Purchasing 2020 Discount Disneyland Tickets

A trip to Disneyland can be expensive, there is no doubt about that. However, there are ways to shop smart and save money. Don’t just queue up a quick search and click the purchase button on the first site that you see. A little digging and a foundational understanding of what’s out there and what you can do to save can go a very long way.

Save the extra cash you’d be spending on tickets for souvenirs! In this post, we will delve into how and where to find discount Disneyland tickets so your hard-earned cash stays safely in your wallet.

If you want to cut straight to the purchasing of the best-priced tickets, our affiliate, Get Away Today, offers the best prices available. This site works around the clock to find and offer the best deals on Disneyland tickets. Click here to buy your tickets now.

Start Here: Choosing the Right Ticket

Before you dive into the actual purchasing of the ticket, you will need to determine the type of tickets that you need. Disney veterans, feel free to skip ahead to the next section. For everyone else, we are including a brief breakdown of what you need to know before buying. Trips to Disney, and the Disney parks themselves, have evolved their own, unique language.

Because of the size of the parks, the hundreds of thousands of visitors, and the many offerings, a trip to Disneyland or Disney World is not your typical theme park vacation. You will see phrases like Park Hopper and Max Pass, and words that may not mean much to a new visitor. This section will cover all the basics and get you set up for knowing what kind of ticket you need by answering three starter questions.

What time of year are you visiting?

The time of year that you are visiting Disneyland can have a big impact on the price you will pay. You will also want to consider the prices of other factors. Airlines and hotels tend to price surge during holidays, for example. Choosing your dates will also impact the amount of money you spend per ticket. There is more information on this in the next section.

Can you be flexible?

If possible, having flexible dates with your visit to Disneyland can offer a big markdown on your ticket price. Disneyland Resort sorts its dates into three different tiers: peak, regular, and value. Simple enough – peak dates are when the park is most crowded. This will be the summer months and major holidays like July 4th, the week of Thanksgiving, and the time between Christmas and New Year.

Value dates will be days that the park is less crowded, random days that they don’t get many visitors, where most people are not traveling. Regular dates are somewhere between those two; there are still plenty of visitors, but the parks are not at their most crowded.

Being flexible with your dates of travel can help you snag value tickets to the parks, saving you a decent amount on your final costs. As an added bonus, the parks will be less crowded, meaning shorter wait times and better lines.

Here’s another thing to keep in mind. Some years, these peak dates can get so crowded that the parks have to stop further entry at the front gates, even for those who have already purchased their tickets.

Not everyone will be able to be flexible with their dates, but if you can, it can offer great benefits to you.

How many days will you be visiting the parks?

Disneyland Resort houses two theme parks: Disney California Adventure and Disneyland. Although technically you can visit both theme parks in a single day, we don’t recommend it. You’ll end up rushed and exhausted. If possible, try and plan for two days at the parks so that you can devote one day to each park.

Knowing how many days you will be visiting the parks will help you decide on one-day tickets or multi-day tickets, as well as on purchasing the various add-ons available.

What add-ons are available?

Park Hopper tickets are a good choice for those looking to visit multiple parks a day. The entrances to the resort’s two parks are right next door to each other, so walking between them is not too time-consuming. In order to travel between both parks, a Park Hopper ticket is required.

These tickets allow you to enter the two parks on the same day. You should choose to add on a Park Hopper ticket if, for example, you only have one day to visit Disneyland and want to see all that it has to offer. In this case, you would purchase a 1-Day Park Hopper ticket.

However, if you are planning on staying multiple days, you could choose the 1-Park Per Day ticket, meaning that each day you visited you would spend one full day at one park in particular.

Longer-term visitors to Disneyland could choose either option. Maybe you want to just focus on one park each different day while you’re there- go with the 1-Park Per Day option. If you want to bounce between the parks freely, choose the Park Hopper.

One helpful thing to keep in mind is that multi-day tickets are not required to be used consecutively, but they expire within 13 days of your first use (be sure to read the terms and conditions of your tickets carefully).

Don’t stress too much about this decision right away. You can always upgrade to the Park Hopper option once you are at the park.

Your other add-on option is the MaxPass. This allows you to use the Disneyland app on your phone for shorter ride lines via FASTPASS selections. Instead of walking to a physical FASTPASS area to take a ticket, you can do it all electronically. MaxPass also includes PhotoPass, allowing you to download your photos taken by the professional Disney photographers throughout the parks.

