 Note: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.

Looking For Disney World Discount Tickets?

Nothing beats the excitement of a day at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Utilizing travel reward points from credit cards, you can snag free airfare and hotels near Disney World. However, the biggest cost in a budget-friendly Walt Disney World Resort vacation can be securing Disney theme park tickets.

Aside from being a Florida resident (proof of residency is required for all guests such as a Florida driver's license), park tickets can be expensive. For Florida residents, Disney offers discounted tickets and season passes.

How Disney Ticket Prices Vary

There are several ticket options for Disney tickets, including 1 park per day, a water park and sports option, a park hopper option, and a park hopper plus option. The park hopper plus options include park hopping and access to Disney water parks. Disney ticket prices also vary based on the start date of your park admission and the number of days you purchase tickets. For example, tickets during the holiday season will cost more than those in August.

Play around with different days if your travel dates are flexible. Multi-day tickets will cost less per day than one-day tickets (park days do not need to be consecutive days). A note, if you are purchasing a date-based ticket for Walt Disney World Theme parks, a theme park reservation is no longer needed.

Aside from the discounts I have found, there are also discounts if you are an active duty military personnel. Another add-on is the memory maker which I highly recommend. In the past few years, Disney has also offered discounts on tickets for the summer months through September (averaging approximately $99 a day).

Another note is that children 10 years of age and older are considered adults by Disney. Children 9 and under can purchase tickets at child prices.

Walt Disney World Ticket Discounts:

Several reputable third-party vendors are offering Disney World tickets at competitive prices. Some reliable ticket sellers include:

Disney's official website
Undercover Tourist
Expedia
AAA
USAA ( if you have a family member who is a veteran)
Getawaytoday.com

Compare Prices From Different Vendors:

I'm a numbers person myself (I am a CPA!), so when I am planning a Disney trip, I create a chart to compare ticket prices for my intended dates and ticket types. It's important to note the final price for park tickets can vary depending on factors like the selected dates and the ticket option you select.

During my research, I found that Undercover Tourist was running a promotion for discount Disney World Tickets, adult tickets were priced the same as child tickets, which came out to a cheaper price than purchasing directly through Disney. Depending on your dates of travel and current promotions, different sites may be cheaper at the time of your purchase.

When looking for Disney discounts, make sure the ticket seller is reputable. Finding discount tickets can save you some money, but buying tickets from a non-reputable vendor is never worth it. After purchasing a park ticket from a vendor besides Disney, you can link your park ticket to your My Disney Experience Account. Creating a Disney account is one of the easiest ways to track all your park-related tickets and dining reservations.

Using Travel Points for Tickets

Some general travel reward credit cards offer the option of using points when paying via PayPal. Getawaytoday.com, Expedia, and Undercover Tourist offer the convenience of paying with PayPal. For instance, American Express travel points can be used towards a PayPal checkout. Redeeming travel reward points this way is not the best way to use American Express travel points, however, if you would like to limit cash spent on your trip, this is an option.

Rakuten often offers cash-back bonuses on Expedia, which will allow you to earn cash back or receive American Express membership points for your ticket purchases. Use our Rakuten link to sign up and score a sign-up bonus.

Another option is Capital One's Venture cards, which offer statement credits for travel purchases. Make sure your purchase will be coded as travel. Remember Disney park tickets purchased directly through Disney will not code as travel. However, a Disney hotel package with tickets will be coded as travel. Purchases made through Undercover Tourist will be coded as travel.

This means, your trip to Disney parks including hotel and park tickets purchased as a package through Disney could be covered by points if you have enough Capital One travel points. Sometimes Disney offers discounts on select stays booked directly through Disney.

A Word on Point Redemption Values:

While using PayPal for American Express point redemption is convenient, it might not yield the best value for your rewards. Using PayPal for Amex point redemptions is not one of the best ways to get the most value for your points. Exploring other redemption options will be a better value for your points.

However, it may be worth it not to outlay the cash for park tickets for your Disney World Trip. If you do have the cash to spend on tickets for Disney vacations, check out the options for discount Disney tickets above. Also, sometimes Disney itself has ticket deals. For instance, the past few summers were special offers such as the 4-park magic ticket.

Additional Disney World Savings

Another good way to save up for while you're in the parks is to buy Disney gift cards, in the months leading up to your trip. This will give you some spending money while in the parks, and not hit your credit card bill all at once when you get home.

Also, buying gift cards in stores that earn bonus points on your travel cards is a great way to earn bonus points on money you would spend while in Disney. Depending on the number of visits you are planning for Walt Disney World fun... a season pass may be beneficial.

Disney World is a great place for a family vacation that many think is out of reach due to budget. The good news is that options are available to snag a lower price for tickets, hotels, and airfare using reward points for a memorable Walt Disney World Vacation. To learn more about maximizing reward points, check out “How to Maximize Points For A Free Disney Trip”.

2024 Guide to Discount Walt Disney World Tickets