Here’s everything you need to know about Disney World Tickets. Yes, everything. Dad’s got info on Magic Your Way tickets, Park Hopper, Annual Passes – even Military Tickets – including prices and some tips.
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There’s lots to know about your tickets for your vacation. That’s where Dad comes in. Below you will find everything you need to know about purchasing tickets for you Magical Vacation.
Welcome to the most magical place on earth – Photo by Rich Ramos.
Magic Your Way Tickets
Magic Your Way Tickets are Disney’s name for regular park tickets. You can buy them for 1-10 days, and the more days you buy, the cheaper your per-day cost is.
If you’re only buying 1 day tickets, you’ll have to pick which park you’re going to because the cost is different depending on the park you choose and the dates you’re visiting.
If you are buying multiple day tickets, you can visit any park you like but the base option only allows you to visit one park per day. Even if you have extra days on your ticket, once you activate your ticket in a park you can’t go to another park until the next day – you’ll need a Park Hopper ticket to visit more than one park on a given day.
Something good to know is that 2-10 day Magic Your Way tickets expire 14 days after your first use, but you don’t have to use the ticket days consecutively. Let’s say you buy a 5 day ticket but you’re in Orlando for a week. You could go to the parks on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, go to the beach or have a pool day on Wednesday or Thursday (or even… visit one of those other parks), then go back to the parks on Friday and Saturday. That’s pretty handy!
Park Hopper
The Park Hopper option allows the bearer to have access to multiple parks on the same day. In fact Dad’s family goes has a Roller Coaster day each trip where all we do is go from park to park riding roller coasters all day. (It’s Mrs. Mom’s least favorite day of the trip.)
Park Hopper can be useful to some families, especially if you want to spend extra time dining at one of EPCOT’s Festivals or you like visiting different parks in the morning and evening with a nap in between. But, it takes a lot of time and energy to park hop and it’s not Dad’s favorite thing to do – especially with little ones in tow.
Park Hopper is an extra fee that’s tacked on to your Magic Your Way ticket and the cost varies depending how many days are on your ticket.
Park Hopper Plus
The Park Hopper Plus option gives you park hopping access just like the regular option above, but it also allows you to access some entertainment outside of the four theme parks.
With Park Hopper Plus, you can visit any Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Oak Trail Golf Course (9 hole), or ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. If you’re going on a longer trip and want to break up your park days, or if you don’t have park tickets for every day of your vacation this can give you some more fun stuff to do.
Park Hopper Plus allows for one entrance to one of these extra venues per day for the length of your Magic Your Way ticket which can actually double the length of time your passes are good (all passes expire 14 days after 1st use).
For instance, if you were visiting for 10 days and bought a 5 day ticket with Park Hopper Plus you could go to the parks on your first five days then to the water parks, golf, etc. on your last 5 days. Or, alternate park days and non-park days. Of course, you can also choose to double up and visit a park and one of the bonus locations on the same day.
So, what are all these ticket types going to cost you? I’m glad you asked.
Disney World Ticket Prices
The first thing everyone wants to know is how much tickets will cost. That’s pretty natural. From single to multi-day Magic Your Way tickets to the Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus add-ons, from where and when to buy your tickets to how you can find disocunts, Dad’s got you covered…
Dad’s Disney World Ticket Price page
Annual Passes
Annual Passes are great for those that will be at Disney World more than once in a year, or are planning a trip longer than 10 days (the length of the longest Magic Your Way Ticket). A Disney World Annual Pass comes with some perks that you should really check out, especially if you’re staying outside of Walt Disney World.
Dad’s Disney World Annual Pass page
Save Money on Your Tickets
Dad recommends the Official Ticket Center. They are authorized by Disney to sell tickets and can save you A LOT per ticket. And if you’re buying tickets for anything else in the Orlando area, they can help you out with savings there, too!
Dad’s Official Ticket Center page
Disney World Tickets for the Military
First of all, let Dad say, thank you for your service. Disney does have ticket discounts for eligible members of the military. They also have discounted hotel rooms available along with a resort that is totally dedicated to military families. Uncle Walt was always a supporter of our troops and Disney carries on that proud tradition today.
Dad’s Disney Military page
A Little Advice
The first thing to do when you buy Walt Disney World Tickets is to make a few copies of your receipt and the tickets. Take the copies on your vacation. Stick a copy in the backpack, a copy in a wallet, a copy with the tickets, a copy in your waistband. Or snap a couple pictures on your smartphone.
You get the idea. Be sure you have a copy any time you enter a park. You never know when gremlins will demagnetize the magnetic strip on the back of your ticket card or when you might lose your MagicBand. You’ll have a easier time at Guest Relations if you have a copy of the receipt or if you have linked your ticket to your My Disney Experience account (which you really, really should).
(Oh, yeah, make sure you have the credit card you used to purchase the tickets with you too.)
History of Disney World Tickets
Disney’s history of ticket prices in pretty interesting. For instance, did you know that prices for tickets didn’t change from the time Disneyland opened until after EPCOT opened? Check it out.
Dad’s History of Disney Tickets
Dad’s Bottom Line
Disney World Tickets are a big ticket item (pun intended). It’s sad but true. I think Uncle Walt probably turns over in his grave every time Disney raises ticket prices… which seems to be more and more often these days. (Uncle Roy, on the other hand, grins from ear to ear.)
