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The 26th November 2025 budget, delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves brought bad news for UK holidaymakers, including those flying to Disney destinations around the world. The government is increasing Air Passenger Duty in April 2026 and April 2027, which is going to increase the cost of flights.
Aviation industry experts warn that increased Air Passenger Duty (APD) will affect both travel for business and leisure. In this article we are looking at how the increase will affect your holiday planning for trips to Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World.
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What’s Is APD and What’s Changing?
Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a tax payable to HMRC that all holidaymakers pay to fly. The price is set by the UK government and is determined by the distance you fly and the class you fly in. (There is also a higher rate for those people who fly using private jets). The cost is charged directly to the airline, who pay the tax to HMRC but pass the cost to passengers within the price of the flight.
Increasing this tax is a stealthy inclusion to a budget that was not meant to be increasing taxes after the last budget. The eagle eyed and eared among you may also notice that it was not mentioned in the budget speech. However, the 2027 increases are coming and will affect your Disney World holiday cost, and Disneyland Paris holiday cost if you fly from the UK.
There are different rates of APD but for most people heading to either Disney World or Disneyland Paris from the UK the price increase to reduced and standard rate APD is what will matter most. Reduced rate APD is usually associated with economy seats, as seat pitch is less than 40 inches. Standard APD comes into effect when seat pitches exceed 40 inches, so usually for premium economy and first class seats. This is the price change we will focus on here, but there are increase to the higher rate too.
For UK holidaymakers a good rule of thumb to apply is that the further you fly the more tax you pay, and those who fly in a higher class will pay significantly more tax.
The Cost Increases
Air Passenger Duty has been rising steadily since 2023, when bands B and C were introduced, which added more tax onto the cost of Disney World holidays. APD was already set to rise on 1stApril 2026, but it is now going to rise in 2027 too.
Here are the cost increases to Reduced Rate Air Passenger Duty which will effect economy seats, (with pitches under 40”), over the next two years:
Air Passenger Duty | Reduced Rate APD flights in 2025 | Reduced Rate APD flights in 2026 | Reduced Rate APD flights in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
Domestic: flights within the UK (EG: connecting flights between Manchester and Gatwick) | £7 | £8 | £8.26 |
Band A: 0 - 2,000 miles (EG: Gatwick to Paris) | £13 | £15 | £15.49 |
Band B: | £90 | £102 | £105.33 |
Band C: over 5,500 miles | £94 | £106 | £109.46 |
Here are the cost increases to Standard Rate Air Passenger Duty for some premium economy, business class, and first class seats (those with a pitch over 40 inches) over the next two years:
Air Passenger Duty | Standard Rate APD - flights in 2025 | Standard Rate APD - Economy flights in 2026 | Standard Rate APD - Economy flights in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
Domestic: flights within the UK (EG: connecting flights between Manchester and Gatwick) | £14 | £16 | £16.52 |
Band A: 0 - 2,000 miles (EG: Gatwick to Paris) | £28 | £32 | £33.04 |
Band B: | £216 | £244 | £251.95 |
Band C: over 5,500 miles | £224 | £253 | £261.25 |
For people using points to fly with airlines like Virgin and BA this will affect you too. As you still pay airport taxes and APD is part of the tax that you will still need to pay.
How This Will Affect Cost Of UK Flights To Disney
APD rises don’t look terrible on paper, but when you start adding it up, the cost of your Disneyland Paris or Disney World holiday the price is clearly going to increase by quite a bit. APD is charged per person, so lets take a look at exactly how this will affect your Disney travel budget in the next two years.
