Guide to Walt Disney World Tickets in 2023

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Purchasing Walt Disney World tickets in 2023 may be the most expensive part of your Walt Disney World vacation. Make the best decision for your trip and your budget by following 4 simple steps.

Time needed: 1 hour.

4 Simple Steps for Finding the Best Walt Disney World Tickets in 2022:

  1. Understand your ticket options

    There are three types of Disney World tickets, so understanding your options is the first place to start.

  2. Select the ticket option that is right for you

    Now that you understand your options, learn how to determine the best ticket type for your trip and traveling party.

  3. Decide when to go

    Disney World tickets are priced differently depending on when you travel. Learn how to find and select the best dates for your vacation or how to price tickets if you are already locked in on travel dates.

  4. Decide where to buy

    Disney World tickets can be purchased directly from the park website, but a Disney World travel agent could save you time and hassle.

Understanding the Confusing World of Disney World Tickets in 2023

Varied pricing for different dates, tiered rates depending upon your length of stay, and multiple ticket types make booking your Walt Disney World vacation tickets a confusing part of planning for an upcoming trip. Fortunately, Walt Disney World tickets have been simplified for 2023, narrowing down your options to just a few choices:

1 Park Per Day Ticket

This is Walt Disney World’s standard theme park ticket. It provides admission into one of the 4 theme parks each day for the length of your stay.

  • Magic Kingdom
  • EPCOT
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios

You may not visit more than one park in a day, though you may leave and revisit the same park during a single day.

1 Park Per Day with Water Park and Sports Option

This ticket option allows you to visit one park per day for the duration of your ticket:

  • Magic Kingdom
  • EPCOT
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios

With this ticket, you may also visit a certain number of the following parks or locations:

  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports (when it is open)
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course – Foot Golf
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
  • Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
  • Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course

Each guest will receive a certain number of visits to their choice of locations based on the length of ticket they buy:

  • A 4-day ticket provides you with 4 visits to your choice of experiences
  • A 5-day ticket provides you with 5 visits to your choice of experiences

Ticket with Park Hopper Option

This Walt Disney World ticket expands upon the standard ticket by adding flexibility for travelers. Admission includes multiple visits to any one of 4 theme parks on the same day for the length of your ticket.

  • Magic Kingdom
  • EPCOT
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios

You may visit as many of the  4 main theme parks as many times as you wish during a single day for the duration of your ticket. However, there are caveats, so please read the detailed information below.

Ticket with Park Hopper Plus Option

In 2023, this Walt Disney World ticket includes multiple visits to one of 4 theme parks on the same day for the length of your ticket.

  • Magic Kingdom
  • EPCOT
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Your ticket will also include a certain number of visits to the following parks determined by your length of stay. For example, a 4-day ticket allows 4 visits and a 5-day ticket allows 5 visits. For each visit, you can choose one of the following:

  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course foot golf
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (1 round per
    trip)
  • Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
    (1 round per day)
  • Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
    (1 round per day)
  • You may visit as many of the  4 main theme parks as many times as you wish
    during a single day for the duration of your ticket

As demonstrated above, the differences in Disney World tickets revolve around the number of  parks you may visit and how often.

Which Disney World Ticket Is Right for Me?

EPCOT entrance
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Walt Disney World single day tickets allow you to visit a single park for one day. For example, if you’ve scheduled a three-day trip, and plan to go to the Magic Kingdom on day one, EPCOT on day two and Animal Kingdom on day three, this is the ticket for you.

On the other hand, the park hopper option provides much greater flexibility, allowing you to visit multiple parks in a day. By way of example, this ticket is great if you plan to attend one of the four main theme parks during the day and then switch to a different park for a night time show or dining option.

However, since reintroducing the park hopping post-COVID, the experience isn’t as flexible as it was before. Guests must continue to make a reservation for the park they plan to attend in the morning. After 2:00, you may then switch to a different park, provided you have the park hopper ticket and the park has not reached capacity for the day. Fortunately, this rarely happens.

When deciding on which ticket to buy, you’ll want to consider how you plan to vacation. To make sure you select the right ticket, take a look at each park and make note of the attractions, shows and rides you plan to enjoy. That should provide you with enough information to determine whether you will want to park hop or spend each day in a single park.

If you know you will be attending a water park and would like to take advantage of mini golf or other activities included in the park hopper plus option, you’ll want to compare the cost of this ticket to purchasing a base single day ticket and buying the added experiences separately.

The Longer You Stay, the Less You Pay

Walt Disney World tickets in 2023 are set up on a sliding scale. This works in 2 ways.

First, if you are visiting a single park for just one day, your ticket will be priced according to the park you visit. At present, Disney World single day tickets start at $109.00 and may go up, depending on the day you plan to visit.

The sliding scale also works when purchasing multi-day tickets. In fact, the per-day ticket price drops the longer you stay.

To see this in action, consider the price of a single-day one-park ticket in August. On August 22-25, the cost for a single day ticket is $109. If you plan to visit for four days and purchase four individual one-park tickets, your cost would be $436 for the course of your stay, before taxes.

DW ticket pricing calendar august 2023
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Fortunately, Disney doesn’t require you to purchase four single tickets and is willing to cut you a small break if you visit for multiple days. Purchasing one pass for the entire length of your stay could drop the cost of your ticket to $486.41 for one adult ticket, before taxes, for the same four days in August.

Disney World Ticket Prices Vary by Date

In 2018, Disney revamped its ticket pricing structure to encourage more even travel throughout the year. With this new pricing system, the cost of your Disney World ticket in 2023 will vary depending on the dates you travel.

