Disney World Tickets and Reservation question!?!?

Question

I am interested in taking my family to Disney World. I am pretty much clueless as to how I should buy the tickets and make the reservations. Where should I buy them? How much do they usually cost? What is the easiest way to buy them (should I get them in a special packsge or not?) But like I said I am completely lost on this ....

oh and what is a 'park-hopper'?

thanks alot!

Answer 1

Where you buy the tickets depends on what you plan to do. You can call Disney directly and book everything, or you could go with a travel agent. Since you are new to this and don't really know where to begin, I think a travel agent is going to be your best option. The rates with Disney and a travel agent are going to be the same there, so if you are trying to save money, that is not an issue.

Either way you can call them up, or e-mail your agent, and then get everything booked that way. Just tell them what you want and then it will all be taken care of. You can also buy your tickets at the gate, but I think it is best to buy them in advance. You will save a little money because Disney offers a slight discount for buying ahead of time and you also have them and are ready to go to the parks, rather than waiting in line for the tickets.

How much they cost depends on what kind of a pass you want, ages of guests, how many days, with or without hopping, with or without water parks and with or without the no expiration option (I've included a link with a breakdown of the tickets for you to look at). So, there is a lot of variation in prices. Just for an idea, a base tickets is just under $72 for one day adult ticket and just under $60 for a one day child ticket. Then you can add on hopping for $47.93 and/or waterparks for $53.25. No expiration depends on how long your pass is, from around $11 to around $165.

One thing to keep in mind with Disney's passes is that they lower the cost per day if you get a longer pass. So, if you will be there for 7 nights, but don't want to spend the extra money for a 7 or 8 day pass, be sure to actually check the price difference. If you want to save money and get a shorter pass and then try to do everything in a couple of days, it won't be as much fun. But, if the extra days only cost you a few dollars per person, you have more time to enjoy the parks and you don't have to hurry as much. The additional days after 4 or 5 is only about $1.07 per person per day, so it isn't too much and it helps average down the cost per day. So be sure to look into that before making any final decisions.

Whether or not to do a package, again, will depend on what you are wanting. Getting your room seperate and your tickets seperate usually only saves you a little money, over getting a package. However in the long run you will usually save with a package. The reason is that you can almost always get a promotion for your dates. Currently they have discounted tickets for April and May and free dining was offered today for late August as well as September. So you will usually find that a package saves you money, over getting everything seperately.

To get a package, you will need to stay at a Disney resort and then put your room and your tickets together. You can also add on dining to your reservation as well. It is a big savings and well worth it, definitely check it out. I always go with a package so I can have everything all tied together. If you plan to stay onsite at Disney, it usually works out just as well to get a package, only a few situations is room only the better way to go.

The park hopper allows you to go to more than one park each day. If you want to start out in Animal Kingdom and finish in EPCOT, you can do it with the hopper. If you don't have hopping you have to stay in the same park for the whole day. You can come and go to that park, if you like, but you cannot go to another park for that day.

Now, if this is your first visit to Disney (or first in a while) and/or you are wanting to save some money, really consider whether or not you will want the hopping. To get from one park to another can take up to an hour, plus getting in and out of the parks, so it can be time consuming. If you want to get the most out of your time at Disney, staying in the same park can save you a lot of money. If you plan to take a break mid-day or something, then going to another park really isn't a problem, after your break. But just going from one park to the next does take some time away. Staying in one park will allow you to see the most in the time you have. Not doing hopping will save you almost $50 per person and gives you more time in the parks. Also, remember, there is a lot to do outside of the parks. So even if you go to Animal Kingdom and they close early, you can always go to Downtown Disney and things like that, so it's not like you won't have anything to do should the park close early and you don't have hopping.

Now, if you have been to Disney before, and/or aren't really worried about seeing everything in this trip, then the hopping is great. I like to go all over the place on my trips. I've been enough that I don't need to see everything. I may go to ride Expedition Everest, then to MGM for Tower of Terror and then to EPCOT for dinner at World Showcase, so I enjoy having the option of hopping. But, I'm not able to see a lot in the parks, especially if I'm using their buses. So, once again it will depend on your situation.



