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“Isn’t Really Worth It”: Dad Sparks Debate Over Price Of One-Day Family Trip To Disney World
The magic of Disney World completely faded for one Florida father.
Craig Stowell went viral on social media after giving a breakdown of his one-day visit to the amusement park with his family of five.
“Here’s how much 1 day at disney for a family of 5 cost,” he wrote in the caption.
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Craig Stowell gave a rundown of how much he spent for his family’s one-day trip to Disney World
Image credits: Fox Business
In the video that quickly caught fire online, the father-of-three gave his viewers a rundown of his expenses, starting with the $30 he had to pay for parking.
Highlights
- A father-of-three gave a rundown of how much he spent for his family’s one-day trip to Disney World.
- He said tickets alone cost $974 for a family of five.
- “I don’t want to say it this way, but if you do the average of cost per ride, it probably isn’t really worth it,” he said.
As for tickets, he had to pay $974 for his family of five even with a Florida resident discount.
“It started with the ticket purchase, and then it ran right into the parking, and then it just was like a cash cow for the rest of the day,” he said during a chat with FOX & Friends.
The auto vlogger said tickets alone costed $974 for a family of five
Image credits: flying_wheels_
The small business owner said they decided not to buy the Lightning Passes because they would have taken another $400 out of his bank account.
Even though the Lightning Passes would have allowed them to skip the long queues for the rides, Craig believed the price really wasn’t worth it.
“Trying to put a price tag versus value, what’s it worth?” he said. “The lines were so long, so we’re already a thousand [dollars] deep into the park. Now we’re going to drop another $400 to get Lightning Passes.”
Image credits: flying_wheels_
“I don’t want to say it this way, but if you do the average of cost per ride, it probably isn’t really worth it,” he continued.
The frustrated father revealed that his young son wanted to take home a lightsaber from Disney World, but it was a “hard no” because of its $44.99 price tag.
Lunch for the family came at around $44, but dinner turned out to be an extravagant affair that cost Craig $245.27.
The small business owner spent nearly $1,400 to give his family a day in the most magical place on Earth
Image credits: flying_wheels_
By the end of the day, the auto vlogger said he spent nearly $1,400 to treat his family to a day at famous Orlando theme park.
“The grand total for our day was $1,391.91,” he concluded.
While talking about the video, Craig said he had a feeling it would “go viral” because it’s “very relatable” and “family-friendly.”
Craig said he was had a feeling his video would go viral because of how relatable it is
Image credits: flying_wheels_
“Disney’s always a hot topic and we’re all trying to pinch pennies,” he told the outlet. “So, I kind of had an idea that people would be able to relate to it, just maybe not so much.”
Netizens related to the father as he lamented over the high prices.
“Finally a realistic day in a life at Disney…” read one comment, while another wrote, “Thank you for exposing the craziness that is Disney.”
Image credits: flying_wheels_
“This is why we NEVER go, we literally live about an hour 15 minutes away but feel like you get robbed to walk around and stand in line,” said another.
“I cant believe this dude – from fl apparently – is surprised at these costs,” wrote another. “Has he been living under a rock? Totally normal in 2025. And why complain publicly? It won’t change things. I feel like it was just to get attention for his business.”
Disney acknowledged the recent changes to its price structure in a statement earlier this year
View this post on Instagram
Last year, when Walt Disney World put its 2025 tickets on sale, visitors noticed that pricing had increased from the 2024 prices.
Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro had addressed the concerns over their pricing in a statement earlier this year.
Image credits: flying_wheels_
“The number-one thing we hear from the millions of guests who visit our parks each year is how much a Disney vacation means to them, and we intentionally offer a wide variety of ticket, hotel, and dining options to welcome as many families as possible, whatever their budget,” Josh said in the statement.
“We also know that, in inflationary times, it’s especially important to give families ways to save on their visits,” he continued. “We haven’t increased the lowest-priced ticket to Disneyland since 2019, and we recently introduced a kids’ ticket for as little as $50, just to name a couple of examples.”
“Not worth the price tag,” one social media user agreed with Craig
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What do you think ?
Cee Cee 8 months ago
Frankly I can't imagine a worse day out than a trip to Disney World. The outer circle of hell I suspect.
David 8 months ago
Cee Cee, Disneyland / DIsneyworld USED to be wonderful experiences. It is sad how super price gougey and overcrowded it has become. A close friend went with her adult kids and grandkids a few years ago. I think the kids had some fun but it was largely the overpriced hell it is famous for now.
Load More Replies...
Kevin Hickey 8 months ago
I've never liked Disney. Everything about it just seems so fake. The movies, everything.
persephone134 8 months ago
Make use of the national parks while they still exist. (Trump may sell them to the highest bidder.)
JayhawkJoey 8 months ago
I'd go camping with/without kids over a Disney trip anytime, any day. Talk about memories!
Load More Replies...
Crissy Newbury 8 months ago
Not somewhere our family has ever wanted to go. You couldn’t get me there kicking and screaming. Absolute waste of money.
Burgermeister Meisterburger 8 months ago
Same, my kids were never interested.
Load More Replies...
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
I just don't understand Disney families who head there multiple times and buy ALL the expensive swag. There are so many awesome places to visit in the US! Agree with the commenter who talked about our National Park System. Spent $80 for a LIFETIME senior pass and have seen many natural wonders.
