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Sources for Discounts on Walt Disney World TicketsLAST UPDATE: 1/30/12 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN REDThere are plenty of sources for discounts on Disney World tickets and passes. However, don't count on saving a huge amount. You're probably going to have to pay 92-95% of full price. Still, if you're buying passes for a couple or a family, that 5% discount you get on your Disney tickets can add up to a chunk of money!
Support Florida Hospital for Children and Save on One-Day Disney TicketsJump to:
Tickets with Donation (in Advance)Here is an extremely rare opportunity to save on one-day tickets to the Walt Disney World theme parks. Make a gift to benefit the Walt Disney Pavilion at the Florida Hospital for Children, and receive a special package that includes one or more Disney World One Day, One Park tickets (or eight or more One Day Park Hopper tickets). Best of all, this promotion benefits a worthy cause! The tickets and extras do have an expiration date (currently 12/31/12). Check the Florida Hospital for Children donation site carefully to see full details. These tickets are considered "complimentary" (they are a thank you for donating) so they cannot be upgraded in any way (i.e., you won't be able to add the Water Parks option or upgrade to a multi-day ticket). For that reason, if taking advantage of this promotion, be sure that you only need one-day tickets and if you are buying the One Day, One Park tickets, that you only plan to visit one park per day. The following gift levels are available:
There is a shipping and handling fee of $8.50 per order. Note that getting two One Day, One Park tickets this way (for $85 x 2 = $170 + $8.50 fee = $178.50 total) and using them on two different days is slightly cheaper than buying one adult Two Day, One Park (aka 2-day Base Ticket) at the gate, which would cost $178.92. If you buy for two or more people, the savings add up, since the shipping and handling fee is per order, not per ticket. Thanks to Roel S for info. Discounted Tickets at the Florida Hospital Gift Shops (in Person)Additionally, if you will have a car while in the Orlando area, you can buy single-day tickets even cheaper in person at any Florida Hospital Gift Shop, according to an email from the Florida Hospital Foundation in March 2011: "You can purchase Disney tickets at any Florida Hospital Gift Shop for $74 each. This is another part of the promotion on behalf of Florida Hospital for Children. I would encourage you to call before you go just to be sure they have them in stock." The closest Florida Hospitals to Walt Disney World would be in Celebration and Kissimmee. You can call the Florida Hospital Foundation for more information at (407) 303-2784. Thanks to Sara for info. AAA (American Automobile Assn) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Assn) Ticket DiscountsAAA and CAA Discounts on Magic Your Way TicketsAAA and CAA discounts on selected Magic Your Way tickets (usually 3 to 7 days in length) are available in advance through most, but not all, AAA and CAA offices. Different AAA/CAA chapters offer different tickets. Some in the Western US and Western Canada may not sell any Walt Disney World tickets at all. Auto Club South Discounts on Annual PassesAuto Club South offices in Florida offer an additional discount on regular Walt Disney World Annual Passes for AAA and CAA members. You'll save over $20 on adult or child Annual Passes and Premium Annual Passes. The Orlando office is located at 4300 East Colonial Drive. Call (407) 894-3333 for hours and directions. Passes must be purchased in person unless you are a member of Auto Club South, in which case some passes can be purchased online after logging into the Auto Club South website. You will be sold a voucher that must be redeemed at a Disney World ticket window. Thanks to Robert M for info. Auto Club South Discounts on Florida Resident Tickets, Seasonal and Annual PassesAuto Club South offices in Florida offer an additional discount on 1-Day and 3-Day Magic Your Way Florida Resident tickets, Florida Resident Seasonal Passes and the Florida Resident Annual and Premium Annual Passes for AAA members. The Orlando office is located at 4300 East Colonial Drive. Call (407) 894-3333 for hours and directions. Passes must be purchased in person unless you are a member of Auto Club South, in which case some passes can be purchased online after logging into the Auto Club South website. You will be sold a voucher that must be redeemed at a Disney World ticket window, with proper Florida resident ID required. Florida Resident Ticket DiscountsIn order to qualify for Florida Resident pass discounts, you have to show proof of residency such as a valid Florida driver's license or Florida state ID card, showing a Florida address. These passes are also controlled using a biometric finger scan, to prevent them from being transferred to non-Florida residents. Disney has the system down to a science -- trust me, you really can't buy or use these passes unless you actually live in Florida! The only exception is small children -- since Disney can't reasonably require them to show residency through an ID, it's technically possible for Florida residents to buy Florida resident passes for non-resident kids. For instance, if Grandma and Grandpa live in Florida, they could accompany their grandkids who live outside Florida to Walt Disney World, and buy the kids Florida resident passes. If you're not an actual Florida resident, can you just go to Florida, get a Florida ID and buy tickets at the Florida resident rate? Not legally. This scam is promoted by some websites and "e-books" that sell advice about how to save money at Disney World. Here's what the Florida Dept of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles has to say about that: "Giving false information on an application for a driver license or identification card is a third degree felony which may result in arrest, and includes a one-year suspension of the driving privilege." Jump to:
Florida Resident Discounted Magic Your Way TicketsFlorida residents can choose from several savings options on the Magic Your Way Tickets:
Florida Resident Weekday Select PassThe Florida Resident Weekday Select Pass is a specially-priced Annual Pass that gives admission to all four of the major Walt Disney World theme parks on weekdays (Monday-Friday) ONLY. There are also blackout dates during the busiest times of year. Weekday Select Passholders receive the same discounts on resort rooms, meals and merchandise as regular Annual Passholders. However, the Weekday Select Pass does NOT include free parking.
