Disney slashes prices by 40% in new promo – an exciting deal or a sign of the times?

• Disney has added a new 40% off promo for some select sailings out of the USA.
• If you’re interested you should move quick as the sale last only three days.
• After pulling out of Australia where passengers felt they were too expensive, has Disney got its prices wrong?

One of the first signs that sailing wasn’t quite so smooth for Disney Cruises in Australia was when Disney offered a 30% off promo for Aussie sailings – unprecedented for Disney Cruises at the time.

However, it appears Australia isn’t the only market that is struggling to fill cabins, or at least not the only market where Disney wants to get sales moving faster, as Disney has just begun a promo for a massive 40% off a range of sailings.

The promo will apply to sailings on four different ships, Disney Dream, Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy and Disney Magic. All the sailings included under the promo are leaving from the USA.

This means that until now this promo doesn’t apply to the Aussie market, but it does offer a great opportunity for a last minute Disney cruise in the USA if you’ve been thinking of taking one. Furthermore, plenty of travel agents have special promos for Disney sailings in Australia for their final season here, so chat to an agent is you’re hoping to score a better deal in Australia.

It’s important to consider that this promo is a flash promo, it will only be available until September 25, three days from now. This makes it quite different from the previous promos we’ve seen for Aussie sailings, which last for weeks and months.

Furthermore, the promo applies only to the voyage fare, not to taxes, fees and port expenses and guests can’t put down a deposit, they have to pay the full fare at the time of the booking. 

It’s not certain that this promo is a sign of Disney struggling to move cabins, as the USA is generally its strongest markets, however, it’s interesting to see Disney promos go into uncharted territory. 

While the value of a Royal Caribbean or a Carnival Cruise lies not just in the ship, entertainment and destinations, but also the fact that it’s one of the best bang for your buck holidays that exist, especially for a family. Disney on the other hand may be marketed to families, but it’s still a more premium product and is at a much higher price point that a Royal Caribbean or Carnival sailing.

Disney is also in a different position to luxury lines. While luxury lines often attract more wealthy cruisers, who will often sail yearly or bi-yearly on their luxury line of choice, Disney tends to attract more regular cruisers, who save up and enjoy Disney as a one off, or occasional experience.

As countries across the world feel the effect of the cost of living becoming steeper, this could be drawing previous or potential Disney customers away from the cruise line and leading to Disney having to rethink its prices.  

Below is the full list of the sailings for which the 40% off promo can apply.  

Disney Dream sailings departing from Fort Lauderdale

• 10/20/25
• 10/25/25
• 10/30/25
• 11/3/25
• 11/8/25
• 11/12/25
• 11/17/25
• 11/22/25
• 11/26/25
• 12/8/25
• 12/12/25
• 12/15/25
• 12/19/25

Disney Wish sailings departing from Port Canaveral

• 10/17/25
• 10/20/25
• 10/24/25
• 10/27/25
• 10/31/25
• 11/3/25
• 11/7/25
• 11/14/25
• 11/17/25
• 11/21/25
• 11/28/25
• 12/1/25
• 12/5/25
• 12/12/25
• 12/15/25

Disney Fantasy sailing departing from Port Canaveral

• 12/17/25

Disney Magic

• 10/20/25 sailing departing from Port Canaveral
• 10/24/25 sailing departing from San Juan
• 10/31/25 sailing departing from San Juan
• 11/7/25 sailing departing from San Juan
• 12/15/25 sailing departing from Galveston

Disney Adventure, the exciting new Disney ship that is set to sail out of Singapore, has delayed its maiden voyage to March 10, 2026.

The ship was originally meant to begin sailing on December 15, 2025, meaning that Disney Cruise Line has had to cancel the first 24 sailings of the ship. Based off the maximum capacity of 6700 passengers, these cancellations will affect up to 160,000 holidaymakers, likely including thousands of Australians and other cruisers from all around the world.