Crissy Newbury 8 months ago
Bush Gardens is better. Lots of stuff for adults to do and there are animals!
Load More Replies...
Mona 8 months ago
I hate Disney. Every one of my friends has been with their kids (I live in a well to do area), and it never fails to baffle me. Why would you spend such a shitload of money to spend time in a crowded, fake place and be miserable? I visited Copenhagen for $5,000 for a week with a family of five and we had an absolutely magical experience. (Yes, that’s a lot of money too, but it’s across an ocean and worth actually spending money for.)
David 8 months ago
When I went to Disneyland (CA) around 1965 with my parents, a one day ticket cost $7.30 and parking was free. That would be $74.11 in 2025 but it covered everything but food. And you could go on MANY rides in one day because minimal lines. Weirdly - Disneyworld (FL) in 1979 was actually cheaper at $7 ($30.83 in 2025). Again, lines were very reasonable, no need for any of the fast pass / lightning stuff. The worst lines I experienced was one of the times to Disneyworld in 1979 when I got in free for wearing my military uniform during July 4th weekend. It was crowded, but the lines were STILL much shorter than the horror stories I hear people say are routine these days.
Burgermeister Meisterburger 8 months ago
We used to go to Disneyland on dates when I was a teen. I know those teenage boys weren’t willing to pay too much. Good memories! Now they just want to get you in to sell you overpriced food and junk made in china.
Load More Replies...
ElfVibratorGlitter 8 months ago
I took my daughter (and my older sister) to Disney World, but the only way I was able to swing that was because my work was sending me to training at Disney world and through that I had the resort paid for by work and the tickets to the parks were reduced to like $20. My meals were part of the training and I used my work per-diem to pay for the rest of the meals. Otherwise, I'd have never been able to do it. We also rode Space Mountain 30+ times in a row.
BK BigFish 8 months ago
Sigh. In the 90s Disneyland has special deals for Southern California residents, only $20 per person entrance. My my, how times have changed. Long live the Mouse!
Cee Cee 8 months ago
Frankly I can't imagine a worse day out than a trip to Disney World. The outer circle of hell I suspect.
David 8 months ago
Cee Cee, Disneyland / DIsneyworld USED to be wonderful experiences. It is sad how super price gougey and overcrowded it has become. A close friend went with her adult kids and grandkids a few years ago. I think the kids had some fun but it was largely the overpriced hell it is famous for now.
Load More Replies... Kevin Hickey 8 months ago
I've never liked Disney. Everything about it just seems so fake. The movies, everything.
persephone134 8 months ago
Make use of the national parks while they still exist. (Trump may sell them to the highest bidder.)
JayhawkJoey 8 months ago
I'd go camping with/without kids over a Disney trip anytime, any day. Talk about memories!
Load More Replies... Crissy Newbury 8 months ago
Not somewhere our family has ever wanted to go. You couldn’t get me there kicking and screaming. Absolute waste of money.
Burgermeister Meisterburger 8 months ago
Same, my kids were never interested.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
I just don't understand Disney families who head there multiple times and buy ALL the expensive swag. There are so many awesome places to visit in the US! Agree with the commenter who talked about our National Park System. Spent $80 for a LIFETIME senior pass and have seen many natural wonders.
Crissy Newbury 8 months ago
Bush Gardens is better. Lots of stuff for adults to do and there are animals!
Load More Replies... Mona 8 months ago
I hate Disney. Every one of my friends has been with their kids (I live in a well to do area), and it never fails to baffle me. Why would you spend such a shitload of money to spend time in a crowded, fake place and be miserable? I visited Copenhagen for $5,000 for a week with a family of five and we had an absolutely magical experience. (Yes, that’s a lot of money too, but it’s across an ocean and worth actually spending money for.)
David 8 months ago
When I went to Disneyland (CA) around 1965 with my parents, a one day ticket cost $7.30 and parking was free. That would be $74.11 in 2025 but it covered everything but food. And you could go on MANY rides in one day because minimal lines. Weirdly - Disneyworld (FL) in 1979 was actually cheaper at $7 ($30.83 in 2025). Again, lines were very reasonable, no need for any of the fast pass / lightning stuff. The worst lines I experienced was one of the times to Disneyworld in 1979 when I got in free for wearing my military uniform during July 4th weekend. It was crowded, but the lines were STILL much shorter than the horror stories I hear people say are routine these days.
Burgermeister Meisterburger 8 months ago
We used to go to Disneyland on dates when I was a teen. I know those teenage boys weren’t willing to pay too much. Good memories! Now they just want to get you in to sell you overpriced food and junk made in china.
Load More Replies... ElfVibratorGlitter 8 months ago
I took my daughter (and my older sister) to Disney World, but the only way I was able to swing that was because my work was sending me to training at Disney world and through that I had the resort paid for by work and the tickets to the parks were reduced to like $20. My meals were part of the training and I used my work per-diem to pay for the rest of the meals. Otherwise, I'd have never been able to do it. We also rode Space Mountain 30+ times in a row.
BK BigFish 8 months ago
Sigh. In the 90s Disneyland has special deals for Southern California residents, only $20 per person entrance. My my, how times have changed. Long live the Mouse!
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