What to Splurge on at Disney World -

Going to Disney is an expensive family vacation. A family can easily spend thousands on theme park tickets, hotel, airfare, and car rentals. At Disney, you will find that there are so many extras to buy that are not included in the cost of your theme park tickets. What is worth splurging and what is not worth splurging on at Disney? Below, you will find a list of Disney experiences and items that are worth splurging on. After all, this may well be a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. So splurge!

Grand Floridian and Ferry Boat at Disney World

Things to Splurge on at Disney

Is it Worth It to Stay at Disney’s Deluxe Resort Hotels?

Staying at Disney’s Deluxe Resort hotels is a splurge when you consider the price difference between staying at Disney Deluxe resorts versus Disney Value resorts. Disney Deluxe resorts are Disney’s top-of-the-line hotels- the rooms are more luxurious, and bigger with better pools. The price of staying at a Disney’s Deluxe resort can be triple the price of a Value Disney Resort stay.

So is it worth the splurge to stay at a Disney Deluxe resort? Yes, it’s definitely worth the splurge to stay at a Disney Deluxe resort. Aside from the luxurious accommodations, you also benefit from being closer to the park and having the easiest commute. Disney Deluxe resorts also have Extended Evening Hours which can be amazing if you have older kids/teens and can stay up late to hit the parks past closing time! Time is money at Disney so anything you can do to shorten your time in line or shorten your commute time is worth the splurge!

Is Lightning Lane Worth It at Disney?

Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane is definitely worth the splurge. You will save hours of standing in line if you have Lightning Lane. The cost of Lightning Lane can add up. For a family of 4, Lightning Lane is $60 a day, and if you are buying it for 5 days that is $300 total! Time is money at Disney. If you can reduce the amount of time you spend standing in line, it is worth the splurge!

Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Disney World’s Lightning Lane and Is It Worth It to Buy Lighting Lane at Disney World?

Is It Worth It to Book a Private Disney VIP Tour?

Private Disney VIP Tours are definitely a splurge considering they cost $425 to $850 an hour and there is a 7 hour minimum. It can cost between $3000-$6000 a day for your private Disney VIP Tour. So it is worth it to book a private Disney VIP Tour? I think it depends, if you are limited in time and want to cover multiple parks in one day then it’s definitely worth it. You will save a lot of time and can hit several parks and go on all your rides with your private Disney tour guide. Plus your guide will be in charge of all the planning- that in itself is worth the splurge! If it’s your first time at Disney, I don’t recommend booking a private Disney VIP tour. You will be robbing yourself of the authentic Disney experience!

Is it Worth It to Book a Fireworks Dining Package at Disney?

Fireworks Dining Package at Disney is a splurge. On top of your theme park tickets, you will have to pay an extra $72 to $99 for adults (ages 10 and up) and $32 to $59 for kids. What you get is desserts and/or dinner in an exclusive VIP area where you will get the best views of the fireworks. There are fireworks packages at Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. So is it worth it to book a dessert or dinner Fireworks package at Disney? Yes, it is worth it just for the unbeatable views of Disney’s spectacular fireworks. Plus the food and drinks are great too! I think the Fireworks package at Disney is worth it if you have older kids/teens while if you have young children, use the money on Character Dinner instead.

Are Disney Magic Bands Worth Buying?

Disney Magic Bands are definitely worth the splurge. Magic Bands are waterproof wristbands that allow you to unlock your Disney hotel room, scan in when entering Disney theme parks, redeem Lightning Lane reservations, and connect Disney PhotoPass to your account. Instead of having to take out your app or Disney Tickets every time you check in the parks or Lightning Lane, all you have to do is scan your Magic Band, and you are done! It’s effortless! I think it’s worth the splurge if you are traveling with kids, it’s just fewer things to keep track of (no more rummaging for everyone’s Disney tickets in your purse!).

Is It Worth It to Buy Disney PhotoPass Memory Maker?

Disney PhotoPass Memory Maker is another item that is definitely worth the splurge at Disney. Memory Maker lets you download all the photos of your family taken by professional Disney photographers.

If you are going to be at Disney for many days, it’s worth buying the unlimited Memory Maker package. The unlimited Memory Maker package lets you download all your PhotoPass photos and videos. If you are only visiting for a day or two, buy the one-day Memory Maker package which lets you download all the photos and videos taken in one day.

The $199 price tag ($169 if you purchase early) may seem steep for the Unlimited Memory Maker Package but from my personal experience I ended up with an average of 30 photos/videos a day. You get to keep your ride photos (priceless Space Mountain photos!) and you can have as many photos taken by professional Disney photographers all over the parks. There is even a photo studio at Disney Springs where you can get sit-down family photos (all included in your Memory Maker Package).

Is Building a Droid at Disney Worth It?

Building a Droid at Hollywood Studio’s Star Wars Galaxy Edge is worth the splurge. At first, I got sticker shock at the $100 price tag for building a Droid at Droid Depot. But after going through the build a droid process with my kids and seeing what type of droid they got to build. The entire experience and the droid are worth the splurge. It was a lot of fun to be able to customize your own droid. The quality of the droids is superior. You will definitely not be taking home a dinky remote-control robot, rather it will be a high-quality (hefty and heavy), droid. Just know that reservations for Build a Droid sell out easily, so book it as soon as you buy your Disney tickets.

Is It Worth It to Build Your Own Custom Lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop?

If your family are big Star Wars fans, building custom lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop is worth it. The experience itself is priceless- you will be ushered into a secret workshop where you will build your custom lightsaber. You will come out with your very own lightsaber complete with a carrying case. Compare that with the $150-$250 Legacy Lightsabers that are on sale at Hollywood Studio’s Star Wars Galaxy Edge, the $220 price tag to do Savi’s Workshop is worth it! Know that it’s really difficult to get reservations for Savi’s Workshop, book it as soon as you buy your Disney tickets.

Is It Worth It to Do Disney Character Dinner?

Disney Character Dinner is worth it if you have little kids aged 8 and under. It is priceless to see their little faces light up when meeting Disney characters. Disney Character Dinner is also worth it if it’s your first visit to Disney, you should definitely do it at least once. You can save money if you book Character Breakfast instead of Character Dinner. The food will be breakfast fare but the experience is the same!

Is It Worth It to Buy Dole Whips at Disney?

Dole Whips are pricey at Disney. A Dole Whip cup is $6 at Disney. Buying Dole Whips for the entire family can add up! So is Dole Whip worth the splurge at Disney? Yes, I think Dole Whips are worth the splurge, especially during hot summer days. You can save money and have your kids share one Dole Whip cup. From personal experience, food tastes better when it is scarce!

Things that are Not Worth the Splurge at Disney

Below you will see some things that are not worth the splurge at Disney.

Are Disney Water Mister Fans Worth it at Disney?

It’s very tempting to splurge on Water Mister Fans at Disney when the weather is hot. At $22, it is an expensive water mister fan! I don’t think it’s worth buying water mister fans at Disney when you can buy similar water mister fans on Amazon for less. Save your $22 and buy Dole Whips instead!

Are Bottled Water Worth it at Disney?

When the weather is hot, it’s very tempting to buy ice-cold bottles of water at the gift shops at Disney. Don’t! Save your $5.50, head over to the closest quick-service restaurant, and ask for free cups of ice-cold water!