I hope this answers your questions.


Good luck with your planning and have a great time!

Answer 2

Start with the Disney web site. This will give you a ton of information. When you make your reservations, you can purchase your tickets then too. When your reservation confirmations are mailed to you, your tickets will be also. The best prices are on the 10 day tickets. You may not be staying that long, but you can purchase no expiration so you can use them again on your next trip. As far as the park hopper option, we don't ever purchase the option. My kids are only 9 and 7 so one park a day is enough. Now however, if you do not purchase the park hopper, make sure you don't play in one park all day and then make dinner reservations in another. Then you would need that feature.
I really recommend calling Disney directly. And ask questions. If you don't feel like you're getting good answers. Hang up and call back. There is no way you will get the same person. Then, after you make your reservations, call back again, and again before you go, to see if there is a special in effect that can lower your price.
Have a great time on your vacation.

Answer 3

I would recommend calling 407-w-disney. The castmembers are experts at explaining the differences and options available to you. Plus making reservations directly is the best idea.

A park-hopper is a theme park ticket that allows you to hop from theme park to theme park in the same day.

Answer 4

I strongly recommend you book your vacation directly with Disney. Booking directly with Disney will not only be easy and efficient, but you will get the best deals that will include everything you need including park tickets. Here are a few of the benefits that you get if you book directly with Disney:

- Free Transportation to ALL Disney Parks & Attractions
- Free Airport Transportation
- Free Airport Luggage Valet Services
- Extra Park Hours for Resort Guests Only
- Full Service Concierge at all Resorts
- And of course, the Full Disney Experience!

Make sure you visit the official website and browse through all the parks and resort listings and I would also recommend you order the free vacation planning kit. Here is a direct link:
http://www.disneyworld.com

Hope that helps. Have Fun!

Answer 5

Going to Disney with your family will be so much fun. I thing I do recommend is to be Birnbaum's Official Guide to Disney World. It's a great book that will break everything down for you. It will tell you when the best time to travel is, the best places to eat, what resort is best for you, hints and tips.

If you go to disney.com and click on travel, then on Disney World, you can look at the cost of tickets, the cost of hotels. They have different hotel prices and it will break it down for you. You can even plan a trip by clicking the dates for you trip, how many people, what hotel, what kind of ticket you want and then give you a price. You can buy your tickets and hotel over the internet or call them [phone]. I would also recommend not buying your airplane tickets from them. You could probably find better deals on the internet. I don't know if your from Florida or not but they do have special rates for those who live there.

A park-hopper is a type of ticket, it's a good ticket but it does cost a little bit more. It's like having a 4 in 1 ticket; with this ticket you can go to all 4 disney parks in the same day! You can go to the Magic Kingdom in the moring, go to Animal Kingdom in the afternoon, Epcot in the evening, and MGM at night. You don't have to, I'm just giving you an example. It means that you're not stuck in one park for the entire day, as you would with a regular ticket. You can also get a park-hopper with water parks and entertainment too. You can also get a park-hopper with meals. There are a lot of options!

There is so much you can do a Disney and so much to learn about it that I definitely recommend the Birnbaum's Offical Guide to Disney. It will tell you everything and more. Also, visiting the web site will be a big help too.

Have fun!

