Looking for the best discounts for Walt Disney World? This post offers money-saving details & dates on special offers for the general public, Disney+ subscribers, Annual Passholders, Visa cardholders, and Florida residents. It covers deals on resorts, theme park tickets, dining & more. (Updated April 4, 2025.)
The latest update brings the third wave of general public discounts for the year, with special offers that mostly run through October or, in a couple of cases, December 2025. A wide variety of special offers have returned, from simple room-only discounts to the fan-favorite Free Dining promo to aggressive ticket deals.
If you’re overwhelmed by the half-dozen-plus deals listed below, we’d recommend checking out our post that does the math and determines the Best 2025 Discounts at Walt Disney World. Suffice to say, you can save hundreds–if not thousands–of dollars by choosing the superior special offers!
More great discounts are likely on the horizon. ‘Revenge travel’ is finished, Universal’s Epic Universe is opening, and Walt Disney World has no new rides opening until 2027. For the next few years, Walt Disney World will need to incentivize tourists to return with better deals! Speaking of which, you can subscribe to our free email newsletter for instant alerts when new discounts are released.
We’ve consistently notified newsletter subscribers on the days that deals go live early in the morning, which is often a significant head start before Disney makes an official announcement. That can make a huge difference when booking–you’ll have better availability and won’t have to wait in a virtual queue or for hours on hold.
Anyway, we’ll give you a heads up ASAP once deals are released along with objective analysis about the quality of each discount based on historical precedent and comparisons to other special offers that are currently available. So if you want to know which is better for your family, we’ll walk you through that.
There have been better Walt Disney World discounts throughout the last year-plus than there have been at any point in the previous 4 years, and we’re increasingly seeing Walt Disney World pull from the “2019 playbook” for special offers. Walt Disney World is experiencing a slowdown that the company is forecasting will last through at least the first half of 2025. But they’re also suggesting that bookings are up for Summer 2025, asserting that Epic Universe is beneficial for Disney, too, and that a “rising tide lifts all ships.”
Nevertheless, our expectation is that this will result in more unique and unprecedented discounts in 2025, as Walt Disney World will need to find ways to compete (indirectly) with Universal’s Epic Universe if they actually intend upon benefiting from that rising tide. They will want to not only capture some of the visitors coming to Central Florida, but convince them to stay on-site at Walt Disney World instead of Universal Orlando. That’s going to be a tough sell, and will require good deals.
If you’re thinking about booking one of the many discounts that’s currently available for Walt Disney World, we cannot overemphasize the importance of pricing out multiple options. Don’t just look at the marketing and assume one special offer is best for you based upon its headline savings.
This has always been the case with Disney discounts, but it’s even truer than normal right now–and even with apples to apples comparisons. For example, we’ve found instances of “up to 30% off” room rates actually resulting in lower savings than “up to 25% off” room rates.
If you want to help determining what discounts are available for your travel dates and which resort will work best for your family, we recommend requesting a quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner (they’re paid by Walt Disney World–so free to you!).
Their travel agents will do the math for you, booking your vacation with the best-available special offer, and monitoring your package for future discounts that can be applied retroactively. Beyond that, they help take the stress out of planning and will assist with itineraries, dining reservations, and much more.
With that out of the way, here’s a rundown of what is available for the Annual Passholders, Floridians, active or retired US military personnel, Disney+ subscribers, and everyone else. We’ll start with a look at the newest deals, with ticket deals followed by resort savings for the general public, and then Florida resident and Annual Passholder rates:
New 3-Day, 3-Parks Magic Walt Disney World Ticket Deal for 2025 – Get a 3-day, 3-park ticket starting at $89 per day ($267 total, plus tax) for visits starting on April 6 through September 22, 2025. This ticket is for 1-day admission to EPCOT, 1-day admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1-day admission Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and zero (0) days admission to Magic Kingdom. Limit one theme park per day—for a total of 3 admissions, on 3 separate days.
