Social media is buzzing with comments about how expensive Disney World resorts have become, so we dug into the data to see if Disney has been raising hotel prices faster than the broader U.S. hotel industry. To answer this, we analyzed the price growth of a Standard Room at Pop Century, a value resort, and a Resort View Room at the Grand Floridian, a deluxe resort, from 2019 to 2024. Our findings show that while Disney prices have indeed risen, they’ve largely kept pace with the overall U.S. hotel market. With perks like early theme park entry, Disney’s resorts may justify the higher costs.

Understanding the Data

To explore how Disney’s hotel prices have changed over time, we examined the cost of a Standard Room at Pop Century, a value resort, and a Resort View Room at the Grand Floridian, a deluxe resort, from 2019 to 2024. We averaged the price for each room across every day of each year to get a clearer picture of overall price trends.

It’s important to note that our data reflects the “rack rates,” or listed prices, which don’t account for any discounts Disney offers throughout the year. Many guests take advantage of deals such as room-only discounts or package offers, meaning what customers actually paid could be significantly less. With discounts as high as 30% off​, it’s clear that real-world costs might not match the sticker price we analyzed.

For instance, in 2019, a night at Pop Century averaged $213 and increased to $265 in 2024, showing an overall growth of about 24%. Meanwhile, a Resort View Room at the Grand Floridian saw an increase from $800 in 2019 to $963 in 2024, a rise of about 20%. This steady growth aligns with broader U.S. hotel trends, as national rates rose by 23% during the same period. In another analysis we saw that Disney World had raised the price of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party significantly over time, but this has not happened for the hotels.

Pricing Trends Over Time

The U.S. hotel market saw a substantial drop in average daily rates during the pandemic, plummeting to around $90 per night in 2020, before quickly recovering in 2021. Meanwhile, Disney World didn’t drop their hotel prices in 2020. Prices remained mostly flat across their resorts, but Disney did offer significant discounts to encourage bookings during the pandemic.

By 2024, both Disney and U.S. hotel rates had rebounded, with prices rising steadily across the board as travel demand returned.

Staying on Top of Disney World Discounts

Finding Disney World hotel discounts can be tricky, as promotions are often released unpredictably throughout the year. From room-only offers to package deals, these discounts can significantly lower your costs, but they require consistent checking. To make it easier to stay updated on any available discounts for your travel dates, we’ve developed Magic Trip Tools to help you search for Disney World deals quickly and efficiently.