Answer 6

If you have a membership with AAA and plan to visit WDW more than 3 days, I recommend you purchase your tickets through them. They offer a wonderful discount (and the best you will find) for park tickets. If you are interested in taking advantage of the Disney Dining Plan (which can save you about 40% off meals during your stay), you will have to book your Disney hotel and park tickets through Disney directly. You can do this online at http://www.disneyworld.com or by calling WDW Ticket Services at 407-566-4985. If you have lots of questions, it will be best for you to book via the phone so you get a live person (Cast Member) to help you.
Park Hopper Tickets allow guests to visit any Disney theme park in a single day. So lets say you visit the Magic Kingdom in the morning and by noon, your party is ready for a change. You can hop onto the Disney transportation and enter any opf the other 3 Disney theme parks in that same day with your park hopper pass. They are ideal for folks who are visiting on a limited time frame or who like the option of having more freedom on their vacation.
If you would like help planning your trip or if you would like to read up on some fun tips and ideas which are updated monthly, check out our Disney Vacation Planning Services website at:
http://www.easybreezyplanning.com
Have a wonderful trip!

Answer 7

There are a lot of choices when it comes to Disney. The best place to start is with their website it has all the park prices, and packages that their hotels and others offer in the area. Check out:

disneyworld.disney.go.com

Also another good place to check is with the Orlando Visitors center...if you do not want to stay on Disney property they know of the hotels that offer packages and transportaion to Disney. They also will send you maps and COUPONS for attractions food ect...be sure to contact them and have them send you out a visitors packet. It is a free service and helps save a lot of money!

www.orlandoinfo.com

They also offer discount tickets to all the attractions.....again saves some money. They are very helpful, if you email them and let them know your budget and what you are looking for they can really help!

Okay the park hopper allows you to go into all the Disney parks if you are going to be there a few days this is a really good value! That way if you get into a park you do not like you can always go to another. I really like the park hopper that is what we get each time we go. Good value.
Disney has vacation packages that start as low as $1500 and includes hotel and tickets....if you cannot find what you are looking for online you can call them and tell them what your budget is and what you want. They are very good at putting packages together!
Tickets come in all ranges. Again the website is very helpful. Also on the Orlando website they have discount hotels and air tickets if you are needing that. THey have some really good deals! I hope this helps you. I would also say that we always have fun at Universal studios if you are looking for something else besides Disney. I hope this helps have a great trip you are going to love it!!!!!!

Answer 8

Park Hopper allows you to go to different parks in a day. It is totally worth it. Try using ridemax.com it will help you get the most for your money

SOOOO much fun. Its my favorite place in the world. Been there four times and can't wait to get back. Get a park hopper pass it will be very helpful, even if it costs more. You need minimum three days.

My favorite park was Magic kingdom, I loved the three mountains (splash mountain, space mountain and thunder mountain.) Pirates of the Caribbean is awesome. There is also a new ride called Expedition everest in Animal Kingdom park otherwise animal kingdom was kinda crappy. MGM is fun. I LOVED tower of terror and rockin' roller coaster! The water parks are also pretty fun but if you don't have time to go to them don't worry, you won't be missing much. Epcot is cool, Mission space is awesome but test track was dull, way overrated.

Downtown Disney has shopping and nightlife so if your into that kind of stuff its awesome. The cirque du soleil show, La Nouba, is pretty cool if you've never seen that kind of thing before. The boardwalk is ok, but again if you don't have a lot of time, skip it.

If you get tired, riding the monorail is fun and looking at the hotels is fun if you have any extra time.

The food is really good all throughout the park, so don't worry about packing a lunch or anything. Oh ya and make sure you see the fireworks and the electric parade they are awesome!! Fantasia is pretty cool but if your strapped for time its not that big of a deal if you miss it.

If you can, stay on the Disney property, you can stay longer in some parks some nights. I personally like the grand Floridian hotel, but it is quite expensive. Saratoga springs or whatever it is called is also nice. The swan and dolphin are overrated, they are boring.

To get the most out of your trip try using ridemax, it will give you a schedule so you can get the most rides in, it does cost money though. My friend used it and it worked like a dream for them.

The best time to go is Early May or November, its still hot but not many crowds. During the summer or at Christmas is insane the line ups are HUGE!!

Try to get a day or two at Universal if you can, its worth it. Disneyland is also really great if you have a chance.
Hope this helps!

