Tickets in Walt Disney World
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Warning: Purchasing tickets online
Many tickets sold online through auction websites such as eBay or Craigslist are partially used multi-day park-hopper tickets. While this is a very common activity, it is prohibited by Disney: the tickets are non-transferable. There is also an inherent risk to you as a buyer, because you don't know for certain how many days remain on the ticket. If you are purchasing tickets online, only purchase from authorized brokers; resold tickets are subject to rejection at the gate.
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Visiting Walt Disney World is a very expensive affair. Tickets are sold at several levels: the Magic Your Way base tickets cover the cost of visiting one of the four theme parks a day for each day of the ticket. On top of this, you can add the Park Hopper option, which allows you to enter multiple theme parks on the same day as many times as you like. You can also add the Water Park Fun & More option, which grants admission to the two Disney water parks as well as other attractions. Each of those add-on options costs $55 above the cost of your tickets, regardless of how many days are on your tickets. Neither one is likely worth it if you buy only a one-day ticket, but their value goes up sharply as you add more days.
The Park Hopper option in particular is often overlooked, but it's strongly recommended because of the flexibility it offers. Without it, you could be stuck with nowhere else to go after doing everything you want to do at one park; or you could run out of time to do one last attraction and be unable to come back another day to pick it up. If you have seven-day tickets, it only costs about $7.50 a day to add this option; the value of being able to visit one park in the morning and another in the evening should not be underestimated.
The Water Park Fun & More option grants you admission to all of the following: Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, DisneyQuest, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and 9 holes of golf at the Oak Trail walking course. If you visit just two of those attractions during your trip, the cost of the option will be covered by the money you save on admission.
Multi-day tickets do not have to be used on consecutive days. However, these tickets will expire 14 days after they are first used, so be sure to use all the days purchased prior to that. A no-expiration option can be added to any multi-day ticket with at least one day remaining; with this option, the ticket expires when the last purchased day is used, which can be months or even years after the initial use. A side benefit of this option is locking in your admission price for your next visit(s). The price for this option is variable, based on the number of days purchased.
The best feature of a Disney admission ticket is its flexibility. Options can be added even if the ticket has already been used at least once. For example, a base ticket (no park-hopping) can be upgraded to include park-hopping by paying the $50 cost for the option. Or, if a change in travel plans will not allow the user to utilize all purchased days prior to the ticket's expiration date, the "no-expiration" option can be purchased for the remaining days. These changes may be made at any ticket window or at the Guest Relations office inside each theme park.
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Too good to be true?
Billboards along interstate highways in Florida and even southern Georgia promote the availability of cut-rate admission tickets for Walt Disney World and other central Florida theme parks. While these offers are genuine, there is often a catch. Many of these promotions require the buyer to tour a time-share resort and sit through a high-pressure sales pitch for the property prior to getting the tickets.
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The prices below were accurate as of June 2011 (6.5% Florida sales tax not included):
"Magic Your Way" Online Prices
| Days
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ages 3-9
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ages 10+
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| Total |
Per Day
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Total |
Per Day
|
|---|
| 1 |
$79 |
$79.00 |
$85 |
$85.00
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| 2 |
$155 |
$77.50 |
$168 |
$84.00
|
| 3 |
$214 |
$71.33 |
$232 |
$77.33
|
| 4 |
$224 |
$56.00 |
$243 |
$60.75
|
| 5 |
$232 |
$46.40 |
$251 |
$50.20
|
| 6 |
$240 |
$40.00 |
$259 |
$43.17
|
| 7 |
$248 |
$35.43 |
$267 |
$38.14
|
| 8 |
$256 |
$32.00 |
$275 |
$34.38
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| 9 |
$264 |
$29.33 |
$283 |
$31.44
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| 10 |
$272 |
$27.20 |
$291 |
$29.10
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Children under age three are admitted for free.
There are Magic Your Way Premium and Magic Your Way Platinum packages available as well; they add some interesting luxury options to your vacation package. They both include the Deluxe Dining Plan, preferred fireworks viewing, unlimited access to select recreational activities, tours, and a portrait session. The Platinum package adds to that a spa treatment, a fireworks cruise, and more. If you're sure you're going to use the benefits these packages provide, they may just be worth the extra cost.
Florida residents who provide proof of residence get discounts of varying degrees, but they can't purchase beyond a 7-day ticket (meaning that Florida residents who ask for the discount can't purchase 8-, 9-, or 10-day tickets). Annual passes are also available for frequent visitors or residents.
Disney resort guests (those staying on-site at Disney hotels) are usually best served by getting package deals that include both lodging and admission. Admission in those cases is "length-of-stay": from the time you check in at the hotel until closing time on the day you check out.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Walt Disney World
