Buying a ticket for Walt Disney World is not simple. There are numerous options which offer different benefits plus they can significantly differ in price. Our Guide to Walt Disney World Tickets provides you with all the essential information and tips to get the best value for your money.
Creating a Guide to Walt Disney World Tickets has been one of the biggest challenges when writing Modern Life is Good. There are just so many options!
Starting in October 2018 Disney started seasonal pricing for multi-day tickets. While there were some slight reductions in price for off-peak tickets, peak tickets became considerably more expensive.
Since the seasonal pricing was introduced there has been a further price increase in March 2019. Usually, Disney announces annual price increases late February/Early March. It is always worth trying to purchase your tickets before this date.
Making sense of these changes is incredibly difficult unless you are lucky and live in Europe and can access the Ultimate Ticket. (More on the Ultimate Ticket later) . However, the Walt Disney World website does have an excellent guide to help you pick the correct ticket.
While the Walt Disney World website makes picking tickets easy, there are a number of ways to purchase slightly cheaper tickets.
However, when looking for tickets you should purchase from reputable retailers only. Search online to check reviews from previous guests prior to purchasing.
What Walt Disney World Tickets can you buy?
1 Park Per Day Tickets
This is the entry-level ticket to Walt Disney World. It is the cheapest level ticket but offers the least options. Guest can book tickets between 1-10 days in length and can visit 1 park a day.
Your ticket does not include entry to other attractions e.g. water-parks. Tickets must be used within 14 days of first use.
Single day tickets used to be more expensive for the Magic Kingdom compared to the other parks but now are all the same price.
Disney Park Hopper
The Disney Park Hopper Ticket adds the ability to visit more than 1 park each day. In fact, you can actually hop to all 4 parks every day.
However, these tickets are quite a bit more expensive and you should consider carefully whether hopping is essential. We do think for most guests this is a necessary expense.
Disney Park Hopper Plus
This ticket contains all the same options as the Park Hopper but with additional Plus Options. For each day ticket you purchase you are also entitled to 1 admission a day to either:
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
- One round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
- ESPN Wide World of Sports
- Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
- Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
These visits do not have to be used on the same day as your main theme park admission & can be used in any order.
Hopper Plus options allow you to visit Walt Disney World for a longer period of time BUT you should check expiry rules carefully. There are various additional rules on how you can use these Plus options which you should check with your vendor.
Annual Pass
Guests who are staying at Walt Disney World for an extended vacation or more than once a year might want to consider purchasing an annual pass.
A Walt Disney World Annual Passes offer several discounts on merchandise & dining which might make them cheaper than they first appear. There are several options available which you can check out here.
Ultimate Ticket
This ticket is only available in the UK & Ireland but offer major benefits and at a much cheaper price.
Tickets are valid for 7, 14 or 21 days and offer hopping admissions to all theme parks and water-parks. They even come with a free memory maker plus there are regular discounts.
There have been no announcements of changes to The Ultimate Ticket and it does in most circumstances represent excellent value for money in comparison to US tickets.
What Walt Disney World ticket should I buy?
There is no right or wrong answer to what type of Walt Disney World ticket you should buy. The decision will vary by your plans, budget and what you want to achieve on your vacation. However, if you do have a tight budget the extra hopper & plus options do add up.
Create a preliminary plan and consider whether park hopping is essential & whether the plus options are worth the cost.
Remember that if you do not have a Hopper option, then you can not attend Extra Magic Hours at another park.
Where to Purchase Walt Disney World Tickets
The most obvious place to buy Walt Disney World Tickets is on the Walt Disney World Website. However, it is often not the cheapest place to buy from. You should always start your research by checking it out especially noting the value of any extra promotions.
There are several reputable retailers who offer small discounts on Walt Disney World Tickets and often a free day. Make sure your retailer provides genuine tickets and not vouchers. Vouchers have to be exchanged at the gate and can result in lengthy waits.
Retailers do differ by country and you should carefully check online reviews before deciding to buy.
Where Not to Purchase Walt Disney World Ticket
Unfortunately, there are several mistakes guest can make if they are looking for a bargain. In our opinion you should avoid purchasing the following:
- Never buy second-hand tickets. It is impossible to know whether the advertised unused days are correct plus Disney scan guests fingers prior to admission. All tickets are untransferable & it is highly likely that your tickets will be useless.
- Don’t buy off eBay or from other site offering extremely cheap tickets. There is a good chance they will be a con.
- If a deal seems too good to be true it probably isn’t genuine. Timeshare companies often offer cheap tickets, but be very careful before taking up any offers!
Don’t Make Our Mistake!
As soon as you get a ticket, make a copy of it including the serial number and connect it to your My Disney Experience Account.
If you should be unfortunate to lose your ticket then you will need the serial number of the ticket to get a replacement.
While we have never lost a Disney World ticket we have at Universal & did not have a copy of the serial number. You can read all about our experience of getting a replacement on our vacation blog. It wasn’t straight forward!
Learn more
Visit our guide Walt Disney World for Beginners for more essential tips.
If you want more Walt Disney World Tips & Tricks we have lots of them here on Modern Life is Good. Here are 201 Tips & Tricks to have a great vacation at Walt Disney World.
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