Disney Vacations 101
Are you considering your first Disney vacation or, at least, the first one in a while?
You should know that Disney has changed substantially in recent years…and in a good way!
The parks are overflowing with fabulous new attractions that will make your vacation unforgettable.
There’s a lot you need to know before you start making plans, though.
Here’s an Introduction to Disney Vacations 101 to help you understand it all.
What to Know about Admission Tickets
When you visit Disney theme parks, you’ll spend most of your time and money with Disney.
Even at Disneyland, you’re unlikely to leave the Happiest Place on Earth to eat or shop somewhere else.
Fans refer to this as the Disney Bubble, a kind of halo effect that causes vacationers to forget that the outside world exists.
For this reason, Disney incentivizes you to stay at the parks as much as possible.
So, admission tickets get cheaper with each passing day. For example, single-day tickets for one park range from $104-$164 at Disneyland.
The price varies depending on the day that you visit. It’s a calendar configuration thing, as Disney charges more times like Spring Break, July 4th, and Christmas.
At Walt Disney World, single-day tickets vary from $116.09-$169.34.
Now, let’s contrast that to a five-day ticket to Disneyland. Those cost $440 with Park Hopper or $380 without it.
First, you want Park Hopper, as it allows you to bounce between Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Park.
Second, that drops the price to as low as $76 per day. In short, Disney prices you into a longer stay.
The same practice applies at Walt Disney World, only Park Hopper is an even better deal here.
This admission ticket entitles you to park admission at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom.
You get four parks for one low price, and the value increases with each extra day that you stay.
In other words, you may find that you get more bang for your buck with a 5+ day trip to Walt Disney World than a shorter one.
You probably don’t need more than five days to do everything at Disneyland Resort. Still, the price is definitely right if you stay longer.
What to Know about Park Passes
During the pandemic, Disney introduced a new concept that is apparently here to stay.
Guests also need a Park Pass to enter all North American Disney parks.
Your ticket entitles you to access during all park operating hours. However, during the heart of the pandemic, Disney had chosen to control capacity for the safety of guests.
The system worked so well that park officials have left it in place for the foreseeable future.
Booking a Park Pass is free, but capacity is obviously limited. So, as soon as you know the dates of your visit, you should schedule your Park Passes, too.
Please be aware that you cannot add Park Passes until you’ve purchased valid admission.
Also, note that Park Passes have no direct impact on Park Hopping. Once you’re at a Disney theme park, you can Park Hop with valid admission.
However, you cannot Park Hop unless you have a Park Pass. There’s no loophole to exploit there.
Some people show up when Park Hopping begins at 1 or 2 p.m., thinking they can enter. That’s not the case.
You cannot enter a Disney theme park without a Park Pass right now. It’s just like an admission ticket.
How Travel Works
Getting to and from the airport to your hotel depends on several factors. In fact, one of them is that you fly. You may not. Many people drive.
Those of you who plan to fly into Anaheim/Orlando should understand the process.
You can fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or John Wayne International Airport (SNA) in the greater Los Angeles area.
You’ll have an easier time finding flights to LAX. Notably, SNA is closer to Disneyland, though. So, pick that one if you have a choice.
Both airports offer shuttles to and from the parks, albeit at a cost. Unfortunately, Disney no longer offers free airport transportation. So, you should factor that into your travel budget.
At Walt Disney World, there are technically two airports in the area. Most people use Orlando International Airport, though.
Disney recently ended Magical Express here, a service that involved a free bus trip to and from the airport.
However, the company that actually ran this service now offers Mears Connect. It’s the same thing, only without any Disney ties. Also, it costs money now.
Then again, if you haven’t been to Disney in a while, you won’t even know what you missed.
At all these airports, you can also rent cars, use ride-share services, or even pay for chauffeured luxury rides.
How Park Transportation Works
Disney DOES provide free transportation, though, at least at Walt Disney World.
Due to the size of Disneyland Resort, you don’t need any form of transportation to move around within the parks.
With Walt Disney World, well, we’re talking about tens of thousands of acres of land.
Here, you’ll find different theme parks that aren’t that close together. So, Disney’s planners have set up a clever series of transportation options.
You can travel by land, by sea, or even by air. Yes, I’m serious!
The land options are Disney buses, which carry guests from official Disney resorts to the parks.
The buses also travel between the four theme parks and Disney Springs, the marvelous and massive shopping district.
When a bus just won’t do, you can also ride boats to and from some parks. In fact, boat access is available everywhere but Animal Kingdom.
The newest form of transportation is also the most visually impressive. Disney recently introduced the Disney Skyliner, a gondola system.
This continuous airlift system connects guests to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and multiple Disney resorts.
So, when you stay at the right place, you can grab a gondola to two different parks!
About Disney Resorts
You should always stay at official Disney resorts. I’ve already mentioned the convenience factor, especially with free transportation.
However, you’ll find many other amenities that entice you to stay here.
For instance, Early Theme Park Entry provides access to theme parks 30 minutes before they open to regular guests.
You can ride popular attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Frozen Ever After, and Space Mountain before anyone else!
This amenity will literally save you hours on some rides where you’d otherwise stand in line for too long.
Guests who stay at Deluxe tier Disney resorts gain an additional massive benefit on Mondays and Wednesdays.
After the park closes to regular guests, you get two hours of private time. Mondays are usually EPCOT nights, while Wednesdays are Magic Kingdom nights.
I mention these two things, but you’ll discover countless other benefits to staying at official Disney resorts. They’re immaculately themed and so serene.
In fact, you may love these places so much that you don’t want to leave the hotel. Every time I stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, this happens to me.
To learn more about official Disney resorts and get a vacation package quote, contact one of the agents at MickeyTravels.
They’re the best in the world at finding the lowest prices on packages, and their services are entirely free to you!