Answer 9

I went to Disney last summer for the 1st time in 29 years (I was 7 the last time) and I started researching everything early on. We stayed in a resort in Kissimmee--Polynesian Isles--totally loved it! We stayed through a timeshare owner but anyone can stay there(if you do just refuse the complementary breakfast or lunch if you don't want to sit through a timeshare meeting). Yes, it's nice to stay at one of the Disney resorts but you may end up paying a whole lot more than if you booked things separately! I checked Disney.com for the tickets but ended up getting them at AAA's a whole lot cheaper---do not buy the tickets at the parks or at roadside stands--my Dad did this 3 years ago and got scammed! Their tickets look real but they are actually real good fakes about 1/2 the time! They spent about $300.00 on tickets and then had to spend another $600.00 on "real" tickets once they all got to the parks!!!!! If you're flying and staying outside of Disney's resort complex and rent a car, you can park at any of the major parks(with Park Hopper) and still use the complimentary shuttle services--park at the one you want to end up at when the parks close! You can also drive park to park and only pay one parking fee(one parking ticket is valid for all the parks for one day at a time)--cost was around $12.00/$13.00 a day. I got the tickets at AAA's and saved shipping costs plus they guaranteed the shipping in time! I paid about $1100.00 for 4 adult 10 day Park Hopper Plus Tickets---tickets get cheaper per day the longer you stay--it's worth it to get a 7 day pass if you are staying that long or longer even if you wouldn't use the extra days (cost was about $3.00 per person extra per day for our 10 day stay). If you don't get the extra days and end up going to the parks you'll end up paying full price for 1 day! Save the expense and don't add on the "No Expiration" if you don't plan on going back within a few years! Request brochures and coupons online from the Orlando Visitors Bureau. Hotels are actually inexpensive outside of Disney's complex---we saw signs at Brand name Hotels for as little as $38.00/night for one room with 2 Queen beds! Park prices for the food were reasonable and souveniers cost about the same at the parks and at Wal-mart! Outside stores don't save you that much! Avoid the ticket sales for activities at the shopping centers--they are usually timeshare scams! We drove from PA so I don't have car rental info but I do remember that it was cheaper for us to drive and pay the horrible gas prices than it was for 4 of us to fly and rent a Kia Sportage! If you have smaller children you may want a shorter stay--say 4/5 days but if you have any teens--plan on a longer stay so you can see all of the parks properly! We went to a park every day and were completely exhausted and still didn't have enough time! We "hopped" quite a few times but you really should try to plan on 1 park/day for the whole day to see and do everything--especially at Epcot! Magic Kingdom is mostly for the smaller kids but my teenagers even admitted to having fun! Epcot is a lot of walking with more of a Culture experience(small samples of nations from around the world)--a couple of good rides like Mission Space(awesome but not for weak hearts!) Soarin" was also really cool but a 2 hour wait---make sure to utilize the "FAST PASS" options at the parks--you put your plastic ticket in to the machines and "Book" your ride time! You can only book one ride at a time--can't do another one until you ride that ride! The fastpass spits out a ticket with a time for you to return to the ride and you'll get on with no wait or a short wait in line! Fast Pass was definitely worth it and it's free! When we went into the parks we went left to right and made it through the parks quicker! Take your own Ponchos if you go in the summer months--they cost about $7.00 each in the parks! Short showers are common! Go to the Dollar store or Wal-mart to get the ponchos before you go! Sign up for the PHOTO PASS and get your photos taken at the designated photo spots! Doesn't cost anything and no obligation to buy the photos--you have 30 days after to purchase the photos online! We bought 2 8x10 enhanced photos at Magic Kingdom for about $28.00 (got our pic taken in front of the castle at night)! The cheapest Disney resorts are the kid oriented ones--like the movies, or POP Century or Sports themed resorts. You can get packages online but they are usually for shorter stays although 2 adults, 1 child and 1 junior can stay for about 5 nights and get a 3 day Park pass! Go with friends and