Frequently Asked Questions About Walt Disney World

On this page you’ll find answers to dozens of Walt Disney World frequently asked questions, including information about vacation planning, tickets, hotels and more!

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General Planning

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Help! Where do I start?

If you have never been on a Walt Disney World vacation (or it has been a long time), it’s understandable why you might feel overwhelmed by all of the information on this site. The best place to start is with the step-by-step planning guide.

When are the best (and worst) times of year to go to Walt Disney World?

WHEN you choose to visit can make a substantial difference! It’s not as big a difference as it used to be, as Disney has done a lot of work on spreading attendance across the year. They put special events, parties, festivals and promotions to fill up the hotels and parks during the traditional off season, making the slow seasons not as slow as they once were. That said, paying attention to dates is still worth it. Even if you have very limited times you can go, choosing the best possible options for arrival and departure date might reduce the average attendance across your trip by 10% or more if you can just avoid one super busy day, and that’s absolutely worth it.

During certain peak times, the parks will be terribly crowded and the hotel rates will be sky-high. Restaurants will be booked up months in advance AND (little known fact) Disney raises meal prices at many of its restaurants during busy times of year! You’ll be able to do about half as much as you expect, and it will cost you — both in money and in precious time.

By contrast, if you go at an off-peak time, the parks will be far less crowded and the room rates will be lower. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can do in a day, when you are not fighting huge crowds.

How’s the weather when I’m planning to go?

Our advice is to ignore long-term weather forecasts, as weather forecasting only has good accuracy up to 2-3 days out. Just look at the historical average high and low for the days you’re going. From the temperature range, decide whether you’re going to need light clothes only, or whether you might want to bring a jacket. Assume that on a super hot day it might get 5-ish degrees hotter than the historical average high, and during a bad cold snap it might get 10-ish degrees colder, and you should be prepared.

If you’re going during high-precipitation periods, you should be prepared for rain every day, probably with a packable poncho. Even in low-precipitation periods, you may want to bring some thin disposable ponchos just in case, or you can assume you’ll buy a poncho in the nearest shop if rain comes unexpectedly. At Disney World, every shop of any significant size and most of the merchandise kiosks have ponchos available year-round.

The most straightforward and simple look at average temperature high & low and rainfall in the Disney World area we’ve found is this Climate Charts page for Orlando International.

If you want a more comprehensive look at local weather averages, this page for Disney World weather on Weatherbase has lots more information, with links to other charts, graphs and data tables.

Will there be any attractions shut down for maintenance or refurbishment while I’m at Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World does have to shut down rides and attractions throughout the year to do inspection, maintenance, and refurbishment. Most rides get shut down for at least a few days each year. When they can, Disney will schedule their refurbishments in the off-season to minimize the number of guests affected. They also avoid scheduling multiple popular attractions for refurbishment at the same time. Generally, during peak seasons (Spring Break, June and July, and Christmas through New Years) Disney will do their best to have every attraction running. To give themselves a little cushion, they actually want everything running before the crowds arrive, so if you visit a week or so before a peak season, chances are most rides will be running. Conversely, right after a peak season is when the largest number of attractions are scheduled for maintenance, so if you visit in early September or January there may be several rides closed.

No matter what time of year you go, there is always a chance that they will need to shut down a ride for mechanical or other issues. Sometimes these unscheduled shutdowns last a few minutes, and sometimes the whole day. For example, Test Track at Epcot must be shut down when it rains any harder than a light sprinkle, largely because traveling 60+ miles per hour in an open-top car in the rain is an unpleasant experience for guests. Outdoor shows like Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Village are sometimes cancelled if there is especially bad weather. For the most up-to-date information, check the printed daily park schedule or the tip board when you arrive, or ask at the concierge desk if you’re staying at a Disney hotel.

Walt Disney World usually puts rides on their refurbishment schedule about 4-6 months in advance, but this schedule is always subject to change. Occasionally a ride will get added last-minute or shut down with no warning, or a refurbishment will get rescheduled.

The folks at TouringPlans.com maintain a FREE regularly-updated chart of planned refurbishment of rides, shows, and other attractions at Walt Disney World. You do not need to have a subscription to TouringPlans.com to use the chart, but TouringPlans.com offers lots of useful information for anyone planning a Walt Disney World vacation, and a subscription is worth every penny. They offer an exclusive discount to MouseSavers readers, so be sure to use our discount link if you choose to subscribe.

How can I make our Disney World vacation extra special?

While every Disney World vacation should be a blast, if you’re celebrating a special occasion, want to inject a little romance, or just plain want to do something extra, we do have some ideas for you.

I am organizing a family reunion at Disney World. Any suggestions?

Yes! Read MouseSavers.com founder Mary Waring’s report on organizing a family reunion at Walt Disney World.

I saw a website or an “e-book” that says it can save me a ton of money on my vacation — if I pay for it.

There are several websites out there that claim they’ll share the secret of saving big money on Disney vacations. The thing is, they want you to pay a monthly or annual fee for the information. We have investigated many of these sites, and at the risk of tooting our own horn, we can honestly say you’ll get more and better information right here on MouseSavers.com — for FREE.

Likewise, there are many “e-books” being sold on eBay, claiming to share exclusive secrets about how to save money on your Disney vacation. Many of these “e-books” are selling copyrighted material from MouseSavers.com and other useful (and FREE) websites like Deb Wills’ allearsnet.com. Some of the “e-books” on eBay are literally nothing more than a list of links to various websites.

Quite a few of the “e-books” we’ve checked out contained wildly outdated, erroneous or just plain wrong information. We’ve even seen some that advocated fraud, such as acquiring a Florida ID (which is a felony if you aren’t a resident) in order to buy discounted tickets!

In short, don’t waste your money.

I have a disability or health issue and may need special accommodations. How can I get more information?

Here are some great resources for anyone with a disability or special need who plans to visit one of the Disney theme parks:

Disney’s official information about help for those with disabilities at Walt Disney World. For “live” help, check out the DIS Boards’ disABILITIES forum, where you’ll find many people who have visited the Disney parks multiple times and can provide great insights, tips and tricks on dealing with special needs and disabilities. For those with special dietary needs, the Diz-Abled.com website provides menus from virtually all of the Disney World restaurants and provides information about each restaurant’s special needs policies. The owners of this site also publish a guidebook, Walt Disney World with Disabilities, covering disabilities and special needs at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World is making allergy-friendly menus available at more and more of its table-service and quick-service restaurants so that you can see allergen content for each menu item.

I need to minimize walking. Any suggestions on where to stay and how to get around?

If you have difficulty walking long distances, or you’ll be traveling with someone who does, please consider renting an “Electric Convenience Vehicle” (ECV), also known as an electric wheelchair or “scooter,” even if you don’t normally use one. A day in any of Disney’s theme parks will entail walking at least 5 miles and up to 15 miles.

