So You Want to Go to Disney World Part III

Tickets

Now, it's time to talk tickets. It can be a pretty dry topic, but I'll do my best to make it interesting.

Disney has changed their ticketing structure a lot of the years. I think it's become simpler. When it comes to buying tickets you need to ask yourself two questions:

1) How many days do you plan to visit the Disney World theme parks in the next 12 months?

and

2) Do you see yourself going to more than one theme park a day?

The answers to these two questions will help you determine what type of ticket to buy.

For domestic visitors, a ten-day ticket is the longest ticket you can buy. If you'll be going longer than that (even just in the next 12 months) consider going to an annual pass. It may be a bigger investment up front, but can save you money in the long run. An annual pass also often brings hotel, merchandise, and food discounts.

The Disney World tickets are called Magic Your Way and the base tickets includes admission to 1 of the main Disney World parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom) each day.

The per day price is a little high until you get to day 5. Then, it's a very small increase. This is because Disney wants you to stay there as long as possible and spend money on other things.

So, if you go with the regular ticket there are some add-on options. The big one is the Park Hopper.

The park hopper allows you to visit more than one of Disney's four theme parks each day.

Personally, I always get the park hopper because I like the flexibility it provides. But a lot of people say you shouldn't get it especially for your first trip because it can be intimidating. 

If you're unsure than don't add the park hopper before you go. Just go to the World and see how your trip goes. You can upgrade your ticket when you get there. 

Another thing to remember about the Magic Your Way tickets is that they expire 14 days after first use. So, you can't get a 10-day ticket then use 5 days in February and 5 days in October.

If you want more information about tickets including current prices I suggest checking out the Disney World website our Touring Plans. The Touring Plans website actually has a ticket locator you might find helpful.

Disney Planning 101

So You Want to Go to Disney World?

So, you've decided to go to Disney World. Whether you're an uber-planner like me or not you have to do some planning. Without basic planning, your vacation will be stressful and you won't get as much out of it.

This planning, series will be a five-part series. And they will be mostly in chronological order. I've also included a basic timeline at the bottom of this post. It includes when I believe you should do things.

Also, this series assumes you have six or more months before you go. I've never taken a last-minute trip so I can't comment on them.

I. When to Go

Now, the first two things you have to decide are related. But something has to come first.

So, how do you decide when to go?

There are several factors to consider. I believe they can be divided into three categories: personal, events, and weather.

A) Personal
  1) Do you have kids? Can you take them out of school? What are the school holidays?
  2) Your work's vacation policy. Does your job have a black-out period?
  3) Are there other events or vacations like a wedding or birthday you can't miss?

B) Events
   I, personally, wouldn't put too much emphasis on these if it's your first trip. But it is still good to know. This list doesn't cover everything, but a lot of the bigger things.

   1) Marathon Weekend (Early January)
   2) Flower and Garden (March-May)
   3) Fourth of July
   4) Halloween (September-October)
   5) Food and Wine (September-November)
   6) Christmas (November-December)

Exact dates will vary year-to-year. Instead of going into detail about each event I've linked to some information about them.

C) Weather

Never underestimate Florida weather! It can be quite a shock especially if you come from a different climate. It can be hot and oppressively humid. But it can also get quite chilly in the winter months.

It is typically less humid in the winter and early spring months. Afternoon rain/thunderstorms are very common in the summer but can happen all year long.

Then, there are hurricanes. Hurricane season is June to November. Disney World is in central Florida so it's rarely directly impacted by them. But they can always impact flights down or home.

II. How Long to Stay

Your budget or vacation options will probably be a big factor here. I'm not going to discuss budgets because everyone feels differently about how much money should be spent on a vacation. But if it's your first trip I suggest a 6 or 7-night stay. You'll never see everything, but this will allow you to do a lot so you aren't feeling rushed. You'll also have the opportunity for some rest time without feeling like you are missing out.

My family would go every three years for 6 or 7 nights. So, it certainly is possible.

In the next post of this series, I will discuss where to stay.

Below is the timeline/guide I created.

Thanks for reading!
Holly