If you want to splurge on a bit of luxury for your Walt Disney World vacation but are on a budget–or are simply a frugal tourist who is conscious of value–this list is for you. We cover which resort, dining, and other add-ons are worth the money, as well as some that are not worth it. (Updated October 4, 2024.)
We’ll start by quickly dispensing with what isn’t worth your vacation dollars. As is likely obvious from previous posts, we’re not huge on up-charge offerings at Walt Disney World. You won’t find dessert parties, fireworks cruises, or pretty much any special experience on this list. Not because we haven’t done them–but because we have and wouldn’t bother with any of those things again. We also typically don’t recommend paying extra to upgrade room views, nor are we keen on spas or makeovers.
One splurge we really do enjoy is staying Club Level, but even that’s one with which we grapple. As noted in our Guide to Club Level & Concierge Lounges at Disney World and some specific reviews, it’s difficult–if not impossible–to justify Club Level at Walt Disney World from an objective, value-for-money perspective. In fact, the exorbitant cost and desire for reasonable alternative splurges is the main motivation for this list.
In our Review of Atrium Club Level at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, several readers left comments requesting a list of more attainable splurges that we recommend. Specifically, ones that offer sufficient value for the cost. That’s what this list is all about, with the operative question for inclusion on this list being, “is the quality of the experience commensurate with the cost?”
With that in mind, we have a variety of great splurges at Walt Disney World at all price points and for guests with pretty much any budget!
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom – Let’s start small. Many of you are stretching your budgets just to make a trip to Walt Disney World happen in the first place. You might already be worried about cascading costs, or not having a memorable trip because you won’t be able to do the things on this list.
Let me stop you right there. Like so many things in life, Walt Disney World is what you make of it. There are so many ways to beat the crowds and have a great time with “only” the base experience. Few things in life are more valuable than knowledge, and that’s free. This sage wisdom is true with Walt Disney World, as knowing how to zig when others zag and beat the crowds will put you in a better position than those who mindlessly drop thousands of dollars to buy their way out of lines.
With that out of the way, there is one small splurge we typically recommend: Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom. Arriving early, staying late, or following the other Best Time-Saving Strategy for Walt Disney World can help you avoid long lines in other parks, but there’s no such fool-proof approach to Magic Kingdom. This is also one case where time is money, and buying LLMP can mean doing Magic Kingdom for only 1 day instead of 2.
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine – In and of itself, character dining is expensive and is not categorically a worthwhile splurge in all cases. Sure, we love and highly recommend a good pre-park opening breakfast as well as several resort character meals, but most in-park character meals don’t even come close to making this list.
Minnie’s Seasonal Dine is one exception to that. We’re particularly big fans of Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Christmas and Minnie’s Halloween Dine. The other ones for winter, spring, and summer are good, but the options for August through December are next-level. Part of this is probably that we’re particularly partial to these holidays.
Not only that, but the value proposition of both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is becoming more and more dubious. These meals are great alternatives that’ll cost less and leave you satisfied. Not only is the food good, but it’s a great chance to get dressed up for the season and take family photos with characters that are likewise in special attire.
Behind the Seeds Tour – I’ll preface this by saying that I’m the wrong person to ask about backstage or VIP tours. We’ve now done some from both categories, and Behind the Seeds at Epcot is the only one I’ve loved. (Almost everyone we know has nothing but effusive praise for every Walt Disney World tour they’ve done, so what do I know!)
Irrespective of all that, Behind the Scenes at Epcot is the perfect way to get your feet wet with the world of Disney’s tours. It’s the cheapest tour you can do, offers fun info, and interesting backstage access–all at a price point that feels fair for the duration of the tour.
For the first time ever, Walt Disney World is doing a Behind the Seeds Christmas Tour at EPCOT in 2024! We cannot wait to experience the ‘Merry & Bright’ overlay during this nighttime backstage tour of the Land greenhouses.
Upgrading to a Moderate – While we love Pop Century (especially now that it offers Skyliner transportation), there’s definitely something to be said for the resort experience at Walt Disney World, and that doesn’t really kick in until you’ve moved from the Values to the Moderates.
Fortunately, at the Moderate tier, there’s an option for everyone. Want a compact resort layout? Go with Port Orleans French Quarter. Looking for a romantic resort suitable for a honeymoon? Port Orleans Riverside all the way. Want a business-class hotel? Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs is your best bet. Prefer something with good transportation, diverse dining, or tropical ambiance? There’s a reason we call Caribbean Beach Resort the “Poor Person’s Poly.”
Our favorites are Gran Destino Tower if we want a luxury hotel at a Moderate price or Caribbean Beach if we want Deluxe-caliber transportation…again, at a Moderate price. This hotel tier truly offers something for everyone–see our Walt Disney World Moderate Resort Rankings for pros & cons of each, and which might be best for your family.
Upgrading to the Lodges – It’s increasingly difficult to justify an upgrade to Deluxe Resorts unless you rent DVC points or manage to score a great discount. Even those aren’t sure things, as DVC availability has become more competitive and general public discounts are rarer, with more exclusions and less availability. The rack rates have gotten so high that even with a 20-30% discount, the prices don’t match the level of service, room quality, etc.
