Choosing the Right Admission Ticket – 7 Things You Need to Know

Walt Disney World consists of many attractions requiring an admission ticket; four theme parks, two water parks, two miniature golf courses, and ESPN Wide World of Sports.  How do you decide what type of ticket you need? What are the different options available? How can you pick the right ticket for yourself without purchasing too much? Here are the seven things you need to know to help you choose the right admission ticket.

7 – Think about your needs

Walt Disney World tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. They also expire shortly after the day of first use, depending on how many days you have purchased. Therefore, it is essential that you purchase the least amount of days that you know you will use. If you know you will visit the parks for four days but are not sure about maybe needing a 5-day ticket, purchase the 4-day ticket instead. You can upgrade your tickets to add more days once they have been used as long as there is still a day left on the ticket. So, you would have until the end of that 4th day to decide to upgrade to get that 5th day. Don’t worry, you will only pay the difference between the tickets would have been, not the single-day price. You can also upgrade to add on the various options discussed below or to an Annual Pass. If you are unsure what options you need or what will work best for your visit, feel free to talk to any Cast Member who works at Ticketing, Concierge, or Guest Relations. They will be able to guide you to what ticket combination will save you money because they do not earn commission on any tickets they sell. Additional ticket types are available to Florida residents.

6 – Base Ticket

The base ticket is sold for one through ten days and allows guests to visit one theme park per day.  Guests can visit any one of the four theme parks for each day of their ticket. So, on a 4-day ticket, you can visit each park once, or spend all four days at the Magic Kingdom. The price varies based on the number of days and when you visit, but the more days you purchase, the cheaper it becomes per day. These tickets expire roughly fourteen days from first use and do not need to be used consecutively.  So, if you use the first day on Monday, you can skip Tuesday and use the second day on Wednesday.  As long as you use all the days during the specified window, you will be fine. These tickets then can be built upon by adding additional options.

5 – Park Hopper Option

If you want to visit more than one theme park daily, you must purchase the Park Hopper option. This option is one flat price for the length of the ticket. So, by purchasing this option, you will have the Park Hopper option on your card every day. You cannot use another park day in replacement of the Park Hopper Option.  Many guests will attempt this, purchasing a 5-day ticket and then attempting to use that 5th day to enter a second park. The turnstiles will not allow this. If you want to visit a second park during the day, you will need the Park Hopper Option. The cost to add this option depends on how many days you have your tickets, ranging from $75-$90.

4 – Park Hopper Plus Option

This option allows you to pay one price and gives you the same number of “Fun” entitlements as the number of days you have on your tickets. So, a 4-day ticket with this option added will include 4 Fun visits. The fun visits can be used at either water park, Typhoon Lagoon, or Blizzard Beach, Miniature Golf before 4 pm, nine holes at Oak Trail Golf Course, or admission to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Fun options can be used on the same day as your theme park days, so if you spent the morning at Magic Kingdom and then head to a water park in the afternoon, that would require one theme park day and one fun visit. It is also possible to use more than one fun visit in a day, such as going to Typhoon Lagoon in the morning and then playing a round of mini-golf. That scenario would require two fun visits. The park hopper option is usually around $65-$80 more, based on how many days you have on your ticket.

3 – Water Park and Sports Option

If you want to experience the “fun” locations like visiting either water park, Typhoon Lagoon, or Blizzard Beach, Miniature Golf before 4 pm, nine holes at Oak Trail Golf Course, or admission to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex but do not want to park hop, then you will want to consider the new Water Park and Sports Option. Like the Park Hopper Plus Option, you get the same number of entitlements as the number of days you have on your tickets. However, this option does not include the park hopper option. The cost to add this option is usually $70 per ticket, based on how many days you have on your ticket. It offers some savings if you do not want to park-hop.

2 – Annual Passes

If you are going to be visiting Walt Disney World for more than ten days during the year, you may want to consider an annual pass.  Any ticket can be upgraded to an annual pass during the upgrade window described above, with the guest paying the difference in cost. Disney unveiled the latest annual pass program in September 2021. There is now only one option for out-of-state guests: the Incredi-Pass. This pass gives you admission to all four theme parks, has no blockout dates, includes free parking, saves 10% on select dining, and includes 20% off select merchandise. For an additional $99, you can include Disney PhotoPass Downloads for the year. Also, for an additional $99, you can add the water park and sports option, where you enjoy visits to a water park or other Walt Disney World sports-related fun, including Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. The cost of this pass is $1499 per adult plus tax.

If you are going to make multiple visits within twelve months, it makes sense to get an annual pass. You’ll save on your admission cost by the time you get to the third trip. We’ve found that you need to visit the parks for eleven days to break even, and it’s after the twelfth ticket you’ll see the savings. Of course, this only works if you can visit that often.

There are additional Annual Passes for Florida residents and DVC members that offer more savings.

1 – Water Park Tickets

One additional ticket type you may consider purchasing is a waterpark ticket. Whether this is a good option for you depends on your specific situation and what kind of ticket you have already bought. This can often cause confusion for guests. A 1-day waterpark ticket is $74 plus tax. If you already have a ticket with the Park Hopper Option, it will be cheaper for you to upgrade to add the Park Hopper Plus option to your existing tickets instead of paying full price for a 1-day ticket. Additionally, adding this option will give you the same number of Fun visits as the days you have on your ticket. In most cases, you can get more visits for less money! Also, consider the Water Parks and Sports Option if you don’t have the Park Hopper option but want to visit the water parks. This is a great option for visiting in the summer.

There are many different ticket options for guests at Walt Disney World, allowing them to purchase the ticket and the options that best meet their needs. If you are unsure where to start, purchase a base ticket for the number of days you know you will definitely be using, and then you can upgrade your ticket from there.  The Cast Members who work in Ticketing, Guest Relations, and Concierge are there to help you and want to save you money, so seek their guidance on the best ticket options for you if you have questions.