Even if you’re richer than Scrooge McDuck, it’s never a good idea to waste money at Walt Disney World. There are splurges at just about any budget, and it’s better to allocate funds towards those than at things that simply are not worth the cost no matter your net worth. This lists the experiences at Walt Disney World we view as some of the biggest offenders when it comes to being rip offs.
Of course, not all Walt Disney World budgets are equal. For some of you, cutting costs and disciplined spending may be the only way you can afford a trip to Walt Disney World. Advice here about breakfasts and ODVs, for example, might be incredibly useful for you. It could be really reassuring that the resort tier and room category you’re booking are perfectly fine, and that you can ignore the snobs.
For others, examples like this might be a drop in the ocean and not materially impact your budget while adding inconvenience—a tradeoff that simply is not worth it for you. Instead, you might want to avoid the big ticket upcharges and add-ons. Even this may not be strictly necessary, but could fund a slightly longer trip, a second Disney trip, or simply not waste money unnecessarily. (Hopefully no one wants to do that!)
We have been in both positions. Well, sort of. I wouldn’t say we’re exactly diving into pools of gold coins a la Scrooge, but we are able to splurge on trips now. But I still vividly remember the days or ordering an extra bun so we could split a double cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray’s and loading up on toppings.
These days, we still pay careful attention to our spending and make every effort to get the most bang for our buck. After all, those wasted dollars could be the makings of another trip! We also remain frugal (perhaps to a fault) and refuse to waste money, no matter how much or little. For example, we’ve never bought a bottle of water at Walt Disney World—it’s a matter of principle, as we can always get free cups or bring our own reusable bottles with filters.
There’s a huge difference between cheapness and frugality. We are willing to pay extra for quality and luxury, especially when the value given matches the price paid. But when it doesn’t, we won’t—and that goes for small expenses in addition to big because, once again, it all adds up. I’m constantly reminded by other fans that “Disney is a business” and not a charity, so I treat them as such and don’t give them dollars they haven’t earned.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk. Here’s a partial list of things we think are wastes of money for most guests at Walt Disney World. As always, nothing is absolute and you might have a unique use case or totally valid reason for highly valuing any of the following. Don’t take any of this too seriously or get offended that we think your favorite add-on is a waste…
Fireworks Dessert Parties…at Parties
I’m not a fan of fireworks dessert parties, period. But the target audience for this list isn’t me (there wouldn’t be a point of me writing something to myself) and I’m cognizant of the fact that most vacation planners have different priorities, preferences, and crowd tolerances. I still think the regular dessert parties cost way too much for what they offer, but not to the point that they’re deserving a place on this list.
The “upchargeception” fireworks dessert parties during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party do belong on this list, and near the top as the biggest offenders. We are not fans of the dessert parties during the hard ticket MNSSHP and MVMCP for several reasons. First, they’re more money on top of an already expensive event. Second, they eat up valuable Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party time; you’ll already have a difficult time doing everything, and attending a dessert party only makes that more difficult.
Third and most importantly, they simply are not necessary. Main Street is not crowded during the MNSSHP and MVMCP fireworks. It is nothing like a normal night watching Happily Ever After, especially once you get south of Casey’s Corner. For the last few years, I’ve shown up 5-10 minutes for the fireworks and grabbed a spot in this area without issue. Quite often, I have no one around me–I could do a snow angel (minus the snow) on the ground.
Finally and equally significant, the reserved viewing areas are suboptimal spots for viewing the fireworks. This is not simply a matter of me being a “cheapskate” or whatever. If you gave me the option of viewing the Halloween or Christmas fireworks from Tomorrowland Terrace or the Plaza Garden for free, I’d decline (politely!). This isn’t even a hypothetical—I’ve attended events with included reserved viewing in the Plaza Gardens and instead opted to fend for myself on Main Street!