rent a condo/split the expense--it's worth it if you can! Plus you can save on meals by cooking in your "own" kitchen! There are plenty of grocery stores around! I researched grocery stores online for each area we stayed in and joined their "Bonus Card" programs--no cost to use and it save you money or just ask at the register if they can use the store Bonus Card. Most resorts will have a printed store card in the unit that you can use at the local grocery stores! Watch the speed limits closely if you drive! Police are everywhere! The water parks fill up extremely early so plan on the water parks later in the day or VERY early in the day! Once they are filled they tend to close for awhile! Cirque Du Soliel is awesome if you can afford it! It's at Downtown Disney! Disney Quest is a huge indoor arcade--plan at least 4 hours there if you have kids! Plan a whole afternoon/evening in Downtown Disney to shop! We ate at Bongos in Downtown Disney--great food! You have to check out the Lego store and toy stores in Downtown Disney if you have kids(of all ages)! Rainbow Forest Cafe is an awesome restaurant for all ages--really cool! Beware of buying "cheaper" Disney and other activities tickets online--some are scams! Cape Canaveral is about an hour or so away--cool for the kids--Kennedy Space Center! Kissimmee has tons of restaurants and stores! Try a glass bottom boat ride or a tour of the everglades if you can--expensive but really entertaining! Pack small snacks for the parks--helps to avoid spending too much money in the parks. Most of the parks have kids meals available. Take an insulated water/soda bottle holder and refill the bottle at the fountains--the drinks are expensive! take a small pull along suitcase or duffle bag---SMALL---and rent a locker! The lockers at the waterparks are tiny! You pay about $8.00/day and get about 1/2 back when you turn the key in--DON"T lose the key! Especially at the water parks---my husband had the key in his swimtrunks pocket and the key flew out of the pocket fromthe force of the water ride--you lose your deposit--in our case for 2 lockers! If you go to MGM you have to go on THE TOWER of TERROR--that was the coolest ride in an elevator I ever took!!!!! I'm afraid of heights but I got on that ride about 10 times in a row! If it rains, DON'T LEAVE the park! Everyone tends to leave but the rains stop fairly quickly and if you stick it out the ride lines virtually disappear! Make sure to see Fantasmic if it's still playing at MGM--it was great! And make sure to see the evening parade at Magic Kingdom (around 9:00pm)! The lighted parade was great--even my teens loved it!The hottest souveniers are the Lanyards and Disney Pins--they are traders items and become worth a lot of money later on! Wear Comfortable shoes! If a wheelchair is needed book it before you leave--the cost is $10.00/day for a push one +a $5.00 deposit and the scooters are $35.00/day +a deposit and the receipt is transferrable to other parks--beware they are on a first come basis so there is no guarantee that you will get an electric one at the next park or even one at all! They can only be taken to the parking lot with concierge service! If anyone has disabilities then stop at the customer service office in the parks for a pass that will allow you to bypass some of the lines for rides--they take you in a special way and you cut out about 75 to 80% of the wait time! It works even with limited walking/standing abilities! We only had a problemn with the pass at one of the parks--I think MGM! Not every ride accepted the pass! Another tip is to save some of the flyers/parking passes/maps for a scrapbook of your trip! And also the "plastic" tickets--they look like gift cards with Disney designs on them if you buy the Park Hopper tickets--the PLUS feature gets each ticket extra priviledges each day--like admission to Disney Quest so many different times and to the Night Club Area in Downtown Disney (you pay a fee without the PLUS feature to get in to the whole area not each nightclub)! Disneys's Boardwalk resembles Atlantic City/Ocean City but many of the stores aren't open until later in the day! Plus parking is a great distance away unless you stay at that resort! Take the trams as much as possible! I hope all of this helps and good luck! Research as much as possible first! Remember, also, the park hours are shorter in the winter and the water parks aren't usually open! One benefit to staying at the Disney resorts is the "EXTRA HOURS" benefit--certain parks either open earlier or close later for Disney resort guests on select nights/mornings! Good luck!