5 SECRET Discounts for Disney World You’re Not Taking Advantage Of

So you’re heading to Disney World. Get ready to pay an ARM and a LEG, right? Well…not necessarily.

Yes, Disney World can be extremely expensive. But there are deals and discounts constantly being offered that could help you save big, you just have to know where to look. While the ticket and hotel discounts might be more obvious to you, there are some hidden discounts you should also know about that could make a big difference in your trip budget.

Let’s check out 5 SECRET discounts for Disney World you NEED to know about.

1 — Disney Visa Discounts

Did you know that Disney Visa Cardmembers get special discounts at Disney World? Might be time to sign up for that new credit card (note that there’s even a Disney Visa card with NO membership fee).

Disney Visa cardmembers can often get discounts on Disney World hotel rooms and even the Star Wars Hotel at times.

But Disney Visa cardmembers ALSO get:

10% OFF select merchandise purchases of $50 or more at select spots in Disney World (add your Disney visa to the My Disney Experience app to get these savings while using mobile checkout)
10% OFF at select dining locations when you use your Disney Visa to pay (this includes spots like Boma, Grand Floridian Cafe, Kona Cafe, and more — you can see the list on the Disney Visa website)
15% OFF select guided tours in Disney World (including things like Keys to the Kingdom and Behind the Seeds)
10% OFF select recreation experiences (like carriage rides or horseback trail rides)
And even MORE savings — like 20% off purchases at Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co., and discounts at some Disney Springs spots too!

These discounts are no joke. While they may be small individually, they can really add up and save you a good chunk of money if used repeatedly throughout your trip. Visit the Disney Visa website for a full list of participating locations and when you’re in Disney World, simply ask if a Disney Visa discount is available when you’re paying for something (the worst they say is “no” and the best they say is “yes!”).

2 — Discounts on Party Tickets and After Hours Events

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party takes place from August 11th through November 1st, 2023 and ticket prices range from $109 to $199. But did you know that discounted tickets are available for some guests? It’s true!

Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can actually get $10 OFF per ticket on select event nights.

Again, that might not seem like much but every dollar counts when going to Disney World, right? Why pay $10 EXTRA unnecessarily?

Many of Disney’s After Hours events also offer discounted tickets for Passholders and DVC members. For EPCOT After Hours, Passholders and DVC members can get tickets for $99 on most nights (instead of $129 or $139). For Hollywood Studios After Hours, Passholders and DVC members can get tickets for $119 on most nights (instead of $149). And for H2O Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon, Passholders and DVC members can get tickets for $59 plus tax (instead of $75 plus tax).

So if you’re planning on attending one of these events anyway or trying to figure out if they’re “worth it” for you, be sure to look into these discounts (if you’re eligible) to see if, with the savings, it works out better in your budget.

Tickets are on sale for these events now on the Disney World website so be sure to get yours before they sell out!

3 — Discounts on Tours

Ever dreamed of going into the utilidors below Magic Kingdom or taking a tour that’ll give you a Disney experience unlike anything else? Going on a tour could be a fantastic way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion, or to simply create a unique Disney trip for those who have been hundreds of times.

Kilimanjaro Safaris and Wild Africa Trek Sign

Tours can be pricey, but there are some discounts available you should know about. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Disney Visa Cardmembers get 15% OFF select guided tours including (when offered):

EPCOT® Seas Adventures – Dolphins in Depth
EPCOT® Seas Adventures – DiveQuest
Behind the Seeds
Caring for Giants
Up Close with Rhinos
Wild Africa Trek (Mid-Day Tours only; block-out dates apply)
Savor the Savana: Evening Safari Experiences
Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour
Starlight Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Wilderness Back Trail Adventure

Disney World Annual Passholders get a discount for:

Behind the Seeds (15%)
Keys to the Kingdom (15%)
EPCOT Seas Adventures — DiveQuest (15%)
EPCOT Seas Adventures — Dolphins in Depth (15%)
Wild Africa Trek (15%)
Wilderness Back Trail Adventure (15%)

Disney Vacation Club Members get a discount for:

Keys to the Kingdom (15%)
Savor the Savanna (15%)
Certain things at Tri-Circle-D Ranch (10%)
Wild Africa Trek (15%)
Wilderness Back Trail Adventure (15%)

Note that the availability of these tours and discounts is subject to change, but again it NEVER hurts to ask whether a discount might be available that could save you some cash and make that tour a little more feasible for your budget.

4 — Discounts on MagicBands

If you’ve been wanting to get a MagicBand or MagicBand+ for your trip but haven’t made the jump because of the price, there’s something you NEED to know.

First, you should be aware that sometimes certain MagicBand/MagicBand+ designs can get discounted on shopDisney. Sale offers change often on shopDisney (sometimes daily) so what you’ll want to do is scroll through the MagicBand portion of the website — linked HERE — and see if anything is on sale. That could help you save a few bucks.

But there’s another way to save on MagicBands! Typically, guests staying at Disney World hotels have access to a pre-arrival DISCOUNT on certain MagicBand designs. The same usually goes for Annual Passholders as well.

The discount is often $10 off certain bands and it only applies to certain options.

If you have a Disney World hotel reservation, look for these options to pop up in your My Disney Experience account around 10 days prior to arrival (according to a recent PlanDisney response). Annual Passholders may be offered the discount once per Annual Pass cycle.

To look for these discounts:

Create or sign in to your Disney account
Link your Resort hotel reservation or Annual Pass to your Disney account
Select My MagicBands and Cards to complete your order

Getting these MagicBands at a discount might make it possible to get a design you really wanted for less or get a MagicBand for each member of the family when you didn’t think that would otherwise be possible, so DO NOT miss out on these savings!

5 — Costco Deals

And finally, if you have a Costco account, be sure to take a look at the Costco discounts and packages available for Disney World vacations — they could save you a pretty penny!

Members can go to the Costco website and see what featured deals are available for Disney World hotels and even other hotels in the area — like the Swan and Dolphin Resort or even hotels in the Disney Springs area.

Take, for example, a stay at a hotel on Disney property (under what Costco calls the Disney World on-site collection). For this post, we took a look at what a package would cost for a stay from June 10th through June 15th at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Little Mermaid standard room) with 5 days of Park Hopper tickets for 2 adults.

The Disney website (even with a special offer) put the price at $2,693.20.

Costco, on the other hand, put the price at $2,446.23. That is a pretty decent savings, and you can play around with the tickets, hotel, etc. selected to see what other savings you could get.

You will need to have a Costco account to log in and make the booking though so just keep that in mind!

And that’s a wrap-up of just 5 of the SECRET discounts that exist in Disney World. There are other discounts too, like the discounts Annual Passholders get on food and merchandise, and other limited-time deals.