General Information
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida (20 miles southwest of Orlando)Phone #: 407-824-4321
Number of Parks: 4
Number of Hotels: 28
Other Activities:
Buying tickets for Walt Disney World can be surprisingly complex, and most vacation planners buy their tickets at the same time they book hotel reservations.
Park tickets are available in many different combinations, from One-Day, One-Park tickets all the way up to 10-Day Park Hopper Plus tickets and Annual Passports. One-Day, One-Park tickets for guests 10 and older start at $109 plus tax (and vary by date in 2020, all the way up to $159 plus tax for Christmas Day through New Year's Eve, for example). All tickets expire; the number of days you have to use all of the admission privileges of the ticket varies by the number of days purchased and other promotional ticket offers.
As the name implies, the Park Hopper option allows you to visit multiple parks in the same day. In 2020, this feature starts at $65 plus tax. You can save a bit of cash if you're willing to stick to one park per day, but if you plan to spend part of a day in one park and then enjoy Extra Magic Hours in another, you need a Park Hopper. (On the other hand, if you plan to spend part of a day in one park, like Epcot, and have purchased a special event ticket to attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in the evening at Magic Kingdom, you do not need a Park Hopper that day since you are using two different tickets.)
Another option Ticket with Water Park and Sports Option which is valid for one of the four theme parks each day and a certain number of visits to other Disney locations based on the length of the ticket. These locations include Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, NBA Experience, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (green fees or FootGolf), Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf, or Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. This ticket starts at $70 above the base price.
The Park Hopper Plus Option combines the benefits of the Hopper Option with the Water Parks and Sports Option.This Option starts at $85 per ticket.
The Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus option are also offered at discounted rates when Disney offers ticket promotions. For example, Florida Residents can often save on these features as well as on the base ticket price by purchasing a "Discover Disney" ticket when offered. We publish the discounts we are aware of in our weekly MousePlanet Walt Disney World Resort Updates.
Where to Buy
Tickets and annual passports are available from a variety of sources, and we strongly recommend that you purchase your tickets in advance of your visit. You'll definitely need to purchase tickets and link them to your My Disney Experience account before you can begin to make FastPass+ selections in advance of your trip.
Advance-purchase tickets are available from the Walt Disney World website, the My Disney Experience app, and also from MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today. Many seprate-ticketed Disney events in the parks offer advance-purchase discounts and charge higher rates for same-day ticket purchases.
If you wait until you arrive, ticket booths are located at the main entrances of each Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. There is also a Ticket Center at Disney Springs (located in the Town Center neighborhood near Blaze Pizza and D-Luxe Burger). The main ticket booths for Magic Kingdom are located at the Transportation & Ticket Center, though tickets can also be purchased at the Guest Relations window to the right of the main entrance gates of the park.
You can also purchase park tickets at any of the resort hotels on property, and certain ticket types can be purchased at Disney Stores.
Be cautious of "Ticket Discount Centers," which are usually fronts for timeshare organizations. You might get a small discount, but not before you ward off a hard sell pitch.
Ticket purchasing increased in complexity in 2019. For the full range of ticket options, which now vary based upon the date a guest first visits a theme park as well as how many days a guest wants to visit (plus options for Park Hopping, Water Parks and more), visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/admission/. Discounts are available for Florida Residents, Disney Vacation Club Members, and U.S. Military (active, retired and families). We also note the latest special ticket offers announced by Disney in our weekly MousePlanet Walt Disney World Resorts Updates.
All tickets now sold have an expiration date. The majority of ticket types have a specific start date selected at purchase as well. Until midnight Eastern Time the day before the ticket's start date, you can use the My Disney Experience app (or guest relations or ticket booths when open) to change its start date with no change fee but subject to any higher cost that may apply for the new date. No refunds are provided for changing to a start date with a lower price. After the first valid ticket use date and before its expiration, you can also add and pay for additional days for eligible ticket types or add ticket options. Note, however, if you change ticket dates and have made FastPass+ reservations, you will need to make new reservations for the new dates selected.
