So, you want to go to Disney World. While the idea of joining the Resistance or eating a Cheeseburger Steamed Pod in Pandora might be what convinced you to go – you can’t do any of that without a park ticket first.
There are many different ticket types and add-ons that can make the ticket-buying process confusing. But fear not, for we will break each of them down so you can easily figure out which ticket type and add-ons are for you.
Table of Contents
Disney World tickets can be grouped into 3 main categories:
- Theme Park Tickets
- Special Event Tickets
- Extras & Theme Park Ticket Add-Ons
Theme Park Tickets
Theme park tickets can be defined as tickets that get you into the theme parks during standard park hours. This is the ticket type that most people will want to buy since this is what gets you into Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
There are 3 types of theme park tickets:
- Standard Theme Park Tickets
- Florida Resident Tickets
- Annual Passes
Standard Theme Park Tickets
Standard theme park tickets can be purchased by non-Florida residents and they come in the form of 1-day or multi-day tickets. 1-day ticket prices vary depending on the park you choose to go to and the day. Multi-day tickets are not affected by the parks you choose to go to but the prices vary by seasonality and the price per day will get cheaper the more days you have.
Keep in mind that these tickets allow you to visit one park per day. If you want to park hop you will have to purchase the park hopper option, which we will cover in the Extras & Theme Park Ticket Add-Ons section.
Florida Resident Tickets
Florida resident tickets can only be purchased and used by Florida residents. You must provide a valid form of ID or other forms of proof to show that you are a Florida resident. The exception to this rule is if whoever is using the ticket is under the age of 18 and are accompanied by an adult with valid proof of Florida residency.
These tickets also come in 1-day and multi-day tickets that follow the same guidelines as the standard theme park tickets. 1-day ticket prices vary depending on the park you choose to go to and the day. Multi-day tickets are not affected by the parks you choose to go to but the prices vary by seasonality and the price per day will get cheaper the more days you have.
Also like the standard theme park tickets, keep in mind that these tickets allow you to visit one park per day. If you want to park hop you will have to purchase the park hopper option, which we will cover in the Extras & Theme Park Ticket Add-Ons section.
Annual Passes
An annual pass is a type of ticket that gives you access to all four theme parks for an entire day starting the day you first use it. There are different tiers of annual passes and each tier costs a different amount and has different guidelines. What typically varies across the annual pass tiers are the amount of park reservations you can make at a time, blockout dates, and whether they are available to Florida residents only.
Unlike the Standard and Florida resident theme park tickets, annual passes give you the ability to park hop so you can visit multiple parks in one day.
Special Event Tickets
Special event tickets are tickets that can get you into a specific park during special park hours. These tickets are limited so park attendance can be kept low, which in turn keeps the ride wait times low(er). Keep in mind that these are completely separate tickets from the regular theme park tickets so you will not be able to use these tickets to get in during normal park hours.
There are two types of special event tickets:
- After Hours Tickets
- Party Tickets
After Hours Tickets
These tickets get you access to a limited-capacity after hours event at a specific park on a specific day. Free select snacks and beverages are included in the cost of this ticketed event, which is available at carts stationed throughout the park.
Party Tickets
During certain times of the year, Disney World will host parties in the evening hours at a specific park. Two that are guaranteed to occur every year are Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas at Magic Kingdom.
Like the After Hours events, these are limited-capacity evening events and include select snacks and beverages in the cost of your ticket. However, on party days the parks will close earlier than usual to regular theme park ticket holders and party ticket holders can enter the park up to 3 hours in advance of the party starting time. This is something to keep in mind if you plan on purchasing a regular theme park ticket and visiting during the time when the parties are being held.
Extras & Theme Park Ticket Add-Ons
Disney World offers additional options outside of your regular theme park ticket that you may or may not want to purchase. These additional options include: 1) Water Park Tickets, 2) Park Hopper Option, and 3) Park Hopper Plus Option
Water Park Tickets
Disney World also offers two water parks outside of their four theme parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. You can purchase tickets to either water park separately from the normal theme park tickets. These tickets do not give you access to the theme parks.
Park Hopper Option
As mentioned before, Standard and Florida Resident Tickets only give you access to one park per day. If you want to visit multiple parks in the same day you’ll need to purchase the Park Hopper add-on.
The Park Hopper option allows you to enter other parks starting at 2PM. You are still required to have a reservation for a park on that day and you must enter that park before visiting another. For example, you make a reservation for Animal Kingdom. Enter Animal Kingdom in the morning and then at 2PM you can park hop to any of the other theme parks.
Park Hopper Plus Option
The same Park Hopper benefits apply to the Park Hopper Plus option with the addition of voucher-like “entries” to Disney World’s water parks, miniature golf courses and golf courses before 4PM. The amount of “entries” you get is equal to the length of your regular park ticket. For example, if your regular park ticket is for four days you will get four “entries”.
The Park Hopper Plus does not allow you to park hop before 2PM.
Now that you have a full understanding of the different Disney World park tickets and add-ons, the next step in your planning journey will be to find a place to stay.
