Walt Disney World Date Based Ticket System FAQ • Read First Page

[rteetz]

On October 16th, 2018 Walt Disney World moved to a new date based ticket pricing system. This means ticket prices can be different based on the day you are visiting the parks.

**Pricing listed below is as of March 8th, 2020. Some photos are reflective of past pricing however.**

This video gives a preview of how the system will work.

Like before, tickets may be purchased on DisneyWorld.com, in the My Disney Experience app, over the phone, upon arrival at any of our four parks or through authorized travel professionals and ticket sellers. Guests can now access several new online planning tools including park offering overviews, travel tips from Disney Parks Moms Panelists and customized suggestions based on each guest’s personal preferences – helping them make more informed decisions on DisneyWorld.com.

The following posts will have more information on this new system as well as frequently asked questions.

This is a completely new way to purchase Disney tickets so it will be a learning curve. We are all in this together

 

[rteetz]

When guests are ready to purchase tickets online, they may use an interactive online calendar, which displays different prices based on the dates guests choose to visit and states tickets will need to be used during a specific time period. The calendar also allows guests to quickly see the lowest-priced days within a month. For example, prices may be lower during off-peak travel periods.

These prices are set in advance and will not fluctuate like airline prices. Basically, certain days are more or less expensive based on the perceived demand.

Disney’s explanation for this change:

So why are we making these changes? As our parks have increased in popularity, there are more and more guests who wish to experience our world-class attractions. Introducing date-based tickets and pricing will allow us to better distribute attendance throughout the year so that we can continue to improve and deliver a great experience.

​

Compared to previous pricing:

Some tickets have decreased, increased or stayed the same, depending on the start date and length of the ticket. For example, a guest purchasing a 3-day ticket with a start date of Feb. 10, 2019 will now actually pay $4 less per day than they would have before. A Guest purchasing a 6-day ticket with a start date of this Thanksgiving will now pay a little more – an average of $5 per day – since it’s one of the most popular times of year to visit.

Strategy to consider when buying tickets...

It may be in your best interest to not purchase the tickets based on your start date. That means use the window given by Disney to find the cheapest possible ticket.

For example: Based on a 7-day ticket which has a 10-day usage window

I arrive Nov. 7th which is priced at $65 per day. Nov. 6th is priced at $63 per day. Pick Nov. 6th to save money as you can still use that ticket during your stay since it is inside the window given by Disney.

 

[rteetz]

Per info from mousesavers.com

Ticket Validity​

“Under the new system, 1-Day base tickets are valid for admission on the specific start date selected. Multi-day tickets are valid for admission beginning on the start date selected and must be used within a limited time period, as indicated below:

Ticket Duration Valid Use Period​

1-Day Ticket Only the start date selected
2-Day Ticket Any 2 days within 4 days beginning on the start date
3-Day Ticket Any 3 days within 5 days beginning on the start date
4-Day Ticket Any 4 days within 7 days beginning on the start date
5-Day Ticket Any 5 days within 8 days beginning on the start date
6-Day Ticket Any 6 days within 9 days beginning on the start date
7-Day Ticket Any 7 days within 10 days beginning on the start date
8-Day Ticket Any 8 days within 12 days beginning on the start date
9-Day Ticket Any 9 days within 13 days beginning on the start date
10-Day Ticket Any 10 days within 14 days beginning on the start date

For example, a 6-day base ticket with a start date of November 1 is valid any 6 days from November 1 to November 9.

Regarding Tickets purchased in a hotel + tickets package - info posted by @GillianP1301:

Date-based tickets purchased as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package will have one of the following valid use periods (whichever is longer):
(i) the same valid use period described above, OR
(ii) a valid use period beginning on the package resort arrival date and ending on the package resort check-out date.

For example, a Guest who purchases a Walt Disney Travel Company package with a 3-Day base ticket and a resort length of stay of 6 nights with an arrival date of Nov. 1; ticket is valid any 3 days from Nov, 1 – Nov. 7.

