Walt Disney World and Disneyland elevate sure costs all year long, however main will increase on park tickets, meals, parking, Annual Passes, upcharges and extra all normally happen concurrently initially of the fiscal yr. This covers dates of previous worth will increase and once we’re anticipating this to occur in Fall 2025. Plus how one can put together for (and defend towards) will increase, why they could not occur for as soon as, and extra.
For starters, we must always emphasize the “normally” within the above paragraph, as costs will increase will not be a positive factor at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. There are good examples of this within the pent-up demand period, corresponding to when Walt Disney World raised ticket costs in mid-February 2022 and once more on December 8 of that very same yr.
This isn’t fully unprecedented, as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have raised costs twice yearly on just a few 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 enhance occurred on October 9, 2024.
Final yr’s enhance was a typical one at Disneyland, with costs going up on single-day and multi-day tickets, Magic Key Annual Passes (this occurs even after they aren’t being actively offered), and extra. As traditional, admission was the large factor that went up, with proportion will increase that have been pretty hefty.
Within the yr previous to that, Disneyland raised its costs on October 11, 2023. Earlier than that, Disneyland elevated costs on October 11, 2022.
Final yr, 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 outside merchandising carts to character eating experiences, in addition to different add-ons and upcharges. Annual Go costs additionally went up on the similar time.
A number of issues are price declaring 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 might’ve been dangerous optics for Walt Disney World to lift 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 enhance.)
Second, there have been fewer worth will increase on each coasts final yr than within the earlier two years.
The beginning of the fiscal yr usually brings with it increased 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 practically as a lot as regular.
Third, as an offset to the unfavourable information, it’s frequent for Disney to make different ancillary adjustments within the identify of visitor satisfaction or substantive choices–methods to take the sting out of the value will increase. Potentialities for Walt Disney World might embrace Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice becoming a member of Lightning Lane Multi Go, information about added leisure, or returning perks for on-site visitors–that kind of factor, not essentially these particular examples. Similar for Disneyland; possibly that is after they’ll lastly announce a reimagining of Fantasmic, which is in sorry form.
Lastly and most significantly, Walt Disney World didn’t enhance costs on common theme park tickets final yr. That is in all probability as a result of Walt Disney World had debuted increased costs for the next yr’s tickets (2025) when releasing trip packages and annual product earlier within the yr.
The identical factor occurred this yr with the annual launch of trip packages, which introduced with them 2026 Ticket Worth Will increase at Walt Disney World. Usually, a worth enhance takes impact instantly, impacting all future dates–not simply the annual product launch for the next yr. The final two years have thrown a monkey wrench into issues, however this upfront method makes lots of sense and leads to fewer worth enhance headlines.
Based mostly on final yr’s precedent plus Walt Disney World doing the identical factor once more this yr with the annual product launch plus softening attendance and demand, it’s our prediction that Walt Disney World is unlikely to lift common ticket costs for 2025 or 2026 when different costs go up initially of the fiscal yr.
(Word that Walt Disney World nonetheless has not launched tickets for November and December 2026. These months are usually the costliest of the yr, they usually virtually actually may have dates with increased costs than this yr as soon as launched. It’s successfully a worth enhance, however the mechanics on the way it works–a brand new product with the next value at launch–differs from a conventional worth enhance on an current product. There’s additionally no solution to get round paying the elevated costs for November and December 2026 dates.)
In all probability, each Walt Disney World and Disneyland will elevate 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, but it surely’s roughly when costs went up in every of the final three years. It’s normally across the first week in October, on both Tuesday or Wednesday. Each coasts will seemingly revert to the identical date this yr within the (presumptive) absence of a hurricane closure.
On each coasts, Annual Go and different costs will in all probability enhance. However as famous above, the probability of base tickets going up is much decrease at Walt Disney World. That doesn’t imply it’s a assure, and it’s at all times a ‘greatest observe’ to purchase ASAP to lock-in present costs and defend towards will increase, but it surely’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 defend towards the seemingly will increase.
Should you’re a potential Annual Passholder, you should purchase 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 Go Buy Promo involves an finish on September 30, 2025.
There’s an honest likelihood one other promo might be launched sooner or later within the coming months for APs, but it surely’ll seemingly be connected to increased base costs. Perhaps it’ll be 15 months for the value of 12; maybe it’ll be one other reward card deal. Or it could be nothing in any respect. Simply increased costs with no offset. It’s not a raffle we’d make!
In case you have a Walt Disney World journey deliberate between now and October 2026, you should purchase tickets now to lock-in present prices and guard towards future will increase. As at all times, we advocate utilizing Get Away As we speak, our beneficial approved third celebration ticket vendor, for the largest financial savings, plus flexibility and customer support. They presently have the favored “Adults at Children’ Costs” deal occurring, so now is an effective time to lock-in one thing.
