These 12 Big Disney World Splurges Might Be Worth the Money

Walt Disney World is undoubtedly a costly vacation destination. Beyond the price of admission, the cost of food, merchandise, hotel stays, and additional experiences can significantly increase the overall cost of your vacation, making it feel less than magical.

While we can acknowledge that Disney isn’t cheap, we also feel like there are some things that are worth the Disney price tag that’s been placed upon them. These are the experiences and offerings that we think are worth splurging on during a visit to Walt Disney World.

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1. Staying on Property

When visiting Walt Disney World, one of the best things that you can choose to put your money towards is a stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Guests who stay on property have access to exclusive perks, increased convenience, and extra magic.

The best part about staying on property is that you never have to leave the “Disney bubble”. The excitement, magic, and storytelling that you experience at the parks doesn’t have to end when you leave for the day. It begins when you arrive at your hotel, continues throughout the entirety of your stay, and doesn’t end until you leave to go back home.

Not only is the Disney bubble magical, it’s also very large. Since Walt Disney World is so spread out, the convenience of staying on property is unmatched. As someone who strictly budgets their vacations, I always opt to splurge on a stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel for this very reason. You also save money in other areas, such as transportation and parking, which would not be the case when staying off property.

Additionally, there are multiple benefits for those staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Hotel guests can take advantage of early entry into the theme parks, free transportation, dining plans, complimentary parking at the hotels and theme parks, and advanced reservation selections. Guests with a 2025 arrival date can also enjoy a free visit to one of the Walt Disney World water parks on their arrival day.

2. Get More Time at the Parks by Staying at a Deluxe Resort

As I previously mentioned, Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests receive additional time at the parks. With Early Theme Park Entry, guests are able to enter the theme parks 30 minutes before the general public. This allows them to enjoy rides and attractions before the lines start to fill up.

Early Theme Park Entry is a perk that all Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests have access to. However, guests who choose to stay at the Deluxe-level resort hotels receive even more time at the parks.

If you opt to splurge for a pricier stay at one of the Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts, you’ll have exclusive access to Extended Evening Hours – a perk that’s only available for Deluxe Resort guests. With Extended Evening Hours, Deluxe Resort guests can stay in the parks past closing time, which gives them more time to enjoy their favorite rides and attractions. Select shopping and dining locations also remain open during Extended Evening Hours, giving guests the full theme park experience, with much lower crowd levels.

Deluxe Resort guests can also maximize their park time by combining Early Theme Park Entry with Extended Evening Hours. By doing so, they can enjoy additional time in the park before it opens and after it closes, giving them more than a full day in the park.

Extended Evening Hours are great for anyone who wants the ultimate amount of time in the parks. They’re also a great option for those who are night owls and would prefer to be in the parks later in the evening, rather than early in the morning. If this sounds like a perk that you would enjoy having, then the additional cost of a stay at a Deluxe Resort may be worth it for you.

3. Book a Theme Park View Room

Another hotel splurge that you may want to consider is a Theme Park View Room. This is an option that can be selected when booking a stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Not only will you have exceptional views of Magic Kingdom, you’ll also have your own personal viewing spot for the nightly fireworks show.

While nothing replaces seeing the fireworks in person, there is something so special about having your own private moment to appreciate the beautiful display. Not only is this an enjoyable option after a long day at the park, but it also gives you access to this beautiful display every night of your stay.

You can make it even more fun by getting into some comfy pajamas and gathering some tasty treats to enjoy during the show!

4. Attend a Fireworks Dessert Party

If you’re interested in splurging on special views of the fireworks show, you may also want to consider attending one of the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties.

During these parties, guests in attendance can indulge in delicious sweets that are prepared by Disney pastry chefs in a private event area at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. A variety of cheeses is also available, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. After enjoying the desserts and refreshments, guests can head to the patio, where reserved seating is available for the fireworks show.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Parties range from $119-$129 for guests ages 10+ and $75 for guests ages 3-9. While this isn’t cheap, especially if you’re paying for more than one person, it is an amazing experience. Rather than fighting off crowds at the end of a long day at Magic Kingdom for views of the fireworks show, you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, with delicious desserts and a reserved fireworks viewing area.

5. Stay Late for Disney After Hours Events

If Extended Evening Hours sounded appealing to you, but a stay at a Deluxe Resort isn’t in the cards, there’s another option! Rather than spending money on a more expensive hotel, you can put your money towards a Disney After Hours event.

At Disney After Hours, guests can stay in the parks for an additional 3 hours past closing time. During this time, guests have access to their favorite rides and attractions as well as complimentary snacks and beverages.

When these events are available, they are a fun splurge in addition to your other days at Disney World!

6. Celebrate at Disney Holiday Parties

Guests can have a spooktacular time during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select dates in August through October. Then, from November through December, guests can ring in the holidays during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. During these parties, guests can enjoy lower crowds, shorter lines, special entertainment, exclusive snacks and merchandise, character meet-and-greets, and holiday ride overlays.

From November through December, another winter holiday party – Disney Jollywood Nights – also takes place at Hollywood Studios.

These seasonal holiday parties can be considered a splurge when bundled with your theme park tickets, but we feel they are a must if visiting that time of the year!

7. Dine with Friends at Character Dining Experiences

If you or someone else in your party enjoys meeting characters, then you may want to consider splurging for a Character Dining Experience. These are special meals that take place at select restaurants. During the meal, characters go around and stop by each table to visit with guests. It’s a great way to get a more intimate interaction with characters without waiting in a long line. Instead, you’ll be enjoying a meal, which you’ll be taking time to do anyway.

