How To Get the Cheapest Disney World Tickets 2023

Learn where to buy cheap Disney World tickets and my recommended sources for discount Disney tickets!

If you are planning a trip to Disney World you likely want to know how to get the cheapest Disney tickets!

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to get discount tickets and where to buy them online.

Plus I’ll share everything you need to know about when to visit, how to link tickets to your Disney account, and my tips and tricks for how to save the most! 

What Is The Cheapest Month To Go To Disney World?

A few years ago Disney World moved to date-based pricing for all of their tickets.

They did this in an attempt to distribute crowds more evenly throughout the year. 

This means that when you visit will greatly affect how much you pay for your tickets. 

During the cheapest time of year in 2023, a two-day adult ticket from Disney costs $222. During the most expensive time of year, that same two-day ticket costs $336!

So that means you can save over $100 per ticket just by choosing wisely when you will visit. 

Here are the months that offer the cheapest Disney World tickets: 

• January
• February
• August 
• September

Not surprisingly, the most expensive times to visit Disney World are during Christmas, Easter, and other major holidays. 

So if you are able to visit during a less crowded time of year (such as when the kids are in school) you’ll be rewarded with cheaper ticket prices. 

Where to buy cheap Disney World tickets?

Now, on to the cheapest way to buy Disney World tickets online.

The source of the cheapest Disney tickets will depend on how many days you are visiting the theme parks. 

Here is an overview of the cheapest way to get Disney tickets broken down by the number of days you want to visit:

• Cheapest 1-day and 2-day Disney World tickets: Buy directly from Disney
• Cheapest 3-day through 10-day Disney World tickets: Buy through Undercover Tourist

Keep in mind that ticket prices are always fluctuating and you might get a slightly better deal at one place over another.

But in my experience, these general guidelines apply to how to save on Disney tickets. 

Now I’ll explain these options in more detail and send you on your way to buying Disney tickets at the best price!

Cheapest Disney Tickets: One & Two-Day Tickets

It is a surprise to many people that the cheapest way to get one-day or two-day tickets to Disney World is to buy them directly from Disney.

There are no discounts on one or two-day tickets available for the general public.

Since you’ll have to buy your tickets directly from Disney for the best price, the only way to save is to buy your tickets with discount Disney gift cards – learn how to get them in this post. 

How To Buy Tickets Directly From Disney

I suggest buying your tickets when you are logged into your My Disney Experience account.

Then you will be able to assign them to the right person (make sure you have set everyone up with a profile in the Friends and Family section first) and you’ll be good to go. 

Be sure to select the first day you will use your ticket to get the best price!

If you are staying off-property and won’t have Magic Bands for your trip, then you should opt to have a physical ticket sent to you via mail. If your trip is less than two weeks away I would opt for email delivery and use Magic Mobile on your phone. 

If you are staying at a Disney World resort or have purchased Magic Bands for your trip, then you should opt for email delivery.

Your tickets will be linked to your Magic Band automatically but I suggest saving the email confirmation just in case there is an issue with using your tickets at the parks. 

Click here for everything you need to know about using Disney Magic Bands and Magic Mobile on your phone!

Discount Disney World Tickets: 3 to 10 Day Tickets

The best way to buy discount Disney World tickets for trips longer than two days is through Undercover Tourist. 

I have bought my tickets from them for many years and they offer excellent customer service.

They are widely known to offer the best discounts on tickets for longer trips. 

And from June 1st until September 29th, 2023, you can get an incredible deal on a 4-Park Magic Ticket from Undercover Tourist!

The 4-Park Magic Ticket costs $370.82 (plus tax) when you buy from Undercover Tourist and includes one admission to each of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks—Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios.

You can visit each park once on four separate days and you have seven days to use all four admissions. This ticket does not require theme park reservations to enter the parks!

The 4-Park Magic Ticket is valid for theme park admission from June 1 to September 29, 2023—subject to blockout dates from July 1 to July 4, and September 1 to September 4, 2023.

This ticket saves you $177 PER TICKET compared to regular prices, so it’s an awesome deal if you plan on visiting the parks this summer.

Click here to buy at a discount ($15 off of Disney’s prices) through Undercover Tourist. 

 

When you buy tickets of more than four days from Undercover Tourist you can save over $60 per ticket on these longer tickets, saving a family of four upwards of $250!

Keep in mind that you will be spending MUCH more on your tickets compared to a shorter trip, but your saving per ticket will be greater. 

These tickets can be delivered via email and linked to your My Disney Experience account right away.

If you won’t have a Magic Band for your trip I recommend opting to have them delivered by mail so you’ll have a physical ticket card to scan. 

And if you want part or all of your ticket costs ERASED on your credit card statement (I mean, who doesn’t??), check out this post on how to earn $800 in travel statement credits with Capital One Rewards.

Understand The Four Different Ticket Types

Now you might be wondering which type of Disney World ticket is the best for your trip.

