Knowing the Disney Ticket Options and Choosing the Right One

Walt Disney World is larger than many first-time visitors realize. It has four theme parks and two water parks, all of which require separate tickets for admission.

Disney offers various types of tickets, and knowing the different options will help you choose the right one for your vacation. Here's a quick summary:

One park tickets: One park tickets get you into the Disney theme park of your choice. You can buy single or multi-day tickets, and if you go for the multi-day option, you choose one park per day. You can enter and exit that park as often as you wish during that day, but you can't go into one of the other three parks without using up another admission.

One park tickets work well for families with younger kids who like to take a midday break. Start your morning at the theme park of your choice, whether it's the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom. Stay until the kids need a nap or a break at your hotel pool. Once they're rested up, head back to the park for Round Two. You can hit attractions that you missed in the morning or even repeat some favorites that the kids might clamor to do again.

If you use one-park tickets, you can plan out your day at the park of your choice and hit most of your must-see attractions. Disney offers free Fastpasses for many of the most popular rides, but on busy days your Fastpass return time might be several hours away. That's no problem if you're staying in the same park all day. For example, you can grab a Soarin' Fastpass at Epcot, then kill time letting the kids explore the hands-on activities in Innoventions and play a few rounds of Agent P's World Showcase Adventure until your ride time.

Choosing the right Disney Ticket can save you hundreds on your next Orlando vacation.

Park Hopper tickets: As the name implies, Park Hopper tickets let you move freely between the four Walt Disney World theme parks as much as you wish every day. Technically you can visit all four parks in a single day, but two is a more realistic number. For example, you can start your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom or Disney's Hollywood Studio. Then, pop over to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot in the evening to see the Wishes fireworks or the Illuminations show on the lagoon in World Showcase.

Park Hopper tickets are great if you have limited time on your vacation because they let you see multiple parks, even if you're only staying in Orlando for two or three days. Granted, you won't get to see everything at each park, but at least you'll get a flavor of what they offer.

You can move directly between the theme parks or go to one, take a break, then visit a different one later. For example, park hopping gives you the flexibility to book the princess breakfast at Epcot in the morning, then head over to Disney's Animal Kingdom or the Magic Kingdom to catch the afternoon parade.

Water Park Fun and More tickets: If you want to hit Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, Water Park Fun and More tickets might be perfect for your family. They give you a certain number of visits to the water parks or other fun spots at the Walt Disney World resort, like the miniature golf courses and the DisneyQuest virtual theme park, depending on your ticket length. This option is available with both one-park and Park Hopper tickets.

These tickets are great for visits during the summer, when a water park gives you a day of cool relief. They also give you a great option for rainy days, since DisneyQuest is located indoors at Downtown Disney.

You probably have an idea of which type of ticket would work best for your family. If you need help with the final decision, visit www.orlandovacation.com or call 1-800-641-4008. You'll learn about special offers that include free days with a qualifying length of stay.