Walt Disney World has released resort room-only discounts that run from late Spring through Summer 2023 for Annual Passholders. This post shares the details of these special offers, best dates to save the most money, plus sample pricing, commentary, analysis & other info.
In case you’ve forgotten, discounts of up to 25% off rooms at Walt Disney World for APs have already been released for the “grand finale” of the 50th Anniversary, with that promo running through April 30, 2023. There’s also the Save Up to $100 Off Walt Disney World Nightly Resort Rates tiered discount for the general public, which runs through March 30, 2023.
Those aren’t the only deals available for booking right now. For everything else, see All Current Walt Disney World Discounts (Spring 2023). With that said, these are the first special offers available after Spring 2023, and they encompass select dates from shoulder season in May until the peak of summer travel in July 2023!
To quickly recap the ‘current state of discounts at Walt Disney World,’ things are starting to get better! Significant improvements started about midway through last year, after many dates prior to that were not discounted at all. Many other dates had nothing for the general public, and only a scattering of savings for Annual Passholders and Floridians.
The big change came after the start of the 2023 fiscal year, when 4 different discounts were released in October. At that point, Walt Disney World released discounts running through March or April 2023 (the ones listed above), and did so far earlier than normal by historical standards.
With that said, the quality and quantity of available discounts has been very hit or miss, even with the newer special offers. We’ve had many readers report finding nothing at all–or higher prices–for their travel dates. Where there is availability, it often requires a room upgrade (although no longer to the Pirate Rooms!), thus at least partially negating the benefit of the discount.
Based on what we’ve seen, this has been particularly true with better discounts, general public special offers, or at more popular resorts (e.g. Skyliner and Magic Kingdom areas). If you’re simply looking to take advantage of a targeted offer at the All Stars or Coronado Springs, you’re likely to have much better luck!
Just something worth keeping in mind as we run through Walt Disney World’s Spring & Summer 2023 room-only discount for Annual Passholders…
Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can save up to 30% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels hotels, valid for stays most nights May 1, 2023 through July 10, 2023.
Here’s the resort by resort AP savings chart provided by Walt Disney World:
Annual Passholders must present a valid Walt Disney World AP at check-in.
Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas and Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room at Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts and Studios at Deluxe Villa Resorts. Maximum length of stay under this deal is 14 nights.
Here’s what we found for best available rates for this Spring & Summer 2023 discount:
This search is for the night of May 16, 2023, which is part of the “Regular 2” rate season at Walt Disney World. On the rack rate chart spectrum, this is the least expensive time to visit Walt Disney World between May and July 2023.
Here’s the rack rates for standard rooms as illustrated below in the rate chart for Disney’s All Star Sports Resort:
Contrast the rates in May 2023 with those in late June or July 2023, which is the heart of summer season, and you’ll see it’s a fairly significant difference.
We’ve had readers ask about finding these rate charts whenever we post them. Rather than going off-topic here, refer to 2023 Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Price Increases (the step-by-step process is towards the bottom).
If you’re simply looking for the very best dates, they are as follows:
- May 1-4, 2023
- May 8-11, 2023
- May 15-18, 2023
- May 22-25, 2023
Those are all Monday through Thursday nights. If you’re looking for the very cheapest options, you’ll find them at the All Star Resorts. So long as there’s availability, you should be looking at discounted rates of around $105 per night. (Preferred rooms will be slightly more expensive. We don’t recommend paying extra for that location upgrade, but to each their own.)
Friday through Sunday nights are all going to be more expensive, and less consistent. In general, Friday and Saturday will be the most expensive days of the week, with Thursday and Sunday costing less–but still more than Monday through Wednesday nights.
For more on timing your trip to coincide with the lowest prices, see When’s Cheapest to Visit Walt Disney World in 2023? That covers price increases and other variables that impact the cost of a vacation beyond just room rates.
Another thing to note is that, among Value Resorts, the savings are not as good at Pop Century and All Star Music. Those resorts offer 10% off, whereas All Star Movies and Sports offer 15% off. (Ditto the Family Suites at Art of Animation, although those are Value Resorts in name only.) Similarly, among the Moderate Resorts, both of the Port Orleans Resorts and Coronado Springs offer better deals than Caribbean Beach.