Impact on UK To Disney World, Florida Flights
The impact will be most keenly felt by UK families looking to have that magical once in a lifetime holiday. Here’s how much extra UK couples and families will need to find for that Walt Disney World trip:
Traveller Type | Seat / Cabin Class | Extra Cost in 2026 vs 2025 | Extra Cost in 2027 vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
Family of Four | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £48 | £61.32 |
Family of Four | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £112 | £143.80 |
Couple | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £24 | £30.66 |
Couple | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £56 | £71.90 |
On paper this increase doesn’t look too bad, but you need to view it in the context of your flight price. To put the price increase in context, APD is a non-negotiable tax that is paid as part of your flight price and other Airport taxes. This means that before the airline charges their cost for your flight, or airport operational cost shared with passengers, your flights to Walt Disney World from the UK will cost:
Traveller Type | Seat / Cabin Class | Total APD Cost 2025 | Total APD Cost 2026 | Total APD Cost 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Family of Four | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £90 | £408 | £421.32 |
Family of Four | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £864 | £976 | £1,007.80 |
Couple | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £180 | £204 | £210.66 |
Couple | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £432 | £488 | £503.90 |
Impact On UK To Disneyland Paris Flights
The impact on flights to Paris will again impact families more as they have more people to pay for. The price increase on flights to Disneyland Paris is not as great as the increase on flights to Walt Disney World. Let’s see how much extra UK holidaymakers will need to budget for their Disneyland Paris holiday when flying:
Traveller Type | Seat / Cabin Class | Extra Cost in 2026 vs 2025 | Extra Cost in 2027 vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
Family of Four | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £8 | £9.96 |
Family of Four | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £24 | £20.24 |
Couple | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £4 | £4.98 |
Couple | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £8 | £10.08 |
This increase isn’t extreme, but if you take in context with the increase to annual pass prices following the announcement for World of Frozen, it is clear that the price of a Disneyland Paris holiday from the UK is definitely increasing. Let’s take a look at the price of APD as a whole as it changes over the next couple of years:
Traveller Type | Seat / Cabin Class | Total APD Cost 2025 | Total APD Cost 2026 | Total APD Cost 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Family of Four | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £52 | £60 | £61.96 |
Family of Four | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £112 | £128 | £264.32 |
Couple | Economy / seat pitch less than 40” | £26 | £30 | £30.98 |
Couple | Business Class / seat pitch more than 40” | £56 | £64 | £66.08 |
For Disneyland Paris holidaymakers it is definitely going to be wise to compare the price of taking a car and using the ferry or LeShuttle for Disneyland Paris. Using train services through Eurotunnel may also prove a more affordable option. Pricing travel options is going to be key to getting the best value transport to Disneyland Paris for your holiday from the UK in the next few years.
Responses From Aviation Experts
This news may not only be a blow to holidaymakers, including Disney holidaymakers, it has been a blow to the aviation industry as a whole. Responses have condemned the rises in APD, from British Airline Pilots Association, (BALPA) to the British Travel Association, this decision has been unanimously condemned.
Alice Sorby, director for strategy and reform at BALPA said:
"Firstly, the Chancellor has ignored calls from BALPA — the voice of airline pilots and the industry — and announced plans to increase APD in line with RPI from April 2027"
Looking to the bigger picture for holidaymakers, Alice continued:
"This is bad news for passengers, especially families going on holiday, who now face increased ticket prices"
The opinions expressed by BALPA are echoed in the statement issued from the Business Travel Association. Clive Wratten, chief executive, said:
"APD is not simply a passenger charge; it is a tax on global connectivity."
Connecting with places outside the UK, no matter whether that be for business or pleasure, is going to cost significantly more. No matter the reasons why you are travelling from the UK to other places, you will be paying significantly more for your air travel.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the rise is inline with the Retail Price Index (RPI) and forms part of a larger package of tax reforms which was unveiled in the November Budget.
What UK Holidaymakers Can Do?
The best way to manage these increases is to shop around for your flights. Compare prices using Skyscanner or other flight comparison tools. This may be more time consuming but it will help you get the best possible deal on your flights for your Disney holiday from the UK.
Magic In A Minute
Tax on airfare is increasing as the Air Passenger Duty cost will increase in both 2026 and 2027. This will have a knock-on impact on flight prices, meaning that UK holidaymakers heading to Disney resorts and beyond will need to budget more for their holidays.