This ticket offers huge savings, but with the major drawback of not being able to visit Magic Kingdom. That’s going to be a non-starter for many guests, as Magic Kingdom is Walt Disney World’s most popular park. However, we discuss ways to work around this limitation and still save money (and have a better experience!) with the 3-Day, 3-Parks ticket.
50% Off Ticket Deal for ‘Cool Kid Summer’ at Walt Disney World – Families can save on summer fun! Save 50% on kids (ages 3 to 9) 3-day or longer standard Walt Disney World theme park tickets—for ticket start dates from May 27 through September 20, 2025.
This is an insanely good deal, and there really isn’t any catch. To the contrary, the catches come with the other special offers, as we explain in the commentary to this post. Suffice to say, you should take advantage of this deal if you have kids ages 3 to 9 years old. It’s likely the best discount of everything listed here.
2025 Free Dining at Disney World in Summer to Christmas 2025 – Enjoy a FREE Disney Dining Plan when you purchase a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day minimum Walt Disney World vacation package that includes a room at a select resort hotel and a theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option.
This is the ‘second wave’ of Walt Disney World’s Free Dining deal, and it’s valid for arrivals most nights from June 29 to December 22, 2025. The Disney Dining Plan included in this special offer depends on the Walt Disney World resort hotel you select. The Disney Dining Plan is included when you choose a stay at a Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort hotel. The Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan is included when you choose a stay at a Disney Moderate or Disney Value Resort hotel.
Stay Longer & Save Up to 30% Off Walt Disney World Resorts in Spring & Summer 2025 – This is an excellent general public room-only discount, offering up to 30% off room rates for May 1 through July 31, 2025.
The savings can be tremendous, depending upon your resort and room combo, travel dates, and duration of stay. As the name suggests, you have to book longer to “unlock” the final 5% off, which necessarily means staying on days of the week that are more expensive. Note that this deal was previously available through September, but the later dates were cut from the promo and re-released as part of the next special offer.
Stay Longer & Save Up to 30% Off Walt Disney World Resorts in Summer & Fall 2025 – This is the exact same idea as the discount above, with dates immediately after the previous promo ends: August 1 through October 11, 2025.
There are some differences between the two deals, particularly in the rate chart. The idea is the same, though, and this can also be an exceptional deal, especially during the off-season months of August and September. It not-so-coincidentally ends before fall break starts.
Save Up to 25% Off Walt Disney World Resorts in Spring 2025 – This is a tried and true general public room discount, which is the simplest and most straightforward deal that Walt Disney World offers. For this, save up to 25% on rooms for stays most nights through April 30, 2025.
This doesn’t require the same degree of careful analysis as the above offer since room-only discounts are clean-cut. If you booked Wilderness Lodge during off-season dates, you’d save less money than booking a suite at Grand Floridian during the heart of Spring Break–that’s how percentages work.
2025 Free Dining at Disney World for UK – The first Free Dining discount to be released for 2025, this offers UK and Ireland residents the ability to receive a Free Disney Dining Plan with their vacation package; available for arrival dates between April 23, 2025 and October 2, 2025; October 18, 2025 and December 17, 2025.
PIN Code Discount at Walt Disney World – Unfortunately, this is not a discount you can choose to book–Walt Disney World needs to choose you, sending out targeted emails to those who meet their criteria. But as we discuss in this ‘how-to’ post, you can increase your odds of receiving a coveted PIN code by doing certain things on DisneyWorld.com or signing up for emails from the Walt Disney Company family of brands.
2025 Bounceback Deal Dates for Disney World – Bounceback discounts (also known as “Future Stay Offers”) are back! Bounce-back discounts are only available to travelers who are currently staying at one of Walt Disney World’s resort hotels to book during the duration of their trip.
In a normal year, this would run from January until August (or so) and be bookable for travel dates through the following December. In August, the bounceback would switch over to Free Dining for the following fall. That did not happen with the 2025 bounceback–it’s still a room-only offer. Booking bouncebacks discounts is a great idea and efficient way to lock-in a future stay discount. See this for full dates & details, blockouts, how to book bouncebacks, etc.
