Disney Pass
Your free source for information on the Disney Pass / Walt Disney World tickets
The Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando is a big place – including four theme parks, two water parks, dozens of hotels, and more then 20,000 acres.
And in that vast playground are several options for purchasing a Disney Pass / Walt Disney World tickets.
First, brace yourself for some sticker shock. It is no secret that Disney does things right – and expensively. From a pricing perspective, a trip to Disney is not like a night out at the movies – it is much more like a week on a cruise ship. However, given all there is to do and the quality of the experience, I think the price is fair.
After you get in the door you will still need to plan funds for food, souvenirs, a place to sleep at night, and even a way to get to Disney property. (For more information about transportation see our article on Disney’s Magical Express.)
Tips
Here are a few tips before I explain the current Disney Pass / ticket options:
Tip 1 – Do some research before you arrive. There are many options and it can be a bit confusing. At a minimum decide what Disney World Ticket options you want before arriving. Ideally, you should purchasing the tickets before you leave home so that you can skip the ticket counter and head straight for the fun.
Tip 2 – Buy only from a reputable source so you don’t get ripped off. I read a recent article about a person in Orlando selling Disney tickets on the side of a major street in Orlando. The tickets were no good. Unfortunately, a few unsuspecting tourists lost their money to this criminal, but fortunately they worked with the police to arrest them. Purchase direct from Disney, the Automobile Association of America (AAA), or another source you trust. Also, beware buying your Disney tickets on eBay. Disney Magic Your Way Tickets are nontransferable and must be used by the same person on any and all days. Disney even scans your fingerprint at the entrance to enforce this!
Tip 3 – Play more, pay less per day. Disney is very motivated to get you onto their property and keep you there. That keeps your wallet there too. They have designed the Disney Ticket packages to encourage you to stay more than just one or two days. Since there is so much to do, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Where Should You Start?
I recommend that you visit the official Disney World Park Hopper Ticket web page well before you leave home and play with the options. They have a nice calculator so that you can try out different combinations of days and options:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/ticketsLandingPage?id=TicketsLandingPage
Our Take / Summary
In my opinion, adding Park Hopper to your Disney Pass is nice (if the park you want to visit on a particular day closes early, you can spend the evening at another park that doesn’t close early). However, if you are a first time visitor, there is plenty to do in each park so that you will be occupied for the entire day. If you’ve visited Disney may time, the Park Hopper option becomes more valuable.
The Water Park Fun & More option really depends on your preference. If you like water parks and want to spend some time there, it may be a good deal for you.
The No Expiration Option might not be necessary if they you plan to purchase and use the exact number of days they need during your trip. If you want to purchase days to use in the future, you can do so but as outlined above you won’t save huge money doing this. And make sure that you don’t lose those unused days in your sock drawer once you get the tickets home!
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