A trip to Walt Disney World can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience — something you and your loved ones will remember for the rest of your lives. Or, if you’re fortunate, it can be something you enjoy so much that you return every few years.
But whether you’re planning on visiting the Vacation Kingdom only once, or dozens of times, you probably want to make sure you get your money’s worth.
Now, Disney is a business that a lot of us feel a deep, emotional connection to. We’ve enjoyed their movies and have childhood memories that are strongly linked to Disney’s characters and stories. But, while Disney is a business we love, it’s still a business. And Disney, like other businesses, thrives because it’s able to extract money from your wallet.
Sometimes, though, the goods and services Disney offers up at Walt Disney World aren’t quite worth the price tag that comes with them. This list contains what I believe to be the biggest ripoffs at Walt Disney World — things that aren’t just too expensive, but are both expensive and somewhat cruely so.
You’ll note that things like mouse ears and quick-serve food don’t make this list, because while those items are certainly worth far less than Disney charges for them, they come with a kind of nostalgic joy — something most of us all the Disney Magic. This list, however, contains things for which that “Disney Magic” isn’t quite enough to overcome.
And, just for fun, we’ll go in order from least to most controversial. Because hey — what’s a rankings list without a little controversy?
Bottled Water
Image: ThemeParkTourist, Flickr (license)
Water makes up most of the earth’s surface, and it also makes up most of our bodies. At home, turning a knob grants us access to limitless potable water for pennies at most. Water is so abundant, in fact, that you’ll notice it falling from the sky free of charge roughly every day of your Walt Disney World vacation from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
And so, inexplicably, Disney chooses to sell bottled water at exorbitant markup — usually around $4 a bottle or more. Admit it: You’re surprised it’s only $4.
But bottled water is a massive ripoff at Disney for reasons beyond its price: Disney allows you to bring in an empty water bottle on your own, and then fill it up with complimentary drinking fountains around the property. Or, you can drink out of the fountains without a bottle. Or, if you’re truly desperate, most quick-service restaurants will give you a cup of tap water free of charge.
Yet, despite all of this free water flowing, Disney tries to keep it a secret. They want you to buy their water bottles. Don’t let them win.
Resort Sundries
Image: marada, Flickr (license)
Similarly, it’s a virtual certainty that you will forget something at home before your vacation. Maybe that sunscreen bottle you brought was actually empty. Maybe TSA confiscated your toothpaste. Or, maybe, you assumed TSA would confiscate your toothpaste, so you left it at home and intended to buy a new tube on the way to Walt Disney World — only to forget until you’re about to go to sleep (Or is this just me?)
Now, yes, some things can be provided by the front desk free of charge. But for others, like batteries and charging cables and snacks, you’ll have to fork over the Disney tax.
If you’ve flown in and taken Disney’s Magical Express to get to your resort, you’re a captive audience. You’re gonna spend whatever it costs to buy that aloe vera — and Disney knows it too.
Ponchos
Image: mjhagen, Flickr (license)
The Walt Disney World poncho is the official souvenir of the unprepared. It is simultaneously a badge of honor and a mark of shame. It is a piece of vinyl shaped to fit over a person’s head and torso, which ordinarily would be valued at about 50 cents.
Ah, but not this piece of vinyl, for it has Mickey Mouse proudly emblazoned across the back. For that reason, it’s roughly $9.
And yet, when you see the sea of Disney ponchos unfurl itself across the pathways of Walt Disney World during a rain shower, it’s hard not to feel a bit jealous. Everyone else is wearing the same thing — clearly that is the trend du jour. Sure, you could wear your dollar-store trash bag, but then are you really en vogue?
Disney’s ponchos are a ripoff not just for the price, and not even because it’s the only option available when a downpour starts. No, they’re a ripoff because even though you know they aren’t worth the price, you’re still happier with one of those than with a clear sheet of plastic you picked up at the gas station.
Parking
Image: joeshlabotnik, Flickr (license)
Paying for parking has become such an engrained part of the theme park experience that we don’t really bat an eyelash at it anymore. But if you really stop to think about it, it’s a patently absurd exercise that is deeply cynical and cruel.