The Plaza Gardens are simply not great locations, and the lower crowds during these events makes fireworks viewing easier than a normal night in Magic Kingdom. To each their own, but there’s literally nothing about these dessert parties that appeal to me, and I think they are Exhibit A in things that sell well exclusively due to FOMO.
Ponchos
This is low-hanging fruit. For those who aren’t aware, it sometimes rains in Florida. And by sometimes, I mean that it will rain at Walt Disney World during your trip if you’re visiting during the summer, which lasts approximately 41 weeks of the year. (I don’t make the rules; Florida seasons work differently–which is why Halloween season begins in August.) If it doesn’t rain during your trip, I’d recommend buying a lottery ticket.
Okay, now that you know that (you probably already knew that), it stands to reason you should be prepared for rain unless you’re a regular lottery winner. This is true no matter what the forecast is ahead of your trip because forecasts change and rain can materialize out of thin air (or not-so-thin air). And, as you can probably imagine, dealing with wet weather is going to cost you a lot more last-minute than if you plan in advance.
There are two good options for planning ahead, the first is via reusable ponchos. While you’ll spend a lot less on disposable ponchos, we prefer the reusable ones–and not just because they’re “green.” They’re also more robust and have better features (buttons, length, etc). With that said, we just prefer this windproof umbrella. We’ve purchased it several times (because I keep leaving it places on accident), which should be about as ringing of an endorsement as possible.
Preferred Rooms
We have never paid extra for a preferred room…and neither should you! This might be a bold statement, but if you’re reading this, you’re a higher-knowledge Walt Disney World guest, and you can leverage room requests to get quasi-preferred rooms without the premium pricing.
Great examples of this exist in our room recommendations for Caribbean Beach and for Coronado Springs Resort. These are two of the most sprawling resorts at Walt Disney World, arguably the ideal places for paying extra for better location. But the fact of the matter is that you can do just as well–arguably even better, with strategic requests of standard rooms. Similar sentiment applies at every resort with internal bus loops and the preferred category.
I’d actually take this a step further and say that most of the time, paying extra for a room with a view is a waste of money most of the time. The biggest exceptions for us are BoardWalk View and Savanna View–but honestly, we’re usually paying for those in DVC points, which are closer to Monopoly money than real dollars (not really). I’d have a very difficult time forking over cash-money to pay for theme park views, especially for the 41 weeks of summer when being out on a balcony isn’t ideal.
Deluxe Resorts
Before you grab your pitchforks, we want to be very clear: Deluxe Resorts are not a categorical waste of money at Walt Disney World. Meaning that we’re not suggesting anyone who splurges on nice accommodations is foolish with money. That would make us habitual suckers and hypocrites.
This is the most circumstantial entry on this ‘waste of money’ list, but it’s included because there’s no faster way to balloon your vacation costs out of control than by upgrading to a Deluxe Resort. On top of that, when talking to first-timers, we’ve frequently found that many feel FOMO or pressure to pay for the “best of the best” or else risk having a subpar experience and somehow ruining what should be a formative, rite-of-passage experience for their kids.
It’s honestly a bit sad. Walt Disney World fans, travel agents, and websites like this one don’t do them any favors. So many Disney diehards are resort snobs, which is weird to me, because it’s not like these hotels–even the Deluxes–are the Four Seasons or anything.
This is a big reason why we’ve been trying to destigmatize the Value Resorts, first by placing one of them #1 on our List Ranking ALL Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World from Worst to Best and then by naming another as My Favorite WDW Hotel for Cheap Weekend Trips. (I said website like this one…not this one in particular!)
That latter post hits the nail on the head for when a more expensive hotel probably is a waste of money: trips to Walt Disney World where the parks are the primary focus. If the hotel is primarily a place to sleep, shower and shave, why spend extra on the room? If you’re only in the room to crash after a long day, and are up early and out the door as soon as possible the next morning, you’ll only have a few waking hours per day (at most) at the resort. Is that really worth an extra few hundred dollars per night?