Hopper Tickets: Pricing

Here is what you can expect to spend on Disneyland tickets with the Park Hopper option:

1 Park Per Day Park Hopper

1 Day $114 $65 per ticket 2 Day $117 $75 per ticket 3 Day $114 $75 per ticket 4 Day $109 $85 per ticket 5 Day $93 $85 per ticket

As you can see here, the price of park tickets decreases dramatically as the number of days you visit the park increases. There is a large difference in price between the 1 Day and the 5 Day tickets. However, the Park Hopper option price stays the same no matter what tickets you’re adding it to including 1-5 days.

If you have more time to visit the parks and are able to buy multiple days worth of tickets, you can ring in a hefty discount by doing so. Further, if you have more days to visit the parks and plan well, you can see all that both parks have to offer without adding on the Park Hopper option, saving you some money. These are all things to keep in mind as you plan your trip because knowing your options can help you to save.

AARP or Senior Discounts?

This is a question we hear often. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Disneyland does not offer any sort of AARP or senior citizen discounts to the parks at this time. Disney parks have the same ticket prices for everyone over the age of 10.

Seniors often request discounts because many plan to perhaps visit and take in the sights, or watch their families enjoy the rides without actually riding anything themselves. However, Disney does not offer discounts for this type of visitor. You can learn more about saving for seniors here.

Military Discounts to Disneyland

Disney does offer discounted tickets to the brave men and women defending our country. These discounts will change, be sure and contact us if you have questions or are wanting an updated price.

The military discounts for 2020 tickets are currently listed as:

3-Day Military Promotional Ticket $184 MaxPass: $15 per ticket per day 4-Day Military Promotional Ticket $204 MaxPass: $15 per ticket per day

Keep in mind that there will be a specific time period where these tickets will be valid. Military discount tickets are only valid for active duty and retired military members and their spouses.

Learn more about saving at Disney as a military member and where to buy these tickets here.

What to Avoid

Unfortunately, the wide search for the best price on tickets to Disneyland has spawned a number of scams and crooks looking to make a quick buck off of anyone they can. For this reason, there are a few things to keep in mind and to stick to carefully on your search to ensure you don’t end up losing the cost of a ticket and unable to visit the park at all.

Avoid Unauthorized Sellers

You will find a plethora of people online promising to help you save, or with tickets that are very low priced. Avoid buying tickets on sites like Craigslist, where you could end up with a ticket that is counterfeit or expired. Similarly, do your research on a site before choosing to work with them to purchase tickets. There are a lot of great groups willing to help, but there are also scammy pages just wanting to make money.

At Park Savers, our concierge services promise you the best, most authentic price on your tickets and assistance with planning your magical trip.

Stay Away from Auctions

Many sites will have online auctions for multiple-day tickets to the parks that have only been used for one or two of the total days on the pass. Stay away from these auctions! Disneyland takes a photo of each person who enters on their tickets, so you will be unable to use the rest of someone else’s multi-day pass. Do not ever purchase a partially used ticket or rent a ticket from someone, you will end up disappointed.

Pay Attention to the Terms and Conditions

Disney tickets can get complicated! There are a number of factors that are involved. For this reason, you must understand what you are buying. Make sure the dates work with your trip dates and that they won’t expire before you can get there. Read up on the refund and transfer rules. Also, pay attention to how you will receive your tickets after purchase.

There are options to have them mailed to you, printed from home and brought with you, or picked up from the ticket booth at the gate. Make sure you know how you will be getting your tickets so you don’t end up at the gate without them!

Too Good to Be True?

It is a sad fact of life that often when something seems too good to be true, it is. Be wary of very steep discounts on real tickets to Disneyland. The truth of the matter is that most discounts will be within the 5-10% range. If you’re seeing tickets for a high percentage off, something is likely wrong.

Find a Discount on 1-Day Tickets? It’s a Red Flag

1-Day passes to Disneyland are very rarely discounted. A site or person selling 1-Day tickets at a steep discount is probably fraudulent. For this reason, most visitors purchasing just a 1-Day ticket go directly through Disneyland, since there is not much competition for lower prices.

However, students, teachers, military members, and some other select groups may be eligible for a discount on their 1-Day passes. Contact us to learn more and see if you apply.

