Comparing premium packages for Star Wars Weekends at Disney World

Disney has been aggressively expanding its use of “premium packages” in recent years — a smart way to get extra revenue without resorting to selling FastPasses like Universal Studios does.

© Mary Liebman Legends of the Force motorcade at Star Wars Weekend.

With this year’s Star Wars Weekends, Disney is doubling down — or, rather, tripling down. There are three special packages for Star Wars Weekends this year: a premium package, a deluxe premium package and the Ultimate Day at Star Wars Weekends VIP Tour. Prices range from $69 to $399.

Read the review of the Ultimate Day at Star Wars Weekends VIP Tour Experience

Are they worth it? It really depends on what you want to get out of Star Wars Weekend. The VIP Tour is terrific, if it’s within your budget. The premium package isn’t really very premium; you still have to line up 90 minutes before the parade to get a decent view, although you do get some snacks and the dessert party. The Deluxe Premium Package might be the Goldilocks option, putting you in a better spot for the parade and giving you expedited access to Darth’s Mall (you know how important this is if you’ve ever seen the lines).

Below we’ve created a table comparing the three packages. All three packages were selling fast, so it may be too late to book for this year, but we think this is a sign of things to come for Disney, so it’s worth giving some thought to what we might expect to see in the future. And, of course, there’s always the chance you might want to start planning ahead for next year.