Parking, usually, only costs money when space is at a premium. In cities, for example, it can be hard to find somewhere to park your car. And so rather than fighting to find a spot on the street, some people choose to pay a large fee in order to have a guaranteed spot. Even parking at sporting events can cost money, but only because sports venues tend to be in densely populated areas with similar parking woes.
But every single person driving into the Walt Disney World Resort property is doing so with the intention of visiting the Disney parks. Space isn’t at a premium, because there’s only one show in town. No one is parking at the Magic Kingdom to then spend their day putting around Orlando.
Parking at Walt Disney World is, essentially, a shadow attendance tax that’s added onto your admission price (unless you take Uber/Lyft/A Resort Shuttle or stay on property.
Dated T-shirts
Image: Disney
Look, I get it: Sometimes, you just want something to remember your vacation by. Yes, it’s expensive, and yes, it’s just a shirt with the year hastily screen-printed on it. But think of the memories!
But the thing of it is, that makes sense only up to a certain point. T-shirts at Disney can be as expensive as $40, or even higher. A family of four can easily spend upwards of $160-$200 on goofy shirts alone. And, let’s be honest, the vast majority of people will not wear those shirts again.
That’s not to say that all Disney T-shirts are a ripoff — far from it. I own a great many myself that I quite enjoy wearing. But when it comes to the standard, ubiquitous dated tee, it’s hard not to feel like the cost isn’t worth what you’re getting.
Disney, thankfully, has started to make these designs more interesting and unique — even the one I included in this post is actually pretty nice. But for the cost, there are better souvenirs from Walt Disney World.
The Disney Dining Plan
Image: ThemeParkTourist, Flickr (license)
OK, it’s time to ruffle some feathers.
There are a select few people for whom it makes sense to purchase the Disney Dining Plan — a pre-paid food option that gives you credits to use at Disney’s dining location. If you are one of those people, you probably already know it. You’re the kind of person who orders two entrees, or who tends to order a steak or a lobster whenever you can.
But for the vast, vast majority of people, the Disney Dining Plan costs far more than you would spend in a la carte food pricing.
The Disney Dining Plan true believers swear by the convenience — arguing that it’s not about cost savings, but about knowing everything is paid for in advance and avoiding sticker shock. I get that argument — I really do.
But that isn’t how the Dining Plan tends to be sold to prospective vacationers. Disney goes out of its way to make it seem like a good deal, particularly when it does the “Free Dining” promotion (which, usually, ends up evening out with the normal room-only discounts on Disney resorts which are ineligible with the Free Dining promotion).
That’s a problem. If you aren’t 100% sure the Disney Dining Plan is for you, then it almost certainly isn’t. You most likely will pay more for food than you would have without it. It is a ripoff, plain and simple.
The Disney Vacation Club
Image: christiantlambert, Flickr (license)
Let’s turn the heat up even more!
If you are 100% convinced that Walt Disney World is the perfect place for you, and that you will go to Walt Disney World every year for the next 30 years or more, then the Disney Vacation Club is not a ripoff.
If you have even the slightest doubt about that, then you should stay far away.
For the unfamiliar, the Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare run by the Disney company offering a real-estate interest in a resort on the Disney property. Owners purchase “points” that are good for a certain number of nights at a home resort, and which can be redeemed each year for the length of the contract. Owners can also use those points to book stays at any number of Disney properties around the world, such as the Aulani Resort in Hawaii and the Hilton Head resort in South Carolina.
Essentially, DVC allows you to prepay for the next several decades of vacation resort stays — which can be appealing considering just how expensive the resorts can be, as well as the ever-increasing cost of staying at those resorts.
But when you factor in the need to stay on Disney property each year to maximize the monetary return, as well as the annual maintenance fees associated with each property, the savings start to decrease in significance. Furthermore, considering many people pay for their contracts with a mortgage rather than in cash (due to the large sum associated with membership), the savings can be eaten away by inflation and even interest rates.
So, essentially, if you’re joining Disney Vacation Club because you love Disney and it’s a very important part of your life, that’s one thing. If you think it’s a good deal, you’re being ripped off.
But the beauty of Disney fandom is that money isn’t always everything, right? Sure, the “DVC Member” bumper sticker cost 35 cents to make, but you can’t put a dollar value on the memories that come with it. Of course, if you could, Disney would go ahead and charge you for those too.
