It’s no secret that Disney vacations are expensive. This is a well-known fact to even those who have never visited the parks before. While those who are planning a Disney trip are already expecting to spend a decent amount of money, they’ll most likely end up spending more than they initially planned.
There are multiple extra-money-spending situations that arise before and during a Disney vacation, and not by accident. Disney uses a number of psychological tricks as an attempt to get guests to spend more money than they may have initially wanted to – and they work! These are some of the simple marketing tactics that are used by Disney to make guests reach deeper and deeper into their pockets.
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1. Disney Uses Smells
Disney knows how to play on people’s senses in order to tap into their mental and emotional states. This is something that’s done throughout all of the theme parks and even at the Disney Resort hotels. However, some of these methods may be more obvious than others.
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One of the most discreet ways that Disney connects with guests is through scent. There are small scent-delivery devices called Smellitzers that are placed strategically throughout the property. While they are often used to enhance the immersive experience, they are also used to persuade guests to make purchases.
Of course, scent isn’t being used to convince you to buy the latest Loungefly backpack, a new set of ears, or the Spirit Jersey that you’ve had your eye on the entire trip. Instead, it’s used to coerce you into buying snacks that you may not have necessarily been planning on purchasing.
When walking down Main Street, U.S.A., scents of candy and pastries are used to encourage you to walk into the confectionery and bakery, where you’ll most likely end up purchasing a sweet treat. Notice a strong scent of warm, buttery popcorn? This scent is used so you’ll decide to stop at one of the nearby carts to purchase some popcorn.
Scents are also used during the holidays. While the scent of candy corn during Halloween and the smell of cookies and peppermint during Christmas are part of the immersive experience, they do lend a helpful hand in encouraging guests to purchase some of the limited-time holiday snacks.
2. Limited Edition or Limited Release Items
Which brings us to our next psychological trick – limited edition and limited release items. This is something that Disney does frequently. Items, which range from snacks to merchandise, are made for specific events, holidays, or special occasions. They are made in limited quantities and are only available for a limited time. This makes guests feel like they need to buy them. After all, they’re clearly special, and they won’t be around forever.
Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s understandable that if you’re visiting during a special time, you’re there for a reason. You most likely planned to be there for a certain holiday, during an anniversary, or during a specific festival or celebration, and therefore, you go in with the intent to buy these limited-time items.
However, there are plenty of times when Disney releases limited-time items just because. A new collection drops, and there’s an immediate urge to get an item that you had no intention of buying just a couple of days ago. There’s a sense of urgency for multiple reasons.
Beyond the fact that the items are around for a limited time and have limited quantities, you now feel the need to make your purchase as quickly as possible. The fear of the item selling out before you can get your hands on it may cause you to make a thrill-of-the-moment purchase, even though the item may not be something that you’re pleased with long-term.
3. Dropping the Dollar Sign from Restaurant Menus
Another subtle psychological tactic takes place within the Disney restaurants. You may notice that many of the restaurants, especially the higher-end establishments, do indeed list the price next to an item, but without a dollar sign.
This is done intentionally. However, it’s not a design choice that’s intended to make the menu look more sleek or professional. Instead, it’s done to make prices look less intimidating, and as a result, make guests spend more.
Again, the prices are still there. It’s not like guests aren’t able to see how much their food and drinks cost. They just aren’t viewing them in such a harsh way.
Dollar signs register in our brains as just that – dollars – money that’s being spent. They depict a negative connotation that we often shy away from, especially when big numbers follow. By removing the dollar sign, the prices seem a little less negative, causing us not to worry about those higher numbers.
4. Adding a Plus Sign to Items
While removing a sign can affect our psyche, adding one can as well. You may have noticed that a plus sign has been used quite a bit at the Disney Parks over the years. There are items such as MagicBand+, ticket options like Park Hopper Plus, the previous Genie+, and even at-home options like Disney+.
When we see a plus sign, we automatically consider that as a positive. After all, plus means more. Even if it costs more, we’re only thinking about the fact that we’re getting more out of it. While this may be true, it’s important to consider the purchase and whether the additional perks are necessary.
MagicBand+ simply has additional interactive features. For example, it lights up, has haptic vibrations, gesture recognition, and around-the-park interactions. Some guests may be interested in these additions, but they’re not for everybody. I’ve personally never felt the need to spend more on MagicBand+. I have plenty of old-style MagicBands that work just fine, plus I can also use my Disney mobile app for all of my needs. The lights, vibration, and other additions were never enough to make me want to spend more money on these newer bands.
Genie+ (now known as Lightning Lane Multi Pass) provided guests with the opportunity to skip the line on multiple attractions within the park. This is a perk that I considered worth the additional cost. However, it’s not necessary every single day. Before deciding whether you should purchase the skip-the-line service, consider the time of year you’re visiting and the crowd levels. There may not be long lines that need to be skipped, and therefore, the money doesn't need to be spent.
No matter what the item or service is, be careful of the plus that’s been slapped on the end. While its add-ons may be beneficial to you, they also may not be. Take time to consider this before spending your money.
