You would be forgiven for thinking that you need a degree in rocket science to understand the Disney World ticket system. At first look it is a confusing array of options with strange terms such as park hopper and Magic Your Way. Don’t worry though, not all ticket types are available to all guests and once you understand the basics you will be able to narrow down the list to find the ticket type which is most appropriate for your Walt Disney World vacation.

The ticket options range from a One Day One Park option which as it says on the label is good for one day’s admission to one of the four theme parks, to the top of the range Premium Annual Pass which will get you into every Disney World theme and water park with park hopper privileges every day for 365 days.

An average family, staying for a week’s vacation will have about a dozen different ticket options to choose from. Spending the time to understand the different perks included with the different options could save you lots of money, which is important if you are interested in cheap Disney vacations. A little time spent on research will help you avoid purchasing a more expensive ticket which has features you’ll probably never use.

In 2005 Disney introduced the Magic Your Way ticket system, which is essentially a pick ‘n mix way to buy your admission tickets. You start out with a Base Ticket and then add on various options to tailor the ticket to your needs. There is a volume discount, so the more days admission you add to your Base Ticket the lower the cost of a day’s entry becomes. Base Tickets can be bought for a minimum of one and a maximum of ten day’s admission. You can only visit one park per day with a Base Ticket and they expire 14 days from the first date of use.

There are three add-on options available at an additional cost to increase the flexibility of your Base Ticket

1. Park Hopper – For a flat fee you can add park hopping privileges to your ticket, which allows you to visit more than one park each day. If you are only buying one or two day’s admission this can prove expensive, but becomes a more affordable option for longer visits.

2. No Expiration Date – Daily entry becomes cheaper the more day’s admission you buy so if you are planning a short trip consider buying a ten day pass and adding the no expiration date option. This means that any unused days never expire so you can use the pass on a future vacation. The option price depends on the number of days you add to your Base Ticket but cannot be added to a one-day pass.

3. Plus Pack – If you want to visit the water parks or Disney Quest then you might want to consider adding a plus to your Base Ticket. The number of pluses you can buy is fixed and is tied to the number of days on your Base Ticket. for example a one, two or three-day ticket has two plusses while a ten-day ticket has five.

It is possible to add options to your ticket after you have bought it, so you can start with a Base Ticket and then choose to add park hopper privileges or plusses after you have started using it.

Annual Passes provide unlimited admission to the four theme parks for one year and an add-on is available to give unlimited admission to the water parks too. Perks available to Annual Pass holders include free parking, shopping discounts and ad hoc room rate discounts at Disney hotels.

If you are traveling from the United Kingdom then your ticket choices are different. A number of advance purchase tickets are available to British travelers including a Five-Day Premium Ticket which includes park hopping privileges to all four theme parks for five days and three admissions to the water parks. The Seven-Day Premium ticket increases this to seven day’s admission and five water park admissions. Both expire 14-days from first use. Alternatively the Ultimate Tickets provide unlimited admission to the theme and water parks as well as park hopping privileges for either 14 or 21 days.

Before you choose your ticket options you need to have an idea about what you want to do during your vacation; it does not make sense to pay for options that you won’t get around to using after all. Don’t forget that sometimes you might save money in the long run by buying a more expensive ticket. For example if you plan to visit Walt Disney World on vacation again next year see if you can travel a couple of weeks earlier as this will allow you to take advantage of the Annual Pass options; effectively using the same ticket for both vacations. As Disney often offers hotel discounts to Annual Pass holders you might find that the discount you can obtain on next year’s accommodation more than covers the additional cost of the pass.

Walt Disney World vacations don’t come cheap so you will want to spend as much time in the theme parks as you possibly can. If you are staying at a Disney World hotel then on selected days of the week you will be able to enter one of the parks one hour earlier than the general public, or stay up to three hours later than the official park opening hours. This perk is known as Extra Magic Hours and is only available to Disney Resort guests.

Taking advantage of Extra Magic Hours gives you more time to enjoy the parks when they are less crowded. However, the downside of early entry days is that they attract more Resort guests so that park can actually be busier than on a non-early entry day. To get the most out of the early opening you really need to be at the park entrance 15-20 minutes beforehand; an hour really isn’t that long and if you show up any later you won’t maximise your ‘free’ time in the park. Make the most of the time and visit as many of the headliner attractions as you can before the general public are even allowed through the gate! If you have Park Hopper privileges on your admission ticket you might want to consider hopping to a quieter park when the crowds begin to build. Early opening hours are especially useful if you are travelling during low-season when park hours tend to be shorter overall.

The nighttime version of Extra Magic Hours lasts for up to three hours and more attractions are open during this time than for the early entry option. Certain Quick Service and Table Service restaurants remain open as well. You will need to show your hotel room key (Key to the World) at the entrance to each attraction; this is to prevent off-site visitors being able to enjoy any attractions during this extended period.

Disney vacation packages allow you to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World quickly and easily. While they might not be the cheapest option you will usually find that packages are the most convenient way to plan and pay for your vacation.

There are essentially three elements to a Disney vacation package; the resort, park tickets and dining. You need to think about where you want to stay, how often you wish to visit the theme parks and how much you want to eat!

Choosing the right resort

Most vacation packages offer a value resort as part of the basic price. Value resorts are the most affordable on Disney property, but while they are packed full with Disney features and theming they don’t necessarily have all of the amenities you can find in the moderate or deluxe resorts. If you would prefer to upgrade your resort you will need to pay extra.

Choosing the right ticket

Disney World tickets can appear to be a minefield for guests new to the Disney World experience. There are a vast variety of ticket options available but most Disney vacation packages include Magic Your Way tickets with park hopper privileges. This allows you to visit all four theme parks in one day and allow for the greatest flexibility. You can choose how many days you want your ticket to be valid for up to a maximum of 10 days. If you are travelling from the UK special 14-day and 21-day tickets are available.

Choosing the right dining plan

The Disney Dining Plan is the newest addition to the Disney vacation package and allows you to pay in advance for your meals; effectively making this an all-inclusive vacation option. The Dining Plan is a simple and affordable way to choose snacks, counter service meals and table service meals from over 100 restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort, inside the parks and out. Some of the restaurants even offer character dining experiences!