There are four main types of Disney World tickets:

• 1 Park Per Day Ticket – just like it sounds: you can get into one theme park each day
• Water Park & Sports Option – allows you one visit to a water park or ESPN Center per day
• Park Hopper Ticket – allows you to visit multiple theme parks each day
• Park Hopper Plus Ticket – visit multiple parks each day and visit the Disney Water Parks, etc.

1 Park Per Day Tickets are the cheapest but might not give you as much value as other tickets.

But for most visitors, that’s all you will need for your vacation! Read on to learn when you should upgrade to the other ticket types. 

Should I Get Park Hopper Tickets?

The Park Hopper option adds $60 to the cost of any ticket. The Park Hopper Plus option adds $80 to the cost of any ticket. 

You’ll definitely want to consider if you really need the option to visit more than one park in a day before you shell out an extra $60 per ticket. 

For first-time visitors, I generally suggest NOT paying extra for the Park Hopper option.

There is so much to see and do in each of the parks that there is rarely a reason you’ll need to visit more than one park in a day. 

However, if you want to visit a Disney World water park during your trip, then you should definitely get the Park Hopper Plus option for your tickets. 

Here’s the reason: a ticket to the water parks (there are two: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) will cost you around $70 plus tax.

For only $20 more, you can upgrade to the Park Hopper Plus option and get as many visits to the water parks as you have days on your park ticket. 

If you get a 4-day Park Hopper Plus ticket you’ll get four visits to the water parks, ESPN complex, or miniature golf visit.

Plus you’ll get the option to switch parks as much as you want during your visit!

So if a visit to a water park is in your plans anyway, go for the Park Hopper Plus option for a LOT of added value at little cost.  

How Far In Advance Should I Buy My Disney World Tickets?

Knowing when to buy your cheap Disney World tickets is critical to your vacation. 

I suggest buying your tickets as far in advance as possible to lock in current ticket prices. 

Even if your travel dates change later, you’ll still lock in the current prices. Disney raises its ticket prices regularly!

Be sure to link your ticket to your My Disney Experience account a few days before your visit so you won’t have any trouble with using Genie+ to make Lightning Lane reservations. 

Can I Get $59 Disney World Tickets?

Unfortunately, the only way to get $59 Disney World tickets is to attend a timeshare promotion. Tickets this cheap just aren’t available otherwise. 

You’d have to stay at an off-property hotel near Disney World and attend several hours of a timeshare presentation that often turns into a hard sell.

Be prepared to be pressured into buying a timeshare and feel like you are being held captive. 

I don’t suggest going this route in order to get $59 Disney World tickets when there are so many other ways to save money on a Disney World vacation that won’t ruin your trip!

Tips & Tricks to Save Money on Disney World Tickets

After countless trips to Disney World over the past 30 years, I have acquired lots of tips and tricks for saving money on Disney World park tickets.

Disney park tickets are definitely expensive, but you’ll get incredible value from the money you spend because there is a real bang for your buck in the parks.

In addition to buying discounted tickets and visiting on the cheapest dates, here are more tips for saving money! 

Don’t Buy More Ticket Than You Need

A base ticket to Walt Disney World is called a “One Park Per Day” ticket. Just like it sounds, it lets you enter one park (and one park only) each day for a particular number of days.

You can also add the “Park Hopper” option to your ticket, which allows you to visit more than one park on a single day.  

I almost always recommend sticking with the One Park Per Day ticket as opposed to adding on any options if you are looking to save money.

Here’s why: adding the Park Hopper option to any 4-day or more ticket costs $80, but adding an additional day to a 4-day or more ticket costs $20.

So if you want an extra half-day visit to the Magic Kingdom, just add one more day to your ticket and go for part of your arrival or departure day.

Your price difference will be $60 per ticket by doing this, which adds up to a savings of $240 for a family of four, and you will get just as much time in the parks.

Pay For Your Tickets With Discount Disney Gift Cards

Since you can use Disney gift cards to purchase your park tickets from Disney, I suggest purchasing gift cards at a discount to save money on your park tickets. This works well if you are buying 1- or 2-day tickets since the best price is through Disney.

BJ’s Wholesale Club sells $100 Disney gift cards for $95 on their website.

You can get a BJ’s membership to buy tickets at this price for only $10, which will pay for itself with two gift cards. 

This is a quick way to save 5% on Disney tickets and you can get all of the details on how to get discount Disney gift cards in this post. 

If you have a Target RedCard (debit or credit) you can save 5% on Disney gift cards when you buy them at Target. You just have to pay for the gift cards with your RedCard and the discount will apply at checkout!

You can read about this strategy in more detail in this post. A family of four would save about $100 on five-day tickets, so it can add up to substantial savings.

Take Your Kids Before They Turn Three

Another tip for how to save money on Disney World tickets is to take your kids BEFORE they turn three!

Being the world’s #1 family vacation destination, it is not surprising that Disney World caters to families with young children.

