Disney World Special Events Are Expensive -- Here's Why They Can Be Well Worth It

The Walt Disney World Resort isn't exactly known for its affordability. Tickets can be expensive, and that doesn't even consider the cost of hotels, meals, and transportation. But millions of families visit the 43-square-mile resort every year and absorb the personal finance hit.

Disney World's special events can add even more to the price of a vacation. I recently took my family to the resort's holiday event, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Admittedly, at first, I thought the tickets were expensive -- after all, the party itself lasted from 7 p.m. until midnight, while at $189 per ticket, the cost was nearly the same as buying a one-day ticket to the Magic Kingdom park that would allow us to spend an entire day.

However, after having the experience, I can confidently say that it was well worth the credit card charge. There are a few reasons why.

Much shorter lines

This was the number one thing that stood out to me. Because Disney only sells a certain number of tickets for each night it holds the Christmas party, the lines to get on even the popular rides are much shorter than normal. Many of the rides in the park were essentially walk-on, and at one point we went on four different rides within a 40-minute period. The only time we waited more than 20 minutes to get on any ride was for Tron Lightcycle/Run, the newest and most popular attraction in the entire resort.

No need to pay for Genie+

On most days, if you don't want to wait in long lines at every Walt Disney World attraction, you need to purchase the Genie+ service, which allows you to book Lightning Lanes and experience shorter wait times. This costs anywhere from $15 to $39 per day, per person, and during the holiday season, the prices are typically towards the higher end of the range.

During Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Genie+ wasn't available -- nor was it necessary. Because this was a capacity-limited event, everyone simply used the regular ride lines. Conservatively, this saved my family of four about $100 compared to a typical day at Magic Kingdom.

Unique experiences

At the Christmas party, there were unique experiences that you can't get any other time. For frequent Disney World travelers, this can be a big perk. For example, several rides had special holiday overlays, such as the popular Jungle Cruise, and the Space Mountain roller coaster which was temporarily accompanied by a holiday soundtrack.

(Some) free snacks

If you've ever been there, you know buying snacks at Walt Disney World isn't cheap. But included in the cost of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party were several snack stations located throughout the park. Each one offered a specific type of cookie and a beverage, such as hot chocolate or apple cider. To be sure, we didn't exactly need a cookie every time we saw one of these locations -- but it certainly saved us some money every time my young children (who apparently do need cookies rather frequently) wanted a snack.

What other special events does Walt Disney World host?

As mentioned, my recent experience was Walt Disney World's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, but this is just one of several specially ticketed events. Other special events offered include:

• Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: Essentially the Halloween equivalent of the Christmas party, offered on select dates in September and October each year.
• Disney After Hours: Offered on select nights at three of the four Walt Disney World theme parks (not Animal Kingdom). This event allows ticket holders to stay after the parks close to the public, usually for three hours.
• Disney Jollywood Nights: Disney's holiday party that takes place at the Hollywood Studios theme park (the Christmas party is in Magic Kingdom Park).

The details vary, but all have the same basic structure and perks. They all have limited availability, which keeps lines short. They all offer some sort of free refreshments included in the ticket price, and all have admission costs that are on par with a standard one-day ticket.

It's also worth noting that all of these allow you to enter the park significantly earlier than the posted event time. For example, Disney After Hours at EPCOT runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., but you can enter the park as early as 7 p.m. The Christmas party starts at 7 p.m., but those with event tickets can enter three hours before then.

The bottom line

Buying tickets for one of Walt Disney World's special events might seem like an expensive add-on to an already pricey vacation, but it can be well worth the cost, especially if you'd like to experience your favorite Disney attractions without the typical crowds and wait times.