undercover tourist 1 day disney

Is Undercover Tourist legit? – Finding Reliable Ticket Deals

Are you looking for Undercover Tourist reviews for your next family trip? Maybe you’re considering purchasing theme park tickets or a hotel stay through Undercover Tourist, but you’re wondering if the prices are too good to be true. Rest assured that Undercover Tourist is a trusted company used by tons of families each year, including my own family.

They offer amazing customer service and great deals on everything you need for your next vacation. So, if you are searching for a way to save money on theme park tickets, then Undercover Tourist is the place to go! My family and I have used this reputable company on multiple Disney trips as they offer deep discounts on tickets to theme parks in both California and Florida.

You can use Undercover Tourist to purchase tickets for parks like Disney World, Universal, Disneyland, Sea World, and Lego Land. They also offer great deals on hotel room prices (including Walt Disney World resort hotels) and on rental cars. To make planning your family vacation easier, Undercover Tourist even provides special features like Disney World crowd calendars along with other helpful online tools.

So, if you’re considering using this super helpful website for your next trip, continue reading our full Undercover Tourist review below. We will discuss just how easy it is to use Undercover Tourist to help plan your next theme park vacation AND get a great deal on tickets!

How It Works

Before planning a family vacation to Walt Disney World (or other theme parks), you may be wondering if you can get a discount on the official (aka pricey) ticket prices. Over the years, I have found the Undercover Tourist website to be the easiest way to score the best deals on park tickets. It’s my family’s go-to website for planning any Disney World vacation because it helps make trip planning a breeze.

No matter what you’re needing for your trip, Undercover Tourist will have a great deal to help make your trip a little more budget friendly. They offer the best deals on tickets to SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Studios, and other theme parks and attractions. You can even score big ticket discounts on Walt Disney World park tickets, including park hopper tickets, sports tickets, and water park ticket options.

As you shop on the official Undercover Tourist website, you will notice that these discounts get bigger and bigger with the number of days you add on to your ticket package. In other words, you won’t see a huge price difference in Disney tickets if you are just purchasing one day passes. However, you will find deep discounts the more days you add on to your package. All in all, you can save over $80 per ticket at Walt Disney World, which really adds up if you are traveling with multiple family members!

Just use the ticket calendar to determine if the Disney park passes are available. If your desired dates and parks are available, follow the prompts to choose the ticket options you want. After purchasing your Disney park passes, you can easily link them in your My Disney Experience account . Once you link your discounted tickets, they’ll show up in your account just as if you had bought them from Disney’s official site. It’s that easy!

Why We Use Undercover Tourist

In addition to the incredible savings that Undercover Tourist provides, my family and I also use them for their customer service. Not only is Undercover Tourist a legit website, but they are also a trusted name in the theme park industry. Did you know that the Undercover Tourist brand is officially an authorized Walt Disney World ticket seller ?

This means they are recognized for their honest dependability. When going through wholesale ticket providers for the first time, it can sometimes feel intimidating. But, Undercover Tourist is a discount ticket seller that provides real tickets with no hidden fees. Plus, shipping and tax are included in the price you pay.

At the time of this post, Undercover Tourist is even offering a full refund policy for Disney World tickets! Since I personally do not have experience requesting a refund on tickets from Undercover Tourist, I cannot speak about this process. However, my family and I did have to cancel hotel reservations with Undercover Tourist a few trips ago.

The process of requesting a refund was so easy, and they provided great customer service. I just called the Undercover Tourist contact number and immediately spoke with a customer service agent who handled my cancellation. During the phone call, I spoke with a super friendly and knowledgeable representative without having to wait through the automated calling you so often have to sit through when contacting companies.

Booking Hotels through Undercover Tourist

Undercover Tourist has many different tools and features that make it easy to plan your next Disney trip. This website can be very helpful when trying to save money on tickets, car rentals, and hotel rooms. If you are planning a hotel stay at Disney, we recommend comparing the prices on the official WDW website with those on the Undercover Tourist site.

Although Undercover Tourist does not always have the cheaper rate, they often do! Plus, you can sometimes find availability for rooms you want that are sold out on the official Disney website. We always make sure to price out the rooms on both websites before booking since you can often save money going through Undercover Tourist.

On a side note, if you’re looking to stay at a deluxe hotel, we recommend looking into renting DVC points first. This is often the way to save the most money on a hotel room at Disney. However, if you aren’t able to secure a DVC room OR if you’re looking for a value/moderate resort, Undercover Tourist is often the way to go!

Final Review of Undercover Tourist

Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can often feel daunting and expensive. But, with all of the amazing resources and discounts available through Undercover Tourist, there is no need to worry. You can snag some awesome deals on WDW tickets, hotels, AND car rentals all while keeping peace of mind in knowing that you are using a legitimate authorized Disney ticket seller.

We highly recommend giving Undercover Tourist a try before your next family vacation! You can find deep discounts on a hotel stay and theme park tickets for the whole family. Also, if you are looking for tips on choosing the right Disney World hotel, join our Facebook group- Mom’s Guide to Disney Resorts – for personalized help on finding the best resort for your family! Do you have a review of Undercover Tourist? Comment below to share your experience!

