Disney World ticket advice
How to Save Money on Disney World Tickets
Disney tickets can take a big bite out of the vacation budget before you've booked a room or bought anyone a snack. You can bring that bill down by checking offers for your dates, comparing the full cost for your family, and leaving off extras you won't use. Here's where we'd start.
First, work out how many park days you want
Before you open another ticket website, sketch out your week. Arrival day, park days, a pool day, the flight home. It doesn't need to be a minute-by-minute itinerary. You're just figuring out how many days of admission you'll actually use.
Say you're staying six nights, but your flight lands late on Monday and you're leaving early Sunday. Add a day to sleep in and swim, and four park days might be plenty. Price that trip first. You can always compare a longer ticket afterward.
Keep everyone's ages and your planned park dates handy. You'll need the same details each time you check a price.
- First and last planned park day
- Number of days you actually want in the parks
- Number of guests in each ticket age category
- Ticket options you expect to use
Have a look at Disney's offers
Yes, even if you're hoping to buy somewhere else. Disney's Special Offers page is a good first stop because you can see what's available directly before you start comparing.
Open the offer and read what it includes. Is it a ticket discount, a hotel discount, or a package that requires both? Check the travel dates and booking deadline, too. It's frustrating to get excited about a price and then discover it ends the week before you arrive.
Florida resident and military offers are worth checking if you qualify. Look at the identification requirements for the people using the tickets, rather than assuming one eligible person covers everyone.
And if a package catches your eye, add up what you'd pay for your original hotel choice and separate tickets. A ticket perk can be tempting, but a more expensive room still has to come out of the same vacation budget.
Try another set of dates, if you have the choice
Disney's standard ticket price depends on the start date and the number of days. If you haven't booked the rest of the trip, check a second travel window you could actually make work.
Then look at flights and rooms for those dates. A lower ticket total won't get you very far if the airfare goes up by more than you saved.
Already tied to a school break? Keep your dates and skip this part. There are other things you can compare without trying to rearrange the family calendar.
Would you actually use Park Hopper?
Park Hopper lets you visit more than one theme park in a day, subject to capacity. A standard ticket covers one park per day. Before paying for hopping, think about which days you'd use it.
Picture your afternoon after a morning in the park with two young kids: everyone's hot, someone's shoes are rubbing, and the hotel pool is sounding pretty good. If your plan is a swim, dinner, and bed, you may not need that second park.
On the other hand, if you're planning a morning at one park and dinner at EPCOT, hopping has a clear purpose. Price both tickets and decide whether that plan is worth the difference to you.
Extra park days deserve the same thought. A lower average cost per day can look appealing while the total bill keeps climbing. Buy the days you want to spend in the parks.
Check other sellers and special ticket offers
With Disney's price in hand, compare a few established ticket sellers. Verify any claim of Disney authorization, and make sure you can find contact details and the delivery, change, and refund terms. Write down the final total, including tax.
Group and convention ticket offers are also worth a look for eligible trips. These have their own purchase requirements and dates, so an overlap with your vacation is only part of the check.
That's what we help with at Secret Mouse Tickets. Checking your dates is free. If we find a match and you choose to continue, there's a one-time $29 matching fee. You then buy your tickets separately, directly from Disney. Count our fee in your comparison, too.
Look at what you'll pay for everyone
A per-day price is handy for an ad. For your budget, you need the total for everyone who's going, with taxes and fees included. Put those totals next to each other and double-check that the dates, days, and ticket options match.
Read any restrictions on the cheaper offer before buying. Saving money feels a lot less satisfying if you discover you've lost a park visit you really wanted.
Once you've checked a few solid options and found a price you're comfortable with, it's okay to close the tabs. There are more enjoyable things to plan than another evening of ticket shopping.