How to Choose the Right Disney World Tickets!

When planning a trip to Disney World, lots of people have questions about ticket types and which ticket is the best fit for their family or traveling party. Hopefully this will help you determine which ticket you need!

There are four Disney World parks:

1. Magic Kingdom
2. Epcot
3. Hollywood Studios
4. Animal Kingdom

And there are two water parks:

1. Blizzard Beach
2. Typhoon Lagoon

There are three types of tickets:

1. Base Tickets: These tickets allow you to visit one park each day. If you had a 4-day ticket, for example, you could visit any of the four theme parks on four different days. 

2. Park Hopper Tickets: These tickets allow you to visit multiple theme parks on the same calendar day. (A few weeks ago I visited all four parks on one day; that was CRAZY and not for a new visitor or the faint of heart!)

3. Park Hopper Plus Tickets: These tickets allow you to visit all four parks ("hopping" from park to park on the same calendar day), AND they give you entrances into the "plus" options for each theme park day of your ticket. If you purchase a 4-day Park Hopper Plus ticket, you also get four admission to any of these places:

• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park
• Disney's Blizzard Beach water park
• Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
• Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
• Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (a 9-hole walking golf course)
• ESPN Wide World of Sports (not special events)

You are eligible to purchase up to 10 days of park tickets, and once used for the first time, the tickets must be used within 14 days of the first day you use them.

Is the Park Hopper feature worth the extra money? It can be! Although the park hopper costs more than a base ticket, having the option to hop can you more flexibility for dining or evening shows like Happily Ever After, Rivers of Light, and Fantasmic! Since theme park admission is required for any dining reservations inside the four theme parks, it's nice to have the option to spend the day at Animal Kingdom, for example, and then head to Epcot for dinner. Hopping from park to park does take time, and, for some people, it is an unnecessary option. If it is your first time visiting Disney World, you might prefer to stay in one park all day to maximize your experience in each park! Insider tip: Talk to your Wishdrawals agent when trying to determine if the Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus ticket is worth it for you!

Does buying a base ticket mean I can't leave and come back to the park that day? Not at all! You are welcome to leave the park and return later in the same day, but it must be the same park.

If I buy a Park Hopper Plus ticket, does that mean I have to park hop and visit a waterpark or play miniature golf all in the same day? No! When you buy a Park Hopper Plus ticket, your "plus" entrances equal your park days. If you have a 4-day park hopper ticket, then you have four entrances to the water parks, miniature golf courses, Oak Trail, and ESPN Wide World of Sports. You can visit those on the same days as your park days, or take some extra days and enjoy just a water park day!

Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course

Who needs a ticket? Everyone who is three years old and older. Child tickets are available for children ages 3-9, and adult tickets are for everyone who is age 10 or older. There is currently no senior citizen discount.

Who can purchase or use a discounted ticket? Discounts are available for active duty and retired military personnel and their families. Florida residents may also qualify for discounted tickets. All discounted tickets require corresponding identification to qualify for the discounted prices. Insider tip: Ask your Wishdrawals agent if there are tickets you may qualify for!

Other tickets:

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party are special hard-ticketed events at Magic Kingdom. Held on select nights in September and October (Halloween party) and November and December (Christmas party), these events require separate admission, and the prices vary based on the date of the event. The tickets can still be linked to your My Disney Experience account and your Magic Band, and you will be allowed to enter Magic Kingdom after 4 pm on a party day with the party festivities starting at 7 pm. Insider tip: If you enter before 7 pm, have regular theme park tickets and did not also visit a park that day, you may want to check with Guest Services the next day to insure that only the party ticket was used and not one day's theme park ticket entitlement.

Night of Joy is also a hard-ticketed event held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex featuring various religious music artists.

As a side note, Epcot hosts several special events throughout the year that do NOT require additional admission tickets:

• International Festival of the Arts
• Food & Wine Festival
• Flower & Garden Festival
• Candlelight Processional

Insider tip: Your Wishdrawals agent can give you more detailed information about these special events at Epcot. Although they do not require admission tickets, some special dining reservations or special events during the festivals can be booked for an additional fee.

Emily Lamb has been to Disney over 65 times, usually for multiple days on each trip. Now she has two Disney cruises under her belt, too! The tips she shares are from first-hand experience as a kid and now as a mother of her own beautiful children. Contact Emily to help plan your next Disney trip!