The good news is that there are ways to trim some of the cost of a Disney vacation. Below are five ways that you can purchase Disney discount tickets for the theme parks. Not every tip is available to everyone, but within these five ways to save is something for every visitor to Disney World.
1. Florida Resident Discount
Florida residents are able to purchase single use Disney tickets (for one to fourteen days) or annual passes at a discount rate. For the passes, there are several options from which to choose. You can buy just a base ticket, which allows you to visit one park per day, or you can buy a pass that allows you to park hop – visiting multiple parks in a single day. The best deal by far is the annual pass. You can buy the base line annual pass, which provides admission to all four Disney World theme parks. You can visit as many parks per day as you would like. Free parking is an extra perk. You can also opt for the Premium Annual Pass. This includes all of the benefits of the standard annual pass plus unlimited admission to both of Disney’s water parks, invitations to special events, behind-the-scenes access, and other special privileges. In order to purchase and use a Florida resident ticket or pass, you must show a valid ID proving your Florida residency.
Members of AAA Auto club are eligible for a variety of wonderful discounts, including a discount on tickets for Disney resorts. Membership in AAA is quite inexpensive, and your membership will allow you to buy discount tickets for yourself and your family. If you are not a member of this auto club, consider joining to take advantage of the Disney theme park ticket discounts as well as to be eligible for many other travel related savings.
3. Military Base/College Campus Discount
Members of the military and some college students may be able to find discount Disney tickets at their base or campus recreation office. These discount tickets are usually single use tickets, and there is often a limit on the number of tickets you would be allowed to purchase. Not every base and campus will offer these tickets, and those that do will not have them all of the time. Still, if you are in the military or a college student, it is certainly worth asking about.
4. More Days = More Savings
A great way that anyone can save money on their Disney theme park tickets is to realize that the more days that you buy, the more that you will save. This is one of the best ways to save on the total cost of Disney theme park tickets. While the prices are always changing, below is an example of how much you could save.
If you bought a two day base ticket, the cost could be $162. Add on the water park at a cost of $54 for two visits and another $54 for the Park Hopper option. The total for two days would be $270 or $135 per day. If you were to buy a seven day base ticket, the cost would be $247. The water park add on and the Park Hopper option would still be only $54 each. This is a total of $354 or $50.60 per day. The more days that you buy on a single ticket, the more you can save per day.
Keep in mind that the tickets expire 14 days from their first use unless you buy the no-expiration date option. With the no expiration option, you can save the tickets to use on your next trip to Disney World Resorts at any time in the future.
Again, the prices above are not the actual prices that you would pay, but were provided as an example only.
Almost like clockwork, Disney raises ticket prices every year. If you plan to visit frequently in the future, purchasing multiple days now on a single ticket, together with the no expiration option, can help you lock in today’s price and save on future visits.
5. Second-Hand Tickets
One more way that you can save on Disney theme park tickets is to buy them second hand from online auction sites or classified ads. Disney World Resorts does not recommend this practice for the following reasons.
- If there are any problems with the tickets, Disney would not be able to honor them and you would have to buy new tickets.
- It is difficult to guarantee that what an online seller is saying about his or her tickets is the truth, so you really will not know until you have the tickets in your hand. If the seller was dishonest, then it will be too late as you will already have paid for the tickets.
Still, in spite of the risks, many planning a vacation to Disney World Resorts are willing to take the chance and buy tickets in this manner. If you are willing to take the gamble – and it IS a gamble – then you could score Disney theme park tickets at a huge discount. Just be prepared for the worst case scenario: that the tickets could be worthless.
6. Vacation Packages
Another way to make a Disney World Resorts vacation, including theme park tickets, more affordable is to buy an all-inclusive vacation package. Disney offers a variety of packages that may include airfare, hotel, and park tickets. Some packages also include some meals as well as extras such as a discount in the gift shops or special behind-the-scenes experiences.
The cost of such packages varies widely based on the hotel that you choose as well as other details, such as how many meals are included and the time of year you plan to visit. While the cost varies, there are all-inclusive packages available to fit most any budget. You will save on the total cost of your Disney trip as opposed to buying each element of your vacation separately, so these packages are a great way to save both money and the hassle of having to put together all the pieces of your vacation yourself..
A Disney World Resort vacation is magical for the entire family. When you find ways to buy Disney discount tickets then you can have that Disney magic at a price that is budget-friendly.