To get around with the least walking outside of the parks, we highly recommend renting a car. Pick a hotel with valet parking for extra convenience. You can retrieve the car and pick up anyone who has difficulty walking right in front of the hotel each day. Parking at three of the four theme parks is easy (see below for exception) and the walk to the parking lot tram from your car is engineered to be fairly short — usually shorter than the walk from the Disney bus stops or Monorail. The parking lot tram will deliver you to the front of the park at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

So driving to the parks is ideal… EXCEPT for Magic Kingdom, where after parking, you take a tram from the parking lot to the Ticket and Transportation Center and then transfer to the Ferry or Monorail to reach the park. For that park specifically, taking a Disney bus from a Disney resort is much better, as it will put you right near the entrance. Note that the Monorail resorts (Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian) as well as Ft. Wilderness resort do not have bus service to Magic Kingdom.

If you will have a car, the most step-saving of Disney’s resorts is Wilderness Lodge. All rooms are in the main building and the building’s layout is relatively compact by Disney standards. There is valet parking. You can take a bus to Magic Kingdom to avoid the parking issues. (There is also boat service to Magic Kingdom from Wilderness Lodge, but it requires some walking through the grounds to get out to the dock, and it may be difficult for some people to step into the boat.)

If you will have a car and need a less expensive hotel than Wilderness Lodge, pick any non-Disney hotel in the area, such as one of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels, and drive to the parks each day. You’ll have a little extra walking when you visit the Magic Kingdom, since you won’t have access to a Disney resort bus, but it’s workable. That might be the day to rent an ECV, even if you’re not doing so during the rest of the trip.

If you are dead-set on not renting a car, the most convenient hotels are Disney’s Grand Floridian and Contemporary. You’ll want to be in the “main tower building” rooms, which are of course the most expensive: the Monorail stop will be in the same building. From those two hotels you can take the Resort Monorail directly to Magic Kingdom. To get to Epcot you take the Resort Monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you transfer to the Epcot Monorail. You will have to take a Disney bus to Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios from those two resorts, however.

No rental car and need a less expensive hotel?

If you really want to stay at a Disney hotel, you’re on a tight budget and you won’t have a car, your best options are:

Pop Century Resort – Shell out the extra money for a “Preferred” room. Preferred rooms will be closer to the resort’s bus stops, but even so, you’ll be doing a lot of walking at the resort itself.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – The resort’s single bus stop is in the main building (Animation Hall) and the walk from there to the buildings housing the Family Suites is as minimal as you’re going to find at a Value resort. The Finding Nemo suites are closest, followed by The Lion King suites and then the Cars suites. It’s a significantly longer walk to The Little Mermaid standard rooms, however.

You should also check out the Holiday Inn Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Rates are some of the lowest you’ll find for a very decent hotel, and it’s very close to Walt Disney World. Scheduled shuttle service (also included in the daily service fee) is available to Walt Disney World’s Ticket & Transportation Center, Universal, SeaWorld, Orlando Premium Outlets, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and Orange County Convention Center. The number of destinations served is unusual, and can save you a lot on transportation.

Does Disney World ever offer special discounts for Canadians?

Not often, but occasionally. In the past, when the exchange rate was much less favorable for Canadians, Disney World occasionally offered “at par” specials on vacation packages, hotel rooms and tickets, particularly in the off-season.

You can visit the “Special Offers” section of Walt Disney World Disney’s Canadian website to see any current deals specific to Canadians, but 99% of the time the offers are the same as those distributed in the US. Sometimes the Canadian offer will have a different discount code, but otherwise it will be identical to the US offer.

Canadians can book the US offers. The Disney specialist travel agency we recommend, Small World Vacations, gladly works with clients around the globe. They have many clients from Canada.

Does Disney World ever offer special discounts for visitors from the UK and Ireland?

Yes. Disney sometimes offers special deals for visitors from the UK and Ireland on holiday packages, hotel rooms and tickets for Walt Disney World. Read our information on Walt Disney World offers for visitors from the UK and Ireland.

In addition, UK residents can book the US offers. The Disney specialist travel agency we recommend, Small World Vacations, gladly works with clients around the globe. They have many clients from the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately they cannot book UK-specific offers, but sometimes the American offers are a better deal. It’s also worth noting that the US vacation package offers have much more advantageous cancellation and change policies than the UK holiday package offers.

General Questions about Accommodations

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Where should I stay?

That’s a complicated question that depends on your preferences as far as cost, location, convenience and more. We really can’t make that decision for you, but here is some information that may help:

What’s the difference between the Disney resorts, the Swan & Dolphin, the Four Seasons Orlando, the Disney Springs resort area hotels, and other hotels?

In addition to the obvious differences in terms of theming, proximity to the theme parks, etc., each of these hotel types has a different level of special privileges.

Privileges available when staying at one of the Disney resorts, which include Value resorts, Moderate resorts, Deluxe resorts, Deluxe Villas (aka Disney Vacation Club) and Ft. Wilderness cabins & campsites:

Access to Extra Magic Hours

Ability to use Disney’s Magical Express (free transportation and luggage transfers to and from the airport)

Ability to make up to ten days of Advance Dining Reservations starting 180 days prior to check-in.

Advance Dining Reservations starting 180 days prior to check-in. Ability to make advance FastPass+ selections for the entire trip (up to 14 days) starting 60 days prior to check-in.

Ability to buy a Disney Dining Plan, with purchase of a vacation package.

Unlimited free use of the excellent Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) which connects all of the Disney resorts to the theme parks and Disney Springs, and connects the Disney resorts to each other.

(buses, boats and Monorails) which connects all of the Disney resorts to the theme parks and Disney Springs, and connects the Disney resorts to each other. FREE parking at all of the Disney theme parks (they’ll scan your MagicBand at the parking kiosks). Self-parking overnight at the resort incurs a daily charge, however.

at all of the Disney theme parks (they’ll scan your MagicBand at the parking kiosks). Self-parking overnight at the resort incurs a daily charge, however. Charging privileges – you can charge most purchases in the Disney resorts and theme parks to your room key.

– you can charge most purchases in the Disney resorts and theme parks to your room key. Package delivery – have theme park purchases delivered to your Disney resort.

Privileges available when staying at the Swan and Dolphin hotels:

Access to Extra Magic Hours

Ability to make advance FastPass+ selections for the entire trip (up to 14 days) starting 60 days prior to check-in.

Unlimited free use of the excellent Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) which connects all of the Disney resorts to the theme parks and Disney Springs, and connects the Disney resorts to each other.

(buses, boats and Monorails) which connects all of the Disney resorts to the theme parks and Disney Springs, and connects the Disney resorts to each other. FREE parking at all of the Disney theme parks (show your room key at the parking gates).

at all of the Disney theme parks (show your room key at the parking gates). Package delivery – have theme park purchases delivered to your Disney resort.