None of that is unsurprising or unprecedented. All of the Skyliner resorts have offered lesser savings than their bus-reliant counterparts for the last year or so. On a positive note, the All Star Resorts have new rooms now, which are a huge functional (and aesthetic, if you ask us) upgrade over their predecessors!
I don’t know if this is a matter of moving the goalposts or being conditioned to expect higher prices over the last two years, but I look at some of those rates and think “not too shabby!” Then I think back to a few years ago when deals were much more aggressive, and realize these are nothing particularly special. Then I remember that I don’t own a time machine and am once again pretty pleased with these rates.
While total rates are lower during the winter off-season (parts of January & February 2023), these are among the best percentage savings we’ve seen directly from Walt Disney World in a while. But that really speaks more to how weak discounts have been since–not these being particularly good.
Availability for the dates we spot-checked is pretty good at most resorts. This suggests to us that either Walt Disney World is increasing guest loads at the resorts or bookings aren’t nearly as strong for a lot of dates as were for last holiday season.
If that anecdotal observation is accurate–and it may not be–we still might see more discounts for Summer & Fall 2023, or at least rooms unloaded on Priceline or Hotwire (once again!). Walt Disney World also might take a wait and see approach to releasing more deals–there’s still plenty of time between now and most of these 2023 travel dates.
If you’re not an Annual Passholder or can’t find good options for your travel dates, look to third party on-site hotels. We’re seeing availability at the Swan & Dolphin, Bonnet Creek, Disney Springs, Grand Cypress, and Flamingo Crossing hotels. Of those, the best rates that we’ve seen are at the Disney Springs and Flamingo Crossings hotels.
For those who are unfamiliar with Flamingo Crossings, this is actually an up-and-coming area of Walt Disney World and Central Florida. It’s like a budget version of Disney Springs, both literally and figuratively. None of the retailers are overtly Disney and there’s no Imagineering to speak of. Rather, it looks very much like a slightly upmarket suburban strip mall. It’s one populated by tourists and Disney Programs participants, thanks to the student housing nearby. If you’re curious about this area, read more in our Guide to Flamingo Crossings at Walt Disney World.
In other cases, you’re going to be hard-pressed to do better than the rates Walt Disney World is offering if you can find availability for your travel dates. For instance, $105 per night for All Star Sports–with the new rooms, perks, and transportation–is a very fair price, in our view. (If you can find it, Pop Century is a great pick, even at ~$150 per night.)
Of course, rooms are not as cheap as what you would’ve paid this same time in 2019, let alone 2016. Back in my day, the All Stars had off-season rates that were routinely $79 per night or less! Unfortunately, it’s impossible to book those past prices. (If you do have the means to time travel, I hope you’re using it for something better than saving an extra ~$20 on a Value Resort!) Even with that in mind, this isn’t too far from that when adjusted for inflation.
As we’ve written several times in the last few months, we’re optimistic that there will be better Walt Disney World discounts throughout 2023. There’s (still) a chance this past holiday season was the “last hurrah” for pent-up demand. As that starts to fizzle out, household savings decrease, inflation stings more, and the economy slows down, it seems increasingly likely that Walt Disney World will experience its own slowdown.
Who knows if any of that will actually happen, though. I didn’t think “revenge travel” would run this hot for this long. It’ll be interesting to see how all of this actually plays out. The return of international guests in full force could sustain Walt Disney World’s strong demand even longer, as could special events. That could also be offset by the return of more hotel rooms to the inventory. No one knows how many rooms are currently out of commission at the operational resorts, but at some of them, it’s not a negligible number.
Ultimately, if you’re an Annual Passholder who is eager for an escape to Walt Disney World between May and July 2023, these deals are not too shabby. You can still do better with Disney Vacation Club Point Rentals (although it’s pretty much only confirmed reservations now), but this still might be as good as it’ll get for you.
If you’re on the fence, definitely do NOT wait for something better. Availability is already limited, and it’s much more likely that rooms will sell out rather than better discounts will be released. We will be closely monitoring what’s released and will notify subscribers of our free email newsletter when any Walt Disney World discounts are released or rumored!
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!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of these Spring & Summer 2023 room only discounts for Walt Disney World Annual Passholders? If you booked this, do you think you ended up with a good price or do you feel like you’re overpaying? What was available or unavailable for your dates? Is this deal enough to convince you to book a trip, or can you not justify these prices? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions 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!