Selection of the Park Hopper Option for same-day admission to more than one theme park is subject to the validity windows listed above.

Selection of the Park Hopper Plus Option to include visits to Disney water parks and other attractions—along with same-day admission to more than one theme park— adds another day to your valid use period. For example, a 6-day Park Hopper Plus Option ticket with a start date of November 1 is valid any 6 days from November 1 to November 10.

Disney Theme Park Tickets Purchased as Part of a Walt Disney Travel Company Package

Tickets purchased as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package are valid for admissions beginning on the date of check-in and must be used by the date of check-out, or in accordance with the validity windows listed above—whichever period is longer.

 

[rteetz]

As of March 8th, 2020 Annual Passes cost the following:

Annual Pass	Price	Renewal Price
Premiere Pass (DL+WDW)	$2,270.47	None
Platinum Plus Pass	$1,379.18	$1,171.50
Platinum Pass	$1,272.68	$1,080.98
Florida Resident Passes	Price	Renewal Price
Platinum Plus Pass	$1,063.94	$904.19
Platinum Pass	$957.44	$813.66
Gold Pass	$744.44	$632.61
Silver Pass	$552.74	$469.67
Select Pass	$467.54	$397.25
Weekday Select Pass	$371.69	$315.24
Epcot After 4	$329.09	$279.03
Water Park After 2	$94.74	None
DVC Passes	Price	Renewal
Gold Pass	$744.44	$632.61
Platinum Pass	$957.44	$813.66
Platinum Plus Pass	$1,063.94	$904.19

Ticket Price examples:

A 1-day ticket starts at $109

Park Hopper +$65
Water Park and Sports +$70
Park Hopper Plus +$85

2-day ticket starts at $107 per day

Park Hopper +$75
Water Park and Sports +$70
Park Hopper Plus +$95

3-day ticket starts at $106 per day

Park Hopper +$75
Water Park and Sports +$70
Park Hopper Plus +$95

4-day ticket starts at $103 per day

Park Hopper +$85 (same for 4 days or longer)
Water Park and Sports +$70
Park Hopper Plus +$105 (same for 4 days or longer)

5-day ticket starts at $88 per day
6-day ticket starts at $75 per day
7-day ticket starts at $67 per day
8-day ticket starts at $61 per day
9-day ticket starts at $56 per day
10-day ticket starts at $52 per day

Per latest price increase: via wdwinfo.com
"A 4-day base theme park ticket starting on July 4 will now cost $9 more per day compared to the previous pricing.

A 1-day base theme park ticket from Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest weeks of the year, will now cost $159; an increase of $30 from the previously published pricing."



One Day Ticket Pricing






Lowest pricing for each number of days by month

1-Day - August, September 2020
2-Day - August, September 2020
3-Day - August, September 2020
4-Day - August, September 2020
5-Day - August, September 2020
6-Day - September 2020
7-Day - August, September 2020
8-Day - August 2020
9-Day - August 2020
10-Day - August, September 2020

 

[rteetz]

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this affect ticket purchases made before Oct. 16th, 2018?

Unused, unexpired tickets remain valid at no additional cost. Tickets keep their same expiration date and terms as they had previously.

Do Florida Resident rates still exist?

Yes, Florida residents still receive discounts on select ticket options at this time.

Can tickets be modified, and what happens if a guest needs to change their date?

Yes, tickets can be modified through the My Disney Experience app or by calling the Disney reservation center. If a ticket is changed to a higher priced time period the guest is responsible for paying the difference in price. If the guest changes to a lower priced period there will be no refund for that. If a ticket needs to be changed after the start date, guests can visit guest relations at Walt Disney World.

When will more dates be added?

As of right now the ticket calendar only goes through 2019. More dates will be added in the future.

Are these still Magic Your Way tickets?

No, these tickets are referred to as Walt Disney World theme park tickets. The tickets purchased before Oct. 16th are still Magic Your Way. The new tickets have different pricing and structure so they are referred to as otherwise.