Privileges available when staying at Shades of Green:

Access to Extra Magic Hours

Unlimited free use of the excellent Shades of Green bus system that goes to all four theme parks and the Ticket and Transportation Center, and easy connections to the Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) once you are at one of the theme parks or the Ticket and Transportation Center.

Privileges available when staying at the Four Seasons Orlando:

Access to Extra Magic Hours

Unlimited free bus service, which connects the hotel to the theme parks and Disney Springs.

You can use the Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) once you are at one of the theme parks, the Ticket and Transportation Center, or Disney Springs.

Privileges available when staying at the Disney Springs resort area hotels:

Access to Extra Magic Hours

Ability to make advance FastPass+ selections for the entire trip (up to 14 days) starting 60 days prior to check-in.

Unlimited free use of the very good Disney Springs bus system , which connects the Disney Springs resort area hotels to the theme parks and Disney Springs. Disney Spring buses do not go to the Disney resorts.

, which connects the Disney Springs resort area hotels to the theme parks and Disney Springs. Disney Spring buses do not go to the Disney resorts. You can use the Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) once you are at one of the theme parks, the Ticket and Transportation Center, or Disney Springs.

(buses, boats and Monorails) once you are at one of the theme parks, the Ticket and Transportation Center, or Disney Springs. Package delivery – have theme park purchases delivered to your resort (note that they will be sent to the Disney Store at the hotel, and you’ll need to pick them up during store hours).

Privileges available when staying off the Disney property (all other Walt Disney World-area hotels):

Most hotels off the Disney property have “scheduled” transportation to the theme parks — typically 2 departures in the morning and 2 return buses in the evening — and no transportation to Disney Springs or Disney resorts.

You can use the Disney transportation system (buses, boats and Monorails) once you are at one of the theme parks, the Ticket and Transportation Center, or Disney Springs.

What is a “Good Neighbor” hotel?

A “Good Neighbor” hotel usually has a ticket shop in the lobby that sells full price Disney tickets. Other than that, the “Good Neighbor” designation means nothing for the consumer. It does not guarantee quality. Some “Good Neighbor” hotels really aren’t very nice, while others are excellent. Some are close to Disney World, while others are quite far away.

Basically, we would advise you to ignore the “Good Neighbor” designation, as it doesn’t guarantee you anything at all.

When and how can I get the best deal at one of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels?

The MouseSavers Preferred Hotels are hotels we’ve hand-selected in the Walt Disney World area because they offer outstanding value and excellent quality. All of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels offer year-round, specially-negotiated room rates and/or extras for MouseSavers.com readers. These ongoing deals can typically be booked up to a year in advance.

In addition, some of the hotels will occasionally offer even deeper discounts or other promotions if they have empty rooms to fill. The timing of those offers is highly variable. At some hotels there will be specials when there are no conventions going on, while for others it’s just a seasonal thing. Overall, specials tend to show up 3-6 months in advance.

Some of the promotional offers appear on MouseSavers.com, but some discounts are listed only in the MouseSavers Newsletter or the MouseSavers Hot Deals emails. If you haven’t already signed up for those, we recommend doing so. Both publications are FREE. Sign up for the newsletter or the Hot Deals emails.

Sometimes the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels promote last-minute discounts and deals through the MouseSavers Facebook page. You can “like” that page and you’ll see any specials that pop up.

I have more than four people in my party. How can I find reasonably-priced accommodations?

For those who want or need more space than you’ll find in the typical hotel room that accommodates a family of four, there are options in three categories: Disney’s resorts, non-Disney hotels located on Disney property, and off-site hotels.

By the way, if you will have a large group, you may want to read MouseSavers.com founder Mary Waring’s reunion tips.

Disney’s Resorts

A family of 5 or larger can be surprisingly expensive to accommodate at a Walt Disney World resort, because Disney’s hotels aren’t geared toward large families! Ironic for a “family” destination, but true.

These are the occupancies of Disney’s standard hotel rooms:

Value resort rooms sleep 4.

Most Moderate resort rooms also sleep 4, with two exceptions. One is the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside, where you can get rooms with a trundle bed that will sleep a 5th (small) person. The other is Caribbean Beach, where many of the rooms now have a pull-out bunk-size bed that can sleep one child or small adult.

Many standard rooms at Disney’s Deluxe resorts sleep 5, except Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard rooms sleep 4 max) and Wilderness Lodge (rooms sleep 4 except for Deluxe Rooms, aka Junior Suites, which sleep 5).

One thing to bear in mind: Disney doesn’t count a child under 3 who sleeps in a crib in its room occupancy limits. You can add one baby to the room without additional charge. So if your family includes a baby, you can subtract one person from your count.

We are occasionally asked if Disney is “strict” about room limits. The answer is yes. Disney didn’t invent the limits; they are dictated by the Fire Marshal, based on the square footage of the room and the number of beds. The limits are for your own safety and comfort. (Also, if you sneak in extra people, they will not receive room keys, so they won’t be able to access Extra Magic Hours or charge anything to your room account. People not listed on your room roster also don’t get to use the FREE Magical Express transportation to/from the airport and they cannot be added to any Dining Plan you purchase.)

If you want to stay on Disney property with a family of 6 or more, you can choose from the following options:

Non-Disney Hotels on Disney Property

There are a few nice options for families of 5 or more that are on Disney property (in the Disney Springs area), but not operated by Disney:

The B Resort and Spa has large tower rooms that sleep 5 comfortably, with a pull-out single chair in addition to two Queen beds.

Only one hotel in Disney Springs has reasonably priced 1-bedroom suites that will accommodate 6 people: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort, which is one of the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels. These suites also include a mini-fridge and microwave.

Off-Site Hotels

Outside of Disney property, there are some excellent options:

Floridays Resort Orlando is a family-friendly condo-style resort that features 2- and 3-bedroom suites with full kitchens at budget friendly prices. 2-bedroom suites sleep 6 and 3-bedroom suites sleep up to 8. The main pool has an expansive kiddie play area, and is conveniently surrounded by all of the resort’s amenities. It’s an easy drive to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, premium outlets and dining.

Hilton Grand Vacations at Tuscany Village is a beautifully landscaped condo-style resort near Walt Disney World that features spacious 1, 2, and 3-bedroom suites with full kitchens, numerous amenities and easy access to the parks, premium outlet shopping and more. 2-bedroom suites sleep 6 and 3-bedroom suites sleep up to 8.

The upscale Caribe Royale Resort and its less-expensive sister property Buena Vista Suites both offer 1-bedroom suites that sleep 6, and you get a mini-fridge and microwave. Buena Vista Suites includes a full hot breakfast buffet in the rate.

The Caribe Royale offers fabulous 2-bedroom villas that sleep up to 8 and beat Disney’s prices by a mile. Plus, the 2-bedroom villas all include full kitchens, and an in-suite washer/dryer.