The two exceptions to this are Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge, which also just so happen to be Walt Disney World’s two least expensive (typically) Deluxe Resorts. They are themed to the hilt and generally offer something you cannot get from a real-world counterpart. Of course, we still go for the best possible deal at both (we try to book the “Value Studio” at Animal Kingdom Lodge whenever possible).
Dining at the Lodges – If staying at the lodges is out of the question, we highly recommend dining at them. This one actually started out as specific restaurant recommendations, but we quickly realized that we enjoy literally every restaurant at both Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. So, why not include both for the sake of offering a variety of options at various price points?
Our top recommendation here is to slow down and make an evening of it. Do either on a non-park day, and if you’re going to Wilderness Lodge, take the boat over. Enjoy sunset on the savanna if you’re heading to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Unwind in the lobbies after dinner. There’s no reason not to turn this into a 3-hour, leisurely experience. (As for specific dining recommendations, our favorites are Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge and, for something totally different, Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge.)
Toledo Steakhouse – This one making the list really illustrates the operative question of the post. Here, it’s important to remember that there’s a huge difference between cheapness and frugality. We are willing to pay for quality and luxury, especially when the value given matches the price paid. In the past, that meant doing and recommending Victoria & Albert’s on rare, special occasions. However, it has become a non-starter for us after the latest price increase.
Instead, we’re turning to a sleeper Signature Restaurant: Toledo at Gran Destino Tower. This is an exceptional date night destination, with an ambitious and fun concept, delicious food, exceptional views, and prices–for the quality of the cuisine–that are not inflated too much by Walt Disney World standards. And it’s one of only a small handful of WDW restaurants to receive Michelin Guide recognition!
The fact that Toledo caters heavily to conventioneers plays a huge part in all of this, and will likely ensure that the restaurant maintains its high standards. Toledo is absolutely worth the challenging commute–and the Signature Restaurant we most consider splurge-worthy. (Topolino’s Terrace and Flying Fish are also right up there.)
Sebastian’s Bistro – If Signature Dining is too rich for your blood–or you have small children and it’s simply not suitable for your party–here’s a mid-tier alternative. Sebastian’s Bistro is a sleeper pick, and one that’s easy to access from the Skyliner.
Despite that convenient location at Caribbean Beach Resort, this restaurant still flies under the radar of most Walt Disney World fans. The new family style service at Sebastian’s Bistro holds its own and offers exceptional quality on par with traditional table service dining.
It’s arguably the best buffet or family-style meal, right up there with Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Far superior to ‘Ohana, which definitely qualifies as a good splurge that you’ll remember, but not a good value splurge. By contrast, Sebastian’s Bistro offers exceptional value for money. For $38 per person, you’ll have a meal that’s better than the $60+ dinner at ‘Ohana.
Chronos Club – Located in Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, this is the only Club Level that isn’t in a Deluxe. Consequently, the premium for staying in Chronos Club is always much lower than all other Club Levels. It can be less than $100 extra for many nights after discounts. Again, this is because Chronos Club is at a Moderate Resort, so the baseline price is lower to begin with.
Despite this, we view Chronos Club as one of the very best Club Levels in all of Walt Disney World. That’s not just grading on a curve due to the lower price–it’s objectively superior to most of the Deluxe Resort Club Levels. Like Gran Destino Tower as a whole, Chronos Club punches far above its weight, and offers tremendous bang for buck.
In fact, if you want to splurge on Club Level and your primary consideration is value for money, you can stop right here: Chronos Club is the clear winner, and the competition isn’t even close. It also helps that Gran Destino Tower as a whole is a very nice hotel, with the only real downside being bus-only transportation.
SS Harbor Beach Club – This one is harder to justify from a value perspective, but it’s nevertheless a personal favorite. We spent a lot of time covering this in our Stone Harbor Club Level Review and I’m not going to rehash all of that here. Basically, you want to do a split stay (see our How to Do a Split Stay at Walt Disney World Hotels post) and take full advantage of the Club Level lounge and Stormalong Bay over the course of two days.
Booking a 1-night stay at Beach Club for the end of your trip and taking a late flight out on your last day is perfect. Alternatively, you could do that night in the middle of a three-resort trip, with a couple of relaxed resort days to decompress amidst your vacation. It’s worth noting that this is not our favorite Club Level at Walt Disney World, but the “SS Harbor Beach Club Strategy” is your best bet for squeezing every ounce of value out of a Club Level stay.
Disney After Hours – I hesitate to include these paid evening hours for a couple of hours. First, because doing so makes us “part of the problem” of guests willing to pay extra for something that used to be free, and could lead to the further erosion of regular hours. Second, because I don’t totally trust that Walt Disney World won’t oversell these in the future if demand increases, as it’s basically “free money” for the company as pent-up demand dies down.
