Hey there, Amy!
Thanks for bringing your question to planDisney! We planDisney Panelists are always happy to share ideas and tips as a way to help you plan your trip.
As I see it, I'd say there are five quick and key steps you'll want to take:
- Check for theme park reservation availability.
- Purchase your theme park admission tickets.
- Link your theme park tickets to your My Disney Experience account.
- Make your theme park reservations using the Disney Park Pass system.
- Review your plans in My Disney Experience.
Let's talk through these steps a bit more. If you need help, you can always get assistance from the Walt Disney Travel Company by contacting them at (407) 939-5277.
The first important note to share is that you'll need
both a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission (tickets) to visit the theme parks. This is why the first step I suggest is to check for theme park reservation availability. You'll want to check that the theme parks you want to visit have reservations available for the days you wish to visit. You can check to see that reservations are available by looking at the
Theme Park Reservation Availability calendar.
After you've checked that the theme parks have availability for when you want to visit, you can
purchase your theme park admission tickets. You purchase tickets for the number of days you want to visit the theme parks, and then you add on options. Theme park tickets use date-based pricing, which means that the cost of a ticket can vary depending on the month and the day you plan to visit. When you purchase tickets, you'll see a calendar that displays the ticket prices. Simply select the number of days you want to visit the theme parks, the dates you want to visit, and the number of tickets you want. Tickets are available for ages 10+ and for ages 3-9 (children under age 3 don't need a ticket). You can purchase tickets that give you admission to one park per day, or you can purchase a Park Hopper Option that lets you visit more than one park per day. (I always suggest the Park Hopper Option).
Keep in mind you can also purchase theme park tickets as part of
booking a vacation package that includes both your Walt Disney World Resort hotel and your theme park tickets.
After you've purchased your theme park tickets, you'll want to
link them to your My Disney Experience account. This helps keep all your tickets, plans, and reservations together in one at-a-glance tool.
With your theme park tickets purchased and linked to My Disney Experience, it's time to make your theme park reservations using the
Disney Park Pass system, a quick and easy system where you select who's going to the theme park with you, the date your going, and the theme park you'll be visiting. You'll want to make a reservation for the first theme park you plan to visit each day.
Ok, so now you have your theme park tickets and your theme park reservations. You can now review all your plans in the "My Plans" section of your My Disney Experience account.
Amy, I hope this helps get you started in planning your trip!
One last step -- enjoy all the magic!
Jerry