What is the flexible ticket option?

The flexible ticket option extends the period the ticket can be used. It is an additional cost. That cost is variable so depending on time of year and length of stay that price of the flexible option will change. It allows the ticket to be used from the purchase date through December 31st, 2019. You also then have 14 days from first entry to use all the days on your ticket.

From @lanejudy :
Compare the "flexible" option cost to the cost of adding an additional “day.” Yes, you'd be wasting a ticket but it might cost less (depending on your dates). With the recent price increase, that "flexible" option really became expensive for some dates.

How should I plan my Split Stay?

Per @tinka-belle
"TA webinar stated that for split stays put a longer ticket in the first stay that will carry over to the second stay. Valid dates will be for the TICKET itself since it's longer than the first resort stay. Ticket will NOT be valid for the length of both stays. For example first stay is at Pop Century for 2 nights - purchase a 7 day ticket with that first package stay - check into another resort on or off site after checking out from Pop. In this case a 7 day ticket in this 2 night package OR purchased separately is valid for up to 10 days.

Can I activate a Theme Park Ticket “package ticket” before I check-in?

Can no longer activate a package ticket before check in. This is a biggie for lots of people!

Are Separately Purchased Tickets valid for the length of an onsite stay?

Tickets purchased separately will only have the validity of that separate ticket, only tickets purchased in a package are valid for length of stay."

Disney Cruise Line Tickets

Per @tinka-belle
"Also mentioned was that Disney Cruise Line would have tickets available that are good for up to 14 days from first use, must call DCL as this will not be online. They went through this kinda fast, I assume you have to book the resort nights on either end of the cruise with DCL to get this type of ticket."

For those with packages already under deposit before 10/16/18
Per @tinka-belle

Ticket pricing WILL change if:
• changing from rack rate to a promo rate or from one promo to another
• changing a room only reservation to a package will get the current ticket pricing, not the pricing at the time the room was reserved
• re-instating a package that has cancelled will have current ticket pricing
• changing ticket length or ticket type wull have the current ticket pricing

Ticket pricing will NOT change if:
• changing a resort or room type
• changing travel dates or # in your party though your resort price might change
• adding or deleting or changing a dining plan
• adding Memory Maker, ground transportation, trip insurance, or any other package add ons

Can Magic Your Way Tickets be used towards an upgrade?

Yes, Magic Your Way Tickets can be used towards an upgraded ticket.

So I hadn't seen if someone had already explicitly confirmed this, but we did have successful price-bridging this past week from pre-10/16 MYW tickets (purchased at UT) to new Platinum APs. My 6-day PH MYW ticket was upgraded on first day of our trip (10/18) at Guest Relations inside of Epcot main entrance, and the CM hit my expected price right on the first try. They properly gave me the full gate pre-10/16 price versus current Platinum AP cost.

We upgraded my wife's ticket at AK on 10/22, at a random "ticket stand" near front of the park (staffed by just one CM). The first price he quoted was wrong, seeming to be ~$20 too high, presumably by crediting me the online price instead of gate price. When I told him that didn't sound right based on my prior experience, he tapped my Magic Band and was able to see the full history of my upgrade and the right codes to use to replicate it again for my wife.

I was also able to use a discounted Disney gift card brought with me to pay off the upgrades on each, so all my original savings were generally still intact. Still a little bummed that we paid essentially $50 extra per AP because of the 10/16 price hike 2 days before our pre-planned upgrade, but the pain at least stopped there, and still came out ahead overall with the UT savings.

 

[rteetz]

Questions we still need to be clarified

• Any change in convention tickets?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks so much for setting this up @rteetz! It's going to be an interesting few days!!!

 

[rteetz]

Thanks so much for setting this up @rteetz! It's going to be an interesting few days!!!

That is for sure!

