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Walt Disney World Resort Update for July 23, 2024

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Writer’s Note, News & Views

Since we continue to expect Disney Parks to make its next batch of big announcements about what its plans are for Walt Disney World Resort at the upcoming D23: The Ultimate Fan Event in Anaheim, it should come as no surprise that there really is no significant news to share this week. That could also be the case in the next couple of weeks, with the Disney Experiences Showcase set for Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center, at 7 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (that’s 10 p.m. out here in the Eastern Daylight Time Zone). The official D23 website event schedule reminds us all that, all the “Evening shows at the Honda Center are for D23 Ultimate Fan Pass ticket holders only. There are no reservations or stand-by queues available for the Honda Center.”

This morning, the official Disney World Passholders Facebook page teased that a new Passholder magnet is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as some new PhotoPass props, and a passholder exclusive snack. The “Passholder Buzz” section of the My Disney Experience app has a musical version of the same tease, but no additional details as of publication of this Update.

And, earlier this afternoon, Disney Cruise Line teased an upcoming 3-day reveal of details about Disney Destiny, the last of the three Disney Wish-class ships on order for Disney Cruise Line. (Yes, earlier this month that Disney announced a new agreement with the Japanese operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, Oriental Land Co., to build a fourth ship of this class for the Japan market, but no further details about that have been announced yet.) Watch Disney Parks Blog from July 30-August 1, 2024 for the details of the ship expected to set sail in December 2025, with a theme of “Heroes and Villains.”

In the absence of major Walt Disney World Resort news, I am not sure when I will publish the next Update, but I appreciate you checking in with us as often as you do. With the very hot Central Florida summer firmly upon us with its regular cycle of afternoon and/or evening thunderstorms, I have not been getting over to the parks very often lately. My personal social media feed saw a post this past week by a friend that observed someone that stupidly decided to go for a swim in the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom. Is that the sort of news our readers crave? I know a few other sites that gave it some attention. If I had to guess, the person that went for a swim was trespassed from Walt Disney World Resort property with no refund and a lifetime ban. That’s about as much attention as I think its worth and, like the time someone decided to climb the pyramid at EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion, it will probably result in yet more unthemed signs reminding folks in the park not to do something that could result in significant injury and/or death.

Speaking of heat, though, the competition for Florida resident business at Central Florida attractions got a bit hotter this past week. Though I do not often write about the Universal Orlando Resort, it is a major player in the themed entertainment business and, as I have written before (and most of you no doubt know), it is opening up a new theme park in 2025, Epic Universe, plus more hotels, just a couple of exits from Walt Disney World on I-4 (though on the opposite side of the interstate from the rest of Universal Orlando Resort). Probably to bolster attendance at its existing parks ahead of next year’s anticipated crowds, Universal is offering Florida residents what amounts to a five month, 2-Park ticket to visit Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, now through December 18, 2024, for only $199 per adult, plus tax. Parking is not included, and there are a few restrictions (including, that the ticket must be bought online and not at the park gates, and, of course, it is not valid for admission for separately ticketed events like Halloween Horror nights), but it is the first time in a long time that I have seen any of the theme park operators essentially offer a pay for a day, get nearly a half a year free ticket. Details and tickets are available on this page of UniversalOrlando.com.

Universal Orlando Resort is offering a Florida resident ticket deal that provides unlimited admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure through December 18, 2024 (during regular park hours) for $199/adult, plus tax.

For folks that have been following the news out at Disneyland Resort about the strike authorization vote by members of some of its unions and are wondering whether that will impact their Walt Disney World Resort plans, the short answer is that it should not. While all of Disney Parks business falls under a single division of The Walt Disney Company, the resorts are operated separately, with separate sets of employees and collective bargaining agreements. In my opinion, your bigger concern should be knowing the status of any tropical storms being tracked by the National Hurricane Center and how that can impact anything from flight schedules to highway traffic to park and resort operations, depending on the direction and severity of what is being tracked. The good news this week, there are no storm systems of note after the chaos caused by the Category 5 Hurricane Beryl to the Caribbean, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the Gulf Coast of the United States (and then, on up into the midwest and northeastern states) in late June and early July 2024. The bad news this past week for travelers has been the transportation mess caused by the CrowdStrike software glitch that, according to the news, is still causing cancelations of Delta flights and others.

