What Should You Splurge on at Disney World?

Previously, I discussed the splurges my wife and I are likely to make during a Disney vacation.

That may not help you much, though. We’re weird. We don’t vacation at Disney like anyone else we’ve ever known.

Even our friends who join us on vacation will hear our plans and shake their heads in bemusement.

So, let’s focus on something more tangible today. What should YOU splurge on at Disney?

Festival Dining Packages

EPCOT hosts its festivals on most nights.

Every one of the festivals offers some kind of show at American Gardens Theatre at the American Adventure.

A decade ago, attending these shows wasn’t much of a problem on most nights.

Friends, I can honestly state that the situation has changed.

Even though Disney hosts as many as three of these performances every night, virtually every presentation sells out.

Some of these shows represent the pinnacle of a Disney theme park experience.

I’m specifically referencing DISNEY ON BROADWAY and the Candlelight Processional.

You’ll experience those events during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

Experiencing one of these shows will put you in a good mood for weeks afterward. They’re that memorable and joyous.

Also – and this is important – you’re going to eat while on vacation anyway. You may as well spend a bit more to purchase a festival event dining package.

This splurge guarantees you an excellent meal – and more importantly – seats for the show that evening.

Lightning Lanes

This one’s a bit obvious.

However, it can make all the difference in the world in determining your overall satisfaction during a theme park visit.

FastPass isn’t free anymore, and it hasn’t been for more than five years now.

In fact, the only people who call it FastPass are those of us who immediately date ourselves.

An entire generation of new theme park goers only knows the line-skipping feature as the former Disney Genie+ or Lightning Lane Multi Pass / Single Pass.

We all need to stop living in the past on this subject, because Disney’s not going back to the way things were in the 2010s.

The reality is that you’re spending hundreds of dollars on your theme park admission tickets during your Disney vacation.

For people in a traveling part of four or less, which is most vacationers these days, Lightning Lanes increase the price by less than $100 on most dates.

Yes, there’s some fluctuation for holidays and at Magic Kingdom, but in the greater scheme, all the drama about the era of the paid FastPass is largely overblown.

Once you commit to a Disney vacation, your biggest concern is making it as magical as possible

With a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you’ll experience significantly more attractions in a similar amount of time.

We wouldn’t recommend this splurge at Animal Kingdom, but it’s a solid choice everywhere else.

Also, individual Lightning Lanes at places like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind can legitimately save you an hour in some cases.

That’s an extra hour you can spend savoring your time at the parks.

A Character Meal

One of the reasons we swear by the Disney Dining Plan is that we favor character meals over all other kinds of dining at Disney World.

This seems like a good time to mention that we’re a childless, middle-age couple, so you can imagine how this experience feels for kids.

Break out your camera and record every second when Mickey Mouse comes to your table and says hello to your child.

We’ll bet dollars to donuts that video becomes the best thing you ever upload to the cloud.

You’ll still be looking at it decades from now and smiling.

Many character meals get a bad rap, because Disney runs squarely to the middle with the dining choices.

The company does this to make sure food is accessible for as many people as possible.

We describe this conversation as glass half empty versus glass half full.

People are complaining because they can eat all they want of some of the most popular theme park cuisines.

That strikes us as missing the forest for the trees, but it also speaks to the exceptional quality of many Disney dining experiences.

You can eat better at other restaurants, often for cheaper.

However, you’ll remember your character meal for years afterward.

If that’s not worth a splurge, what is?

Hotels Near Theme Parks

My wife and I just recently finished work on a Disney World vacation guide that will be released in 2026.

During the writing of the first draft, one point was crystallized for me.

You get oh so much more when you stay at Disney’s Moderate and especially Deluxe Tier Resorts.

Notably, some of our favorite properties don’t even cost significantly more than the higher end Value Tier properties.

For instance, we adore Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter and Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

These resorts are respectively the most intimate resort in the Moderate Tier and arguably the least expensive property in the Deluxe Tier.

For the extra money, you stay closer to a Disney resort and also gain unique amenities.

In fact, both of these hotels share the same one: Free boat transportation to and from Disney Springs.

In addition, Moderate Tier resorts all host Table Service restaurants on-site and feature stunningly detailed pool areas.

At French Quarter, you can ride a waterslide that looks like a 51-foot tall sea serpent.

Old Key West lets you slide down the side of a sand castle.

Even better, both resorts are a short bus ride from EPCOT, making them ideal places to stay.

Many Disney resorts in these tiers are so close to the park that you can walk to them, an amenity you may find addictive. I know we do.

An After Hours Ticketed Event

Disney recently announced the dates for Disney After Hours in 2026.

Meanwhile, every single date for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party sold out by late September.

You can glance at a calendar and realize that’s pretty early for a Halloween event.

Similarly, we’re currently in early October, yet Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates are already selling out.

This happens because frequent Disney guests know the deal.

These After Hours ticketed events, while a bit pricey, deliver an incredible vacation experience.

As far as fun nights go, you may never do better than the time you spend at Magic Kingdom when it’s otherwise closed to guests.

Oh, by the way, these events aren’t exclusive to Magic Kingdom, either.

For instance, Disney Jollywood Nights holds court at Disney’s Hollywood Studios throughout November and December.

You’ll be splurging $150 – $200 for the event, but I swear to you that you’ll have an even better time than you would during a typical theme park visit.

Disney is even better when the parks are empty and you’re walking straight to the front of the line.

This may be my favorite splurge on the entire list.

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Feature Photo: Disney