5 Disney Park Expenses That Are Totally Worth It
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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When it comes to vacations, Disney World and Disneyland may be the most magical places on Earth, but they certainly aren’t the cheapest. That shouldn’t stop you from enjoying these theme parks though, as they have a ton to offer when it comes to family fun and making memories. However, having a few cheat codes for what is worth splurging on doesn’t hurt either.
Disney has some relatively great and updated features that, while they do cost more money, are worth considering for the added value they provide. These are some of the big ones.
Free Water Park Entry
With any stay at a Walt Disney World hotel in 2025, you can enjoy water park admission for free on check-in day — it’s 100% included with your stay. As the summer months heat up, this is a well-worth-it perk, so make sure to time your arrival early.
Keep in mind for future trip planning that this great deal will also be available for returning Disney Resorts Collection hotel guests during the summer of 2026.
Disney World’s After-Hours Parties
At Disney World, you can also splurge on after-hours parties at select parks. On select nights, you can enjoy Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT for a trip around the world after they close for the day. Though this splurge is ticketed separately and limited to a select number of guests, it does allow for an extended evening experience and lower wait times for popular attractions, so win-win.
You could also add this after-hours visit to your regular park day. Not only will you get shorter lines, but you can also get unlimited soda and snacks.
Extended Evening Hours
If you’re staying at specific deluxe hotels during your stay, you can also take advantage of Disney World’s extended evening hours. This is a recent addition that is well worth the cost if you want to maximize your time — and cut down a little on how many other guests are at the park. This incredible benefit lets you stay in select theme parks two hours after closing with reduced crowds.
On the other side of the country, if you’re going to Disneyland in California, check out the After Dark after-hours events. These themed events are held throughout the year, so you’ll need to check the calendar around the time you’re planning your trip.
Disney Dining Plan
Meal planning always saves money, and the Disney Dining Plan lets you prepay for a specific number of meals and snacks during your vacation. It is a great choice for your whole family to experience classic dining options at both quick-service and table-service restaurants. Now, you can easily plan meals around your schedule.
As a side benefit, everyone in the party (ages three and over) receives the following:
- 1 Quick-Service Meal (per night of stay)
- 1 Table-Service Meal (per night of stay)
- 1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)
- 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug
Lightning Lanes
The new Lightning Lane passes at Disney World let you skip the standby line and join a shorter line for select attractions and experiences. Now, you can completely ignore the “no cutting” rule. If you purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, a Lightning Lane Single Pass or both, you can enjoy a more magical strategy of attack.
Simply put, you plan your visit ahead of time and choose up to three multi-pass experiences and your preferred arrival windows in a theme park. You should significantly cut down on wait times for these rides, leaving you more time to enjoy the magic elsewhere.
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