3. Genie+ gets (kinda) more expensive for multi-park service, at least for now

Last month, Disney made a big change to its Genie+ service, giving guests the ability to purchase the add-on for a single park instead of all four parks by default. Though this has resulted in lower prices at some parks individually, the prices for an apples-to-apples comparison of multi-park to multi-park Genie+ have largely been higher than they were before. 

Broadly speaking, for those who are planning to just use Genie+ Disney's Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, the new pricing structure offers generally cheaper prices than the original multi-park option, as Genie+ costs during non-holiday periods have typically ranged between $15 to $25. However, under the new structure, costs have already exceeded that, with Genie+ multi-park access costing $27 on the day it debuted. 

Unfortunately, because Disney does not allow pre-purchasing of Genie+, guests can only find out the pricing from midnight on the day of visiting the park, which further complicates the matter for those trying to budget for this add-on. Though there may be days when Genie+ is cheaper than it used to be under this new structure, right now it is looking like those who want to continue to bundle parks together will likely end up paying more for this service in the long run.

4. The Disney Dining Plan returns for 2024, but will cost more for adults

The Disney Dining Plan is officially back at Walt Disney World, with guests now able to book this as an add-on to resort bookings for stays in 2024 and beyond. However, the plan has gotten a lot more expensive since 2020, the last time it was offered. Guests purchasing the Standard Dining Plan can expect to spend $94.28 per adult, per day and $29.69 per child (ages 3 to 9), per day. The Quick Service Dining Plan is a little more affordable and will cost $57.01 per adult, per day, and $23.83 per child (ages 3 to 9), per day. Previously, the price of the Standard Disney Dining Plan was $78 per adult and $30.50 per child, and the daily price for the Quick Service Dining Plan was $55 per adult and $26 per child. Though the kids' prices are a little bit less expensive now than they were previously, the adult prices have gone up significantly. 

Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger admitted that Disney vacations are getting too expensive, saying "I think that in our zeal to grow profits, we may have been a little bit too aggressive about some of our pricing." He later added, "I think there is a way to continue to grow our business but be smarter about how we price so that we maintain that brand value of accessibility." With that in mind, it seems strange that Walt Disney World prices continue to rise on everything from dining to Fireworks dessert parties. However, perhaps some more discounts are on the way for guests who are still reeling from the fact that a Walt Disney World vacation now costs upwards of $5,000 on average, for a family of four who are staying at a value resort.