Magic Village Views and Magic Village Yards by Wyndham offer luxurious 3- and 4- bedroom townhomes with full concierge services in a gated resort community. 3-bedrooms sleep 6 and 4-bedrooms sleep 8. Homes are fully furnished and all include a full kitchens, laundry room, outdoor covered patio and more. Located in Kissimmee, very close to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Close to Universal Orlando and about a 20 minute drive to Walt Disney World, the Drury Inn & Suites offers double queen rooms that sleep up to 5 and 1-bedroom suites that sleep 6. Rooms include a mini-fridge and microwave, and in addition to FREE full hot breakfast, your room rate includes FREE light dinner (!), parking, Wi-Fi and shuttle to Universal Orlando.

Are vacation homes a good bet when visiting Walt Disney World?

There are dozens of companies and hundreds of individual homeowners out there on the Internet offering rental vacation homes (sometimes called “villas”) in the Orlando area. We get many questions about this option, which on the surface sounds like an appealing way for families (particularly larger families) to save some money on accommodation.

This is a controversial subject and we have received a ton of email from people who have rented vacation homes. Overall, we don’t see much of a pattern: emails regarding vacation homes tend to run 50-50 pro and con. Some people are extremely enthusiastic about their experiences with vacation home rentals and have reported to us that they were very happy with this option. (Sadly, when we’ve followed up on some of the glowing letters we’ve received on the subject, we learned a few were sent by “shills” who own or manage such homes.) We’ve received about an equal number of letters from renters who have been extremely disappointed with the experience.

We have decided not to feature rental vacation homes on MouseSavers.com. That’s partly because of the mixed reports we’ve had from readers, but it’s mainly because we have done considerable in-person research on vacation homes. Without identifying ourselves or revealing our connection with MouseSavers.com, we have viewed a lot of homes and had extensive conversations with property managers and individual owners. Some of the homes were much nicer than others. However, we came away from our research feeling uncomfortable with recommending any particular company or individual.

A little background: There are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of vacation homes in the Orlando area. In fact, we think it’s safe to say the market is flooded with such properties, which is why the rentals are often relatively cheap. A lot of the owners are residents of the UK, though some Americans also own rental homes. The homeowners typically vacation in Florida for one month per year and let a property management firm rent out the home for the rest of the year. A lot of the property management companies that service vacation home rentals are also real estate agencies that are in the business of selling vacation homes.

The majority of vacation homes are located in Kissimmee, a town neighboring Orlando, where you will find rows and rows of tract homes that are mostly used as rentals. While there are significant exceptions, on the whole the Kissimmee homes tend to be cheaply furnished and a little tattered around the edges. Most of them are pretty ordinary and don’t offer much in the way of luxury, other than (usually) a pool.

There are some luxury homes in other areas of Orlando, which charge much higher rents. You may end up paying as much per night as you would for a luxury hotel. If you really want extra space, these may be worth looking into. Personally at that price level we would prefer the services of a fine hotel, but others feel differently.

Don’t count on the “10 minute” drives to Walt Disney World that all of the vacation home rental companies seem to advertise. The drives are usually more like 20-30 minutes in normal traffic. (You might be able to get to Disney World in 10 minutes from some of the homes in the middle of the night, if you hit all the lights.)

While we are sure there are many honorable people who rent out their own homes, renting directly from the homeowners is something you must carefully research. Homeowners are usually not professional property managers and in some cases they are also not local residents. Unfortunately, if anything goes wrong, it can be difficult to get any problems fixed and/or money refunded, particularly if the owner lives out of the area.

If you’d like to rent a vacation home, our advice is to proceed with extreme caution and get plenty of references. Be sure to check on whether the home is in foreclosure, which is currently a big problem in Florida. (Homes in Osceola County can be checked through public records on the Osceola tax collector’s website and/or County Clerk’s website.) You may also want to contact the homeowner’s association where the home is located, to make sure the owner is up-to-date on association dues. (If the association maintains a pool, you may not get access to it if the homeowner is behind on dues.)

We get many emails from vacation home owners and management companies who want us to promote their properties on MouseSavers.com. We wish you good luck with your rental business, but we are not currently reviewing or featuring rental vacation homes on MouseSavers.com.

Note that if you’re looking for extra space and a home-away-from-home experience, Magic Village Views and Magic Village Yards by Wyndham offer luxurious and spacious 3- and 4- bedroom townhomes with full concierge services in a gated resort community. 3-bedroom homes sleep 6 and 4-bedroom homes sleep 8. Every townhome is fully furnished and includes a full kitchen, laundry room, outdoor covered patio and more. Located in Kissimmee, very close to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Magic Village Views and Yards offers great value for large parties or families staying in the area for several days or more. Caribe Royale offers lovely 2-bedroom condominium-style units that have room for 8 and a full kitchen and living room, but with all the amenities of a hotel. One or more of these generously-proportioned units is a great solution for large groups who want to feel like they’re not living out of a suitcase. Hilton Grand Vacations at Tuscany Village is a beautifully landscaped condo-style resort near Walt Disney World that features spacious 1, 2, and 3-bedroom suites with full kitchens, numerous amenities and easy access to the parks, premium outlet shopping and more. Floridays Resort Orlando, very near to Tuscany Village, is a family-friendly condo-style resort that features 2- and 3-bedroom suites with full kitchens at budget friendly prices. Both Floridays and Tuscany Village offer 2-bedroom suites that sleep 6 and 3-bedroom suites that sleep up to 8. Rather than a hotel, you’ll feel like you are staying in a nicely appointed apartment or condominium with plenty of room to spread out and relax.

Are there any pet-friendly hotels in Orlando?

Four Walt Disney World Resort Hotels (Art of Animation, Port Orleans – Riverside, Yacht Club and The Cabins at Fort Wilderness) allow a maximum of two dogs per guest room in select rooms. There is an extra cleaning charge per night/per room; the amount varies depending on the resort. Each dog-friendly guest room has easy access to outdoor pet walkways for exercise and green spaces with pet relief areas. While dogs will be allowed to stay in guest rooms, they will be expected to be well behaved, leashed in public resort areas and properly vaccinated. Only licensed service animals are allowed in the theme parks and Disney Springs. For more information about Disney’s dog-friendly program, including other restrictions and policies, contact Walt Disney World at 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). DVC Members should contact Member Services at 800-800-9800.

Pets are also allowed in some designated campsites at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Campground. There is an extra charge per day. There is also a centralized kennel (Best Friends Pet Care) on Disney property near Port Orleans Resort where you can keep your pet when you are in the theme parks. Reservations are strongly recommended, as it frequently sells out. Substantial daily fees apply and you’ll need a car to reach the Pet Care Center.

Floridays Resort Orlando is a pet friendly property and welcomes guests with up to two pets (up to 75 lbs each). In fact, all guests checking in with their pup will receive a doggie welcome kit! There are some breed restrictions, and there is a one-time cleaning fee. View their pet policy here.

