The Walt Disney Company, in its less-than-infinite wisdom, has raised ticket prices twice in one year. This makes visiting Walt Disney World costly for locals and those coming in from across the globe. However, there are ways to save money on passes and parking.
Saving on Ticket Prices:
Single-day tickets are absurdly priced now, but depending on the day or month you go, the difference could be $20-$30 per person. The rest of 2023 provides little savings, with most prices in the $149-$159 range. However, if you wait until 2024, things get a bit better.
Starting in January, weekday passes drop to $134, typically on Monday and Tuesday. Throughout 2024, this is as low a price as you’ll get until August.
You can nab passes between $109 and $129 when August rolls around. Remember that the Florida weather is pretty hot during this time. The additional savings continue throughout most of September, with nearly most days being at the much-advertised $109 price.
Saving on Parking:
Even parking has gone up in price. Why? Dunno. Disney has yet to add parking garages to any of the parks, but you’ll still pay $30+ to leave your car in the Florida sun while walking a half-mile to the front gate or monorail station. So, why not skip that hassle altogether by staying at a hotel?
Yes, we locals will stay at hotels even if you only do one day at Walt Disney World. This is especially true in the Summer because that heat can take it out of you. Driving home on I-4 is a chore … especially when dealing with that stretch in Winter Haven that is always at a standstill for no reason.
One of the best things about staying at Hotels, even non-Disney-owned ones, is that many offer shuttle service to the gates. Of course, places like the Contemporary and Polynesian have direct tram services, but staying there can cost a small fortune.
Several Hilton hotels within the Walt Disney World area offer free shuttle services to the central park gates. Places like the Wyndham in Disney Springs cost $109 a night and offer plenty of amenities.
If you’re part of the Hilton Honors program, you can reap significant rewards by staying at the Lake Buena Vista hotels. The price per night is slightly more, but I’ve yet to have a bad experience with a Hilton hotel.
Avoiding Ticket Scams:
While traveling through Orlando, you’ll see a lot of advertisements for “discount” Walt Disney World tickets. These are tempting, but they rarely turn out to be worth the effort.
You’ll find several less-than-reputable vendors selling fake or unusable passes. Cast member and military discount tickets require specific IDs to get through the gates, but some shady vendors won’t tell you that.
The same goes for multi-day passes that have unused days on them. Even since Disney started using fingerprint IDs, you’ll stop at the turnstile because you don’t match the original ticket holder.
[Souce: Key to the World Travel]
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