Buying a ticket to Walt Disney World is not simple. Numerous options exist offering different benefits, and they can significantly differ in price. Our Guide to Walt Disney World Tickets provides all the essential information and tips to get the best value for your money. We have updated our guide with all the latest information in August 2025.
Disney has now implemented seasonal pricing for all tickets. This means the cost of your ticket will vary depending on when you visit. There have also been some pretty steep price increases in the last 10 years, according to Mail Online; on some days, tickets have doubled in price.
Making sense of tickets isn’t easy. However, the Walt Disney World website does have an excellent guide to help you pick the correct ticket. The site you will access will depend on your country of origin.
While the Walt Disney World website makes picking tickets easy, there are several ways to purchase slightly cheaper tickets. However, you should buy only from reputable retailers. Search online to check reviews from previous guests before purchasing. If an offer seems too good to be true, you should probably avoid it.
Disney Park Pass
When Walt Disney World reopened, guests had to book a park reservation each day. This is no longer required for any date-based tickets. However, a small number of guests, including Annula Passholders, do still need to make a reservation. Visit our Disney Park Pass Guide to check.
What Walt Disney World Tickets can you buy?
1 Park Per Day Ticket (Base Ticket)
This is the entry-level ticket to Walt Disney World. It is the cheapest level ticket but offers the fewest options. Guests can book tickets for 1-10 days and can visit one park a day.
Your ticket does not include entry to other attractions, e.g., water parks. Guests must use tickets within 14 days of first use.
Single-day tickets now have different pricing depending on the park selected.
Disney Park Hopper
The Disney Park Hopper Ticket allows you to visit more than one park daily. You can hop to all four parks every day.
However, these tickets are significantly more expensive, and you should consider carefully whether hopping is essential. We do think that for most guests, this is a necessary expense. Disney has also recently introduced seasonal variation pricing to Hopper Tickets.
Base Ticket with Water Park and Sports Options
These ticket options do not include park hopping, but one “plus visit” for each day of admission to your choice of water parks, mini golf, or other select attractions.
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(reservation required)
- ESPN Wide World of Sports. Special event tickets are not included, and not much else is worth visiting. There are differing reports on whether you can currently see.
- Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course(before 4 pm)
- Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course(before 4 pm)
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 time, BUT you should carefully check the expiry rules. There are various additional rules on using these Plus options, which you should check with your vendor.
Annual Pass
Walt Disney World’s annual pass sales are now back on sale, but they are not cheap. As a UK visitor, we do have Universal Orlando Annual Passes, but Disney World passes do not add up.
Annual Pass benefits can change, but at the time of writing, these are the current costs.
All but the most expensive Incredi-Pass have restrictions on who can buy the Annual Pass. In addition, before purchasing, you will want to check blockout dates. Although priced reasonably, the Pixie Dust Pass is blocked out for every Saturday and Sunday, plus all major holiday weeks. However, the Sorcerer Pass is only blocked out for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Eve. So if you can buy, and don’t intend to visit in these weeks, it probably makes more sense than the very expensive Disney-Incredi-Pass.
Purchasing a Walt Disney World annual pass is a large, expensive purchase. It is worth noting that passes include free parking and discounts on merchandise and dining. These discounts can quickly add up. Guests staying at Walt Disney World for an extended vacation or more than once a year might want to consider purchasing an annual pass.
In addition, you can add to your Disney Annual Pass: water parks, sports, and PhotoPass. It all adds to the cost, but can be good value. There is also an approximate 15% reduction for renewals of Disney Annual Passes, resulting in lower annual fees.
Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World must still book Park Reservations at certain times. Read our Guide to Disney Park Pass to learn more.
Magic Ticket
This ticket is only available in the UK and is similar to the previous Ultimate Ticket. Although benefits are still good compared to US bought tickets, they are not as good as the old Ultimate Ticket, and so the “Magic” element might be a little exaggeration.
The ticket is still at a much lower price than US-bought tickets. However, there is now a seasonal variation in prices.
Tickets are valid for 7 or 14 days and include park hopping to all parks and water parks. They even come with a free memory maker. Discounts are often available on tickets, e.g., 14 days for the cost of 7, but shop around as Disney is not always the cheapest.
There used to be 21-day Ultimate Tickets, but they are no longer available. However, a 14-day ticket can be used over 18 consecutive days, so there is time to visit Universal Orlando.
Florida Resident Tickets
Special Florida Resident Tickets are available at certain times of the year. Check with local ticket vendors for information, and remember you will need identification when entering the park to prove you are a Florida Resident.
What Walt Disney World ticket should I buy?
There is no right or wrong answer to the type of Walt Disney World ticket you should buy. The decision will vary depending on your plans, budget, and vacation goals.
However, the extra hopper and plus options add up if you have a tight budget. Create a preliminary plan and consider whether the additional cost is necessary. We have created a free budgeting tool in our Walt Disney World Planners.
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. It would help to start your research by checking the Disney Website, especially noting the value of any extra promotions.
Several reputable retailers offer small discounts on Walt Disney World Tickets. Make sure your retailer provides genuine tickets and not vouchers. Vouchers must be exchanged at the gate, which can result in lengthy waits.
Disney ticket retailers differ by country, and you should carefully check online reviews before buying.
Where Not to Purchase Walt Disney World Tickets
Unfortunately, there are several mistakes guests can make when seeking 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 scans a guest’s finger before admission. All tickets are untransferable & your tickets will likely be useless.
- Don’t buy off eBay or from other sites 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 careful before taking any offers!
Learn more
Visit our guide Walt Disney World for Beginners for more essential tips.
