Now that the holiday is over and the Thanksgiving crowds have headed home, Disney World will remain calm for a couple of weeks before the Christmas/New Year’s crowds crush the parks. While Disney World won’t disclose exactly how many people they expect for this year’s holiday season, their Lightning Lane prices provide an indication of how crowded the parks will be. If this year’s prices are any indication, expect massive crowds for Christmas.
Disney World only releases Lightning Lane prices for the next three weeks, so we can only see up to Saturday, December 20, but that’s clearly when Disney expects the crowds to start flooding into the parks. And you can expect massive price increases in Lightning Lane passes for the holiday season.
Despite the price changes, Disney has taken an unusual step: it is currently only increasing the price for Lightning Lane passes at Magic Kingdom for the first weekend of the holiday season. While the other three parks remain relatively steady, Magic Kingdom is seeing a price increase for the first Saturday of Christmas week.
There is a logical/business reason why Disney might be doing this. Most people will have to work and/or attend school on Friday, December 19, which means they won’t arrive in Central Florida until that night or early Saturday morning. For most people, their first stop is usually Magic Kingdom, and Disney knows this.
Therefore, it makes sense that Disney expects huge crowds at Magic Kingdom on December 20, and there is no Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that night to close the park early.
On December 19, the price for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom is $35. On December 20, that increases to $42. That’s close to the all-time high of $45, set in October. You can expect to pay at least $45 as we approach Christmas and New Year’s.
For a Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Magic Kingdom, you’ll pay $399 on December 19 and $429 on December 20. Again, that’s close to the highest it’s ever been, which is $449. It hit that high during Thanksgiving week, so expect the same for Christmas week.
Within a few days, we’ll know how much Disney World plans on increasing its Lightning Lane passes for Christmas week, but you should expect to pay record prices or very close to record prices. Either way, with the crowds descending on Disney World, you’ll need to pay one way or the other.
What’s your tip for going to Disney World during the holiday season? Let us know in the comments.
The post Ahead of Christmas, Disney World’s Lightning Lane Prices Hit Near-Record Lows — A Bad Omen for the Holiday Rush appeared first on Inside the Magic.
