How to Get Disney World Tickets Cheap?

How to Get Disney World Tickets Cheap?

How to Get Disney World Tickets Cheap?

This article is the complete guide on how to get cheap Walt Disney World tickets! This is one of my favorite topics to write about, as I have helped thousands of families pick out the best Disney World tickets for their trip while working as a vacation planner at the Magic Kingdom Park in Disney World. During that time, I have picked up some tips and tricks on how to get the cheapest Disney World tickets, including timing your purchase, understanding the usage window, bundling your water park tickets, and so much more!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World, check out our Disney Crowd calendar!

 Disney World Crowd Calendar

How To Get the Cheapest Disney World Tickets

Let’s start this guide with the most popular question: how do you get the best deal on Disney World tickets? As a general rule of thumb, buying park tickets in advance is the easiest way to get the cheapest Disney World tickets. This is the easiest tip and trick because it will help you save money even if you decide to buy your tickets directly from Disney and not from a travel agent who can help save you money like The Park Prodigy. Guests will save money by buying their tickets online in advance vs the park gate. The other reason why we love this tip is because it’s also true that one-day tickets are rarely discounted, which you will see later in this post.

Outside of buying your park tickets in advance, the most important thing that I found during my time selling tickets at Magic Kingdom Park as a Disney World cast member was asking yourself the right questions to make sure that you are purchasing the best-fit ticket for your family. Listening to the experts or seeing what your friends and family purchased can be so easy; however, that might not always fit your family’s goals for your trip. So I always suggest starting with these simple questions when shopping for discount Disney World tickets: which Walt Disney World theme parks should I visit? Do I want to visit more than one Disney theme park per day? And do I want to see any of the Disney World water parks? It’s also important to remember that Walt Disney World can be overwhelming, and it might be difficult to do it all in one trip. Be realistic about your goals and remember, no matter what, to have fun! You’re in Walt Disney World!

How to get cheap Disney World tickets?

• Spend time researching the right fit Disney World tickets
• Purchase your Disney tickets ahead of time
• Understand how to use one-day ticket prices to your advantage
• Plan around peak season
• When in doubt, buy the cheaper day
• Start with the Disney World base ticket
• Bundle your hotel and tickets together
• Use your validity window on multi-day Disney tickets
• Pay for your tickets with discount Disney gift cards
• Take your kids before they turn three
• Get a park hopper plus if you want to visit a water park
• Consider buying your discount tickets from The Park Prodigy

Related Post: Best Time to Visit Disney World

Spend Time Researching the Right Fit Disney World Ticket

As discussed above, one of the best ways to make sure you get the best deals on Disney World tickets is by doing research and making sure you’re buying the best fit Disney World ticket. From my experience, selling tickets to thousands of families I have found that not purchasing a ticket option that you don’t need is one of the easiest ways to save money. This is especially true when it comes to Disney World, where they sell the Disney park hopper, park hopper plus, and water park and more tickets. An additional benefit to researching the best-fit ticket for your Disney World vacation is it will also save you time once you get down to Orlando, as you won’t have to stop by one of the ticket booths to figure out what tickets you really need.

What are the Disney World ticket options?

• Disney World: Base Tickets
  Disney World: Park Hopper Tickets
• Disney World: Park Hopper Plus Tickets
• Disney World: Water Park and Sports Tickets

Related Page: Guide to Disney World Park Hopper Tickets 

Purchase Your Disney Tickets Ahead of Time

One of the most popular questions we receive is, are Disney World tickets cheaper at the gate? And Disney tickets are always more expensive when buying them at the park vs. buying discount Disney tickets online. In fact, one of the easiest ways for us to show you how to get cheap Disney World tickets is to help you shop for discount Disney tickets in advance. Not only will this automatically save you up to $21.00 per person vs. the ticket prices at the park gates, but it also allows you to research and select the best-fit ticket for your family as discussed above. Overall, we find the benefits of being prepared, and looking for the best Disney World ticket deals going into your Disney World vacation will not only save you money but time as well as you won’t have to waste time standing at the ticket booths the morning of your first visit.

How Far In Advance Should I Buy My Disney World Tickets?