For many ticket types, the first time a ticket is used starts an unstoppable "fuse" that will result in the ticket's expiration whether or not ticket holder has visited the parks the number of days purchased. No refunds are provided for those unused days (absent special waivers like when the parks are closed due to Tropical Storms and Hurricanes). An entirely unused ticket, however, may be applied to the purchase of a new ticket with an equal or higher price (different terms may apply to promotional tickets; ask at Guest Relations). All tickets must be used by the same person on each day - each park validates that with biometric finger-readers at the park gates and, in the case of repeated errors, park entry cast members will take a photograph that is electronically linked to the ticket as well.
For understanding how 2019-and-beyond ticket pricing, we present our chart from back in February 2018 comparing pricing options compared to 2017. As you can see, the park's calendar year was last broken into pricing seasons based on demand. The newest pricing model refines that further where there are lower prices for visits starting on some days and higher prices for visits starting on others.
Note: Prices below do not reflect sales tax.
Ticket |
Adult admission, ages 10+ |
Child admission, ages 3–9 |
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One Day – Value |
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One Day – Regular |
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One Day – Peak |
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Two Day |
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Three Day |
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Four Day |
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Five Day |
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Six Day |
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Seven Day |
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Eight Day |
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Nine Day |
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Ten Day |
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The above tickets and any options purchased had to be used within 14 days of first use, and that first day of use had to be before December 31, 2019.
Walt Disney World Annual Passports–Prices Verified and Updated February 11, 2020
The following list lays out the different Annual Pass types available for guests that plan to make multiple visits to the parks in a year (or, occasionally, a longer time when Disney offers additional months for the price of a year). Florida Residents have the most options and can pay monthly following a large initial payment. Renewal discounts are offered as well, but not reflected in the chart. Prices shown are for all guests ages 3 and up and do not include tax. Kids under age 3 do not require a ticket.
No ticket guarantees admission every day, particularly if a park closes for capacity control, weather or other emergency. None of these passes, on their own, provide access to separately ticketed events, extra magic hours, or other special events like Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic or V.I.Passholder Extras.
Ticket | New Prices: New Purchase |
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Premier Admission to Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Disney's Blizzard Beach, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (most event days), and Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (green fees only) Includes: Disney MaxPass at Disneyland Resort, Park Hopping, Disney PhotoPass downloads, and standard theme park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. No Blockout Dates |
Note: Only available for purchase at Disneyland Resort ticket windows and at Walt Disney World Guest Relations locations. |
Platinum Plus Admission to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Disney's Blizzard Beach, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (most event days), and Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (green fees only) Includes: Park Hopping, Disney PhotoPass downloads, and standard theme park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. No Blockout Dates |
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Platinum Admission to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Includes: Park Hopping, Disney PhotoPass downloads, and standard theme park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. No Blockout Dates |
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Gold Admission to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Includes: Park Hopping, Disney PhotoPass downloads, and standard theme park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. Limited Blockout Dates |
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Silver Same as Gold with more blockout dates and does not include Disney PhotoPass downloads. |
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Theme Park Select Admission subject to park-specific blockouts to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Includes: Park Hopping (subject to park blockouts), and Theme Park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. At least 325 days of park access to at least one park on those days, subject to park-specific blockouts (which may be lifted by Disney from time-to-time). |
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Weekday Select Mondays through Fridays only Admission to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Includes: Park Hopping,and standard theme park parking, plus various discounts and special offers. Additional Weekday Blockouts Apply (similar to Silver) |
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Epcot After 4 Admission to Epcot any day after 4 p.m. Includes standard theme park parking, plus some discounts and special offers. No Blockout Dates |
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Water Parks Annual Pass Admission to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach any day during normal operating hours. No blockouts, but water parks close seasonally for refurbishment and may close due to less-severe weather events like cold temperatures. |
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Water Parks After 2 Annual Pass Same as Water Parks Annual Pass except admission only after 2 p.m. |
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Theme Park Select - Introduced in 2018 exclusively for Florida Residents, this pass provides access to at least one park each day for at least 325 days of the year. Disney may, from time to time, lift published blockouts. Different parks are blocked on different days. Guests with this pass can visit multiple parks on the same day as long as the parks are not blocked.