While many places start charging admission when kids turn two years old (some even start when they turn one), you can take your little ones to the Disney theme parks for free up until their third birthday.

Many families take advantage of this policy and plan a trip right before their child turns three!

We did this ourselves and it was one of our favorite trips.

You don’t have to show any proof of age when taking the little ones into the parks as Disney operates on the honor system.

So if you want to take your kiddo on his/her first trip to Disney World during the toddler or preschool years, I suggest doing so just prior to Junior’s third birthday to save yourself a few hundred dollars.

Buy Tickets Before the Annual Price Increase

 As you could probably guess, ticket prices rise reliably each year.  In recent years, Disney hasn’t even waited a year before raising prices. If you know that you will be going to Disney, a money-saving tip is to buy tickets for an upcoming trip before ticket prices increase.

If you know you are taking a trip in November, yet ticket prices are going to rise in March, buy your tickets before the price increase to save anywhere from $5 to $25 per ticket.

Just subscribe to the newsletter for my Disney-only site, The Budget Mouse and I will be sure to let you know when ticket prices are going to increase!

Consider Special Event Tickets for Shorter Trips

Another tip for how to save money on Disney World tickets is to consider special event tickets.

One frustrating aspect of visiting the parks during a shorter trip is that 1-day and 2-day park tickets are so darn expensive per day. Prices don’t start to drop much below $100/day until you hit the 4-day and up mark.

Obviously, this is to encourage folks to make longer visits, but that’s just not possible for everyone.  

If you are planning a short trip anytime from September through December, you may want to consider buying a ticket for one of the special events held at the Magic Kingdom during those months.

On select evenings in September and October, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held at the Magic Kingdom. It is a “hard-ticketed” event, which means you need a special ticket to enter the park – these tickets start at $79.

Most main attractions are open, plus the party features parades, stage shows, character meet and greets, complimentary food and more.

The official time for the party is from 7 p.m. to midnight, though many folks don’t know that you can actually enter the Magic Kingdom any time after 4 pm with your special event ticket. (Check out my full post about the Halloween party here!)

So you can get a full eight hours in Magic Kingdom during the party (if you can hang until midnight) with much lower crowds than normal. Plus, with 1-day Magic Kingdom tickets now around $120 each, you’ll save close to $50 per person by visiting during the party. That would save you about $200 for a family of four!

In November and December Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a similar hard-ticketed event takes place in the Magic Kingdom. Tickets to this popular event start at $99. 

These events are a great way to save on park admission if you are a frequent visitor, want to spend some time in the Magic Kingdom, and don’t want to cough up $120 for a 1-day pass.

Get a Park Hopper Plus If You Want To Visit A Water Park

If you plan on visiting one of the two Disney World water parks during your visit and are getting park hopper tickets anyway, you will save quite a bit of money by upgrading to the “Park Hopper Plus” ticket. 

A ticket to a water park costs about $70 per person, but it only costs about $20 to upgrade your Park Hopper ticket to include multiple visits to the water parks. 

Plus, if you buy a 4-day Park Hopper Plus ticket you’ll get up to FOUR visits to the incredible Disney Word water parks, so you can check each one out if you’d like!

If you are already buying the Park Hopper tickets and have any interest in visiting the water parks, this is a great way to do it for little extra money. 

If You Qualify, Take Advantage of the Best Discounts

The best discounts that Disney offers on park tickets are for Florida residents and members of the Armed Forces. If you are a Florida resident, check out all of the discounts available here, which include discounted Magic Your Way base tickets through discounted annual passes.

If you are an active or retired member of our military, first of all, thank you for your service.

Second, you can get a fantastic discount on Disney World park tickets for yourself, your family or friends. Until 12/19/2016, military members can get up to six 4-day Park Hopper tickets for only $208 each (regularly $393).

You can read all of the details here. If you have a friend or family member who qualifies for the discount, let him/her know. They may be up for a trip and may be willing to get you some discounted tickets, too!

These are just the basic options for Disney World tickets. There are also specialty tickets and passes that might work for you. These include:

• Military Promotional Tickets – you may qualify for these if you or a family member are active military
• Florida Resident Tickets – you must have proof of Florida residency to buy or use these
• Disney Youth Education Program Tickets – your whole family can get discounted tickets if a child participates in a Disney Youth Education Program
• Annual Passes – if you plan on visiting several times in a year, an Annual Pass might make sense (they are currently unavailable)

In summary, choosing your dates wisely and buying discounted Disney tickets from Undercover Tourist can save you hundreds of dollars on your vacation. 

I hope this post helped you answer how much Disney World tickets are and helped you find the cheapest Disney World tickets 2023!

Do you have any questions? Please leave a comment below or join the discussion in my free private Facebook group for my Disney-only site The Budget Mouse!

Check out these related posts: 

• Disney Magic Band Ultimate Guide
• How To Get Discount Disney Gift Cards
• Disney Genie Plus Ultimate Guide