With that said, Disney After Hours offers great opportunities to get a ton done with minimal waits. These are particularly good options if you’re interested in doing the headliners repeatedly, you don’t score the most coveted Lightning Lane ride reservations, or you have limited vacation time. (Essentially, this is one for people who prioritize their time over their money.)
As with all things, Disney After Hours is not for everyone. The event also is not strictly necessary if you follow one of our Walt Disney World Itineraries and only want to do each popular attraction once per day. However, After Hours is great for guests who want a stress-free way to enjoy the best time of day at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (the jury is still out on EPCOT After Hours). That could be said about everything on this list of WDW’s top splurges, though.
“Unlocking” Extended Evening Hours – Walt Disney World’s decision to retire Extra Magic Hours and replace that offering with Extended Evening Hours has been controversial. Since the latter is limited to Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, and other select hotels, it has been incredibly controversial. Understandably so. It adds further fuel to the fire that Walt Disney World only “cares” about the rich and is squeezing out the middle class.
That’s certainly one perspective–and it’s a valid one! Our view is that it’s no use crying over spilt milk, and your energy is better focused on how to work the system–beating Disney at its own game. To that end, potential options for taking advantage of Extended Evening Hours without breaking the bank include doing Renting Disney Vacation Club Points or booking the Swan & Dolphin Resorts (or better yet, the nicer and newer Swan Reserve). Any of these options will often cost you about as much as a Moderate Resort.
Some Walt Disney World fans may not like to hear it, but from our perspective, this simple ‘hack’ makes Extended Evening Hours much better than Extra Magic Hours. While we have our misgivings about Disney’s increasing tendency to target the bigger-spenders (what happened to everyone is a VIP?), the fact is that evening Extra Magic Hours were prohibitively crowded to the point of being worthless on some nights. By contrast, Extended Evening Hours are usually glorious–to the point that we never buy After Hours tickets anymore because the “free” thing is good enough for us!
Savi’s Workshop – Here’s another one along those same lines, albeit with a value proposition that’s incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to quantity. Sure, there’s the real world cost of a lightsaber like the one you build, but Savi’s is so much more than that.
As you can read in our Is Star Wars Land’s $250 Lightsaber Experience Worth It? review, we were blown away by this. We almost didn’t do it because of the cost, but are very glad we did. For adult Star Wars fans or kids, this is something special that will make a lasting memory.
Savi’s Workshop is arguably worth it as a splurge or special occasion present. It’s tougher to justify with recent price increases, but we still think this is the type of experience that’ll make indelible memories for kids who are Star Wars fans. (At half the cost, Droid Depot might seem like a better alternative–it’s not.)
Cool Cups – At the other end of the souvenir spectrum is an item that is more of an anti-splurge. Consider this the chaser to a bunch of expensive items that might be out of reach–this is something that anyone visiting Walt Disney World can afford.
In our decades of experience doing Disney, the souvenir that we get the most mileage out of is cups. Think about it: everyone drinks. While a Spirit Jersey will wear down over time (and it’s more expensive to begin with), cups keep going strong. We literally still have cups we purchased from Walt Disney World in 2007! (A patriotic Liberty Tree Tavern mug that cost $5.)
Our personal favorites are resort-specific Tervis mugs, unique coffee mugs, and steins like the one above. The Tervises can be a bit pricey, but you can easily find coffee mugs and other unique cups for under $20. My only word of warning is to look for ones that are dishwasher safe, as many of the cheapest ones aren’t.
For the most part, we are “collect memories, not things” people. But we make an exception for cups of all kinds because they’re so practical and inexpensive. We use Disney cups daily, and some of our longest-lasting ones have had thousands of uses at this point.
That’s it for our list of the best value for money splurges at Walt Disney World. As with pretty much everything WDW-related, your mileage may vary. Some of you will likely find great value in the things we wrote off as “not worth it” at the top of the post, whereas others may disagree with what we think is worth the extra money. Reasonable minds may differ and all that.
One thing that does bear stressing before we close out this article is that no enhancements or up-charges are necessary to have a great trip to Walt Disney World. When it comes to online trip planning and social media, there’s a pervasive sense of FOMO that drives many people to spend on unnecessary experiences. This is exacerbated by certain popular experiences booking up quickly, but that’s less a reflection of quality and demand than it is limited supply and the FOMO machine. (Looking at you, dessert parties!)
It’s easy to fall into this trap, but you should try to avoid it. You could easily drop an extra $5,000 or more on extras and upcharges to “guarantee” a great trip to Walt Disney World…and end up having an inferior experience to someone who didn’t buy any of those things. Spending more creates more pressure, meaning more tension, and leading to a great chance of meltdowns. We see this all of the time.
Regardless of how much you spend or plan, you’re going to miss out on something. That’s the bad news. The good news is that some of the best magical moments at Walt Disney World occur by chance, and no amount of spending or planning can “force” those to happen. In short, spend strategically on splurges to treat yourself here and there, but don’t chase perfection. It’s a fool’s errand, and you can have an amazing trip without spending anything extra.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What are your favorite Walt Disney World splurges? Anything offering great bang for buck that you think we missed? Anything that made the list you feel does not belong? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