Since the new Lightning Lane Pass sales (advance experience reservation system) goes live tomorrow, July 24th, replacing Genie+, I thought it best to remind you of all of its details today. So, the following Lightning Lane discussion reprinted from the Walt Disney World Resort Update for July 3, 2024, in its entirety.

LIGHTNING LANE: The Next Generation

Quite a few months ago (I did not go check, but it even may have been more than a year by now), Disney said that it would once again offer guests the ability to book some attraction reservations in advance of park visits rather than the present daily Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane access purchase options it now offers. Well, without me typing another sentence, you know that Fastpass+ is not returning and the new options come with price tags, but Disney has finally announced what its new scheme for guests to make park plans looks like.

Starting July 24, 2024, the Genie+ service will be replaced by a new, and even more complicated scheme for potentially reserving attraction entry times for select attractions at the theme parks of Walt Disney World Resort. In other words, if you are familiar with Genie+ service and have built up strategies around using it to its fullest, or if you never heard of or considered using Genie+, you are pretty much back at the same place. And I say potentially reserving entry times because, Disney does not and, realistically, could not guarantee that an attraction you select will be operating when you get there, let alone, at all or ever again. Oh, and the Genie Service itself is not going away; the plan-your-day tool in the My Disney Experience app, only the “+” is being retired.

Okay, enough with my snark for the moment, here are the details of the new scheme that those visiting the parks need to know.

Nearly all of the attractions in all four theme parks have traditional standby queues. The standby queue is the old-fashioned, tried and true way of experiencing a theme park attraction or show, where guests enter a line, typically with a sign that says how long your expected wait time from a particular point will be, and then move forward bit by bit until it’s the guest’s turn. Standby queues are not going anywhere, and if that is all you are interested in, you need not read further and you certainly do not need to spend more than you did to get in to the park in the first place.

Since the opening of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the summer of 2019, Disney has sometimes used a virtual queue instead of a traditional standby queue. The rules for accessing an attraction by a virtual queue have changed a few times and which attractions use a virtual queue have changed (and will change again). At publication of this Update, EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Magic Kingdom’s TRON Lightcycle / Run and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure are the only attractions that are using a virtual queue and do not have a standby queue during regular park operating hours. The virtual queues are a free “boarding group” reservation system that opens each day at 7 a.m. Eastern, and provides a limited number of guests to receive boarding group assignments; boarding group numbers are then welcomed to ride during the operating day, and when a guest’s assigned number is reached (guests receive a push notification if that is turned on with their mobile device, the boarding groups are also posted in the app and throughout the park on digital displays), the guests with that group number have an hour to get to the entrance of that attraction and then wait for a turn to experience the attraction; an additional opportunity to obtain a boarding group usually opens at 1 p.m. (to be eligible, all members of the boarding group must have already entered the park where the attraction is located); and for those deluxe resort guests eligible for extended hours at a park with an attraction using a virtual queue, a third opportunity to obtain a boarding group may open at 6 p.m.

To skip some standby or virtual queues, starting July 24, guests can purchase Lightning Lane Passes. There are two types of Lightning Lane Passes, a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and a Lightning Lane Single Pass. To try to keep this simple, we’ll start with the Lightning Lane Single Pass, since on July 24, it applies to only five attractions: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Guests may purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes per day (subject to availability), and each attraction is priced separately and daily, and the Lightning Lane Single Pass grants entry to the specifically chosen attraction in a specific time window selected at purchase.

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass brings back some of the benefits and some of the complexities of the old version of FastPass+ for those that remember it. But, having said that, put aside those memories, this is what you need to know now: Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows guests to choose up to 3 multi pass experiences and arrival windows in a theme park. Once in a park and after visiting the guest’s first multi pass experience, the guest may make an additional selection of a multi pass experience to visit later (and may continue to do so after each experience, subject to availability). Guests that purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass also receive digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from that day, captured with Disney PhotoPass Service, and have access to Disney PhotoPass Lenses in the My Disney Experience app.

The next layer of complexity here is that (like the old FastPass+ system) multi pass experiences are tiered. In other words, guests cannot simply select any three attractions that have a Lightning Lane entrance; rather, there are attractions where guests may only select one attraction from a group of attractions (I can hear Genie singing, try one from Column A, and two from Column B). On July 24, the multi pass experiences and relevant tiers are:

MAGIC KINGDOM

Choose up to one experience from this group:

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

EPCOT

Choose up to one experience from this group:

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Choose up to one experience from this group:

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Choose up to 3 experiences:

The initial three multi pass experiences selected all must be for the same park, but for guests with the Park Hopper option, after using the first pass, selections can be made in another park.

