Is Disney World ACTUALLY a Good Value? The Answer Might Shock You!

There’s no denying that prices at the Disney theme parks have gone up in recent years.

From price increases with Genie+, to changes in 1-day, 1-park ticket pricing that makes them more expensive, and other adjustments — going to Disney these days may cost you a lot more than you were used to. But is Disney still considered budget-friendly? What about other theme parks — how do they compare? You might be surprised!

FamilyDestinationsGuide.com completed a study where they analyzed the cost of accommodations, park tickets, food, reusable branded water bottles, and transport for a variety of popular American theme parks to see which offers the best value. They budgeted these costs for a family of two adults and two children under nine years old. And you might just be surprised by where Disney ranks!

The top three parks on their list are as follows: Cedar Point in Ohio ranked number 3 with a daily cost total of $585.27, while Silver Dollar City in Missouri came in number 2 with a daily cost total of $578.01. Number 1 was Kings Island in Ohio, totaling a wallet-friendly $368.20 per day. Kings Island also had the lowest daily food spend of just $26.32 and the lowest average cost for park tickets at $159.96 per day.

So where does Disney fall on this list? Well, it depends on what coast you are referring to! Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida) actually came in at spot number 4, with a daily total of $603.32.

You might be surprised to know that the average cost for lunch at Disney World was $11.73 cheaper than the $57.57 average price across all the amusement parks.

After Disney World comes Universal Studios Orlando, with a daily cost total of $608.62.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure comes in 6th place, perhaps because of their lowest-cost hotel average of $65.78. Their daily total is $619.54.

Tampa’s Busch Gardens is next at $628.96. They actually beat the average price for park tickets, daily hotel stays, water bottles, and daily lunch for a family of four.

Six Flags (Magic Mountain) stole 8th place with a daily total of $632.63, and 9th goes to Hersheypark with an overall daily spend of $648.65.

So who comes in last place? None other than Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure. The daily spend for this resort is $681.83, $313.68 more than the cheapest on this list. They beat the average cost of park tickets, hotel stays, and even Uber transportation costs. And had a lower-than-average cost for reusable water bottles.

Of course, costs for any of these categories can vary from park to park depending on the time of year, events occurring, and plenty of other factors. These are good numbers to keep in mind when planning though! Are you surprised to see Disney on the list or do you consider it to be budget-friendly? Tell us in the comments.

If you’re looking for a way to make your next Disney trip fit better into your budget, check out our posts about discounts & details below.

And stay tuned to our site for more theme park information and tips and tricks for planning your future vacations.

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Comment below about your favorite theme parks!