Pets are welcome at Holiday Inn Resort Orlando – Lake Buena Vista, and most rooms will accommodate small or large pets, for a flat fee. Pets are allowed on property, but are not allowed anywhere in the pool area. Pets must stay in rooms when not accompanied by their owners. Make sure to check with the hotel on any other restrictions.

The Caribe Royale Orlando has a limited number of pet friendly suites, and welcomes smaller pets (25 pounds or less). Call the hotel to get more details about pet policies and to see if a pet friendly suite is available for your dates.

Four hotels at Universal Orlando are pet-friendly: Portofino Bay Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific Resort and Sapphire Falls Resort. While they don’t have a size limit on the pets, there is a pet fee and they may limit the number of pets per room and in the hotel overall. It’s best to call in advance and make sure they know you are bringing your pet(s). The Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando is also cat and dog friendly. Up to two pets per room are allowed (with a combined weight limit of 80 pounds), and there is a pet fee of $35 + tax/night per room.

Other Orlando-area hotels that do allow some pets include Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort (dogs up to 85 lbs), Holiday Inn Express Lake Buena Vista (40 lb limit; pet fee applies) and Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld/International Center (not sure of size limit; pet fee applies). Be sure to call and double-check their policies.

To celebrate their high school graduation, my daughter and her friend are going to Orlando. Which hotels allow an 18 year old to check in on their own?

The minimum age to check in to a hotel room at an official Walt Disney World Resort Hotel is 18. The minimum age to check in to a hotel room at a official Universal Orlando Resort Hotel is 21.

The following MouseSavers Preferred Hotels allow ages 18 and up to check in on their own:

At check-in, most hotels will ask for a credit card to have on file for incidentals. If the person checking in doesn’t have their own credit card, call the hotel and find out their specific policy and what your options are.

TripAdvisor says one of your recommended hotels is terrible!

This is actually not a frequent question, but occasionally we do hear from someone who is really worried about staying at one of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels because of something they read about the hotel on TripAdvisor.

We know it’s difficult to make a decision about a hotel, particularly when you are traveling from a distance and not familiar with the area. That’s exactly why we developed the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels program. We only recommend about a dozen hotels in the Orlando area, out of hundreds. Learn more about how the Preferred Hotels are selected.

We visit all of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels regularly, on both announced and unannounced visits. On average we visit them twice a year, and we stay at them on a rotating basis. We also pay attention to the extensive feedback we receive from our readers about the hotels, which is overwhelmingly positive. We sincerely believe you can rely on our recommendations.

The problem with TripAdvisor is that absolutely anyone can write a review, including the hotel’s competitors and the hotel’s own staff. (Don’t believe us? Read this article from USA Today or this article on NBC News.) On TripAdvisor we’ve seen multiple reviews that were obviously written by the same person about the same hotel stay (even though this isn’t officially allowed). Naturally that totally messes up the hotel’s rankings. We’ve seen more than one review that was a complete fraud: information in the review was so factually inaccurate that we doubted the reviewer had been within miles of the hotel.

Of course there are also some reviews by real guests, but some of them may be completely unreasonable or have an axe to grind. Guests who were unhappy are much more likely to post reviews than those who had a good stay.

So while we do look at TripAdvisor sometimes, we take the reviews with several grains of salt. At minimum, we recommend ignoring the very low and very high reviews and looking at those in the middle, as well as the overall ranking.

Questions About Disney Resort Accommodations, Vacation Packages & Discounts

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When will new Disney resort discounts become available? (Or, will there be discounts at the time I plan to visit?)

We wish we knew! The resort and vacation package discounts are somewhat unpredictable. Only Disney knows when (or if) the next ones will come out. We have no crystal ball — we can’t predict what Disney may decide to do.

However, you can get a general idea of the historical trends. To assist you in planning future trips for which discounts have not yet been released, check out our chart of release dates for the deepest discounts (including discount codes, Annual Passholder rates and Florida resident rates).

In addition, here are some general observations about future discount availability:

When offered, “room only” discounts for the general public, Annual Passholders and Florida residents are usually relatively last-minute. Don’t expect to get a big discount way in advance — typically the discounts are released 2-4 months in advance. Sometimes the discounts are restricted to certain resorts or room types.

Vacation package discounts are sometimes released a little earlier, but seldom more than 6 months in advance.

Naturally, Disney only offers discounts on its resorts when it has a significant number of rooms to fill. Therefore the most popular dates and resorts are typically not discounted.

Some additional observations:

We have seldom seen a discount offered for resort check-ins between December 26 and 31 . That is the busiest time of year at Disney World.

. That is the busiest time of year at Disney World. Easter week, Thanksgiving week and other major holiday periods are often “blacked out,” meaning most discounts don’t apply at that time. Sometimes AAA discounts have been available at these times.

meaning most discounts don’t apply at that time. Sometimes AAA discounts have been available at these times. Suites are not always discounted . Family Suites at Art of Animation and All-Star Music are often included in promotional discounts, but the fancier suites at the Deluxe resorts are not necessarily included, or may be discounted only 5%.

. Family Suites at Art of Animation and All-Star Music are often included in promotional discounts, but the fancier suites at the Deluxe resorts are not necessarily included, or may be discounted only 5%. Club Level rooms can sometimes be obtained at a discount, and the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom villas at the Disney Vacation Club resorts are often included in promotional discounts, especially at at Old Key West and Saratoga Springs resorts. 3-bedroom villas are usually excluded from discount offers.

Discount offers must be thought of as a “clearance sale” — if you want the discount, you have to be willing to take what’s left over! It’s important to be flexible with both dates and hotels, and to be persistent in calling back periodically to see if anything has opened up.

When will next year’s Disney resort room rates or vacation package prices be released?

Only Disney knows for sure, but it’s usually sometime in the summer prior, like June 2020 for 2021 dates. You can get a general idea of the historical trends by checking out the list of past release dates for “rack” (full price) room rates and vacation packages.

If you book a “room only” reservation for next year before the official rates are released, your deposit will be based on this year’s Peak Season rates. When the correct rates are released, your reservation will be adjusted to reflect them.

Is it possible to use more than one discount for the same Disney resort reservation?

No. You may choose only one discount, at least from Disney. If you book a room-only reservation through an online travel agency such as Orbitz, they may have a discount code or special of their own. Since their base rates are typically the same as Disney’s discounted room rates, you get, in a sense, two discounts: one from Disney and one from the online agency. Note that this is not always true: some online travel agencies calculate their discount as a percentage off Disney’s rack rates, so in that case you can choose one discount or the other, but not both.

If you are making a “room-only” reservation, you can use ONE discount, be that a discount code for the general public, Annual Passholder rate or Florida resident rate. You may not use the discounts in conjunction with one another.

