In Part I and Part II of this series, I discussed the issue of Travel Dates and Resort Types respectively. Today, we’re going to talk about what type of Park Tickets will best suit your family’s needs.
There are 4 ticket categories to choose from:
- Base Tickets (or 1 Park Per Day)-these tickets allow you to visit one park in a single day. You are allowed to come and go from that single park as often as you’d like in a single day. You may not use an additional day’s ticket to visit another park in a single day.
- Park Hopper Tickets-these tickets allow you to visit multiple parks in a single day. The upcharge for these tickets is the same regardless of how many park days you purchase.
- Water Park Fun & More Option-selecting this option allows entry into either of the water parks (Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach), a round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (9 holes), or entry into the ESPN Wild World of Sports Complex. The number of admissions you receive will be equal to the number of ticket days you select.
- Park Hopper Tickets and Water Park Fun & More Option-a combination of the two as described above.
You are able to purchase up to 10 days worth of tickets and tickets must be used within 14 days of the first day you use them. You will not need to purchase tickets for any children under the age of three.
How Many Ticket Days Should You Purchase?
When purchasing a Walt Disney World vacation package, the minimum allowable ticket purchase is 2 Park Days with the maximum being 10 park days. I typically recommend initially leaving space on your arrival and departure days for your travel plans. If you determine later that you will be arriving early or leaving late, an extra ticket day can always be added into your package.
But, let’s say you know your travel dates will be June 1-8 and that you will be spending the entire time at Walt Disney World. Leaving June 1 and June 8 free for traveling, I would recommend purchasing 6 Park Days in your vacation package.
What Type of Tickets Should You Purchase?
When cost is not a factor, I think the answer to this depends upon your personal touring style and preferences. Would you like the convenience of splitting up your day between multiple parks? Do you want to eat every dinner in the Epcot World Showcase? Do you want to complete the “4 Parks-1 Day” challenge? Do you only have a couple of days to spend in the parks? These are all cases in which the Park Hopper is going to be more appropriate. **
If you have a long vacation planned, then Base Tickets will work just fine for you. During the warmer months of a longer vacation, the Water Parks & More Option can be a fun addition to your trip. I usually do not recommend the Water Parks & More Option for shorter vacations. There is just not enough time to explore the theme parks fully and visit the water parks as well.
When you’re ready to complete your vacation quote, click on the “Begin a Quote” tab at the top of the page.
Want to read more? Subscribe to our mailing list and we’ll let you know when we have updates!