Save Up to 35% Off Resort Discount for APs & FL Residents in Winter & Spring 2025 – Annual Passholders and Florida residents can save of up to 35% off most dates through April 2025. Promotions are nearly identical for APs and Floridians, but typically 5% better for Annual Passholders (maxes out at 35% off vs. 30% off).
Save Up to 40% Off Resort Discount for APs & FL Residents in Summer 2025 – Annual Passholders and Florida residents can save of up to 40% off most dates from May 1 through July 31, 2025. Like the above deals, this one is typically better for APs than Floridians (maxes out at 40% off vs. 35% off).
Up to 35% Off Disney World FL & AP Resort Discounts for Summer to Christmas 2025 – Annual Passholders and Floridians can save of up to 35% off most dates from August 1 through October 11, 2025 and some dates through December 22, 2025. Our expectation is that more AP and FL deals will be released for the Halloween and Christmas season later this summer.
Discounts for Swan & Dolphin at Disney World – Many Walt Disney World fans dismiss these three third party hotels out of hand, but the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve are located on-site and within walking or boat distance of both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They also are eligible for Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours.
Aside from the Disney details and themes, these hotels offer better benefits and a superior location to most Value and Moderate Resorts. With prices starting at under $200 per night after discount, they are well worth considering.
2025 U.S. Military Salute Ticket & Room Discount at Walt Disney World – US military personnel can purchase promotional Walt Disney World theme park tickets at deeply discounted prices. Choose 4-Day, 5-Day or 6-Day Disney Military Salute Ticket (formerly the Disney Military Promotional Ticket) for visits through December 19, 2025.
Armed Forces Salute room-only discounts are also available at Walt Disney World. These are valid most nights through December 19, 2025. Precise percentage savings is not published online, and varies by season, resort popularity, and room category. Military personnel (active or retired) receive better room-only and ticket discounts than the general public, Floridians, or Annual Passholders. Call (407) 939-7830 for rates and to book. If you’re eligible for this deal, it’s your best bet. Note that blockout dates do apply around peak season dates.
Future Walt Disney World Discounts
What’s past is prologue.
That expression holds true with Walt Disney World discounts, which play out in predictable patterns every year. Or at least, did until the closure and subsequent reopening. That threw a monkey wrench in things, as pent-up demand collided with closed resorts to create a room inventory imbalance that is just finally starting to be resolved.
Lately, Walt Disney World has been trying to incentivize planners to book early and save more. That has meant discounts are released earlier–and end earlier–than in the past. However, those dates haven’t been ‘done’ when the discount ends…they just release a new discount, often of a different nature or for a different group.
Walt Disney World has already released a “full” lineup of discounts all the way through Summer 2025 (and beyond, on a couple of occasions). General public and several affiliation discounts all dropped already–some earlier than normal.
We expect the next full round of 2025 discounts to be released between mid-June and early July 2025. That should include more special offers for October through December 2025. It’s possible that another smaller wave of discounts will be released prior to that for hotels, and we’re fully expecting ticket deals sometime in the next couple months.
Honestly, it’s hard to make credible predictions for 2025 because we’re in unprecedented territory. Again, Universal’s Epic Universe is the elephant in the room, and with no substantive “answer” to that, Walt Disney World will likely lean heavily on discounts. It’s also possible the U.S. enters a recession, and Disney scrambles to release more special offers to capture bookings before consumers reduce spending. In that case, we might see more special offers released as early as Memorial Day 2025–right around the time Epic Universe opens.
Whether these are general public special offers or just offers for Annual Passholders, Floridians, Disney+ subscribers, and/or Disney Visa cardholders remains to be seen and is likely dependent upon resort occupancy projections. Walt Disney World has been tinkering with more targeted discounts during the period of pent-up demand, so more of that wouldn’t be surprising–it really depends on whether that’s starting to slow or if travel is still booming.
