Tickets

With little kids

Kids under age 3 are free. Your child’s age is a self-reported thing, there’s no age verification. The ticket salesperson might ask your child directly, ‘How old are you?’

I’ve read (but have not verified from a first hand Disney source) that if your child starts a family Disney vacation before their 3rd birthday, you don’t need to buy tickets for them on that vacation.

Kids under 3 are also free at buffets and can have their plate, but any menu items ordered for them have to be paid for.

Where kids under 3 still ‘count’

When making room and dining reservations, you still count all children outside the womb in your party size.

Overview of ticket options

Magic Your Way tickets.

This is the normal ticket option. You buy X-number of days for tickets valid at any of the big 4 Disney parks that must all be used with 14-days of entering the first park.

You may only go to one park per day using these tickets. To enter a second park in the same day on these tickets you would need a Park Hopper or pay full price for a single day ticket at the second park. You cannot use a “second day” to get into the second park that day.

Basic pricing overview

Disney’s pricing strategy (as of 2014) is to basically charge full price for ticket packages up to 3 days, about $20 for the 4th day, and then $10/day for each extra day for days 5 - 10.

Park Hopper

A park hopper is an add-on to a Magic Your Way tickets that lets you visit unlimited number of parks (the big 4) for $59 per ticket in 2014. That price is the same whether you buy a 1-day ticket or 10-day ticket.

Water Park Fund & More add-on

You can add access to Disney’s water parks, ESPN sports complex, and some golf courses to your tickets for a flat fee ($59 in 2014)

Should you add the Park Hopper?

The longer your trip, the value of the Park Hopper goes up. Averaged per day, the cost gets less over longer stays. Over longer stays, your desire to do two(+) small visits to parks in the same day goes up too.

Tickets as a part of a Disney vacation package

You can get tickets as part of a Disney vacation package. The price may be a good deal, but you may be sacrificing flexibility by getting a package. A Disney vacation must be canceled 45 days in advance, whereas a Disney resort room reservation can be canceled 5 days in advance.

Tickets from other vendors

Undercover Tourist is a legit seller of Disney tickets.

There may be others, but approach other non-Disney sellers of Disney park tickets with caution because of scams in this space.

DO NOT buy second hand Disney tickets. If you do be prepared that it might not work when you get to the gate.

Annual pass

An annual pass is an unlimited entrance ticket to the big 4 parks for 365 days from the first day you use it. A premium annual pass adds the water parks, ESPN sport complex and some golf courses.

Annual passholders also get free parking at the parks ($15/day value).

Annual passholders might also get special promotions just for AP holders sent to them for Disney resort discounts.

Costs $609 in 2014.

Florida residents

Are you Florida residents? Disney offers special pricing for you, go to their website.

Parking at the parks

$15/day in 2014.

Disney resort guests and annual passholders get free parking.