Disney World fans tricked into affordable family vacations amid rising prices

By now, parents like Tara Sheffey are accustomed to the news delivered every year in October, certainly as the leaves change but not nearly as welcome: Disney is raising ticket prices for its beloved theme parks For 2026, in some cases to more than $200 per day per park.

Chevy, a 44-year-old mother of three, raved about her family’s trips to Disney World as adults, driving from her home in New Albany, Ind., whenever possible. And while the latest announcement from the House of Mouse gives Orlando’s loving parent pause, it won’t stop her — even if she has to go to extreme measures to immortalize the memories.

“We took the kids out of school,” she said of her children, ages 12, 9 and 6. “We’ll turn the weekend into a four-day weekend, so they’re only missing one day of school — they probably already had Friday or Monday off.”

And while Sheffy admitted that she does this less and less as they get older, she likes to recommend that other parents not overlook a missed opportunity for big savings that doesn’t require skipping school — but only just.

“Some of the cheapest times to go are August and September; you can go at the end of the summer, and you’ll get less than $120 a ticket,” she said, adding that she prefers the one-day park option to the pricier ParkHoppers, saying that slowing down and going that route can save nearly $50 per day per person.

Chevy said to save even more, there are ways to get free tickets, and she wouldn’t necessarily recommend at least one she’s tried.

“We’ve sat at timeshare deals at some hotels outside of Disney; if you sit, they’ll give you Disney tickets, but we lost more from our day than I recommend,” she admitted. “We traded our time – but it saved us a lot of money.”

According to a 2024 LendingTree survey, 45% of parents now admit this Taking on unwanted financial debt to cover their Disney vacationsSaying they were surprised by the rising costs, they simply couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket.

While some parents outright oppose these costs – such as A A Florida dad who went viral complaining about the $1,500 cost of a day trip to Disney World As for him and his family of five — park expert Carly Wiesel told The Post that for serious fans, it’s very likely there’s no magic killing involved.

“There are a lot of Disney fans for whom bringing their kids is a big, very important thing,” said the convert to Christianity later in life who takes her young daughter to Disney World and Disneyland regularly. “There’s nostalgia for the past – that’s part of why the fans are so passionate.”

whistle, The podcast host is “very entertaining.”said she would be “the first one out the door” if she felt like a Disney vacation was no longer worth it.

So far, not even close.

“For me, when I’m there, I have lifelong memories; I can feel it happening while I’m there. There’s something special about spending time there more than anywhere else,” she said.

Leanne Baum, 33, a mother of two in New Jersey, feels the same way — though she finds it necessary to harness it. Her passion for couponing is intense To help her family afford trips to one of their favorite places.

““It helps me to be able to set aside money for Disney,” Baum, who honeymooned at Disney World, told The Post.

“I’m sure there could be a point where we (rethink), but before we do that, I would just adjust how often we’re in the parks,” she said. “When we say we’re going to Disney, we’re actually going to Orlando, or to Kennedy Space Center, or to SeaWorld or Universal. So, instead of going to all the parks every time, we’ve been keeping it short.”

Cutting back is what’s on the mind of Emily Zanotti, 43, who wonders how long her family of five will be able to afford the rising costs.

“This is the first time the price has been over $200, and every time this happens, we reconsider the idea of ​​going,” Zanotti told The Post of her reaction to the record news.

“You can go on many family vacations for the cost of a four- to five-day trip to Disney,” she said. “At some point, you’re looking at spending between $5,000 and $10,000 — that’s what it costs to take the kids somewhere like Europe or Japan.”

And while she doesn’t like the way she feels Disney has been “nickel-and-diming” families on vacation in recent yearsCiting the parks’ wave of new profit centers like surcharges for quick access to popular rides, a feature that was previously free, Zanotti said the growing challenges of affording a Disney vacation haven’t been a deterrent — yet.

But she’s made one important change — she now hires a Certified Disney Vacation Planner, part of a network of officially certified travel agents to book Disney vacations on commission, working with clients for free.

“They have better access to discounts,” Zanotti said. “They know when tickets and hotels are more expensive and less expensive – and that has helped us a lot.”

How much will it cost to go to Disney World in 2025?

Over the past decade, the cheapest single-day ticket at Walt Disney World has risen by $22, an increase of 22.68%. The most expensive one-day ticket is up $104, nearly 100% more than in 2015.

For a family of four (two adults, one child over 10, and one child ages 3 to 9), a five-night “baseline” Disney World vacation would now cost a minimum of $7,093, according to Number Crusher at MouseHacking.com.

This includes flights and ground transportation to and from Walt Disney World Resort, a five-night stay at a Value hotel, five one-day passes (no ParkHopper option), a Lightning Lane Multi Pass at two parks, and meals and snacks, experts said.