Just a note for everyone: I set this up on my phone for right now due to travel so it might not look the best at the moment but once I have access to my computer I will spruce it up. I hope to have a similar look and feel to our official threads. This one will certainly be very active tomorrow.

 

[Robo]

Counting down...

(I actually posted this as a place-holder for later use.)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I echo @scrappinginontario and thank you for setting this up - I am really intrigued to see how it plays out

I just think all the nuances related to specific trips will be interesting - and also what happens if you want to change, plans, etc. .... and obviously the scale of the increase and how much the most expensive varies from the "cheapest" - like will New Years or 4th of July be like double the price of a "value" day? Could we see a $200 day?

Lastly, also interested to see if we get an idea for when Galaxy's Edge will open as I figure there might be a jump for ticket prices at that point - and related if there will be any impact to Annual Passes such as a new tier for non-FL residents that includes blackouts for DHS when GE opens

 

[SaintsManiac]

Counting down...

Are you ready, sir???

 

[Robo]

Are you ready, sir???

This is a notice that I shall be out of the office for a brief time.
Please leave a message and I'll get back to you in the spring.








(I actually posted this as a place-holder for later use.)

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It is times like this that I am grateful for other mods and DISers who are far more knowledgeable about WDW tickets than me.

Have fun y’all.

 

[tlmadden73]

I'd love to see one of the saved posts simply do the math and give a general breakdown of the prices:

Like --
Cheapest daily ticket is $X on Y days of the year.
Most expensive daily ticket is $X on Y days of the year.

What the new average price is .. etc. (the most common price on the most number of days of the year).

I wonder if this new pricing structure will basically give us a HUGE hint when Star Wars Galaxy Edge will open. Or will they simply just elevate all the prices from Thanksgiving on in anticipation?

Odds are this first year won't really matter as a lot of guests may have already booked their 2019 trips (with tickets) .. so the actual prices may not matter besides giving us a baseline for 2020 and beyond.

 

[rteetz]

It is times like this that I am grateful for other mods and DISers who are far more knowledgeable about WDW tickets than me.

Have fun y’all.

I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this as an AP but I’ll still be learning the ins and outs

 

[VeronicaZS]

I am really curious how the 60 day fast pass window will work. I'm assuming it will be calculated off your first onsite hotel day and not the first ticket day but with the "use period / valid time span" I'm not sure. Will it work the same for packages, tickets purchased separately, split stays? Should be interesting...

 

[rteetz]

I am really curious how the 60 day fast pass window will work. I'm assuming it will be calculated off your first onsite hotel day and not the first ticket day but with the "use period / valid time span" I'm not sure. Will it work the same for packages, tickets purchased separately, split stays? Should be interesting...

The 60 day window shouldn’t change at all.

 

[tlmadden73]

I am really curious how the 60 day fast pass window will work. I'm assuming it will be calculated off your first onsite hotel day and not the first ticket day but with the "use period / valid time span" I'm not sure. Will it work the same for packages, tickets purchased separately, split stays? Should be interesting...

I would think it would still just trigger off your first hotel day.
When you get a ticket package, I doubt you'll be able to get tickets that start before your check-in date .. would just be too confusing.

Get your tickets separately and your first ticket day can be whatever you want . .so you will probably see people try and game the system by checking in to their resort on a Friday, but having their ticket start on a Wednesday (if that day is cheaper).

But Fast Passes would still be based on the check-in date (you'd gather).

 

[VeronicaZS]

The 60 day window shouldn’t change at all.

Is that confirmed? So an extreme example; November 1-7 at Poly, no tickets. Nov 8&9 PoP, tickets purchased separately with a start date of Nov 8. Does your FP window open on the 1st or 8th? I would think the 8th.

 

[rteetz]

Is that confirmed? So an extreme example; November 1-7 at Poly, no tickets. Nov 8&9 PoP, tickets purchased separately with a start date of Nov 8. Does your FP window open on the 1st or 8th? I would think the 8th.

That’s not really any different than booking a throwaway room right now.