Guests of Disney resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort, and Shades of Green get the most advance purchase benefit in the new scheme. Those guests may purchase up to 7 days in advance of their stay. Indeed, that last word is critical for those that like to plan because the longer your stay, the more days in advance you will be able to purchase and book those Lightning Lane Passes for the length of stay (up to 14 days maximum). Of course, for folks thinking of gaming the system by making some sort of refundable hotel reservation and then canceling it after buying Lightning Lane Passes, Disney has its eyes on you too: the FAQ says that by canceling the hotel reservation you forfeit any advance purchase Lightning Lane Pass benefits too, and there are no refunds, but you will still be able to use your purchased benefits and make selections when you are within the appropriate time frame (subject to availability).

Guests with date-based tickets with a specific first use date selected at purchase may purchase Lightning Lane Passes up to 3 days in advance of that designated first use date for the total number of admission days on that ticket. Annual Passholders and guests with any other non-date based ticket (like those that still hold never expiring tickets from back when Disney sold those, and comps, and many of the resident offers Disney makes from time-to-time, among others) may make Lightning Lane Pass purchases up to 3 days in advance of a park visit (and all the usual Park Reservation rules still apply to folks in this category).

Disney says prices for Lightning Lane Passes will be published in the My Disney Experience app by July 24. The app is required for making all purchases, and, as with the other virtual queues and skip-the-queue benefits of the past, for your party to ride together, everyone in your party needs to be linked in the app. The app will have a Lightning Lane Passes section on the Home Screen, and from there, you will make your purchases and attraction/time selections, and confirm the purchase. Modifications can be made in the app too, but the various benefits are not transferable or refundable. Guests are limited to one Lightning Lane entry per attraction per day.

Advance Lightning Lane Pass purchases may not be available to guests while outside the United States. I have found no reference to that in the various terms and conditions on DisneyWorld.com: the official published details and FAQs are here. But, the My Disney Experience app must be used for purchasing Lightning Lane Passes, and Disney’s website notes that it is not available in all countries. I reached out to Disney for clarification and have been told:

Upon arrival in the United States, if a guest is staying at a Disney Resort hotel they can plan and make purchases for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days). The My Disney Experience app is intended for use only in the U.S.

Using a bit of deduction, then, Disney cannot suggest any workarounds for that app limitation, as the app must have been designed to comply with existing laws in the United States only.

This & That & Reminders…

…NEW DETAILS: Disney Vacation Club is holding its first-ever “Welcome Home Weeks”—a limited-time celebration from July 22 through August 24 featuring special events, treats and special experiences just for eligible Disney Vacation Club Members. Full details are on this page of the DVC website, including a sweepstakes with a chance to win 250 Vacation Points and an exclusive streaming of Westward Walt for eligible members. Most of the special stuff at Walt Disney World Resort (or Disneyland, or the DVC beach resorts) is just for eligible DVC members staying on a hotel reservation and up to four guests (or the maximum number on their room reservation), and some of them are just for eligible DVC members staying on a reservation at a specific DVC property. But, in addition to complimentary buttons available at DVC Discovery Desks throughout Walt Disney World or the Gateway to Discovery location in Disney Springs, two interesting perks are available for all eligible members (that term “eligible” generally means having bought membership interests directly from Disney rather than a third party: it’s complicated):

•Complimentary Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar, ice cream sandwich or fruit bar at:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Tower of Terror Courtyard
Mondays and Tuesdays, starting July 22, 2024 • Times: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Upper Bradley Falls
Thursdays and Fridays, starting July 25, 2024 • Times: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Eligible members plus 4 Guests, may enjoy this benefit, with a limit of one ice cream bar, ice cream sandwich or fruit bar per person per week, per location. A valid Disney Vacation Club Digital Membership Card and photo ID are required and the Member listed on the Digital Membership Card must be in attendance.

•A 20% one-time-use discount on a mobile order at select quick-service dining locations (excluding tax)!
Visit the My Disney Experience app and log in to the account associated with your DVC Membership.

Order food via Mobile Order at a participating restaurant.

Click on “View Order Summary”

Click on “See Current Promotions”

Select “Welcome Home Weeks 20% Discount” or manually type in promo code WHW20

If you have trouble redeeming the promotion, please contact Member Services at 1-800-800-9800.

