Saving Money with Discounted Disney World Tickets

Visit The Affordable Mouse!

The Magic Your Way ticket plan is very flexible...and very confusing at first. It is not uncommon for someone planning their first Disney trip to completely overwhelmed with all of the options. Here is a simplified explanation of all of the options.

* Base ticket: Allows you access to one park per day. You cannot park hop. You cannot use it for any water parks. You choose how many days you will be visiting Walt Disney World parks.

* Park Hopping Option: Allows you access to multiple parks each day. You can go to as many parks each day as you like. You cannot use it for any water parks. Again, you choose how many days you will be visiting Walt Disney World parks.

* Water Park Fun and More option: Allows you to visit the Disney "minor parks" such as Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, and Wide World of Sports. This option is in addition to the number of days of your Base or Park Hopping ticket: the number of Water Park Fun and More options is determined by the length of the ticket, and you do not have to visit any of the major parks on a day when you use the WPF&M option.

* No expiration option: This add-on option allows any un-used days to be available for future use. They do not expire until used. This option can be a cost-saver if you plan another visit to Walt Disney World in the future.

* A completely different type of ticket is the Walt Disney World Annual Pass. With this ticket you will have unlimited access to all 4 major theme parks for a year. You can also purchase a Premium Annual Pass which also allows a year's access to the smaller parks as well (such as the water parks).

While there are many choices, keep in mind that the many available options can help you to customize your selection so that you are purchasing the best option for your family...and thereby saving money in the process.

So then, with all these options, how DO you decide? My suggestion is to consider first what your family, realistically, is going to want to see/do. For example, if you have very young children, the Park Hopper option may not be necessary. Or if you are traveling during the winter months, you may not really be able to take full advantage of the Water Parks Fun and More option.

What about the No Expiration option or the Annual Pass? Both of these can make good financial sense in certain cases. Think you will be going back to Disney World again? If it is your first visit, you may not know. But if you are a Disney veteran, you know you will be back. =) In this case, get your trusty calculator out and do the math to see if the No Expiration option is worth it: see how many days you need for this trip and determine how many you would need on your next trip. Then see what the cost of a No Expiration option for that many days would cost, and how much you will save by not having that expense for your next trip. The Annual Pass is similar, except that you really have unlimited visits for a year. So if you plan two...or more...trips during the coming year, then again do the math! It might well be a worthwhile savings.

Once you have decided which ticket makes the most financial sense for you, you will also find that you can save even more money buying your Disney park tickets from an authorized, reputable ticket broker. Make certain that you don't purchase partially used tickets, or buy from sellers on eBay or Craigslist: while these deals may seem very attractive, a buyer can lose alot of money in these circumstances, primarily because there is no way to verify that you are actually getting what you purchased on your tickets until you get to the park gate! You may swipe that great discounted pass and find out it actually has no days left on it!

Purchasing tickets from an authorized broker provides you with the confidence in knowing that you are working with an established, respected business. Our favorite is Maple Leaf Tickets .

In business for over 25 years, and members of the Better Business Bureau and the Orlando and Osceola Chambers of Commerce, Maple Leaf Tickets is a reputable company that you can trust to deliver great prices and excellent service. We have always been pleased with their prices, especially with the fact that all costs are noted "upfront": tax is ALWAYS included with the cost, and shipping costs (if you want the tickets shipped to your home or delivered to your hotel) are clearly noted: no surprises! No timeshare presentations to sit through, no pricing gimmicks, just great prices and dependable service!

There can be considerable savings by purchasing your tickets in advance, through a reputable discounted Disney World tickets broker. With careful planning, you can buy only what you will actually use....and buy those custom tickets at a savings!