Some “room-only” discounts cannot be used with vacation packages. However, sometimes there is a vacation package that incorporates the same savings that you’d get with a room-only discount, and sometimes there are special discounts on vacation packages. Also, you can now buy special vacation packages that include just the hotel room and dining plan, and the room portion is sometimes discounted.

Thanks to Alex B for suggesting this topic.

Should I reserve now, or wait until a Disney resort discount comes out?

If you will be traveling during a busy period and/or you want a specific resort and/or a particular room type, you should book a “room only” reservation as soon as you know when you’ll be traveling, so that you are sure you have a room at the time you want to travel. If you aren’t super-picky about your resort or room type and you plan to travel in a non-peak season (January, first half of February, May, September, non-holiday periods in November and December), you can probably wait until 2-4 months in advance to make your plans.

Disney allows “room only” resort bookings up to 499 days in advance, though exact pricing doesn’t become available until the summer of the year prior. In the meantime, you’ll be charged a deposit based on the highest room rate for the current year.

“Room only” reservations can usually be changed later to reflect any discount codes or Annual Passholder discounts, if they become available. However, only a certain number of discounted rooms are released for each code or discount. If those are all taken when you call, you will not be able to switch to the discounted rate, even though you already have a reservation.

If a discounted package is released later and you are interested in changing from “room only” to a package, you may have to book the package and then cancel the “room only” reservation.

Don’t book a full-price package now if you are planning to look for discounts later. All packages have restrictive rules about cancellations and changes. Also, some of the package elements (especially airfare and insurance) are usually nonrefundable.

If you are planning a trip for a time period in which discounts have not yet been announced, we strongly recommend booking your vacation with Small World Vacations. They will make the reservation at regular price and then monitor it. If a discount is released for your travel dates, they will switch your reservation (if possible) to the newly released discount. On the day the discounts are released, they are on the phone the minute the Disney Reservations Center opens, which maximizes your chances of getting the discount. This saves you a lot of work and hassle, and it doesn’t cost you a dime! They will make the reservation at regular price and then monitor it. If a discount is released for your travel dates, they will switch your reservation (if possible) to the newly released discount. On the day the discounts are released, they are on the phone the minute the Disney Reservations Center opens, which maximizes your chances of getting the discount. This saves you a lot of work and hassle, and it doesn’t cost you a dime!

If I already have a Disney resort reservation, can I add a new discount?

Maybe. If you have made a full-price “room only” reservation and it is more than 5 days before you’re supposed to check in, you should be able to change the reservation to reflect any available discount. However, only a certain number of discounted rooms are released for each code or discount. If those are all taken when you call, you will not be able to switch to the discounted rate, even though you already have a reservation.

If you have made a full-price vacation package reservation, it still may be possible to take advantage of a new discount, but it’s much trickier:

“Room only” discount codes cannot be applied to packages, so you’re going to have to cancel the package to get those discounts. If you have at least 45 days before you’re supposed to check in, you can probably cancel the package reservation without penalty. After that date you’ll pay a penalty fee. Certain parts of packages are usually not refundable, including trip insurance and airfare. We recommend that you first book a discounted room and then cancel the existing package reservation.

If a discounted package becomes available for the same hotel, room type and dates you have already booked, they may be able to switch you to the new package, and you would get either a refund or a credit on your room account. If the hotel, room type and dates you have booked are not available with the discount, but you are willing to be flexible in order to save money, you may be able to switch your package to a different hotel, room type or dates that will qualify. If you have at least 45 days before you’re supposed to check in, you can probably change the package reservation without penalty. After that date, there’s usually a penalty of $50 or more for changing the package.

If you booked through a travel agent, the agent must make any changes to your existing reservations. The same general rules given above will usually apply.

I need to arrive a day or two before a package discount offer begins. Can I still use the offer?

Yes, but it’s a little complicated. Let’s say there’s a vacation package deal that is valid for check-ins starting March 3, but you need to arrive March 2. You’ll have to make two reservations: a room-only reservation for March 2 and then a reservation for the package starting March 3.

If you want to stay in the same room, you can request to have the two reservations linked in the system. Also, when you check in, let them know you have two reservations and would prefer to stay in the same room (this isn’t guaranteed, but it’s rare that you will have to move).

On the day your package stay begins, you’ll have to officially “check out” for the first reservation by check-out time (11:00 am) and “check in” for the second reservation. You’ll have to go to the front desk and get new room keys, which will have any package benefits, such as your meal plan, coded on them. Your package benefits will be available to you as soon as you get those new room keys, so we advise checking in first thing on the morning your package stay begins.

On your “room only” night(s), you would have no package benefits. However, if your theme park tickets are part of the package, you can pick the tickets up and use them, up to 10 days before your package begins. Go to any theme park Guest Relations window or Disney Springs Guest Relations and request Early Ticket Pick-Up. (Major theme parks only: this cannot be done at a water park.) Note that although you can pick up your tickets early, you cannot get access to the Dining Plan or any other benefits of your package until you have actually checked in for the package stay at your resort.

Can I get the Dining Plan with a “room-only” Disney resort reservation?

No, but there are ways to get the Dining Plan and a room without having to buy tickets:

Disney offers the Dining Plan as part of an Annual Passholder package or a ticketless vacation package that does not require you to purchase tickets. This used to be reserved for Annual Passholders, but now anyone can get it. You need to call in or use a travel agent to book this; it’s not available online.

If you are a Disney Vacation Club member staying at a DVC resort on points, the Dining Plan is available as an add-on through DVC Member Services, without purchasing tickets. This also works if you are renting DVC points from a member; you can have them add the Dining Plan for you.

Note that some promotional packages, such as “Free Dining,” require a minimum 2-Day or 3-Day ticket, and Disney is not flexible about these requirements. It still may be worth booking one of these packages if you already have tickets, since you can hang on to one set of tickets for a future trip; regular Disney World tickets are still good toward a new ticket or annual pass, even if they expire. You can book the minimum ticket length required for the package deal; they can be applied later toward the purchase of a more expensive ticket or annual pass.

What’s the deal with “Free Dining”?

Since 2005, during select times of year, Disney has offered a free dining plan when you purchase a full-price vacation package that includes hotel room and tickets. Disney has mainly offered this plan in late summer as an incentive to get people to visit Disney World at a time when Southern schools are back in session, which causes the theme parks and hotels to empty out. Additionally, that period is peak hurricane season and extremely hot and humid.

Starting in 2008, the dates were extended into the fall and winter (except for holiday periods) because of the faltering US economy, in order to fill empty rooms. In years after that, it was occasionally offered during other seasons as well. However, as the economy has started recovering, free dining has been offered only for dates in September through December (with blackout dates during holidays) since 2013. But then in 2019, free dining was offered during the summer through the end of September and then again for a limited range of dates in September, November and December.

