OT: Cheapest Disney Tickets?

[Nooch]

I've got Plum Benefits through work, which seemingly is giving me the best rate on Disney theme park tickets, but I wasn't sure if someone had a super secret discount site they might want to share.

We'll be driving down, and then I'm putting my wife and kids on a plane back and enjoying however many days driving back up 95. Wouldn't mind hearing some good places to stop along the way. Trying to avoid spending more than I have to on the way back up so I'm considering walmart/truck stop/couch surfing :)

[Idris Icabod]

We took our kids last year. I remember that discounted tickets are rare. The best deal I found was through a website called ticketsatwork.com. I think that this was a perk that my employer offered at the time.

[Ken Robb]

It's hard to recommend stops when we don't know where you are going. :D

[irideti]

The best way to get cheap Disney tickets is befriend with someone works at Disney. I get two free tickets from a very good friend who works at Disney every year. Other than receiving half a dozen free ticket, cast member (that means employee) is allowed to bring up to 6 people into the park as long as he is with the group and there is no limit for that. My wife and I are thinking about adopting this friend before going to Aulani where he gets 50% off on almost everything.

[Nooch]

It's hard to recommend stops when we don't know where you are going. :D

LOL -- New Jersey -- Taking 95 the whole way, likely.

[AngryScientist]

we were just there in November. kids had a blast.

no good advice about where to stop on the way back, unfortunately.

[Mike V]

Look on Craigslist and eBay for someone selling off partials of their multiple day park hopper passes for the days you need.

[Steve in SLO]

If you are military they always have three or four day park hopper specials which are a really good deal.

[shovelhd]

We bought ours at the wholesalers on the strip between Disney and Universal.

[bikinchris]

Maybe not for tickets, but you might want to look at mousesavers.com

[ultraman6970]

If you know how many days are you going to disney the only good deal you can find is to buy like 3 to 5 day passes, but wont be super cheap. Even they changed the prices policies a few months ago and some discounted tickets dont work in some days or months of the year. We need to pay for the star wars park right? :)

THe other option is going to island of adventure and mgm??? the Harry potter parks are really nice. if you have little kids you have all the dr seus stuff... If your kids are like 13 or 16 y/o just buy tickets for them and drop them in the main entrance with a cell phone so you pick them up at night. If you have been in disney you know that is just exhausting to go there...

[tmarcus1076]

I live on LI and usually do the drive in one shot. Have made the trip many times. When I do need a rest, there are many rest areas and a 20 min. power nap does the trick. Tony

[Nooch]

I live on LI and usually do the drive in one shot. Have made the trip many times. When I do need a rest, there are many rest areas and a 20 min. power nap does the trick. Tony

Thanks Tony. The ride home should be pretty easy except for the fact that I'll be leaving early evening after being up since the morning (and probably doing one last park before we leave, since it seems the cheapest tickets I can get are three day hoppers with two 'free' extra days). I figure I'll be pretty good until Midnight, so making it probably 8 hours north of Orlando, but don't think I can pull the all-night, 24 hours awake deal by myself.. (Doesn't mean I won't try).

The other thing is I have the opportunity to take as long as I want and enjoy it without any sort of deadline, other than getting back home to the family. So, while I'd like to surprise everyone and be home mere hours after they arrive -- I'm don't need to push myself too hard..

[cdn_bacon]

We went last May.

no matter what there isn't much of a discount. Prices get reduced the more days you book..

109$/day - 1 day
99$/day - 2 days etc....

[bikingshearer]

Buy. This. Book.

http://theunofficialguides.com/product/the-unofficial-guide-to-walt-disney-world-with-kids/

Buy it today. I'm serious. These folks have Disney down cold and their research will help you get the most enjoyment possible.

I have nothing to add re: low-cost Disney tix (an oxymoron if ever there was one). A Disney park is spendy. You can make it less spendy, but it will never be a cheap proposition.

Which is why pre-planning is so important and why the book is so invaluable. It is waaaaay too easy to try to do too much too quickly, endure too much sensory overload and end up having one or more of your party (parents and kids both) have a meltdown of thermonuclear proportions. Anyone who has been to a Disney park has experienced or seen at least one of these - they are not pretty.

If you are going to be there multiple days, hit a park early, go back to your hotel by early afternoon for a nap, a swim, some sort of rest/change-of-pace for a few hours (and lunch - eating in the park is an exercise in crowds and expense), then go back about supper time and spend the evening. That may - may - result in seeing less than you expected, but you and the kids will be fresher and get far more enjoyment out of what you do see. You'll also miss some of the worst crowds. And those thermonuclear meltdowns? The ones I've seen always seemed to happen around 2 in the afternoon.

Incidentally, if you have not told the kids that you are going, don't, at least not yet. Save telling them until a week or two (or even a day or two) before your departure date. You will save them the agony of waiting what seems like forever and from them building the trip up to heights of expectation that the Second Coming couldn't live up to.

Once there, have a plan (the book is very helpful here) but be prepared to be flexible.

With some advance planning (and it really isn't that much) and managing of expectations to keep them reasonable and realistic, you and yours will have a great time. Doing a Disney park with your kids can be a wonderful time that everyone will remember fondly for many, many years.

Enjoy.

[Idris Icabod]

Buy. This. Book.

http://theunofficialguides.com/product/the-unofficial-guide-to-walt-disney-world-with-kids/

Buy it today. I'm serious. These folks have Disney down cold and their research will help you get the most enjoyment possible.

