Whether you and your family have your sights set on Disney World Resort, Universal, Sea World or Busch Gardens, a holiday at a Florida theme park is usually a once in a lifetime ‘investment’ trip.
With a variety of parks and ticket combinations on offer, it’s important to research the different options and benefits before you book. Getting the best tickets will depend on the length of your trip, the particular parks you’re keen to hit, and the amount of activities you plan to pack into each day. Don’t be overambitious! Unless you’re a seasoned theme park goer, you’ll probably struggle to get around more than one park per day. It’s also worth taking into account that prices and offers for Disney World tickets are changing all the time.
If you’re visiting more than once in a year, opt for an annual pass. If you’re certain and can afford the initial outlay, and will definitely be going back, you can make great savings with this ticket.
Another thing to think about is add-ons. Frequently, when you buy tickets for the main park, like Disney, ticket add-ons give you entry to a subsidiary park, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom at a reduced rate. Base or Magic Your Way tickets give you no-frills entry to one park a day, for up to 10 days.
The Park Hopper lets you visit more than one park a day for an extra charge, and this option could be ideal if you either don’t have children or are keen “theme parkers” and can get around quickly.
Other ticket alternatives get you into the water parks, while Disney’s Ultimate Ticket is ideal for stays of at least 10 days, and grants access to all the parks while also allowing you to visit more than one park in day.
Compare prices, and make sure your quote covers all taxes so that there are no hidden charges. There are several specialist ticket agencies selling on tickets they’ve bought in bulk from the parks. Price variations aren’t huge, but check whether credit card payment and ticket delivery would be extra.
While unused tickets can be legitimately passed on to friends and family, they can’t be resold. So beware of unofficial sites and online auctions. Another idea, if you meet certain criteria, is to sit through a presentation about buying a timeshare property, in return for free or discounted theme park tickets. While this is a legitimate way of saving a lot of money, be prepared to withstand a very hard sell. This option certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted.
With so many options around, that famous Disney magic is more affordable than you realised!