To see exactly when “Free Dining” has been available in past years, and when the offer was released each year, check out our chart of release dates. There is never any guarantee that Disney will continue to offer any particular discount, but this one has been extremely popular, so it will probably continue in the future, as long as Disney has a lot of rooms to fill.

Are there discounts at the Ft. Wilderness Campsites?

Sometimes, but lately very rarely. If there is a general public, Annual Passholder or Florida resident resort discount available for the time when you want to travel, it may be applicable to campsites. We generally will list exclusions in any Disney discount we list on the site, and if “campsites” is not in the list of exclusions, then campsites are eligible.

The Disney resort discount you list isn’t working for me!

All of the resort discounts on MouseSavers.com have been checked out carefully and come from legitimate published sources such as Disney newspaper advertisements, emails sent to travel agents by Disney, Disney websites, etc.

While we’re not infallible, we can tell you that when someone writes to tell us a discount didn’t work, it almost always turns out to be one of three things:

The person who wrote to us is trying to use a discount for dates or resorts for which it is not intended. This is just plain not going to work. There are no rooms at that rate remaining in the system for the particular combination of dates you want at the hotel you want. (Typically Disney holds a limited number of rooms for each discount.) It’s best if you have some flexibility in your travel dates and/or choices of hotel. If you can’t get your first choice, you can always try calling back from time to time, since rooms are released frequently. It might be a problem with the reservations agent. Some of the agents at the Disney Reservations Center are more knowledgeable and helpful than others. If you have double-checked a discount and made sure that it covers the resort and dates you want, but the person who answers the phone is telling you it won’t work or doesn’t exist, politely end the call and try again. There are hundreds of agents, so it’s very unlikely you’ll get the same one twice.

If you talk with three different Disney agents and they all agree that the information about a particular discount on MouseSavers.com is wrong, please email us so we can make a correction.

Ticket Questions

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What’s the best strategy for getting the cheapest tickets for Disney World?

First, take a look at our “Where to Get the Lowest Prices – In a Nutshell” summary of the best sources for various types of tickets.

If, like most people, you are planning to buy multi-day (3-Day to 10-Day) tickets, the best prices are almost always through Undercover Tourist. Its prices are all-inclusive (tax included, free shipping).

You’ll get a good deal just by purchasing through the regular Undercover Tourist website. However, if you have some time before your trip, you can save a few more dollars. Sign up for the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter and the Hot Deals emails in order to access even better ticket deals from Undercover Tourist. The newsletter contains a private link that offers access to deeper discounts on Undercover Tourist tickets than those available to the general public.

If you have lots of time, be aware that Undercover Tourist almost always puts two or three specific Disney World tickets on sale each month and announces this in a Hot Deals email around the end of the month. If the tickets that are on sale aren’t the ones you want, wait and check the next month. We recommend that you wait and watch for a deal on the tickets you want until they go on sale, or until about 9 months after the most recent ticket price increase. If the specific tickets you want don’t go on sale, go ahead and buy at the end of that month through the private newsletter link, because ticket prices tend to go up about every 10-12 months.

How can I find out if old tickets are still valid or still have days left on them?

For newer tickets, you can link them to MyDisneyExperience (MDE) and count the number of FastPass days you can reserve. Some really old tickets can’t be linked because they’re only listed in older databases, but a surprising number of vintage tickets will work. For the tickets that link, use these steps to find out how many days are left:

Create a “fake” person in your MDE account, named Tickety Tickerson or whatever you like. Assign a ticket you’d like to check to the fake person. Make sure they only have that one ticket assigned to them. Reserve FastPasses for the fake person, one day at a time, until the system tells you you don’t have enough valid ticket days. The number of days you could make FastPass reservations for is the number of theme park days remaining on that ticket. If you didn’t keep count, you can go to your “reservations” section of MDE and see how many days are reserved for the fake person. Cancel the FastPasses, reassign the ticket back to whoever you’d like, and repeat starting at step 2 for each additional ticket you’d like to check.

If you’d like to find out how many Water Park Fun & More admissions are left on a ticket, or you have a ticket that’s too old to link to MyDisneyExperience, you can email a scan of the front and back of your tickets, plus a scan of the front and back of your photo ID, and email them to Ticket.Usage@DisneyWorld.com, along with a note saying what you want to find out. You can take pictures with your phone if you like, just make sure the pictures of your tickets and ID are readable. Someone will look up the remaining admissions and email you back. It can take up to 5 days to get the results back, so if you’re in a huge rush, call Walt Disney Ticketing at (407) 560-2544 and they might be able to help you more quickly.

And of course, you can take a physical ticket to a Walt Disney World ticket booth or guest services location and they can look up what admissions are still valid on the ticket while you wait. We recommend writing the remaining admission info on the ticket with a sharpie so you’ll know for later.

Magic Your Way tickets (issued January 2, 2005 through October 15, 2018) are only good for 14 days after their first use unless you purchased the “No Expiration” option for the tickets. Most tickets issued by Disney on or after February 12, 2017 must have their first use by December 31 of the year after they were purchased. If they are unused by that date, they expire, but can be traded in for a credit toward new tickets.

Unused theme park admissions and “plus” features on the old Park Hopper tickets issued prior to January 2, 2005 never expire.

Can I share a ticket with another person?

No. Disney World tickets are nontransferable. Only one person can use each ticket. Disney uses a biometric finger scan system (which takes a partial fingerprint) that prevents you from selling or sharing a ticket.

One exception: the old (pre-2005) Hopper tickets did not use the finger scans originally. As of June 20, 2005 Disney started requiring the scans, even on old tickets. If an old Hopper ticket was last used before that date, it may not have a scan recorded on its magnetic strip, so anyone would be able to use it. But once it is used now, a specific person’s scan is recorded on the mag strip, so no one else will be able to use it in the future.

Can I use my ticket for two theme park admissions in one day?

Only if you purchase the Park Hopper option.

Because of the price structure of regular Disney World tickets, which cost only a little more for extra days, in many cases it would seem to be cheaper if you could just add extra days to a ticket and use up two admissions on one day, instead of paying for the Park Hopper option. (For instance, buy a 6-day ticket and use two admissions per day for 3 days.) But Disney won’t let you do it.

The entrance gates are programmed to prevent you from using a ticket without the Park Hopper option at more than one park on the same day. The gate attendant will stop you and instruct you to go to the ticket booths and buy the Park Hopper option if you want to get into the second park.

You can enter the same park multiple times on the same day with any ticket, however. Once you have entered any park (including a water park) with a valid ticket, that ticket will remain valid for that park for the rest of the day; you can come and go as you like.

Is there such a thing as a half-day ticket or a discounted ticket for those entering the parks late in the day?

Not for the general public. Even if you arrive 5 minutes before the parks close, you pay for a full day.

However, if you are attending a convention in the area, contact your convention organizers to see if they are offering special discounted convention-only tickets that allow Disney park entrance only after 2:00 pm or after 4:00 pm.