If you are going to be there multiple days, hit a park early, go back to your hotel by early afternoon for a nap, a swim, some sort of rest/change-of-pace for a few hours (and lunch - eating in the park is an exercise in crowds and expense), then go back about supper time and spend the evening. That may - may - result in seeing less than you expected, but you and the kids will be fresher and get far more enjoyment out of what you do see. You'll also miss some of the worst crowds. And those thermonuclear meltdowns? The ones I've seen always seemed to happen around 2 in the afternoon.

Incidentally, if you have not told the kids that you are going, don't, at least not yet. Save telling them until a week or two (or even a day or two) before your departure date. You will save them the agony of waiting what seems like forever and from them building the trip up to heights of expectation that the Second Coming couldn't live up to.



This is great advice and exactly how we did it, the kids were knackered by 2 so they slept for a couple hours in the afternoon then went until close. My wife bought the book and downloaded an app. She studied it for weeks and had it all pretty planned out by the time we went she had the knowledge of a Disney guide!

[Ralph]

Buy. This. Book.

http://theunofficialguides.com/product/the-unofficial-guide-to-walt-disney-world-with-kids/

Buy it today. I'm serious. These folks have Disney down cold and their research will help you get the most enjoyment possible.

I have nothing to add re: low-cost Disney tix (an oxymoron if ever there was one). A Disney park is spendy. You can make it less spendy, but it will never be a cheap proposition.

Which is why pre-planning is so important and why the book is so invaluable. It is waaaaay too easy to try to do too much too quickly, endure too much sensory overload and end up having one or more of your party (parents and kids both) have a meltdown of thermonuclear proportions. Anyone who has been to a Disney park has experienced or seen at least one of these - they are not pretty.

If you are going to be there multiple days, hit a park early, go back to your hotel by early afternoon for a nap, a swim, some sort of rest/change-of-pace for a few hours (and lunch - eating in the park is an exercise in crowds and expense), then go back about supper time and spend the evening. That may - may - result in seeing less than you expected, but you and the kids will be fresher and get far more enjoyment out of what you do see. You'll also miss some of the worst crowds. And those thermonuclear meltdowns? The ones I've seen always seemed to happen around 2 in the afternoon.

Incidentally, if you have not told the kids that you are going, don't, at least not yet. Save telling them until a week or two (or even a day or two) before your departure date. You will save them the agony of waiting what seems like forever and from them building the trip up to heights of expectation that the Second Coming couldn't live up to.

Once there, have a plan (the book is very helpful here) but be prepared to be flexible.

With some advance planning (and it really isn't that much) and managing of expectations to keep them reasonable and realistic, you and yours will have a great time. Doing a Disney park with your kids can be a wonderful time that everyone will remember fondly for many, many years.

Enjoy.

Really good advice.....and we live near Disney (about 30 miles away). No way can you make it inexpensive for a family. My advice.....forget the cost of the tickets....they are what they are. Stay as close to the Magic Kingdom as possible.....so you can pop in and out during the day, and it's food costs that kill your budget. If you have several kids.....find a hotel on property with a food court....so every meal isn't a $100 affair, and use Disney transportation....which can include buses, boats, or monorail. You can probably find packages for this from Disney. What seems more expensive.....may wind up being less expensive...and a better vacation. If budget tight, I would cut my visit a day shorter than planned just to be on property.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/resortmain.htm

I know you didn't ask....but if one of my out of state family members asked for advice on how to do (their first) Disney for a family.....I would probably advise them to get a Caribbean Beach resort package. Food court (check the menu) and close to everything. Disney transportation will take you everywhere (free last time I was there). Other moderate priced resorts about the same.

[Nooch]

I should mention, we're long term Disney vets, Disney Vacation Club members, and this will be at least the third trip we'll have made with kids.

Basically, squeezing one more in before my youngest turns 3 so she can get in free :)

I think we brought my oldest when she was six months old -- we did a quick weekend getaway. Last year we went with both girls and friends and their son -- stayed in a treehouse villa at saratoga springs.

This year again will be a shorter one, but now that my oldest will be almost 4.5, and my little one almost 3, I think it'll be a whole different experience. Every year we go, I'm sure it'll be a little different as the kids get a little older..

[gallant]

Nooch:

I Second the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland with kids book. It is a must read! You can also borrow it from the local library. They are likely to have multiple copies.

It saves you a ton of time as it lets you know what rides are suitable for your children (based on age and interest). It also has plans for how to get the most of your time in the park including how to best use the fast passes. Knowing how the fast passes work is key! The key is to get in early and get the key fast pass you want. And as soon as your are eligible get the next fast pass.

Also, the book gives you great tips on the best places to eat depending on your budget and type of cuisine you enjoy.

In addition to the book download some of the 3rd party Disneyland apps like MouseWait onto your phone (iOS or Android). They give you crowdsourced info on the wait times of various rides and also if they are open/closed on those days.

One last tip. Assuming you have purchased your tickets in advance I suggest going to the Monorail entrance in Downtown Disney on the other side of the bridge away from Disneyland. They can issue your ticket/pass and then you get to ride the monorail straight into the park. The lines are often less busy at Monorail and then you don't get stuck in the crowds entering on Main St.

If you have friends who have access to Recreation Connection via their employer you can buy slightly discounted tickets. But usually only if you buy multi 3-4 day passes.

Have fun at the happiest place on earth!

Gallant