All passholders with pass types subject to blockouts should always check My Disney Experience ahead of planned visits to see whether the pass (or just specific parks for Theme Park Select) are blocked during the visit's timeframe.
Parking at Walt Disney World is different depending on what you are doing. Standard Parking at Disney Springs is free. Parking is also free at the two water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, and the golf courses. Complimentary standard parking is available to guests staying at Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort (each campsite provides a parking space for one motorized vehicle).
Starting in 2018, registered hotel guests at Disney hotels are charged a standard overnight parking fee applied to their hotel folio at checkout. The rates are based on Resort Category. As of January 2020, the rates, including tax, are:
Disney Vacation Club Members staying at DVC Villas (whether using points or cash), are not charged for standard self-parking. Members staying at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels on a vacation points reservation likewise are not charged, but those paying cash for those rooms are subject to the standard rates.
Valet Parking is available at some Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villas for $33/night (tax but not gratuity included). Valet Parking is also available at Disney Springs for $20/day (tax but not gratuity included). From time-to-time, Disney Springs also offers a paid, preferred parking option (look for posted signs).
"Day Guests" visiting a hotel for select dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation experiences receive complimentary standard self-parking.
Each of the four theme parks has its own parking lot. Standard parking is provided at no additional charge for registered guests of the on-property resorts and annual passholders (cast members at toll booths often scan MagicBands, Annual Passes, and/or Key to the World Cards and may ask for matching Photo ID to prove eligibility, so have those ready). As of January 2020, standard parking for cars and motorcycles is $25/day (including tax) and for oversized vehicles (shuttle, limo, camper trailer, RV, bus, or tractor trailer) is $30/day (including tax). Preferred parking for cars and motorcycles is available for $45-50/day (including tax, varies by date); registered resort hotel guests and Passholders may upgrade to Preferred by paying that day's difference between the Standard and Preferred Rate.
ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations are now available in parking lots at select Disney Resort hotels including Disney's Coronado Springs and Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Arriving Guests may ask a Cast Member for directions to these charge ports, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional charging stations are available at the theme park parking lots and Disney Springs. Guests need a credit card or a pre-ordered ChargePoint card—available at chargepoint.com. The stations cost $0.35/kwh, with a minimum service amount of $1.50. Charging will stop once the vehicle’s battery is fully charged. ChargePoint will “ping” the users to alert them when their car is ready.
For Magic Kingdom, parking is just the first part of the journey to the park itself. The parking lot is south of the Transportation & Ticket Center which is on the south shore of Seven Seas Lagoon. Since the park is on the north shore of the Lagoon, you'll need to take a monorail or ferry to the park. Occassionally, buses are also run from the TTC to the park entrance, depending on transportation operations and demand. A walkway around Seven Seas Lagoon, connecting the TTC to Disney's Polynesian Village and Disney's Grand Floridian Resorts has existed for many years. There is currently a bridge and walkway under construction that would finally connect that existing walkway with Magic Kingdom that would allow guests to walk all the way from TTC (or from either of those hotels) to the park. A completion date has not been announced.
Guests can also walk between Magic Kingdom and Disney's Contemporary Resort. Epcot has a "backdoor" entrance named International Gateway, and guests may walk between it and Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort, Disney's BoardWalk Resort, and the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort. That same walkway among those Epcot Resorts also connects to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Once on property, there is a resort-wide system of free transportation options: Monorails, Watercraft, Disney Buses, and the Disney Skyliner gondolas. In 2017, Disney introduced private paid "Minnie Van" point-to-point transportation in SUVs and vans driven by Disney Cast Members and summoned within the Lyft app. Though offered at a higher rate than other ride sharing services, Minnie Vans can take guests to some on-property locations that other vehicles cannot (for example, Minnie Vans may pick up and drop off guests at Magic Kingdom's bus loop; other ride shares must muse the TTC across Seven Seas Lagoon). Minnie Vans also offer private Orlando International Airport pick-up and drop-off service options.