Based on our experience, we typically don’t see the benefit of waiting to purchase your Disney World tickets, as regular admission tickets rarely come down in price and almost always go up as time goes on. The only exception to this rule would be if Disney releases a Disney World ticket deal or if you are shopping around specific days when companies such as The Park Prodigy would be more likely to run deals such as Black Friday. It’s important to note that if Disney does release a ticket deal, it’s more than likely to have restrictions on how the tickets can be used or which parks guests can visit, so if you’re looking for the ultimate flexibility, we don’t see the advantage to trying to time your ticket purchase.

Related Post: Magic Kingdom in One Day

No Discounts on One or Two Day Tickets

Another one of the most common questions we receive is, how can I get a discount on a one or two-day Disney World ticket? In our opinion, the only way to save money when buying a one- or two-day Disney World ticket is to buy your tickets online in advance. Outside of that, these two options are always the most popular ticket option when guests visit Walt Disney World and for that reason, Disney has no incentive to discount these tickets. I would also say that this is especially true for guests looking to purchase a one-day Disney World ticket to the Magic Kingdom park, as this was by far the most popular ticket that I sold when I worked for Disney. It’s also obvious based on the new tier and date-based single-day pricing structure that Disney World recently released, which we will cover next. It’s important to note that guests can always use our Disney World crowd calendar to try to figure out the cheapest single-day tickets, even if purchasing directly from Disney.

Understand How to Use One Day Ticket Prices to Your Advantage

Disney recently changed the way one-day tickets to Disney World are sold, by it adapting date-based pricing based on the specific theme park you plan to visit. This means that 1-day tickets to the Magic Kingdom will be the most expensive, with tickets to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom being less expensive. Because of this, guests might find that they could receive a better Disney World ticket deal on their day at Magic Kingdom by upgrading to a discount 2-day ticket, which could be used at any of the four Disney theme parks.

Related Post: What is the Best Age for Disney World? 

Plan Buying Your Disney World Tickets Around Peak Season

If you’re visiting for a few days, another tip to ensure you know how to get cheap Disney World tickets is to visit during off-peak season which will typically be January, February, the end of August and all of September. Using our Disney World Crowd Calendar can not only save you time in the parks, but it can help you get the best price Disney World tickets. We’ll help you plan your vacation around the least crowded days, which will also be the cheapest Disney World tickets. The reason is Disney ticket prices now fluctuate based on the date. So, one of the easiest ways to figure out how to get Disney World tickets for cheap is to pay attention to which dates are projected to have the lowest crowds. 

What Is The Cheapest Month To Go To Disney World?

As a general rule of thumb, the cheapest month to buy Disney World tickets will always be in September. We find that Disney World tickets will always be the cheapest the two weeks right after Labor Day, mainly because this is when kids throughout the U.S. have all gone back to school after summer break.

Related Post: What is the Best Age for Disney World?

When in Doubt, Buy the Cheaper Day or Base Ticket

As a general rule of thumb, the Disney World base ticket will always have the best prices for Disney World tickets. So, if you’re unsure if the park hopper is the right fit for you, we would suggest starting with the base ticket, as you can always upgrade before your trip or once you are in Disney. Guests also do not have to make a theme park reservation for the park they plan to park hop over to so there isn’t much of a benefit to buying this benefit if you’re unsure if you will use it.

This is also the same thing regarding the price per day calendar. It’s important to note that Disney will not refund you if you purchased theme park tickets for an expensive day and then decided to use them during a less expensive period. If you feel you might cancel your trip, purchase a Walt Disney World vacation package instead of Walt Disney World tickets for 2024. This will allow you to cancel the package (hotel & tickets) until the cancellation deadline at no cost. Disney will charge you for the difference if you purchase the least expensive ticket and use it during one of the costly days.

Related Post: Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth It? 

Use Your Validity Window on Multi-day Disney Tickets

The new Disney World ticketing system also allows guests to take advantage of cheaper Disney World tickets based on the specific week and days they might visit. All multi-day Disney World tickets have expiration windows of 2-10 days from the selected start date. However, you do not have to use your first day in the parks on the first day of your start window. The most important thing to consider is when you will use your actual admission days to the parks. 

So, if you’re trying to decide how many days to spend and Disney World and you decide to visit for three days on a Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, you have flexibility on your start date. If tickets starting on that Sunday are cheaper, you can purchase those tickets. The most important thing is to ensure you use up all your days within the validity window. Overall, this is one of the most helpful tips we have picked up when figuring out how to get cheap Disney World tickets.

