You would think that purchasing tickets to Disney would be one of your easiest decisions, right? Nah, nah I say! Disney has so much to offer to you that most people want to squeeze out every last ounce of pixie dust that you can without breaking the banks. Below I have highlighted all that you need to know about the Disney ticketing system!
How Many Days Do I Get?
This question depends on how many days you will be in Disney and how much you want to go to the parks. If you are going for four or more days I recommend purchasing them all online ahead of time as the more days you purchase the less the daily ticket will cost you. Think of it as one of those “buy more and save” deals you see at your local super market.
I say don’t forget to include your arrival or departure day, especially if you are coming or going at times that will have you still hanging around the hotel with no room to stay it. I know once I get to WDW I am itching to hit up a park or drink one more slushy in France before I board the magical express home. With the expansion of Hollywood Studios coming along, right now HS is considered a half day park, which makes it an ideal arrival or departure day park to visit. Squeeze in a few drops on Tower of Terror then head to the airport for a snooze fill flight.
Do you get Park Hopper Options?
YES YES YES! Did I say yes already? I personally have always opted to get the park hopper option for the simple fact that it is convenient. To me, when I am at The World I feel I am already at home at any of the parks and don’t want to feel limitation placed on me when I can go see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom or taste a treat from Paris’ bakeries.
The park option also provides more flexibility with your day to day planning and allows you to fit more into your days. This is a great feature if your family really wants to eat some place special, like Be Our Guest, but can’t get reservations on your Magic Kingdom park day. You can always book if for another day down the road and pop in after a morning at EPCOT, eat with Beast, then take the monorail back to EPCOT to watch Illuminations.
Do you get the Water Parks Ticket?
Disney has done away with the old ticketing system of the Water Parks and More option. The “and more” allowed you access to DisneyQuest at the old Downtown Disney area (now known as Disney Spring), but DQ will be closing as of July 3, 2017. In its place will be an interactive NBA Experience center that allows fans to be right in the middle of the action.
If you are planning on going to either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach for the day you can purchase a Water Park ticket for $62.00 per adult, $56 per child. This one day ticket allows you admission into either of its water parks and allows you to water park hop for the day as well, as long as the water parks are open.
This is an added ticket option you need to consider when planning out your days. If you’re family loves water slides, pools and lazy rivers then purchase this ticket and enjoy a splish splashing day! Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are great themed water parks with numerous slides and fun for the whole family.
But, I do advise those of you reading this with small children to consider skipping this added ticket for a bit. Most of the slides are a little too scary for little ones and if your resort has a great pool (Coronado, Polynesian, Yacht & Beach Club) I would save your money and spend a day by the pool here. My kids had a blast spending a day by the pool at the Yacht Club- playing in the sand, swimming, and watching daddy go down the big slide.
What’s Up With The New Ticketing System at Disney?
NOTE: This new ticketing system is ONLY for those who are purchasing theme park tickets for one day. If you are purchasing tickets for your vacation and you are purchasing two or more, you may ignore this section!
Disney’s new ticketing system is divided into three options: peak, regular and value. Depending on the park and the day you select to visit you will pay a slightly higher or lower price. Below I have included a chart of the 2017 one day ticket pricing:
| Magic Kingdom | Other Parks | Park Hopper | |
| Value | $107 | $99 | $162 |
| Regular | $115 | $107 | $170 |
| Peak | $124 | $119 | $174 |
As you can see Magic Kingdom will always be the most expensive park, not matter what category you fall into. My advice is to purchase the Park Hopper ticketing option, especially if you plan on doing a half day park like Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom, that way you can experience a little more in a short amount of time.
Where to get your tickets
If you purchase a package through Disney the tickets are included in the pricing. You just have to select how many days you want tickets for and if you wish to include the park hopper option. Sometimes, Disney offers the best price, but there are a lot of other ticket sites out there for you to get tickets from, such as ticket brokers or membership companies (AAA, Costco), or work place perk programs.
As always, when making purchases from a ticket broker make sure you are purchasing the correct tickets, that they are issued to you in your name and have not since expired or been used previously. Tickets are non-transferrable so never purchase them from eBay, Amazon or Craigslist as these can not be verified as legitimate tickets. And also make sure they are a reliable company and are authorized resellers of Disney tickets.
Disney has started marketing recently to those who may not be staying on Disney property and purchasing tickets from other vendors. This includes ticketing options at a great discounted price ($79 per person for 4 day base tickets is a steal and a real deal being offered in 2017!) So don’t forget to check back with Disney for some great prices.
What Are Annual Passes?
The rule of thumb is that if you are going to be going to Disney more than once a year or if you are planning on going for 10 or more days then get the annual passes. You may still save money by buying tickets for each visit you go, but the annul passholder does have some perks:
- Passholder Options:
- Platinum Plus Pass: $829.00 + taxes
- Admission to all the parks + ESPN complex and Golf Course
- Park Hopper option
- Includes photopass
- 20% off select dining and merchandiser
- Parking fee included
- Platinum Pass: $749.00 + taxes
- Visit all 4 parks
- Park Hopper
- Included Photopass
- 20% off select dining & merchandise
- Water Parks Annual Pass: $115 + taxes
- Admission to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach
- Platinum Plus Pass: $829.00 + taxes
So, if you are planning on going on a week long trip, purchasing 5-6 days of tickets with the park hopper option and getting the photopass is comes to a total of $614.00 + tax, and that is for only one trip! If you are planning on going again, even if for a smaller amount of time it is only a $135 difference!
6 day park hopper tickets: $465.00 + tax
Disney’s Memory Maker: $149.00 + tax
TOTAL: $614.00 + tax
Annual Passes begin from their first use. So if you purchase the annual pass in March, but don’t use it until your May trip in 2017, you have until May of 2018 to use your annual pass.
Do I Need Separate Tickets For Disney’s Special Events?
Yes and no. Certain events at Disney World ask that you purchase a separate ticket to gain entry into the parks. The most popular ones are Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) both at the Magic Kingdom. On those days the park closes early (7 p.m.) but remains opened for those who purchased separate tickets.
Other special events, such as Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival or Garden Festival are open to the public and only require a regular park ticket to enjoy.
How Do I Use My Tickets?
Gone are the days of presenting a paper ticket at the turnstiles at Magic Kingdom. Now, all you have to do is swipe your wrist and wait for the enchanted Mickey to turn green and you are allowed into the parks. Even if you do go through another ticketing agency other than Disney you will be given a confirmation number that you can then link to your Disney reservation on your My Disney Experience website. If you are given paper tickets or pick them up at a ticket brokering company in the Orlando area, you can then bring those to the Guest Services desk at the parks or your hotel and they can have those linked to your Magic Band.
How Do I Pick The Right Tickets?
Answer: I don’t know; every family is different and each wants to accomplish something different from their vacations so it is a hard question to answer. But, what I do know is that Disney has a lot of different options to choose from so finding the best fit for you is doable. And there is no wrong choice (except if you don’t buy any tickets, but want to go to each theme park-that’s a wrong choice), you must do what is best for your budget as well as your family. You can always talk to a Disney Travel Agent as well or your friend who is a Disney fanatic for advise. Tell them what you want to accomplish and how long you plan on staying so they can give you the best advise possible.
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