Back to the subject of free transportation: In addition to an Express Monorail that runs between Magic Kingdom and the TTC, and another Monorail that connects the TTC with Epcot, there is a Resort Monorail that connects Magic Kingdom with Disney's Contemporary Resort, the TTC, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, in that order before returning to Magic Kingdom.
In addition to the Ferryboat between Magic Kingdom and TTC, weather-permitting, smaller watercraft service often is provided between Magic Kingdom and Disney's Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village Resorts on Seven Seas Lagoon, and Magic Kingdom and to Bay Lake docks for Disney's Contemporary, Fort Wilderness, and Wilderness Lodge (sometimes guests must transfer boats at one of those docks).
Separate watercraft service travels a looping route from Epcot's International Gateway to Disney's BoardWalk and Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Other watercraft travel on seprate routes from Disney Springs to Disney's Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans (French Quarter and Riverside), and Old Key West Resorts.
Disney Skyliner gondola service "flies" from Epcot's International Gateway to Disney's Riviera Resort (where guests do not need to disembark) and on to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort where there is a hub station with an additional line to Hourglass Lake station between Disney's Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts, and a third line to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Each Disney hotel has one or more Disney Bus stops. Disney hotels run buses to Disney Springs, the theme parks, and water parks (though sometimes a change of buses is required to go to a water parks along the route). Theme parks also run buses to Disney Springs during posted hours (usually in the afternoon and evening), but there is no bus service from Disney Springs to the theme parks (likely to discourage the use of its free parking lots for playing in the parks). Unless using paid Minnie Vans or other rideshare services, guests traveling between Disney hotels that are not connected need to find their way to the Disney Springs bus loop and then take the bus to their desired location. The same can also be done with the theme parks themselves, but, however, be aware that there is no safe and legal way for a guest to walk from Epcot's International Gateway to Epcot's bus loop without a park ticket permitting the guest to enter and walk through Epcot.
Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort are directly served by Disney transportation, though they are not Disney owned and operated hotels. While any guest can use Disney Transportation (though some modes may be limited to Resort Guests only during times of high demand), other on-property and/or good neighbor hotels that are not owned and operated by Disney run their own park and Disney Springs buses (though not all get to use the same bus loops as Disney Buses), including Shades of Green (its guests may also walk to Disney's Polynesian Resort), Disney Springs Hotel Plaza Blvd. hotels (those guests may walk to Disney Springs by connected pedestrian bridges), Four Seasons, Bonnet Creek, and so forth.
For additional information on getting around the parks with wheelchairs and ECVs see our Walt Disney World Mobility page. For further information about other available services for Guests with disabilities, you may call the Resort's Disability Services cast members at (407)560-2547 or email disability.services@disneyparks.com.
Modeled on the original Disneyland, Magic Kingdom is still its own unique destination.
One half explores science and the future while the other half presents the cultures of the world.
Celebrate the history and wizardry of Hollywood.
As the ads used to say, this is not a zoo, but it does mix a zoo with a theme park.
Disney's East Coast race targeted at women, occurring in February each year.
5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, and full marathon on Sunday of the second weekend in January.
Half marathon begins at ESPN Wide World of Sports complex and finishes outside of Epcot
Hear the Christmas story with music, a choir, and a celebrity narrator. (Thanksgiving through December 30)
The amazing Disney World gardeners pull out all the stops showcasing horticultural skill and techniques. (March - May)
Sample food and beverages from around the world. (September 14 through November 14, 2016)
A night of trick-or-treating at the Magic Kingdom. (September - October)
Celebrate Christmas at the Magic Kingdom in this after hours party. (November - December)
A two-night Christian music festival. (September)
Disney Springs — Shop, dine, or see a movie.
Water Parks
Typhoon Lagoon
Blizzard Beach
Miniature Golf
Fantasia Gardens
Winter Summerland
Golf
Lake Buena Vista
Magnolia
Oak Trail
Palm
Sports Activites
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Open Water Activities