The flip side to this, and why it’s circumstantial, is that many guests will take full advantage of their resort and the added cost will be worth it as a result. More than anything else, consider this one as ‘food for thought’ and not definitive advice you must follow. Conversely, don’t reflexively book the ‘best of the best’ resort for no real reason other than because you fear that the Values or Moderates aren’t good enough. They absolutely are, even if you might prefer something nicer–and be able to justify it.
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Animal Kingdom
It’s no secret that this blog is not in favor of buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom. It’s true that it’s possible to score Lightning Lanes for Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and more–and save hours in line as a result. On busier days, even the stage show Lightning Lanes can have value.
However, it’s also true that this only applies to those who have abandoned all other strategy and roll up to Animal Kingdom after 9 am and leave before 4 pm on moderately busy or worse days. If you’re reading this website–a blog that revolves around planning and savvy strategy–we hope you aren’t embracing the worst possible approaches, or anti-strategies.
If you’re arriving for Early Entry or in the mid-afternoon, Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is a waste of money on 340+ days of the year at Animal Kingdom. You can knock out most of the park via standby lines. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Ride Strategy and Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Strategy for a runthrough of those approaches.
Outdoor Vending Carts
I promise you, a bottle of Coca-Cola at Walt Disney World tastes exactly the same as one at home. One premise of this post is that you should avoid spending money on things at Walt Disney World that are nothing special–that you could get anywhere in the world. The pre-packaged goods, available at grocery stores nationwide, sold at these kiosks fit the bill.
Every time I see someone walk away from one of these stands with bottles of water or soda, I can’t help but do the mental-math on how much money these pointless impulse buys are wasting people. I’m not trying to be condescending with this. It’s quite the opposite! I still vividly remember when I was in their shoes, making the exact same moves. (In fact, most of the items on this list are ‘learn from my mistake’ cautionary tales–I’m a reformed money-waster myself!)
In looking over receipts from a trip several years ago, I was so shocked at how much I had wasted on soda that I swore it off at Walt Disney World from then on. Since then, I haven’t purchased Coke in the parks a single time. If you need the caffeine, get your fill of coffee in the morning from your hotel room or get your fix at a restaurant offering free refills.
Snacks are now similarly overpriced, having increased in price more than anything else in the last few years. Don’t get us wrong–we love Dole Whips and other tasty treats, but pretzels, popcorn, and even churros just aren’t worth the hefty prices these days. Nostalgia might say otherwise, but making an ordinary snack into the shape of Mickey Mouse does not improve its taste.
You don’t need to swear off snacks entirely, but we’d recommend cutting out the ones that aren’t unique to Walt Disney World. If you’re hungry between meals, Mobile Order an entree from a counter service restaurant and share that. If you’re thirsty, water is free. I also don’t like the way ODVs clutter up the parks, but that feels like I’m entering “old man yelling at cloud” territory.
Counter Service Breakfasts
Every once in a while, one of my friends on social media shares side by side photos of their actual breakfast at home with what they wish they were eating at Walt Disney World. And, I kid you not, I would rather have their ‘at home’ breakfast every single time. It’s nothing special, but it’s also not powdered eggs, thin rubbery bacon, and rock-hard Mickey waffles. Suffice to say, nostalgia is a helluva drug.
If it weren’t for “needing” to review restaurants for the sake of blog research, I’d probably never eat another counter service breakfast at Walt Disney World. With very few exceptions, they’re nothing special. This is precisely why we recommend grocery delivery to resorts at Walt Disney World.
We always get groceries, as it kills multiple birds with one stone. It’s cheaper than eating in the parks or your hotel food court, it’s faster and more efficient, and offers a well-rounded meal with fruits, vegetables, and other healthy options you might not get at Walt Disney World restaurants. There’s no opportunity cost–it’s all upside. Saving time, money, and letting you feel less guilty about “going hard” on the meals that are actually good. We’d highly recommend it, even if it were somehow more expensive than eating counter service breakfasts (but it definitely isn’t).
