Tickets

When going to Walt Disney, there are many different ticket options available to you. If you love in Florida, there are special prices for you and lots of different options. You can get an after 4 pm annual pass for instance. For Florida residents, there is a huge discount so be aware of that. 

For everyone else who travels to Florida for Disney, there are so many different options that many people can get mixed up in. 

For those who visit Disney more than once a year, they should consider getting annual passes. There is the Theme Park Annual Pass which gets you admission into every park and lets you park hop, parking, and discounts throughout the World. 

For ages 3-9 its $479.25 US. 

For 10 and older its $531.44. 

The Theme Park Premium Annual Pass gets you everything the other does, but also gives you admission to DisneyQuest, the water parks, and Oak Trail Gold Course. 

Ages 3 - 9, $603.86. 

10 and older, $669.89. 

For vacationers who aren't as lucky to go more than once, here are the different options.

Magic Your Way Base Tickets. You get to visit one park per day. This is the cheapest option. 

There is the Park Hopper Option. This gives you the ability to move from park to park as many times as you want. In the morning, you could be in Magic Kingdom, then go to Epcot during the day, and finally Hollywood Studios at night. 

The Water Park Fun and More Option. This includes admission per day to any of the water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and Oak Trail Golf Course. 

No Expiration Option. The unused days from your theme park ticket and Water Park Fun and More never expire. Base Tickets usually expire 14 days after 1st use. 

Okay so here are the prices. I am going to use a 7-day ticket. 

1 Adult - 10 years or over

Base - 263.06

Base + Park Hopper - 320.57

Base + Water Park Fun and More - 320.57

Base + No Expiration - 414.29

Base + Park Hopper + Water Park Fun and More - 378.08

All together - 529.31

1 Child - 3 - 9 years old

Base - 238.56

Base + Park Hopper - 296.07

Base + Water Park Fun and More - 296.07

Base + No Expiration - 389.79

Base + Park Hopper + Water Park Fun and More - 353.58

All together - 504.81

So you can see for an adult going for more than 15 days at Disney in a year with the park hopper, an annual pass is going to be more worth it. You get free parking and discounts you can use. 

**All prices are accurate as of January 2, 2011. And are in US dollars.

http://tickets.disney.go.com/buy/TicketTrans

The site I used to get the prices. 

Surprise!

I have recently watched every single video on you tube that has parents surprising their kids with a trip to Walt Disney World. It is funny to watch how some kids don't react or react in a bad way. The best ones are where the kids are so excited, one even cried. I teared up watching some of these at how happy the kids are. But I am a little confused on some of the methods that parents use to tell their kids.

The most used one is just outright telling them. Cool and still gets a reaction but does not have that Disney feel to it. The coolest one is where you bring the kids to the ariport or tell them on the way to the airport.

Also waking them up early in the morning and telling them that they are going to Disney right now, is a good one. The one I am really confused about is the present one. Parents put a sign telling the kids they are going to Disney and then put balloons all inside the box. So that when the box is opened the balloons pop out and they can read the sign. I don't think this has quite the reaction people expect.

My idea: I would make a puzzle and every day leading up to the trip they get one piece of the puzzle. I would try and make it a bit harder for older kids, but for younger I would only start this a couple days before. So on the day we leave, they get the last piece and on the back it says we are going to Disney. 

Making t-shirts and giving them an autograph book are good ideas too because kids make the connections faster. Especially in smaller kids, if you just tell them it does not really mean anything until your at Disney. 

So for anyone planning a Disney trip right now, try and surprise your kids. I think it is a great way to have fun with them and make them that much more excited for the trip.  

End of Toontown

Disney has announced that February 11, 2011 is when Toontown will officially close for the expansion of Fantasyland. Personally, I have never really loved Toontown, even when I was a kid. But it was neat to see Mickey and Minnie's houses and then meet them in the Judge's Tent. But things must close for better attractions. 

Inside Minnie's house

The Judge's Tent

Mickey's House

The Fantasyland expansion is sure to be amazing since it is the biggest expansion Magic Kingdom has ever had. New things will be open and the princesses will have their own spots. A new Little Mermaid attraction (also at Disneyland in California), Beauty and the Beast dining experience, a meet-and-greet with Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, a huge new Dumbo ride, and all of the Faeries with Tinker Bell in their own Pixie Hollow. It is not expected to be completed fully until 2013, but the first stage should be done by 2011!

Let me know if there is anything I missed or got wrong!