While past is prologue, it’s also true that history doesn’t always repeat itself–sometimes it just rhymes.
Other Walt Disney World Discounts
Some of these room-only discounts can be converted to a package, which we do not recommend. The only difference with booking a package is that you’re locking yourself into paying more for park tickets and other vacation components, meaning you can’t use our Money-Saving Tips for Buying Walt Disney World Tickets or other strategies for saving.
Next, there’s the option of Renting DVC Points for Rooms at Walt Disney World. This allows you to rent use of Disney Vacation Club accommodations from a member or business. DVC rental is safe, easy, and cheaper than standard hotel reservations. It’s also a great way to “test drive” the accommodations before buying a DVC membership.
In addition to the aforementioned general public discounts, one popular under-the-radar discount among Walt Disney World fans is the PIN or Unique Offer Code targeted deal. If you’re wondering what a PIN code is and how to get one, read this. Currently, the best available PIN code offer is the same as the summer and early fall AP discount.
Another way to score deep discounts on accommodations is via Hotwire & Priceline Express Deals for Walt Disney World. These are opaque deals, meaning you can’t see the name of the hotel prior to booking, but it’s very easy to “reverse engineer” the hotel with clues provided in the listing plus good ole fashioned internet sleuthing.
Finally, some words of warning and generalized commentary. In addition to the standard varying rates of the discount depending on precise travel dates, some room-only discounts have incredibly limited availability, especially room-only offers with peak travel dates. Don’t be surprised if you search for an otherwise qualifying hotel and are unable to book the discount due to zero availability.
In our searches, there are a number of situations close to holidays where these “discounts” would actually cost more, due to zero availability in standard rooms, meaning you have to upgrade to a room with a view, suite, or Club Level room. In other situations, there’s just nothing, period, so Disney’s site recommends upgrading resorts. (Such helpful suggestions for “saving” money!)
On the other hand, the discounts for off-season travel dates look pretty good in terms of availability. The additional upside to those dates is that you can choose off-season times to visit when crowds are lower and rack rates are lower, which means you’ll pay even less.
For more details on the pros and cons of taking advantage of a room-only discount, read our Room-Only Discounts at Walt Disney World post. This is our favorite discount because it’s straightforward and tends to offer the best value for us, and many other Walt Disney World regulars are fans of it for this same reason. However, if you’re a first-timer visitor to WDW, there’s a good chance a better, more inclusive offer will work better for you.
Typically, the best discounts are offered in August and September, and January and February. The downside to the former is that this is the heart of tropical storm season (see our Storm Season at Disney World Survival Guide for more info), and it’s still fairly hot and humid during the fall in Florida. These months are arguably the worst of the year in terms of weather, and that’s assuming you don’t have to deal with any hurricanes or intense tropical storms.
The downside to the latter is that January and February are colder. However, both sets of months are typically among the least crowded times of the year to visit Walt Disney World. (Although that’s less true about the winter with each passing year.) Suffice to say, it’s a trade-off for lower prices and crowds.
As always, keep in mind that Walt Disney World does not offer discounts out of generosity. Discounts are offered because Disney wants to hit a target occupancy rate for its hotels–they are a way to entice people who otherwise might not do so to book a trip.
Disney only offers discounts to the extent that are needed to hit projected target occupancy rates. Once those targets are reached, discounts are not offered. Hence the lack of availability for some resorts and some room categories in any promotion.
This is all a long-winded way of saying that flexibility is important when it comes to Walt Disney World discounts, especially Free Dining. If you want to save the most money, there’s a decent chance you will need to choose your resort hotel based upon discount availability. If you’re able to be flexible on travel dates, that’s even better!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Thoughts?
Have any Walt Disney World deals of your own to add for saving money on vacations or things you’ll need while on vacation? Have you had success booking any of the current room-only discounts? Any difficulties? Any questions about these deals that we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!