by Shannon Harris
Disney World has packages and experiences for every budget. Planning ahead can help you reap the benefits of major savings. It’s not hard to get discounts on admission to every Disney World park, especially with package deals. Here’s how to get cheap Disney World tickets:
1. Plan ahead.
Bundling your Disney Resort stay with tickets will result in the best discounts. Both resorts and tickets are more expensive when it’s busy and less expensive when it’s not. Book your trip for January to mid-February or September for the best deals overall. If you need to schedule for a busier time, consult a crowd calendar to avoid the most crowded, highest-priced days. Purchasing your tickets at least 3 months in advance will help secure the lowest price.
- Purchase your Disney World tickets online.
Tickets are always the most expensive at the gate (and they can sell out). Even when you book by phone, agents often make commission, which means more money out of your pocket. Always check the Disney World website and sites like Undercover Tourist for deals. For example, a “4-Park Magic Ticket” covers Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studies, and Animal Kingdom—one park per day, for a reasonable price.
Pro Tip: Stick to reputable websites. Never buy tickets from Craigslist or scalpers.
- Consider park hopping.
Rather than purchasing admission to two parks on different days, grab a Park Hopper pass knock out two parks the same day. This only works if you have a handful of specific experiences you’d like to enjoy at each park. If you want to do everything possible, you’ll need a full day (or more) at each one. When determining how to get cheap Disney World tickets, sometimes hopping parks is the best option. Sometimes it’s not. How much do you want to experience at each park?
Pro Tip: The Park Hopper Plus ticket gives guests access to the water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
- Use your memberships and affiliations.
Disney offers generous military discounts. Some employers connect staff to deal through TicketsAtWork.com. Also, while tickets alone aren’t available through Costco, discounted vacation packages are, which can help you save overall. You could even get a free park ticket for attending a timeshare presentation. The meetings are hours long and high pressure, but if you’re looking for a deal, it works.
- Go into ultra-saver mode.
For extreme savings, you could buy base tickets only and stay off-site. How important is the Disney-themed atmosphere to you? Also consider transportation to and from the parks. Does your hotel offer a complimentary shuttle? If you go this route, you will lose your early time slots for reserving both dining experiences and Lightning Lanes. Rezzies for restaurants like Be Our Guest will fill up six months in advance. Staying off-site works best if early Lightning Lane reservations aren’t a top priority and you plan to eat at the quick-service spots anyway.
- Cards, cards, cards!
Do you have rewards points to cash in? Use them! Another ultra-saver hack is to use a Target Circle Card to buy Disney gift cards, because you’ll save 5%. That’s another $50 in savings if you purchase $1,000 in gift cards and use them to help cover your tickets. That’s our final of many methods for how to get cheap Disney World tickets.
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