In some cases, weekends or other days are priced higher. To see this in action, we can again look at the cost of a single one-park ticket in August. According to Disney World’s ticketing website at the time of this writing, the cost for a ticket on August 22nd would be $109. However, if you visit at the beginning of the month, you could see ticket costs as high as $149. Late August is a less time for vacationers to visit the World, so the costs are lower.

DW ticket pricing calendar august 2023
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DW newsletter call out box small

Where Should I Buy My Disney World Tickets in 2023 and Are Discounts Available?

Now that you understand your options, you might be wondering where you should buy your Disney World Tickets. Disney sells tickets to all of its Florida theme parks, water parks and special ticketed events, right through the park’s website, the My Disney Experience app or through travel agents. If you’re looking to understand ticket costs and your options, the Disney World website should be your first stop as Disney makes it easiest to find the least expensive dates.

Simply hover over the Parks & Tickets option in the main navigation at the top of the page. In the drop down menu, select theme park tickets. Then select the type of ticket you want to purchase. You will then be given the chance to check availability within the Disney Park reservation system before purchasing a ticket.

Ensuring availability within the parks is a critical first step. Once you purchase your Walt Disney World theme park tickets, they will only be good for a week or so from the first date of travel, and they are not refundable. If you a make a purchase and then discover that there is no availability in the parks, you will be out those funds.

Once you have checked availability for your dates of travel, you can scroll down to see the various ticket options.

Walt Disney World ticket options in 2022
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From here, you could select your ticket type, scroll down to select your dates and then complete your purchase right from the Disney World website.

A better option for purchasing Disney World tickets is to include them in a Disney World vacation package. A vacation package rolls the cost of an onsite Disney World resort hotel and your tickets together. You will pay a deposit at the time of booking, but the final package cost won’t be due until 30 days before you travel. You may cancel your reservation at any time before then and receive a full refund. When purchasing tickets separately, they are non-refundable. You can learn more about this by visiting our page on Disney World vacation packages.

At times, Disney World does offer discounts on ticket purchases. More common discounts include the booking of a Disney World resort hotel. You can always view the current discounts on our Disney World discounts page.


Simplifying the Disney World Ticket Buying Process

When you’re looking to save time and simplifying the purchasing process, work with a Disney travel agent on your ticket purchase. You’ll pay the same price for the tickets, but will have the added benefit of experience to guide you.

Disney travel agents working with an authorized Disney travel agency, such as Mickey World Travel, will discuss your trip with you and help you pick the right ticket option for your vacation and budget. They will then initiate the transaction for you and can even help you link tickets to your My Disney Experience account if necessary.


What is a Magic Band and Do I Need One?

Magic Bands in orange, red, pink and green linked to FastPass+ reservations
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For many people, Disney World tickets and MagicBands go hand-in-hand. These wrist-worn bands can be purchased for an additional charge. They act as a room key as well as your ticket to the park. Magic Bands even hold Genie+ reservations allowing you to simply tap your wrist to enter the Lightning Lane.

One thing to note, Magic Bands were formally included in the cost of your Disney World Resort stay. So, if you previously stayed at a Disney World onsite property, you can reuse the Magic Bands provided to you at that time.


Disneyland quote image

Purchasing Disney World Tickets – What Will they Give Me?

The form of your ticket differs depending on where you purchase and your preferences. When purchasing online through Disney’s website or the My Disney Experience app, you can easily have the tickets assigned to your Magic Band if you’re staying at a Disney resort. Just make sure you are signed into your My Disney Experience Account when you buy. Otherwise you will need to link them using the number given as confirmation of your purchase.

If you purchase a Disney World vacation package, you can use your package reservation code to link your tickets to your My Disney Experience account. Once linked, they are available through your MagicBand or Disney MagicMobile.

If you don’t plan to use either MagicBand or MagicMobile, you will need a plastic ticket card to scan at park entry points. Be sure you opt to have tickets mailed to you during the purchase process if this is the case.

The card has each individual’s name and a special number as well as a magnetic strip on the back. These are valid for admission for the length of your stay and easily fit in a pocket or wallet. You may also opt to pick up your tickets at the park on the day of your arrival.


Learn how to link your Disney World Theme Park tickets to your Magic Band or My Disney Experience account.


When purchasing tickets anywhere else, you will probably be given some options. Travel agents, for example, may provide you with hard plastic ticket or email you electronic tickets without any additional charge.

These can then be linked to your My Disney Experience account and assigned to to the individuals in your party. When this process is complete, they will be automatically loaded to the Magic Band for each person in your travel party if you are using them.

When it comes to purchasing Walt Disney World tickets in 2023, you have many options to find the magical combination that is right for you.


Looking for More Information to Plan Your Disney World Trip?



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Mother daughter travel bloggers exploring the U.S.

We're Kat and Ali, a pair of mother-daughter travel bloggers exploring the U.S. We're sharing our experiences, tips and insights to help you more easily get out and explore the beautiful landscapes and places of this nation.

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Kathleen Hesketh

Kathleen is a travel agent with Mickey World Travel, a platinum level Authorized Disney vacation planner, where she helps people discover the magic of a Disney vacation and other travel destinations. She is also the chief author and editor for Seconds to Go - a travel blog where she shares experiences from traveling the U.S. with her daughter, Ali. Kathleen has been a professional writer for more than a decade, helping businesses craft compelling content to advance organizational goals.

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