My family enjoys meeting the characters, so Character Dining Experiences are another thing that we frequently choose to splurge on. While we usually choose to have these meals with our children, we’ve also had them with only adults present.

Character meals always take place at full-service restaurants. This means that you’ll be able to take time to sit down, relax, and fully enjoy the experience.

At each location, you’ll find a different menu, characters, and atmosphere. For a detailed look at each of these locations, check out our review of every Character Dining Experience at Walt Disney World.

8. Take a Private VIP Tour

At Walt Disney World, guests have the opportunity to take Private VIP Tours. With the assistance of your tour guide, you can completely customize your day to experience the most and do everything that you desire.

On the day of your tour, you’ll be picked up at your hotel in a private vehicle. From that point on, you’ll be met with the utmost hospitality as you experience a day at Walt Disney World in one of the most unique ways possible.

Private VIP Tours include services such as pre-arrival planning, a flexible start time of your choosing, visits to multiple Walt Disney World theme parks, expedited access on most rides and attractions, and shared knowledge and insight from your experienced tour guide.

Such a service comes at a steep cost. These Private VIP Tours range from $450-$900 per hour. Each tour is required to be scheduled for a minimum of 7 hours with a maximum of 10 hours. Additionally, valid theme park admission will need to be purchased for each theme park that’s being visited that day.

This is the most expensive splurge that we’ve put on our list. However, most of the time, these tours are viewed as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”. While it’s very expensive, it’s worth it to experience Walt Disney World in such a special way.

Furthermore, your touring party can include up to 10 guests. If you’re planning this experience with other adults, you can lower the price significantly by splitting the cost amongst yourselves.

9. Purchase Lightning Lane Passes

Lightning Lane Passes are something that I’m always willing to splurge for. With Lightning Lane Passes, guests can skip the regular standby line and gain expedited access at select rides and attractions. This is a perfect way to bypass standing in long lines and wasting precious park time. As a result, those who utilize Lightning Lane Passes are able to get more done in a single day.

There are two different types of Lightning Lane Passes – Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows guests to skip the line at multiple rides and attractions around the park. Lightning Lane Single Pass gives guests this expedited access on a single ride. The Lightning Lane Single passes are generally available for the newest and most popular rides at the park.

The price for Lightning Lane Passes varies depending on the date and which park(s) you’ll be visiting. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass ranges from $16-$39 per person, while Lightning Lane Single Passes range from $11-$25 per ride. Compared to other theme park fast pass systems, these prices are quite cheap. However, it can become costly when you’re visiting multiple days and have multiple people in your party.

I’ve personally always found it to be worth it since Walt Disney World vacations are already expensive. Essentially, time is money at Disney. I’d rather utilize sources that allow me to make the most of my day rather than pay a high entry fee to spend most of my day standing in line.

10. Get the Shot with Memory Maker

If you’re someone who appreciates pictures, Memory Maker will most likely be a splurge that’s worth it for you. With the purchase of Memory Maker, guests have access to every picture that’s captured during their vacation. This includes any picture that’s taken by a Disney PhotoPass photographer as well as all attraction photos.

Disney PhotoPass photographers are located at various locations around each park. They are ready to capture magical moments in front of the most iconic Walt Disney World locations and with favorite characters. Guests can also stop by the Disney PhotoPass studios for special shoots. These can be found at Disney Springs and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Another studio can be found at Sir Mickey’s in Magic Kingdom. This is where the little princesses and knights go for a royal photo shoot after their makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Disney PhotoPass photographers also capture pictures while the transformation is taking place!

With Memory Maker, guests also have access to Disney Magic Shots, pictures taken by 360° capture cameras, and shots taken by cameras at a bird’s-eye view.

Memory Maker is $210, but can be purchased in advance for a discounted price of $185. After Memory Maker is activated, guests have 30 days to download their pictures and can do so as many times as they’d like.

11. Book a Capture Your Moment Photo Session

Another photo splurge that I find worth it is Capture Your Moment. Capture Your Moment is a private photo session that’s held at the Walt Disney World theme parks.

During each session, guests have 20 minutes with a Disney PhotoPass photographer and can travel to different locations around the park to have their picture taken. The session is open to your personal preferences and ideas, but if you’d prefer the photographer to take the lead for poses, they’re more than happy to assist. They know all the locations to capture the best shots and can also bring some magical props along!

Capture Your Moment photo sessions are a perfect way to celebrate special occasions. However, they can also be booked just for fun.

These sessions cost $99. After the shoot, you’ll be able to view all of your images on the My Disney Experience app. From there, you’ll be able to view purchase options for prints and downloads of each image captured. However, if you already have Memory Maker purchased, all of the images from your shoot will be yours to download at no additional cost!

If you’re interested in Capture Your Moment, but would like more time, you can book two sessions back-to-back, giving you 40 minutes in total.

12. Experience Enchanting Extras

Walt Disney World has an entire list of special experiences that guests can take part in for an additional cost. Most of these experiences aren’t particularly cheap. However, I would dare to say that each activity is worth the unique experience that it provides. While these may not be things that you’ll want to spend money on every time you visit Walt Disney World, it’s worth it to splurge on them at least once.

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The list includes things such as light saber and droid building, fishing excursions, cake decorating, tours, art classes, golf, and so much more. Read more for some of our favorite Enchanting Extras at Walt Disney World.

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