How do you decide? Keep reading...
Magic Your Way Passes:
Sometimes, Disney offers their MYW packages as part of a deal -- for example, they'll give you their dining package free if you buy a certain number of passes and pay full rack rates for your resort room. So in order to receive that special deal, you are forced to purchase your passes as part of the package.
However, unless you're booking a special room + passes deal through Disney, I wouldn't necessarily bother buying passes directly from Disney World. There are better ways to save money. Instead, I would make a room-only resort booking with Disney, and then buy my park passes separately through a third party dealer. But first, read these IMPORTANT tips:
TIP #1: Never, EVER plan on buying your passes at the Disney gate when you arrive. The prices of passes at the gate are higher than anything available online!
TIP #2: Never, EVER buy park passes from people on Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji or any other unverified place online. There is no way of telling if the passes you're buying are legitimate, or have any days usage left on them until you're standing at Walt Disney World.
TIP #3: Don't bother visiting the numerous places in Florida that advertise having abnormally cheap or free Disney passes. They are selling vacation time-shares and you will need to sit through hours of sales-pitches and seminars before they'll hand over the passes.
Safe Places To Buy Discounted Passes:
There are two discount places that I go to when I want to buy Disney World passes. Both are reputable, verified, real ticket dealers that can be trusted. Both offer pretty much the best prices you're going to find on Disney passes.
The Official Ticket Center: They offer tickets to not only Disney World, but virtually all other tourist attractions in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. They do not ship passes to Canada, but they will hand-deliver to your resort when you arrive, or you can pick up your passes at their office which is quite close to the Magic Kingdom.
Undercover Tourist: Again, great discounted tickets to Disney World. But, if you also sign up for the monthly newsletter at Mousesavers, they include a special code for additional discounts on tickets through Undercover Tourist!
What Kind Of Pass Should I Buy?
First, decide how many days you plan on being at the parks. I always recommend at least a 4-day pass. That guarantees you a day at each park: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom. Some people think "Oh, I'm only going to go to one or two of the parks" and I strongly advise against that. All 4 parks are fantastic, excellent for kids and adults of all ages, and offer something special for everyone. Don't pigeon-hole yourself or you'll be missing out on a lot!
Keep in mind: the more days you purchase on a pass, the cheaper the "cost per day" becomes.
For instance, a one-day pass costs $85.00..... but if you buy a 5-day pass, the cost per day becomes $50.20. So the more you play, the more you save!
Choosing a pass is this easy:
1. Select the number of days you'd like on your base pass.
2. Decide if you'd like the Park Hopping option added (additional $55.00). This will allow you to "hop" between parks on the same day. This is helpful if your kids are whining to go back to a certain park, if you'd like dinner reservations at a different park that evening, or if the park you're in is crowded that day -- you can hop over to somewhere else! If you don't purchase this option, then you can only come and go from one park per day.
3. Decide if you'd like to add the Water Park & More option (additional $55.00). This will allow you access to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon (Disney's awesome water parks), DisneyQuest (Disney's interactive computer & gaming centre), and Wide World of Sports (Disney's sports arena). The number of visits you receive depends on the number of days you book on your base pass.
4. Decide if you'd like to add the No Expiration option (prices range from $25 - $225.00). All Disney passes expire 14 days after they're first used... BUT... if you purchase the No Expiration option, then any unused days on your park passes can be saved for future trips to Disney World. So, if you anticipate coming back to Disney in the future, the most cost-effective way to save in the long run is to purchase as many days as you can afford (remember: the more days you purchase, the cost-per-day goes down!), as well as the No Expiration option. Then you've got the best deal on passes for future trips! NOTE: For the past several years, Disney has raised their park-ticket prices each August/September... so purchasing in advance for future trips is a great way to save!
If you anticipate yourself going to the Disney World parks for more than 9-days within one 365-day year, then you might want to consider an Annual Pass. Intercot has the information & pricing you would need on this!
Don't forget to LINK your park tickets!
After you've purchased your park tickets (regardless of where you've purchased them), you should link them to your reservation, either on the My Disney Experience website or mobile phone app. By doing this, you're essentially telling Disney you've got your tickets and you're ready to start making FastPass+ ride time reservations. (See FAQ if you're unsure what FastPass+ is) The sooner you link your park tickets, the sooner you can make your selections and get the pick of the crop! Linking your tickets involves entering the serial number from each ticket and assigning it to one member of your family. Remember, Disney resort guests can make their FastPass selections 60 days in advance of their trip, whereas off-site resort guests can make their selections 30 days in advance. Waiting until immediately before your trip to make these selections may mean the rides you definitely want to ride no longer have FastPass+ times available and you will have to wait in the standby ride queues during your trip.
Voila! You've made all the decisions you need for your park passes!
Move on to Step #5: Disney Dining Plan