No Ticket Needed for Kids Aged 2 and Under

Some scammers try and profit off of people who aren’t aware of the park’s rules. If you see someone selling tickets for kids aged two and under, run! This age group enters the park for free. For kids between the ages of three and nine, child tickets are available. Ten and over will need an adult ticket.

For California Residents

Because it is based in California, Disneyland does offer some special discounts to certain groups of California residents.

Southern California Residents

For those living in the 90000-93599 zip codes, special sales and discounts are available for ticket purchases. You also get a discount on annual passes. To purchase these tickets, you can buy them online, or visit your local Von’s, Ralph’s, or Costco.

University Students of Southern California

Studying at a university in Southern California? It’s the perfect time to visit Disneyland! Not only are you close to the magic, but you also can enjoy a discounted price. Certain area universities have discounts on 1-Day 1 Park Disneyland tickets for students. Talk to your Student Union to learn more and save.

Local Employee Discounts

Certain area corporations and government offices in the Southern California region have teamed up with Disney to offer their employees discounts on 1-Day 1 Park Disneyland tickets. You can check with your Human Resources department to see if your company applies.

Members of AAA and CSAA

There are discounts available for AAA and CSAA, but not always and you are not guaranteed to find them at any given time. This type of buy is when it’s important to check with a source you trust or to pull out your calculator and do a little bit of math. At times, the package rates offered by AAA and CSAA may be the same price as the individual pieces at full cost, in which case you’re not getting a discount at all.

Disney Discounts

We have covered general information and some well-known ways to save on Disneyland tickets, as well as what to avoid. In this section, we will cover some lesser-known ways to save on your tickets to the park.

Dress Dapper

One of the most fun ways to save, dressing up can actually get you a discount into the parks! Two times a year, a group of people will dress as stylishly as they can and come together to visit Disneyland dressed dapper. Not only fun, but this group also gets a discount on their tickets. Learn more on the Dapper Day website.

Walk in the Park

Sometimes, getting a discounted ticket to Disney can be as simple as a walk in the park! If you are able to visit the park in August, you can participate in the 3 mile Walk in the Park event held by the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the Disneyland Resort. Registrees can help a good cause and walk three miles in the parks, earning an entrance discount at the same time.

CityPASS

This is one discount that used to be very exciting. Southern California’s CityPASS for a long time was a great way to save money on your tickets to Disneyland. Unfortunately, they no longer offer their multi-attraction pass. You can still receive a small discount on Disneyland tickets through CityPASS, but they will not be as good of a price as those found in the next section.

Get Away Today

This online ticket seller has made a name for itself for being an excellent provider of Disneyland tickets. They work tirelessly to find hard-to-find deals on tickets. You can buy e-tickets, tickets to show on your mobile device or tickets to print.

Get Away Today also has regular sales, allowing you to achieve an even better overall discounted price. We are proud to partner with this service to help ensure our customers find the best deals available. Buy your discounted Disneyland tickets through their site here.

Offseason Through Disney and Timing Your Buy

Disneyland’s least popular months for visitors are January, February, May, September, and November. The busiest months are March and April, June and July, August, October, and December. These dates will have an impact on your final ticket price. The summer months and the holiday season (November through December) will be harder to find savings. But if you search at the right time, you can still get a discount.

For the past five years, in early February, Disneyland has raised its prices. It’s a good idea to buy your tickets for the year before early February so that you can pay the lower price.

In the spring, start looking out for deals and special offers. This year’s Spring Offer helped gusts save more than $100 a ticket, so this is a great thing to keep an eye out for! You may find Adults at Kids prices or a discount on children’s tickets.

Disney also hosts Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Shop early and you can save up to $60 per ticket, and at times the savings have been even higher.

A Partner You Can Trust

At Park Savers, we believe in offering the most up to date, highest-quality information available. Our team is made up of former Cast Members and true lovers of Disney. With more than ten years of Disney news and advice-giving experience, we are the most qualified group of individuals to send you off in the right direction.

Make your trip to Disneyland not only one that you will always remember because it is well planned, smooth, and you bought tickets at the best prices available.

A California Adventure

With all of the information you need to save when you buy your tickets to Disneyland, let’s cover a few last bits of information to ensure that you are fully prepared for your trip. This section will discuss how to make the most of your California adventure.

