in the comments!