…REMINDER: Speaking of eligible DVC members, the final Moonlight Magic event on this year’s calendar is at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 27, 2024. Early Registration opens August 1, 2024 for those eligible members with qualifying Resort reservations (with all modifications to party size, completed by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 28, 2024). General Registration opens August 15, 2024 for all eligible members (pending availability).

…NEW: Disney Springs is gearing up for the release of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine later this week. Sure, Disneyland in Anaheim and Disneyland Paris will be saluting the release with Avengers Campus activities, but the pre-Disney acquisition of Marvel licensing deal with Universal Orlando Resort makes that complicated in Florida.

The photo backdrop outside the Disney Springs AMC Dine-In Theaters features “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which opens on July 26. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

…NEW: Driving on World Drive this past week, I noticed that the paint on the Walt Disney World Resort entry arch is fading from its 50th anniversary royal blue paint scheme, revealing the prior purple color. I do not know if this is just due to the usual impact of prolonged Florida sunshine and thunderstorms or whether it is a choice. I posted a short car cam video clip to my personal Instagram this week and it got a lot more attention than I was expecting, so I embedded it here for those that are interested.

…REMINDER: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series schedule is now posted on the official TasteEPCOT.com website. The three times nightly concerts run from August 29 to November 18, 2024 at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. As usual, the line up is a mix of returning performers and new ones, and attending concerts (by the standby queue or by watching from the standing area on the promenade) is included in park admission. Guaranteed seating is available for individual weekend concerts with purchased dining packages at participating table service restaurants; same-day dining packages are once again available at Regal Eagle Smokehouse (which Disney says may not be available on peak days). All dining packages are subject to selling out, and, of course, a dining reservation (even one for a package) does not guarantee admission to EPCOT, as that remains its usual separate thing requiring a ticket and, depending on ticket type, possibly a park reservation too.

…REMINDER: tickets for the second annual edition of Disney’s Hollywood Studios after-hours holiday party events, Disney Jollywood Nights, are now on sale on the Disney World website at DisneyWorld.com/Jollywood or by calling  407-934-7639. Ticket prices are $159 to $179 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by event date and Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10/ticket). Tickets are also on sale for Magic Kingdom’s traditional holiday after-hours party events, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at DisneyWorld.com/VeryMerry or by calling 407-934-7639. Its ticket prices are $169 to $219 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by event date, and Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10/ticket on select dates).

…REMINDER: For nearly two decades, restaurants around Orlando annual have participated in Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining program. The participating restaurants offer three-course, prix-fixe dinners at “exceptional” prices. Every meal served supports charities. This year, the event runs August 16th through September 30th. Like last year, participating restaurants offer either $40 or $60 menus. Each of the offered three-course dinners includes the choice of an appetizer, entree and dessert from the restaurant’s Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining menu. Tax and gratuity are not included. The organizers ask that diners please tip based on the total meal value. Participating restaurants at Disney Springs include Summer House on the Lake, Jaleo, Maria & Enzo’s, and The Edison. Amare at The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is also participating, and there are several dozen more in the Lake Buena Vista, Dr. Phillips, and I-Drive area, all within a fairly short ride of Walt Disney World Resort (plus more Downtown Orlando and throughout the area getting up to that 150 participants number). For all the participating restaurants and their special menus, visit MagicalDining.com.

…REMINDER: The restaurants of Disney Springs are also celebrating the Flavors of Summer through August 11. There’s a whole Disney Parks Blog foodie guide to check out too.

Disney Springs salutes the Flavors of Florida through August 11, 2024. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

…REMINDER: Guests at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant this summer at Disney Springs can also enjoy the new “Summer Lovin’ Menu” offerings from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. The seasonal menu features four Raglan Road appetizers and five cocktail specials at just $10 each. Nine select entrees at $20 each include the restaurant’s famous Fish N Chips, Shepherd’s Pie (both Shepherd’s Pie to Try and This Shepherd Went Vegan pie), The OMG Burger, and That Salad with Chicken. Starters like the buttermilk-marinated Bang Bang Chicken or a Soul Soup & Salad Combo paired with the pub’s Irish Gunpowder gin-based Blathanna Blossom, the vodka-forward Blueberry Mint Lemonade, and other super summer sippers are also available. The Summer Lovin’ Menu will be served throughout summer at all indoor Raglan Road bars and tables, on the patio, and at the Hole in the Wall bar. The full All-Day Menu will be available daily as well.