With that mentioned, should you’re on the fence however planning on shopping for by way of a certified third celebration ticket vendor, you’re in all probability effective to attend till after the value enhance is introduced/happens. For the previous decade-plus, approved sellers have maintained stock of the prevailing tickets on the “outdated” costs, normally for a few weeks after the value enhance. I can’t keep in mind the final time that was not the case, so it’s secure to say it’ll seemingly occur once more with the potential upcoming worth will increase.
One factor we might advocate not doing is ready till Black Friday gross sales. For every of the previous couple of 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 yr, too. So should you’re on the fence or in ‘wait and see’ mode, you actually ought to decide earlier than the top of this month. It’s more likely that there’s draw back in ready than there may be upside.
It’s honest to level out that whilst 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 yr after slim pickins’ between 2021 and early 2023. (See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for 2025-2026.)
As somebody who books lots of Walt Disney World lodge stays, I’m paying much less for that element of journey now than I did in 2022. That was very true this summer time, when Walt Disney World had unprecedented reductions that basically provided 2019 pricing.
This isn’t tremendous stunning, as Walt Disney World is Nervous About Its Excessive Costs has been an ongoing subject since this spring. We provided an intensive 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 could be questioning why Walt Disney World and Disneyland would enhance costs whilst attendance stagnates and reductions ramp up. As we wish 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 increased, it makes the discounted charge appear like much more of a cut price!
Walt Disney World management studied on the Kohl’s Faculty of Enterprise, and realized that lesson in the course of the Nice Recession. Since then, we’ve seen costs hold going up, even when reductions get higher. That’s roughly what we’re seeing now, with the top end result being a worth proposition that’s worse than 2019, however higher than 2022, all issues thought-about.
Regardless, the underside line is that we will count on Walt Disney World to extend costs across the begin of the brand new fiscal yr, which is October 1, 2025. This put up makes use of lots of weasel phrases since this isn’t an official announcement or a reputable rumor. Nonetheless, it’s one thing that occurs yr in and yr out across the begin of Disney’s new fiscal yr. I’d be completely flabbergasted if Walt Disney World and Disneyland don’t enhance costs in October 2025. (Effectively, except they transfer ahead the date to late September. That might additionally try.)
It’s not a matter of “if” however “when” and, equally as vital, “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 yr of extra restrained will increase. Disney has garnered lots of headlines about pricing out the center class. Not sufficient to not hold 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 mentioned, this yr 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 could be reticent to lift the sticker costs on ‘on a regular basis’ journey parts, and as an alternative deal with extra area of interest or upmarket choices. Perhaps the typical worth of Lightning Lane Premier Go will go up, with fewer of the “cheaper” dates. Similar goes for Lightning Lane Single Go. There are methods for elevating common costs by shifting the distribution of prices in the 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 yr’s launch of Lightning Lane Premier Go is an ideal instance there. For the entire fan complaints about that, each standby traces and Lightning Lane movement have improved this yr. Premier Go in all probability satiated Disney’s thirst for income good points, stopping a worth enhance on one thing common visitors really buy.
One other chance, if not an inevitability, sooner or later is a change to dynamic ticket pricing at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This may 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 mentioned, should you’re reserving a Walt Disney World trip bundle 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 various 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 likelihood that they are going to throughout the subsequent few weeks. I’d put the possibilities round 95% that these reductions might be out there earlier than the value enhance.
Trip packages, together with discounted ones, mirror the value of tickets when initially booked. This implies if basic public reductions are launched on September thirtieth and ticket costs have 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 subsequent wave of reductions is launched.
As at all times, we advocate requesting a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Approved 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 bundle 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 vital half–that means they will guide immediately and modify on the morning offers are launched to use the low cost. Should you do that, we’d additionally advocate providing them flexibility in your most popular 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 vital that the modification to use the low cost is made earlier than costs enhance. Finalize your plans sooner somewhat 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 increased with a reduction than with out. That is normally why–base costs elevated between the time they made the reservation and the time they utilized the low cost. That’s why it’s greatest to each lock-in charges and apply reductions ASAP, at any time when doable.
Should you’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 no less than guide the undiscounted bundle 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 solution 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 abruptly, and lead to journeys costing far more than initially anticipated. Provided that and the distinct chance that Walt Disney World gained’t elevate ticket costs for 2026 once more, there’s a superb likelihood that there’s nothing you are able to do with this info. Nonetheless, higher secure than sorry…proper?
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about resorts on our Walt Disney World Accommodations 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 singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things it’s good to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the potential worth will increase? Suppose Walt Disney World and Disneyland will elevate 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? Every other issues we did not take into consideration or particulars we missed? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