When will Walt Disney World ticket prices go up?

Only Disney can say for sure, but typically the prices of regular Disney World tickets and Annual Passes tend to go up at least once a year. From 2006-2010, this happened the first week of August each year. In 2011, Disney changed the pattern and raised prices in June. Then, in 2014 and 2015, the prices went up in February! In 2018, ticket prices went up in February and again in October when Walt Disney World switched to seasonally priced multi-day tickets. The overall trend is for the prices to go up about every 10-12 months, with an occasional outlier like the most recent increases.

Past dates when prices went up: February 12, 2017; February 11, 2018; October 16, 2018: March 12, 2019; February 11, 2020.

Many years we’ve sometimes been able to find out the dates of the ticket price increases at least a day or two in advance, and have announced those increases through a MouseSavers.com Hot Deals email so that our readers could buy their tickets before the prices went up. If you would like to receive those notifications and you are not currently a subscriber to the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter, sign up for our newsletter here and be sure to select the option “I would also like to receive occasional MouseSavers last-minute ‘hot deals’ by email.” If you are already a monthly newsletter subscriber, you can add the Hot Deals announcements to your subscription.

The “secret” newsletter prices for Undercover Tourist seem to be the same as their regular prices.

No, there really are lower prices from Undercover Tourist if you go through the private MouseSavers Newsletter link that appears in every issue, with the exception of a very few tickets that are not discounted at all and are only available as a convenience, such as the 1 and 2 day Walt Disney World tickets.

The most likely reason you’re seeing the same prices is that a “cookie” is set on your computer when you visit through the newsletter link. If you go directly to the Undercover Tourist site in a different tab, or even close the current tab and open a new one, the cookie causes your screen to display the MouseSavers Newsletter rates.

However, if you close down your browser completely, or open a completely different browser, and return to the Undercover Tourist site without using the special link, you should see the regular prices for the general public, which are higher. If that doesn’t work, you might have to clear cookies (see the help for your browser to find out how to do this) or reboot to see the higher prices. You can also visit the site directly using a completely different computer, or your phone or a tablet.

When you’re on Undercover Tourist’s private page for MouseSavers Newsletter subscribers, you will see a “Welcome MouseSavers” message in a yellow box, which should say that you are seeing Undercover Tourist’s lowest prices. When the general public comes to the Undercover Tourist site, the message and the special prices are not visible.

If you’ve tried all the above, and you’re not seeing the special prices and not seeing the yellow “Welcome MouseSavers” box, then possibly something on your computer, most likely an ad-blocker or privacy screener is stripping off the parameters in the link that tell Undercover Tourist to show the special prices. You can try adding Undercover Tourist and/or MouseSavers to a “trusted” list in your privacy software, or just try another computer.

You say Undercover Tourist offers lower prices than Disney, but Disney’s prices seem lower.

If you’re looking at 1 or 2 day tickets, that’s true. Disney doesn’t sell 1 or 2 day tickets wholesale to discounters, so Undercover Tourist can’t sell them at a lower price. They’re only listed on their site as a convenience for people who are buying other tickets and want to add some 1 or 2 day tickets.

For 3-day or longer tickets, it can seem like they’re more expensive than Disney at first glance. The reason is, the prices displayed on the Disney website do not include tax of 6.5%, which must be paid regardless of where you live. The tax is added later in the ordering process.

Undercover Tourist prices already include tax and shipping. Once you add the tax, you will always find that 3+ day Disney World tickets are cheaper through Undercover Tourist.

I think I found a cheaper price for tickets than Undercover Tourist.

It’s very rare to find lower prices than Undercover Tourist, at least on a legitimate, Disney-authorized site that sells to the general public. (Exception: if you are a Florida resident, active or retired military, or work for a large corporation or government agency, check our Walt Diseny World Ticket Discounts page for possible options.)

People frequently ask us about Disney World ticket prices offered through Travelocity, Orbitz and various ticket broker sites. “They’re offering buy 4 days, get 3 free!” they say. Well, do the math before you get too excited. Offering “days free” on tickets is just a marketing gimmick. They’re really selling a 7-day ticket, no matter what they call it. After the third day on a regular Disney World ticket, the cost of adding extra days (even at full price from Disney) is very low. So ticket vendors sometimes discount a 7-day ticket to around the price of a 4-day ticket and call it a “4 day ticket plus 3 days free” or something similar.

So ignore any “days free” language. What you need to figure out is the bottom line price for the ticket you want! Bear in mind that most sites publish prices that do NOT include tax (which is 6.5% regardless of where you buy Disney World tickets) or any site fees or shipping. You typically have to go almost to the end of the purchase process to see the total price. On most sites the final price will show up in the “Review” part of the checkout process, which comes just before you actually buy the tickets. By contrast, Undercover Tourist prices already include tax and shipping.

Some sites say they sell “e-tickets,” “will-call certificates” or “vouchers,” not all of which are the same. Read the fine print carefully; you may need to go to a ticket booth or guest services at Walt Disney World to get the tickets, which takes time you could be spending going on rides. Undercover Tourist sends you actual tickets or e-tickets you can link to your MyDisneyExperience account instantly. If you have a MagicBand (or will be getting one) or have a leftover RFID ticket from a previous trip linked to your account, you don’t need to do anything else. Any ticket or MagicBand (even one from a previous trip) linked to your MyDisneyExperience account has access to all tickets linked to your account.

So check out any legitimate open-to-the-public site you want and get the bottom line price. We are confident that you will almost always find Undercover Tourist is cheaper, especially through the private MouseSavers Newsletter link that appears in every issue. Moreover, Undercover Tourist has great customer service and is exceptionally reliable. They routinely bend over backwards to make sure their customers are taken care of. In fact, unlike any other ticket agency we know about, Undercover Tourist actually allows returns of unused tickets! This is unheard-of in the ticket business, where normally all sales are final. That insurance value of being able to return your tickets if something happens and you need to cancel your trip is worth real money, in our opinion.

In addition, there are some very sketchy places to buy tickets, which we don’t recommend no matter how low the prices may seem.

Can I use FastPass+ if I buy my tickets from Undercover Tourist?

Yes. Undercover Tourist sells the newest RFID tickets and e-tickets, identical to what you’d get from Disney, which can be linked to your MyDisneyExperience account and used with FastPass+.

Do I have to buy my tickets from Disney to enter the parks during Extra Magic Hours?

No. Extra Magic Hours are for guests of any Disney resort, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels, Disney Springs Resort Area hotels or Shades of Green. The Extra Magic Hours benefit has nothing to do with where you purchased your tickets. As long as you have a valid theme park admission ticket and you’re a qualifying resort guest, you’re all set.

Are there special tickets for visitors from the UK and Ireland?

Yes. See our information about special tickets for visitors from the UK and Ireland.