Magic Morning and Magic Hour

Magic Morning is an excellent option to have added to your ticket for those who with 3, 4, or 5-day tickets. This benefit allows you to enter Disneyland Park one hour before the park actually opens for everyone else. These days will change, but for now are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Some areas of the park are not included in the Magic Morning benefit. One example of this is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. However, you can still use the feature to save time on the line. If towards the end of the Magic Morning hour you get to the Star Wars area, you can be one of the first in line since you’ll have a head start over the general public.

If you stay at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, you can gain early entry to the park every day that Magic Morning is available. This benefit is exclusive to Disneyland Resort Hotel guests who also have valid tickets to the park.

This benefit is called Extra Magic Hour, and it also allows you to enter certain areas of Disney California Adventure Park on the days of the week that Magic Morning is not available. Currently, these days are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Parking

What about parking? This is a big consideration for many, and it can be a big expense as well. Visitors to Disneyland have a number of parking choices, and the fees can range from $25 to $55 depending on where you park. Please note that these fees are subject to change.

This cost can really add up, particularly if you are visiting the parks for multiple days. Are there ways to save on parking at Disneyland? Yes!

Nearby hotels

One option can be booking a night at hotels where it is possible to walk to the park. Prices will range anywhere from $10 to $25 for all-day parking. Lower prices will be for hotels with a further walk. The nearby Quality Inn & Suites, a ten-minute walk from the park, costs $20, while the Anaheim Marriott, a 25-minute walk, only costs $15.

Walk to the entrance from Harbor Boulevard

You can easily walk to Disneyland’s main gate from parking spaces on or near Harbor Boulevard. This entrance also has the most ticket takers and turnstiles, so entrance is often quick.

Anaheim Resort Transportation Shuttle

The ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) shuttle takes riders between the parks, restaurants, hotels, and other stops in the Anaheim Resort area. This is a good option for those with small children in particular. The ART shuttle system operates seven days a week, with service beginning an hour before the parks open and continuing an hour after closing.

Be sure and check their schedule before visiting in case there is a change. Fares will range from $2-$5 for children and $5.50-$23 for adults, depending on how many days you will be riding. You can buy an ART pass at your hotel or you can make your purchase through the ART mobile app.

2 hours free at Downtown Disney

Disneyland’s Downtown Disney area is an entertainment and shopping district, offering restaurants, stores, and plenty of fun things to do for all ages. Parking here is free for two hours, and you can extend this to four hours free if you get your ticket validated by participating locations from within the area.

Two Days at Disneyland + Maximizing Your Time

Now that you know everything you need to know about saving on tickets at Disneyland, what should you be sure and do while you’re there? Say you only have a few days to spend at the parks, what can you do to make the most of your time at The Happiest Place on Earth?

Sail through Security

Don’t waste any of your precious time having to deal with items that aren’t allowed in the parks, or spending forever having lots of pockets searched. Get through security quickly and painlessly by following these tips. First, only bring the things you need for that day. Make sure the bags you bring don’t have innumerable compartments and pockets for them to search.

Keep your bags out and open. When you get close to the front of the line, have your keys, phone, coins, and any other metal items out. Have your belt in your bag so that it doesn’t set off the metal detector. Finally, our best tip: if possible, try not to travel with a bag at all! The lines at Harbor Boulevard have a special line for those going into the park without bags. Skip the lines and sail on through!

Arrive Early

The wait at the entrance to the park increases throughout the day. The shortest waits are the first few hours, and this is true for the rides as well. If you can get to the gates before the park opens, you’ll find yourself in the park quickly and dealing with shorter lines.

This is an especially good tip for rides that are newer and experiencing a high volume of visitors. For now, if you want to be able to ride Star Wars: Ride of the Resistance, for example, you will have to have entered the park right as it opens.

Get the Disneyland App

Have the Disneyland mobile app pre-downloaded before you get there. This app will show you wait times, show schedules, where the characters are, maps of the parks, and even restaurant menus. Order your food ahead of time so you aren’t stuck waiting in line with their Mobile Order feature. You will also have to have this app to use features like MaxPass.

Be Prepared

Absolutely the best piece of advice that we can give you is to arrive at the park prepared. Be ready with what you want to see, where you want to go, and which attractions are the most important to you and your group. If you show up and try to decide there, you will waste valuable hours wandering or discussing options. Take a look at our Disneyland Planning Guide to learn everything you need to know before you go.