The Cheapest Time To Visit Walt Disney World Might Surprise You

Late summer has long been a secret sweet spot for savvy Disney travelers — and in 2025, that secret sweet spot is better than it's been in a long time.

Thanks to deals specific 2025, plus summer generally offering some of the lowest ticket prices in over a year, summer 2025 is one of the cheapest times in recent memory to visit Walt Disney World — flipping the script on the belief that summer is always peak-price territory.

Disney has a collection of offers aimed at making the summer season more affordable, particularly for families with kids. These include:

• 50% off kids tickets: Tickets for kids between ages three and nine are 50% off for stays of three days or longer through Sept. 20, 2025.

• Free food: If you purchase a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day (or longer) package at select Disney Resort hotels with a Park Hopper ticket option, you’ll get a Disney Dining Plan at no additional charge. The offer applies to visits on select dates through Dec. 22, 2025. Normally, Disney Dining Plans cost about $100 per adult and $30 per child per day.

• 30% off select Walt Disney World hotels: Certain Disney Resort hotel rooms for visits beginning Aug. 1 through Oct. 11, 2025 will be 30% off.

Other ongoing Disney ticket deals include free admission to a Disney water park for Disney Resort hotel guests on their check-in day, good through the end of 2025.

It’s not just the promotions making this season affordable — base ticket prices themselves are low. NerdWallet analyzed Disney ticket prices from March 2025 through October 2026 and found that summer has the lowest average prices of any season.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Summer: $144.97.

• Fall: $159.42.

• Spring: $162.93.

• Winter: $168.17.

Ticket prices vary by park, but the above averages are based on the cheapest park of the day (which is typically Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park). Prices are also based on a one-day adult ticket, though tickets for kids and longer stays are also lower.

August and September are the real standouts. Here are the five cheapest months through October 2026, based on average one-day adult ticket prices:

1. September ($126.73).

2. August ($133.60).

3. July ($156.18).

4. June ($158.25).

5. May ($15924).

Compare that with February, the most expensive month, where ticket prices average more than $172. Even traditionally shoulder months like October (when big crowds arrive to experience Halloween at Disney) and November are pricier than late summer.

Chelsea Filley, vice president of customer experience and commercial strategy at Disney, says many people planning Disney vacations tend to assume it’ll be the most crowded in the summer.

“But when we talk to guests that actually visit us in the summer, the perceptions of crowding are some of the lowest of any other season,” she said. “The ability to get things that they want to get done is actually higher.”

It’s a paradox, she notes, that Disney has spent considerable time analyzing.

“We’re always pricing to the demand that we’re seeing,” says Filley.

In other words, when ticket prices are lower — as they tend to be in summer months — you can expect smaller crowds.

Ever since Disney introduced its three-tiered pricing system back in 2016 — which made low seasons far cheaper than peak seasons — Disney vacationers began adjusting their schedules.

Rather than pack in during the notoriously busy post-Christmas week or during summer vacation, many have shifted their Disney trips to, say, a rainy Tuesday in mid-January when it would be far cheaper.

The shift in travel patterns became even more pronounced since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have more parents that are willing to take kids out of school, especially for those longer vacations,” Filley says. “And we also have more parents that are willing to look at taking more, shorter vacations throughout the year.”

While it’s true that no ticket to Disney is exactly cheap, this summer’s offers may provide the best chance for budget-conscious families to finally book that long-awaited trip.

Just keep in mind one burden about a summer 2025 Walt Disney World trip that even Disney admits is a painful fact.

“There’s one myth you can’t bust about summer,” Filley says. “It’s hot.”

In addition to the budget-friendly pricing, summer 2025 brings a slate of new attractions and experiences, many designed specifically for kids.

New entertainment:

• The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios retells Ariel’s story with cutting-edge stage effects.

• Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After is a darkly whimsical stage show where the audience votes on which Disney villain was wronged the most.

• Disney Starlight, the first new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom in nearly a decade, features floats and characters from Frozen, Encanto, Peter Pan and more.

Limited-time “kid zones”:

Through Sept. 1, multiple parks host pop-up play areas featuring music, dance parties and surprise character appearances. For example:

• Magic Kingdom: Kid zones in Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland

• EPCOT: Goofy hosts water-themed games in CommuniCore Hall

Resort hotel perks:

Families staying at select Disney Resort hotels — including Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Wilderness Lodge — will enjoy character meet-and-greets and themed evening activities like games and movies.

Don’t forget these newer attractions

Even if you haven’t been in a few years, Walt Disney World’s recent additions are worth the trip:

• Tron Lightcycle / Run (Magic Kingdom) — Disney’s fastest roller coaster to date.

• Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana (EPCOT) — an interactive water walk-through celebrating the connection between humans and nature.

Sure, you’ll want to pack sunscreen and maybe a cooling towel, but if you’re looking to visit Disney World on a budget, late summer is your best bet.

With deeply discounted ticket prices, new kid-friendly entertainment and crowd levels that defy the myths, August and September 2025 might be the best months in years to experience Disney magic — without the premium price tag.