…REMINDER: Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs is also offering Disney Annual Passholders a 20% off discount on lunch, both weekdays and weekends, through the end of September.

…REMINDER: On Thursday, August 22, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., The Edison at Disney Springs will host an special evening, featuring beverage creations and a bit of friendly rivalry amongst Central Florida’s top mixologists, like Blake Cain from Mather’s Social Gathering, Letisha Diaz from Prato in Winter Park and Chelsea Gilpin from The Edison. During the event, guests will sample and vote on cocktails crafted by local mixologists, while enjoying expertly prepared bites from various food stations. Alongside the culinary experience, the night will feature a silent auction with the proceeds benefiting Give Kids the World Village! Tickets are $85++ per person and extremely limited. Guests must be 21+ to attend. Visit this page on Tock for further information and to purchase tickets.

…REMINDER: Walt Disney World Golf will be hosting the 2024 PGA Family Golf Championship at Disney’s Palm Golf Course, September 28th & 29th, 2024. The PGA Family Golf Championship will bring together teams of 2 to 4 players, who are all biologically or legally related, to compete in two days of weekend fun and create great memories and moments with their loved ones. PGA Family Golf brings family members of all ages and skill levels together on multi-generational teams, and programs are hosted exclusively by PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals. Learn more on the official Walt Disney World Golf Blog.

…REMINDER: Applications are now open for the 2025 Disney Dreamers Academy event at www.DisneyDreamersAcademy.com, where high school students looking to achieve their dreams can be nominated or apply themselves. Disney Dreamers Academy is an annual four-day transformational program at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, designed to broaden career and personal development for a select group of 100 teens from Black and underrepresented communities across America. The 100 selected students receive an all-expense-paid trip, along with one parent or guardian, to Walt Disney World Resort to experience a combination of inspiration, education and fun at The Most Magical Place on Earth. MousePlanet has been hosted by Disney at several past editions of Disney Dreamers Academy and has reported on them in past Walt Disney World Resort Updates.

…REMINDER: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic celebrates 15 Years this year with the return of its Food & Wine Classic on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, 2024. The event will run an additional half-hour longer each evening than in the past, giving guests more time to enjoy the sips, flavors and music. Tickets are available now at SwanDolphinFoodAndWineClassic.com, including a bundle offering with a 15 percent discount for tickets for both Friday and Saturday night. The discounted bundle gives attendees a taste of everything the Food & Wine Classic has to offer, with different menu items featured each night. Additionally, favorite stations from years past will make an exclusive return, paying tribute to the event’s early years.

The 2024 Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic will take place along the causeway between the two hotel towers on November 15 and 16. Photo courtesy Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort.

More information about the 2024 event, including educational seminars, will be released soon. For the latest information or to purchase tickets, guests can visit SwanDolphinFoodAndWineClassic.com, like swandolphinfwc on Facebook, or call 1-888-828-8850. Discounted hotel packages are available with proof of ticket purchase.

…REMINDER: Before the fall comes around, Florida residents and Disney Annual Passholders can save up to 30% off regular rates on hotel stays at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Guests can visit swandolphin.com/offers/ for more information or to book.

REMINDER: Limited Time Special Offer from Evermore Orlando Resort – Families can save 20% on stays in 5–11-bedroom vacation homes November 15, 2024 – January 12, 2025, and enjoy a complimentary Evermore to Your Door holiday meal delivery and kitchen tidy-up service, when they book by September 30, 2024. Terms and conditions apply, including that stays must be at least 5 consecutive nights. To book, visit EvermoreResort.com and use promo code HOLIDAY24.

Evermore Bay is the centerpiece of Evermore Orlando Resort. From the upper floors of Conrad Orlando, you can see just how close Evermore is to Walt Disney World Resort. In this direction, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort are easy to see. File Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

…REMINDER: Give Kids the World Village, the 89-acre, whimsical nonprofit resort in Kissimmee that provides cost-free week-long trips to critically ill children and their families, announced that its Gingerbread Run is returning this fall and will take place at night – under the holiday lights! On Saturday, November 23, you’ll have the chance to run, roll or stroll a 5K or family fun run through the whimsical storybook Village illuminated by thousands of holiday lights. Information and registration is available on this page of the Village’s website.

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Resort Reservations, Ticket Advice & Special Offers

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Walt Disney World Resort Update.