MagicBands
This is bound to be controversial or unpopular, but I’m just going to come out and say it: I’ve bought my last MagicBand at Walt Disney World. This breaks my heart just a little bit and feels like the end of an era, as we’ve used MagicBands since the original pilot program over a decade ago. I was really excited for MagicBand+ and was hoping it would reinvigorate the Walt Disney World wearables.
Instead, it did the opposite. MagicBand+ just isn’t a very good device, and it was the death knell for the OG MagicBands. Consequently, Walt Disney World guests now only have the choice of the more expensive options that do nothing special. While there will probably be another awesome Figment or Country Bears design that I end up loving, there’s just no way on earth I’m paying $55 for whatever that is. No design, no matter how cool, is worth it for a piece of plastic you put on your wrist.
It also helps that MagicMobile now works really well, and integrates seamlessly with the Apple devices I already own and carry daily. The only real loss of not using a MagicBand is that the mobile room key feature in the My Disney Experience app is hit or miss, but the simple solution for that is picking up a free room key from the front desk. So MagicBands don’t really offer the convenience they used to, and as a souvenir, they cost much more than other alternatives.
Disney Dining Plan
Since I’ve probably already alienated half of you with my hot takes on MagicBands, here’s another one bound to annoy the rest of you: skip the Disney Dining Plan–it’s a waste of money.
This actually isn’t as controversial as it used to be due to rampant price increases. In actuality, the Disney Dining Plan is not inherently good or bad, but has the potential to be either depending upon your specific circumstances and how you use it. However, more and more often, it’s bad. (See When You Should Buy & When You Should Skip the Disney Dining Plan!)
The fact of the matter is that the Disney Dining Plan will not be the cheapest way for anyone to eat at Walt Disney World. If paying bottom dollar is your bottom line, look elsewhere. The Disney Dining Plan is a splurge that can save you money if you dine a certain way, but that ‘certain way’ involves eating at more expensive restaurants and ordering pricier options. Usually, it means eating too much.
I’d hazard a guess that over 95% of guests who buy the Disney Dining Plan are losing money at this point. The number probably isn’t that much lower for Free Dining, keeping in mind the opportunity cost of booking it. The “winners” are disproportionately readers of blogs like this one who put obsessive amounts of planning into hacking it. If that’s not you, steer clear.
Mears Connect
This is a tough one because Mears Connect is a good option for a lot of people, and I’m not trying to suggest otherwise. The problem, as I see it, is that many families view Mears Connect as the default since it’s the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express. So they’re just using that without considering the alternatives.
Frankly, even back before the “free” Disney’s Magical Express went extinct, there was a worthwhile debate to be had whether the $0 cost was worth the time it wasted. Many fans were forgiving since, again, it was free–or, at least, built into the cost of resort stays. They could stomach ~90 wasted minutes if it meant Mickey getting them to their hotel, taking care of luggage, and a stress-free start to the trip.
Now the circumstances are very different. Mears Connect has a monetary cost and it takes, on average, even more time since there’s usually less demand for the shared shuttle service. For many families, Uber or Lyft will be less expensive–it depends on party size. Same goes for renting a car or even using a private transfer.
Even for others who are more borderline, the time saved via one of the alternatives can make them better on balance than Mears Connect. For other families, like ours, the combination of party size and/or not having to hassle with a car seat or drive a rental car still keeps the scales tilted in Mears Connect’s favor.
In our experience, Mears has also added 1-2 extra stops in the last year because there’s less demand. This also often means buses not departing as frequently. It feels like the start of a vicious cycle, where fewer people are using Mears Connect because it’s less convenient, which will in turn make it even more inefficient and lead to more people abandoning the shuttle service.
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 do you think are the worst wastes of money at Walt Disney World? Things that only exist or sell well due to FOMO, or have sufficient low-cost or free alternatives? Anything on this list that you think we’ve got wrong–things that actually are worth the money? How do you cut the fat from your travel budget? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any 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!
