Hi Whitney,
Welcome to planDisney! I am always thrilled to greet a fellow North Carolinian!
Purchasing theme park tickets is certainly a joyous occasion! I always start with checking the
theme park ticket types and prices on the Walt Disney World website. If you are sure you want the 1 Park Per Day Tickets, check the pricing based on
number of ticket days and date(s) of tickets. After you see how much tickets purchased through the Walt Disney World Resort would cost for the specific dates of your visit, check the
Special Offers to see if there are any discounts applicable to the dates of your visit.
If you have access to tickets through third-party vendors or your employer, check those ticket prices as well. Previously, we have booked our
vacation packages through a travel agency. Although they had unique discounts in the past, they stopped offering those discounts several years ago, so I started booking directly through the Walt Disney World Resort. Having said that, you may be able to get a special deal through a third-party source. If so, just know that, if your plans change or there are problems with your tickets, you would need to contact that third-party vendor to resolve the issues.
My family used 1 Park Per Day Tickets for years when our girls were younger. As they got older, we enjoyed Tickets with the
Park Hopper® Option, and we now have Annual Passes which include the ability to Park Hop. If you later decide to purchase Tickets with the Park Hopper® Option, know that park hopping is not guaranteed. It does depend on park crowds and capacity at the time of your visit. On my last trip Magic Kingdom was closed to park hopping for a little while on one day.
Whitney, I stick with reserving tickets and resort hotels through the Walt Disney World website because they have been incredibly helpful when we have changed plans and we can apply the
value of unused tickets to the purchase of new tickets if needed. I appreciate that option. The best option for you may depend on a number of factors including where you can purchase the most affordable ticket options. My advice is to decide based on what is best for your family. Happy planning!
Magic and memories,
Donyell