The 4-day Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket is $235 ($59 per day), plus tax, and offers admission to one theme park per day. The ticket is valid through September 28, 2024, and park reservations are required. The ticket can be used on consecutive or non-consecutive days, and there is no fuse, so you can use the first admission in April and space out your remaining visits over the summer.

A 3-day version of the ticket is also available for $219 ($73 per day).

Both of these tickets also offer optional upgrades:

  • Park Hopper Option — $40 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
    Visit more than one theme park on the same day.
  • Water Park and Sports Option — $35 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
    Visit one theme park per day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. For example, if you purchase a 3-Day Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket with the Water Park and Sports option, you can visit a Walt Disney World theme park on 3 days with an advance theme park reservation—and visit a Disney water park on 3 additional days by September 28, 2024.
  • Park Hopper Plus Option — $55 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
    Visit more than one theme park on the same day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. This option is a combination of the Park Hopper option and the Water Park and Sports option.

It really is important to stress the necessity for making your park reservations as soon as you complete your purchase. Disney is only setting aside a limited number of reservations for this ticket type each day, and states, “Reservations may be unavailable for any particular date or park, especially as you get closer to the date of visit or ticket expiration date.”

If you are not a Florida Resident, or you are, but park reservations are not available for the dates you want to visit, Disney is also offering the 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket from $99 Per Day, Plus Tax (Total Price from $396, Plus Tax). The 4-Park Magic Ticket includes one admission to each of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks—Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios—for a total of 4 admissions, on 4 separate days. Limit one admission per theme park, one theme park per day. This is a date-based ticket, so it does not require a theme park reservation to enter a park, but you must pick a start date through September 22, 2024, and the ticket must be used within 7 days of the selected start date. This ticket cannot be used to enter the same theme park more than once.

If you are willing to skip Magic Kingdom, Disney is also offering a Special 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom only, starting from $89 per day, plus tax (total price starting from $267, plus tax). This is also a date-based ticket that does not require a theme park reservation to enter a park, but you must pick a start date through September 24, 2024, and the ticket must be used within 5 days of the selected start date.

Disney+ subscribers can get a FREE dining plan when purchasing a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option. This offer is valid for arrivals most nights through September 30, 2024. Visit DisneyWorld.com/SpecialOffers for additional offer details!

Disney Rewards Visa Card users can get a free dining plan when using the card to purchase a non-discounted 4-night/4 day Walt Disney Travel Company Package including room at select hotels and tickets with Park Hopper Option for arrivals most nights through July 31, September 1 – 7, and December 9 – 21, 2024. More details, restrictions, information, and the opportunity to book are on this page of the DisneyWorld website.

Florida residents can save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels, valid for stays most nights through October 3, 2024. Which resort qualifies for which discount and booking opportunities are available on this page of DisneyWorld.com.

Details and more special offers are available on this page of DisneyWorld.com.

MousePlanet’s travel partner Get Away Today is available to help you book rooms and packages.

Get Away Today Logo

REMINDER: Get Away Today’s Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages can now be booked completely on its website! No cumbersome quotes needed! Simply compare all your favorite Walt Disney World Resort hotels and Get Away Today’s hand selected off-property hotels in a few clicks, and then customize for your included tickets for your vacation.

Get Away Today’s Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages now have the option to add Layaway Plans, which allow you to pay the total balance up to eight days prior to travel. You can also add their popular “Peace of Mind Plan” when booking a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, which allows any reschedules and cancellations up to five days prior to travel with no penalty.

When booking with Get Away Today, all Walt Disney World Resort on-site packages include Get Away Today’s e-concierge, which includes its Best Price Guarantee, Dining Reservation Reminders, access to their Concierge Team email for help before and during your vacation, and more.

Looking to go beyond Walt Disney World Resort when visiting Central Florida? Check out Get Away Today’s Universal Orlando Resort ticket offers too.

Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or a travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today! As always, we remind our readers that Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Florida or eligible for U.S. Military Personnel benefits. Historically, non-Florida residents tend to benefit the most by purchasing tickets in advance (and, of course, being mindful of the rules relevant to those tickets). Don’t get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside Disney property stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Walt Disney World Theme Park admissions, and may result in denial of entry. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks.

Back in the day, our MousePlanet newsletter used to have a photo where we asked readers to identify where it was taken. Is that something you would like to see brought back? Do you know where in Central Florida you can see this Walt Disney World store? There is one location hint elsewhere in this week’s Update. Offer up your comments and guesses where you see this Update posted on Facebook, X, or Threads. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

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