In addition to Saturdays and Sundays year-round, the blackout dates for Florida Resident Weekday Select Passes are June 11 - August 18, 2011; December 18-31, 2011; January 1-2, 2012; March 31, 2012 - April 12, 2012; June 9, 2012 - August 16, 2012; and December 20-31, 2012. You must have proof of Florida residency to activate this pass. The Florida Resident Weekday Select Pass can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you'll receive a voucher that must be redeemed at Disney World ticket booths), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you buy online, you can make a down payment equal to the price of a non-discounted one-day Magic Your Way base ticket and then pay the remainder through 12 recurring automatic monthly payments scheduled for the year, interest and finance charge free. Auto Club South (AAA) offers a discount on the Florida Resident Weekday Select Pass. Florida Resident Seasonal PassThe Florida Resident Seasonal Pass is a specially-priced Annual Pass that gives admission to all four of the major Walt Disney World theme parks, with blackout dates during the busiest times of year. Seasonal Passholders receive the same discounts on resort rooms, meals and merchandise as regular Annual Passholders. However, the Seasonal Pass does NOT include free parking.
The blackout dates for Florida Resident Seasonal Passes are June 11 - August 18, 2011; December 18-31, 2011; January 1-2, 2012; March 31, 2012 - April 12, 2012; June 9, 2012 - August 16, 2012; and December 20-31, 2012. You must have proof of Florida residency to activate this pass. The Florida Resident Seasonal Pass can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you'll receive a voucher that must be redeemed at Disney World ticket booths), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you buy online, you can make a down payment equal to the price of a non-discounted one-day Magic Your Way base ticket and then pay the remainder through 12 recurring automatic monthly payments scheduled for the year, interest and finance charge free. Auto Club South (AAA) offers a discount on the Florida Resident Seasonal Pass and on renewals of the pass. Florida Resident Discounts on Regular and Premium Annual PassesFlorida residents get substantial discounts on regular Annual Passes and Premium Annual Passes:
You must have proof of Florida residency to activate these passes. The Florida Resident Annual and Premium Annual Passes can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you'll receive a voucher that must be redeemed at Disney World ticket booths), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you buy online, you can make a down payment equal to the price of a non-discounted one-day Magic Your Way base ticket and then pay the remainder through 12 recurring automatic monthly payments scheduled for the year, interest and finance charge free. Auto Club South (AAA) offers a discount on the Florida Resident Annual Pass and Premium Annual Pass. Renewals of the Florida Resident Annual and Premium Annual Passes cost less than first time purchases:
Renewals of the Florida Resident Annual Pass and the Florida Resident Premium Annual Pass can be purchased at the theme park ticket booths, at DisneyWorld.com, or by mail. Renewals do not qualify for the 12-month payment plan. Auto Club South (AAA) offers a discount on renewals of the Florida Resident Annual Pass. Florida Resident "After 4" Epcot Annual PassThis is a rather obscure pass that gives admission to Epcot only in the afternoon and evening (after 4:00 pm). It is used by local residents who only want admission to Epcot in order to enjoy the restaurants and evening shows, and maybe hit an attraction or two.
You must have proof of Florida residency to activate this pass. The Florida Resident "After 4" Epcot Annual Pass can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you'll receive a voucher that must be redeemed at Disney World ticket booths), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you buy online, you can make a down payment equal to the price of a non-discounted one-day Magic Your Way base ticket and then pay the remainder through 12 recurring automatic monthly payments scheduled for the year, interest and finance charge free. Florida Resident "After 2" Water Park Annual PassThis pass gives admission to the Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks only in the afternoon and evening (after 2:00 pm).