5. Mystery Items
A popular merchandise trend of Disney is mystery items. Mystery boxes and packages have been available for items such as pins, plushies, and figures. The packaging shows all of the items that are available in the collection. One of these items is inside your package. However, you aren’t sure which one is inside until you make the purchase and open it up.
Some guests enjoy the fun of making these purchases and seeing what’s inside, being content with just one or two items. However, others make it their mission to collect all of the available items. In order to do this, they need to make multiple mystery purchases.
Of course, there’s no guarantee of what you’ll receive. Therefore, guests may end up with multiple repeats before they complete their collection. This results in more purchases being made and more money going into Disney’s pockets.
6. Gift Shop Placement
Have you ever noticed that at the exit of almost every Disney attraction, you end up walking straight into a gift shop? This is intentional.
When you leave a ride or attraction, you’re most likely excited about what you just rode and saw. If you loved it, a room full of ride-specific items will look appealing to you. At the moment, it’ll seem like a really good idea to purchase so you have something that you can take home with you to remember the great time that you had.
Even if you’re able to resist the temptation, your kids won’t be able to! After helping Buzz Lightyear defeat Zurg, they’re going to want a laser blaster of their own. When they come back from their Star Tours adventure, they’re going to want their own droid or lightsaber so the galactic excitement never has to end.
Disney’s psychological tricks don’t end with adults. They’ll meticulously place these shops, as well as the various merchandise carts within the parks, right where children are going to notice them.
7. Collectable Merchandise Series
Disney knows that many people love collecting their merchandise, both in and out of the theme parks. Oftentimes, Disney will create a collectible merchandise series, where select items from the series will be released at different times throughout the year.
An example of this is the Stitch Attacks Snacks collection that came out in 2024. Each month, new snack-themed Stitch merchandise was released. The monthly merchandise drops included a plush and a pin that featured Stitch (and sometimes Angel) with a certain snack. The collections included: January – Pretzels, February – Popcorn, March – Macarons, April – Lollipops, May – Ice Cream, June – Donuts, July – Shaved Ice, August – Dole Whip, September – Candy Apples, October – Churros, November – Gingerbread, and December – Hot Cocoa.
By making collections like these, with multiple items in each release, Disney knows that many collectors will be purchasing items at least monthly for the entirety of a whole year.
8. Exclusive Merchandise and Experiences
Disney provides opportunities for certain guests to purchase exclusive merchandise and have special experiences. This is something that’s available for annual passholders, Disney Vacation Club members, and even Disney Visa Cardholders. This particular psychological tactic is one that works in multiple ways.
These exclusive items and opportunities are, of course, a good reason to want to become a member in the first place. In addition to the other membership perks that are available, such as discounts, having the opportunity to get special items and experiences is the cherry on top.
Now, the fact that these items are exclusively made is just another way to get guests to spend more money. For example, there’s often merchandise that is passholder exclusives, meaning only annual passholders can purchase them. In this case, annual passholders should take the time to make sure that they actually want the item and aren’t simply purchasing it because it says “Passholder” on it.
It would also be understandable if annual passholders felt the need to purchase these items for bragging rights. When items are made that only you and a select few others are able to buy, that’s pretty cool. It would be easy to get swept up in that moment and make a purchase that not everyone is able to make.
9. Spend Extra to Save
At Disney, there are a number of items that come at a higher cost but come with the benefit of saving guests money in the long run. Guests jump at the opportunity to buy the refillable resort mugs and popcorn buckets, but they should make sure that they’ll actually reap the benefits of these items. Both of these items can indeed save guests money, but only if they already planned on purchasing multiple drinks or boxes of popcorn.
It’s important to keep in mind that the refillable mugs can only be refilled at the Disney Resort hotels. If you’re going to be spending most of your time at the parks and barely any time at the resort, this mug most likely won’t be very beneficial for you.
As for popcorn, a regular box costs about $7. A standard refillable popcorn tub costs around $15, with refills costing $2.25. Specialty popcorn buckets generally range from $20-$40, depending on the design. Again, refills cost $2.25. If you simply wanted a quick popcorn snack, then the regular box may be all you need. However, if you know that you’ll be eating more popcorn than that, a popcorn bucket could be very beneficial!
Before jumping into one of these purchases, simply because of their advertised savings, make sure that it will actually save you money, and not result in you spending more than what you planned to.
10. Add-On Offerings
When booking a Disney vacation, multiple add-ons will be offered to you. One of these is Memory Maker. Memory Maker is a special feature that’s available for guests, which gives them unlimited downloads of their vacation pictures. This includes images that are captured by the Disney PhotoPass photographers as well as those taken on rides and attractions.
When purchasing Memory Maker at least three days before your trip, you have the opportunity to save $25. However, it’s still a pricey purchase. Memory Maker will set you back $185. Again, Disney is using the tactic of offering savings to persuade you into making a purchase.
What many guests may not know is that Memory Maker really isn’t necessary. All of the Disney PhotoPass photographers will take the same pictures that they’re already taking on your phone or camera – for free. It’s unnecessary to spend close to $200 for photos that can be taken for free on your device.
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