Disney on a Budget: Guide to Discount Disney Tickets

Looking to Score a  Disney World Tickets?

We're gearing up for our April 2024 trip to Walt Disney World Resort, and I've made it a personal mission to spend as little cash as possible for this trip. Utilizing travel reward points from my credit cards, I snagged free airfare and hotel accommodations. However, the biggest hurdle in my quest for budget-friendly Magic Kingdom magic has been securing Walt Disney World Tickets. I have been searching to find the best deal for Disney theme parks and have learned a lot along the way.

 There are several ticket options types of Disney tickets.  Disney ticket prices 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 during August. Multi-day tickets will cost less per day than one-day tickets (park days do not need to be consecutive days). Prices also vary depending on ticket type. For example, base tickets will be less than the park hopper option and the sports plus option. We were looking for Park Hopper tickets so we could bounce around from Animal Kingdom to Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, or Disney water parks if we wanted to. 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. 

After experimenting with different approaches, I've gathered some valuable insights to find the best deals at Disney World. Here's what I've discovered:

Explore Third-Party Vendors: 

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

• Disney's official website

• Undercover Tourist

• 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 I created a handy Excel chart to compare ticket prices for my intended dates. 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. Here's a snapshot of the prices I compiled for a 7-day park hopper tickets with the water park option for our travel dates in April:

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.

Check out our Youtube video about travel hacking at Disney World

Payment Options: 

Both Getawaytoday.com and Undercover Tourist offer the convenience of paying with PayPal. Since I have Amex travel reward points, I plan to redeem them towards a portion of my ticket purchase. Undercover Tourists emerged as the most cost-effective option during my analysis. I ended up purchasing my tickets with Undercover Tourist and redeemed $954 in American Express Travel points towards my tickets. So my 7-day park hopper plus tickets for 2 adults and 1 child will cost me $1,414. Note that Florida residents get further discounts for Florida resident tickets and annual passes to visit Disney parks. Redeeming Amex points this way is not the best way to use American Express travel points, however, it largely discounted my park tickets so I was okay with it. My family members and I were now traveling to Disney World for $1,414 including airfare, hotel, and 7 day park tickets with the park hopper plus option. 

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. Paypll 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, for my trip, it was worth it for me not to outlay the cash for our trip to Disney World. I am saving the cash to spend on experiences at Disney World. I do not have a shortage of other travel reward points for our next vacation. 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. 

By strategically combining travel hacks, utilizing travel reward points, and exploring various ticket-purchasing options, I managed to book an entire Disney World trip for $1,414. That's right, an 8-night, 7-park day with Hopper Plus vacation for 3 people, including airfare, hotel, and park tickets. For more on how I scored free airfare and hotel for our Disney World Vacation check out  “A Guide to Planning Your Disney World Using Reward Points”. To learn how to start scoring free travel check out our post “Travel Hacking 101: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started”. For our Disney World trip, we are staying at a Marriott hotel, using Marriott Bonvoy travel rewards. To learn more about Marriott Rewards check out “Taking a Closer Look at the Marriott Bonvoy Program”. 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. 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. 

Payment Options: 

Both Getawaytoday.com and Undercover Tourist offer the convenience of paying with PayPal. Since I have Amex travel reward points, I plan to redeem them towards a portion of my ticket purchase. Undercover Tourists emerged as the most cost-effective option during my analysis. I ended up purchasing my tickets with Undercover Tourist and redeemed $954 in American Express Travel points towards my tickets. So my 7-day park hopper plus tickets for 2 adults and 1 child will cost me $1,414. Note that Florida residents get further discounts for Florida resident tickets and annual passes to visit Disney parks.

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. Paypll 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, for my trip, it was worth it for me not to outlay the cash for our trip to Disney World. I am saving the cash to spend on experiences at Disney World. I do not have a shortage of other travel reward points for our next vacation. 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. 

By strategically combining travel hacks, utilizing travel reward points, and exploring various ticket-purchasing options, I managed to book an entire Disney World trip for $1,414. That's right, an 8-night, 7-park day with Hopper Plus vacation for 3 people, including airfare, hotel, and park tickets. For more on how I scored free airfare and hotel for our Disney World Vacation check out  “A Guide to Planning Your Disney World Using Reward Points”. To learn how to start scoring free travel check out our post “Travel Hacking 101: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started”. For our Disney World trip we are staying at a Marriott hotel, using Marriott Bonvoy travel rewards. To learn more about Marriott Rewards check out “Taking a Closer Look at the Marriott Bonvoy Program”. Another good way to save up for while your 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. 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.