You've started planning your Disney vacation, and now, it is time to purchase your Disney park tickets, but you aren't sure if you need a 1 Park Per Day, a Park Hopper or a Park Hopper Plus ticket. Today, I am breaking down the different ticket options to help you choose which one is best for your family!
Park Ticket Options:
1 Park Per Day:
This is Disney's base ticket. With this option, you can visit one theme park per day. You can enter and exit the same park as many times as you want throughout your park day. You will need a park reservation, in addition to a valid theme park ticket, in order to enter the parks.
Theme Park Options:
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom
Water Park and Sports (only available at WDW):
With this ticket, you can visit one theme park per day, plus get an equal number of visits to other Walt Disney World fun based on the length of your ticket. You will need a park reservation, in addition to a valid Water Park and Sports theme park ticket, in order to enter the theme parks.
Water Park and Sports Options:
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park (Currently Unavailable)
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Currently Unavailable)
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course - FootGolf
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course
Disney's Fantasia Garden Miniature Golf Course
Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
Park Hopper:
With this ticket, you can visit more than one theme park per day. You will need a park reservation for the first park that you plan to visit, in addition to a valid Park Hopper theme park ticket. After entering your first park, you will be able to "hop" to the next park, beginning at 2pm (Walt Disney World) or 1pm (Disneyland) until each park's regularly scheduled closure. You can find the hours for each park in the My Disney Experience or Disneyland apps. While you are guaranteed entry to your reserved park, the ability to visit a second park is subject to the park's capacity limitations.
Theme Park Options:
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom
Park Hopper Plus (only available at WDW):
With this ticket, you can visit more than one theme park per day, plus get an equal number of visits to other Walt Disney World fun based on the length of your ticket. You will need a park reservation for the first park that you plan to visit, in addition to a valid Park Hopper Plus theme park ticket. After entering your first park, you will be able to "hop" to the next park, beginning at 2pm (Walt Disney World) until each park's regularly scheduled closure. You can find the hours for each park in the My Disney Experience or Disneyland apps. While you are guaranteed entry to your reserved park, the ability to visit a second park is subject to the park's capacity limitations.
Water Park and Sports Options:
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park (Currently Unavailable)
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Currently Unavailable)
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course - FootGolf
Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course
Disney's Fantasia Garden Miniature Golf Course
Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Are the Park Tickets ever discounted?
Disney doesn't offer sales or steeply discounted tickets, and I would be wary of any website that states they are selling cheap park tickets. Undercover Tourist and a few other retailers are legit, but I find that purchasing through the Disney website is the easiest way to get your park tickets. Through Disney's website, you can save $20 per ticket when you purchase tickets in bulk (3 days or longer). You will also find that the tickets vary in price based on the day and season, with holidays and weekends featuring a higher price tag than a weekday, so if your dates are flexible, this is another great way to save a few dollars.
2. Is there a difference in price for adults, children and infants?
Yes! There is a difference in price for children (ages 3-9) and adults (ages 10+). This price will vary by day and season. Infants (under 3) are free and do not require a ticket or park reservation. Infants do need to be accounted for in your dining reservations due to fire code though, so if you have 4 ticketed guests and an infant, you will book dining for a party of 5 instead of for a party of 4.
3. Do I need to purchase one of the ticket upgrades (Park Hopper, Park Hopper Plus or Water Park and Sports) in order to have a better park experience?
If you are visiting in the summer months and have an extra day or two, I would definitely recommend purchasing the Water Park and Sports ticket, so that you can explore the Disney water parks. Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are beautifully themed and perfect for families and couples alike. They are a great way to cool off in the Florida heat!
As for the Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus, I only recommend these ticket options for seasoned guests. If this is your first visit or if you have small children, I would skip the Park Hopper ticket. There is so much to take in and enjoy, that you should truly spend an entire day (or more) in each of the parks. The Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus is great, if you have visited the parks multiple times and are only wanting to hit your top attractions.
4. Can I schedule Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane return windows in the parks I plan to hop to?
Yes, you can! The app automatically detects that you have a Park Hopper ticket, so when viewing your Tip Board, you can switch to the park you plan to hop to and Genie will only show options for return times after 2pm (WDW) or 1pm (DL). I would recommend using the 2-hour rule and stacking Genie+/ILL passes in the park you plan to hop to, in order to give you an advantage when hopping begins for the day. This will allow you to really maximize your time in the second park, and keep you from wasting time in line.
I know choosing your park ticket can feel as overwhelming as choosing the perfect resort or reserving your favorite dining spot, but it doesn't have to be. I hope this blogpost helped to answer your questions and ease any of the stress you may be feeling. Do you have any other questions? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will be sure to answer them!
Ready to book your next magical vacation? I am always happy to help! Simply fill out this form and I will have a quote to you ASAP!
xo, Leah
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Images: Magic Kingdom Ticket (Pirates and Princesses), Fab 5 Park Tickets (VIP Disney Travel)
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