Purchase this ticket at the gate; you must have proof of Florida residency. Military & Civil Service Ticket DiscountsJump to:
Ongoing Military/DoD DiscountsActive duty and retired military, DOD civilian employees and their dependents qualify for discounts on Walt Disney World tickets. The savings mainly come from not paying tax (6.5%). Disney has the right to check ID at the gate. Military personnel may bring in non-military guests with the military discount as long as they accompany the non-military person(s) and at least 50% of the group are qualified for the military discount (i.e., active duty, retired, DOD and dependents). If military personnel purchase tickets and give them as gifts to non-military users that they will not be accompanying, they risk having the recipient denied entry and the tickets confiscated.
Corporate DiscountsIf you work for a company that is a major corporate sponsor at Walt Disney World (i.e. the company's logo is on a major attraction), ask your Human Resources department if discounted tickets are available. In the past, employees of corporate sponsors have qualified for significant discounts. Additionally, employees of companies that have a business relationship with Disney sometimes qualify for deep ticket discounts. Reportedly employees of Chase (which offers the Disney Rewards Visa), Kellogg's (which does a lot of cross-promotions with Disney) and ADT (installs alarms for Disney) get ticket discounts, for instance. Check with your Human Resources department for additional info. Employees of other large companies (typically those with 200-plus employees) may qualify to purchase slightly discounted Disney World tickets, regardless of whether the company has any direct relationship with Disney. Tickets are offered through private websites operated by various ticket suppliers such as Tickets at Work, which exclusively service corporate employees. A password is required to access those sites. Ask your Human Resources department whether your company participates and how to get the password. Ticket Discounts for Canadians
DVC Member Ticket DiscountsThe Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a Disney-operated timeshare program with properties at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Vero Beach, Hilton Head Island and Hawaii. DVC members qualify for significant discounts on Annual and Premium Annual Passes:
Discounts are also available on DVC Annual and Premium Annual Pass renewals. The discount is valid for members of the DVC member's immediate household only. DVC members can call Member Services or log into the DVC members' website to order the discounted passes. Disney World-Area Wal-MartsIf you are driving or renting a car in Florida, here's another option: there are two Wal-Marts in Kissimmee, not far from Walt Disney World, each of which offers a ticket center within the store that sells discounted multi-day Disney World tickets.
I suspect (but don't know) that the ticket desks in the Wal-Marts are actually operated by a local ticket broker. When I've checked prices in the past, Undercover Tourist had better deals. But the Wal-Mart desks do offer an option for those who have actually arrived in Florida and still need to buy tickets. The Wal-Mart locations do not carry every ticket type. You have to buy the tickets in person -- they will not mail them. I would recommend calling ahead to confirm prices, hours and availability. The numbers listed below are the main line for the store. You'll have to ask to be transferred to the ticket desk. Thanks to Bram W for info. Hilton HHonorsYou can exchange Hilton HHonors points for select Walt Disney World tickets. Click here to read about this award (choose country, then Gift Cards & Certificates/Entertainment). Click here to read more about HHonors. University of Central Florida DiscountsStudents, faculty and staff at University of Central Florida can purchase One Day, One Park Disney World tickets at a significantly reduced rate. There is a limit of 10 tickets per 90 days. Tickets can be purchased through the SGA Ticket Center located on the first floor of the Student Union in the Lighthouse Mall area. Be sure to buy in advance because they do sell out at times. For more details, visit their website. Thanks to Amanda for info. Y.E.S. (Youth Education Series) ProgramDisney Y.E.S. programs are special educational programs offered in the Walt Disney World theme parks on selected dates to students in 1st through 12th grade. Y.E.S. is a wonderful educational program, but it also has an added benefit: deeply discounted tickets. You can get 3-Day to 10-Day Base Tickets. Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options can also be added. However, the No Expiration option is NOT available with these tickets and cannot be added. Normally the Y.E.S. programs are available only to groups of 10 kids or more, but at times Disney offers "individual enrollment" that does not require you to be part of a group. However, if the "individual enrollment" events don't fill up, they may be cancelled. To learn more about individual enrollment, click here. Thanks to Kim H for info. Youth Group DiscountsIf you will be taking a youth group to Walt Disney World, visit disneyyouth.com for more info on "field trip" discounts. Disney Youth Tickets are available to organized youth groups of 10 youth or more between the ages of 3 and 22 years old that are located in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico. Orders should be placed 6 weeks prior to the group's arrival if you want the tickets mailed out, but orders can be placed up to 1 week prior to the group's arrival if choosing Will Call ticket pick-up. Back to top MouseSavers.com® is not an official site of The Walt Disney Company or of Universal Studios. Content of MouseSavers.com is © MouseSavers, Inc. 2001-2012. Website content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of MouseSavers, Inc. Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions of Use - Marketing Disclosure |
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