Related Page: Best Day to Visit Each Disney World Park 

Bundle Your Hotel and Tickets Together

Another popular question we receive when guests are looking for the cheapest Disney World tickets is, is it cheaper to book a Disney World package? As a general rule of thumb, you will not automatically get a discount when booking a Disney World vacation package. However, Disney is more likely to run Disney World deals and promotions on Disney World packages when compared to Disney World ticket-only reservations. Many times these deals might be 25-30% off your total hotel room stay or free Disney dining, which is now back as of 2024 and has been an extremely popular promotion in years past. 

Another benefit of booking a Disney World vacation package for many families is that guests can book their package for as little as $200 down when booking more than 30 days in advance. And although this isn’t necessarily a direct savings, it does allow guests to come up with a payment plan and pay their Disney World hotel and tickets off over time, making the trip more feasible than paying for your tickets all at once.

Related Post: Best Disney World Resort Pools

Pay For Your Tickets With Discount Disney Gift Cards

Another very popular trick that people use when trying to figure out how to get the cheapest Disney World tickets is to purchase your tickets using Disney gift cards. This is specifically true for guests who can purchase discounted Disney gift cards from one of the large box retailers such as Costco or Sam’s Club. We have seen families purchase their Disney gift cards for a 5-10% discount and then use those gift cards to purchase their Disney World tickets directly from the Disney website or from a travel agency like The Park Prodigy. 

Now it’s important to note that although this will save you money when buying your Disney World tickets, it will be more steps, especially if you have multiple people in your family and you will be purchasing multiple tickets. The reason is Disney gift cards are only sold for up to $1,000 in value, and you can only enter one Disney gift card per transaction online or two over the phone. So for this reason, many times, families will have to use multiple Disney gift cards and place multiple orders for their Disney World tickets.

Related Post: Best Way to Plan a Disney World Trip

Take Your Kids Before They Turn Three

Another popular tip and trick when saving money on your Disney World vacation is taking your kids before they turn three. The main reason is that all children under three will get into Walt Disney World for free. This is true regarding regular Walt Disney World tickets and any Disney special event tickets or after-hour events. So this could be a great tip and trick for families who might not live that far away from the theme parks but have not wanted to spend the extra money on Disney World tickets with their children being so young.

Related Post: EPCOT for Kids

Get The Park Hopper Plus If You Want To Visit A Water Park

This tip and trick is another simple one; however, it can be a great way to save money when buying Disney World tickets, and that is always consider upgrading to the Water Park and More or Park Hopper Plus ticket if you plan to visit one or more of the Disney water parks. A one-day water park ticket is around $75.00 per person. However, guests can upgrade to the water park or more options for right around the same price, depending on the ticket length. However, the benefit of upgrading to the water park or more options is that you will get multiple admissions to the water parks for this price. So this can be a great option for families visiting in the warmer months and prefer spending their spare time at the water parks vs. their hotel pool.

Related Post: Blizzard Beach vs. Typhoon Lagoon

Consider Buying Your Discount Tickets From The Park Prodigy

Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to be the best place to buy Disney tickets online. We always go above and beyond to ensure you have the most amazing Disney vacation possible with our added benefits, such as Free Disney park plans! Plus, you are guaranteed to save with our discount Disney World tickets vs. booking directly with Disney! 

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Planning a family vacation to Walt Disney World? Let our Disney travel experts plan a hassle-free vacation for you with a no-obligation quote, or call us at 321-966-4300. Every family who books their Disney World vacation package through The Park Prodigy will receive a dedicated planner who manages every Disney vacation aspect. This includes help with Disney dining reservations, navigating the Disney Genie+ system, personalized park plans based on your children’s ages and height restrictions, and price monitoring to ensure you always get the best deal! Let our team of travel experts take all of the pressure off of planning your next Disney World vacation!

Disney World Deals and Discounts

Don’t forget to join our Disney community to learn about any additional deals and promotions on discounted Disney World tickets. All community members are always guaranteed to save vs. buying their tickets directly. Plus, you can opt into our concierge service, which includes custom Disney park plans to save up to three hours each day, dining recommendations, and price monitoring to ensure you always get the best Disney World deal!