Disney World Feels Different, but My Kids Still Found the Magic

Some of my earliest and fondest memories are from my visits to Disney World.

When I was a child, my parents and I flew to central Florida annually for many years, often joining my grandparents and cousins at the campgrounds in my grandparents’ RV.

My husband, parents, and I took my 3- and 5-year-olds on their first trip to the Florida parks in May.

I have to admit, a lot of the new Disney practices and prices left me feeling somewhat disenchanted, but the nostalgia I felt mixed with the magic my kids experienced made the downsides to the trip worth it overall.

Costs have changed, and that changes everything

For my childhood visits, my parents purchased Annual Passports, which were available at the time. These passports allowed us multiple visits to the various parks while we were there for four or five days at a time.

Today, Disney offers a comparable annual Passholder option, but at $1,549 per person, it’s a much less feasible option for us.

Likewise, when I was little, my family frequently ate in the park and resort restaurants. I remember enjoying food at the Polynesian Village Resort and The Hollywood Brown Derby, which are still around today. I never remember high costs being an issue or topic of conversation among the adults.

Today, the prices for dining feel a little harder to swallow when compared to a regular dinner out.

We ate at a few sit-down restaurants, but only splurged on the ones that were at the top of our list. For example, we enjoyed dinner at Epcot’s San Angel Inn Restaurante, with entrees that range from $20 to $59 and kids’ meals that start at $12.25. It’s a a spot that I have many memories of eating at, especially since I love following up the meal with a ride on the adjacent Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.

That ride, a favorite of mine, is a hidden gem. It mixes music and culture with Donald Duck and his pals. The atmosphere of the restaurant and attached ride continues to be magical, transporting my family to an evening under the stars in Mexico.

Character meals are pricey but worth it

We went to Chef Mickey’s for dinner, and it was an amazing experience for all of us. At $69 for an adult and $44 for children, it’s definitely more than we would spend on a typical meal, but the guaranteed chance to spend time with Disney’s iconic characters made it worth the splurge.

Buffets aren’t always pleasant experiences, but Chef Mickey’s offers a wide array of delicious food choices that everyone in our group enjoyed.

Many of the character meet-and-greets in the park had waits of 15 minutes or longer. This meal gave us the opportunity to meet a handful of characters without our kids getting antsy or bored in line.

While we were initially hesitant to book a character meal, wondering if the cost was worth the risk of having to deal with potential mealtime meltdown, I’d book another one in a heartbeat.

I loved experiencing Disney through the eyes of my kids

There were multiple rides, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, where both of my kids would ask if we were outside while gazing up at the stars on the ceiling. Disney does a great job of simulating entire worlds. I loved seeing them thrilled by my favorite rides, asking to go on them again and again.

The lines for many attractions were long, especially since we didn’t pay extra for the Lightning Lane passes. (Editor’s note: These passes fluctuate in price, but when three different dates were verified over the past four months, the cost of a Lighting Lane Multi Pass ranged from $17 to $32 per person at the Orlando parks.) Luckily, we were often able to stay entertained while we waited. A favorite was when we played with the interactive gem displays leading up to the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train ride.

Similarly, my grandpa used to play with my cousins and me in the jumping water fountains at Epcot. I was happy to see this feature still existed. My son had a blast trying to “catch” the water.

We ended with a bang

The Magic Kingdom fireworks have always been magical, and the show we attended did not disappoint.

Yes, we had to fight crazy crowds to get back to the bus way past bedtime, but hearing my daughter exclaim “It’s TinkerBell!” while the character flew through the air made it all worthwhile.

That’s how I felt about the trip overall as well. It was expensive, but getting to experience the joy of watching my children have a blast made it all worth it

Editor’s note: When reached for comment, a spokesperson from Disney shared that since 2019, the lowest-priced ticket at Disneyland has remained the same at $104, and the lowest-priced ticket at Walt Disney World has increased by 2.6%.

The spokesperson also said that guests can enjoy significant discounts when visiting during select times. Visitors are encouraged to check Walt Disney World Discounts and Disneyland Resort Discounts for the latest discounts and offers.