Shari is an experienced planner and organizer for Disney vacations, cruising, and U.S. travel. Her family vacation information, reviews, and tips provide insight for moms and dads everywhere. You can read more about her story, including her journey through breast cancer, in the about me page.

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Hi Shari! I am thinking of using Undercover Tourist for our next Disney vacation. Do they mail you a physical ticket? If the ticket is emailed, how do you use it to enter the parks? Do you have to print it out or do you go somewhere at Disney to convert the printed page to an actual ticket? Just wondering about the logistics now that you need a reservation for the parks…Thanks for the help!

Thanks so much for reaching out. I believe that Undercover Tourist will mail you physical tickets if you want them, but I usually choose the email option. Either way, your physical or digital tickets will have a code on them. You just log into your WDW account and link the Undercover Tourist tickets using the code. This is a similar process to reserving a Disney hotel through Undercover Tourist. They will give you a confirmation number/code that you type into your Disney account, and it links your reservation.

Once you are at Disney, your linked tickets and reservations are connected to your Magic Bands and the My Disney Experience App. So, to enter a theme park, you will swipe your Magic Band or the Disney App to get in.

Just make sure that you make your park reservation after you link your Undercover Tourist tickets into your Disney account. I hope I explained that okay. It’s actually REALLY easy to do. When you log into your Disney account, it basically prompts you each step of the way. Hope you have a great time at Disney!!

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Undercover Tourist Review [Discounted Tickets, Hotels, and Car Rentals]

Katie Seemann

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What is Undercover Tourist?

Paper tickets vs. e-tickets, refundable tickets, travel insurance, undercover tourist crowd calendar, the frog guarantee and frog family promise, price comparisons, earning points on tickets, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets at a discount. If you’ve planned a trip to Walt Disney World , Universal Studios, or SeaWorld, you’ve probably come across Undercover Tourist. But did you also know you can use this website to book hotels and rental cars, too?

In this post, we’ll go over what you need to know to use Undercover Tourist to find the best prices on amusement park tickets, hotels, and rental cars. Plus, we’ll go over some of the popular features of the site like the Crowd Calendar.

Undercover Tourist is a website that that’s been around since 2000 and is known for offering discounted tickets to theme parks across the U.S. The site is an authorized seller of tickets for all the major theme parks you know and love:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Disneyland in California
• Universal Orlando Resort
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• SeaWorld Orlando
• SeaWorld San Diego
• LEGOLAND Florida Resort
• LEGOLAND California Resort

Undercover Tourist also has discounted tickets to non-theme park attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, ski resorts, zoos, movie theaters, and lots more! Plus, it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals.

While Undercover Tourist offers a ton of ticket, hotel, and car options, the site is limited in the number of destinations it covers. You’ll only find options in the following cities:

• Breckenridge, CO
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York City, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Park City, Utah
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Washington, D.C.

Options in Seattle, London, and Paris are coming soon.

Bottom Line: Undercover Tourist is a resource for discounted tickets to theme parks and other attractions in select cities across the U.S. It’s best known for offering discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks.  The site also acts as an online travel agency for hotel reservations and car rentals in these select cities.

Discount Tickets

Let’s review the steps to using Undercover Tourist to purchase discounted tickets.

You can start your search for discounted tickets from many different places on the home page. Click on Discount Tickets in the top menu bar, click on a logo underneath the menu bar, or click on any of the featured tickets in the middle of your screen to start your search.

After choosing your destination, you’ll be able to see lots of information about your chosen theme park, including maps, hotels, tips, and more. Scroll down a bit to find the availability calendar and ticket options.

The tickets you buy through Undercover Tourist are exactly the same as if you purchased them directly from the park, except you’ll probably save some money.

After choosing the type and number of tickets you need, you’ll be able to see your final price and choose your travel dates. The price you see is what you’ll pay — taxes are included and shipping is free!

Hot Tip: Are you on a tight budget? Check out our full guide to using visiting Disney World for cheap using points and miles.

You may be inclined to have your tickets emailed to you, but there are some risks. E-tickets are non-refundable, and you’ll need to stop at Will Call at the gate to pick up your physical tickets. For Disney tickets, if you have a MagicBand, you can add the e-tickets to your account and proceed directly to the gate, but they’ll still be non-refundable.

Instead, it may be a better idea to have the physical tickets mailed to you. This option is also free and the tickets will be eligible for a refund. Plus, you’ll be able to go straight to the gate at the park which can be a huge timesaver.

Many tickets sold on Undercover Tourist are refundable within 90 days of purchase. To get a refundable ticket, you’ll need to have tickets mailed to you vs. opting for email delivery. Refundable tickets will be clearly marked. Be sure to confirm the return policy for your specific tickets before completing your purchase.

If you need to return tickets that you purchased, you’ll be charged a 5% fee to cover the return.

Hot Tip: E-tickets are non-refundable. To get a ticket that is eligible for a refund, you’ll need to select the Mailed To Your Door  option.

Before finalizing your purchase, you’ll be prompted to add travel insurance. Before choosing whether or not to add insurance to your purchase, you’ll want to learn about all of your options.

Undercover Tourist offers insurance through Allianz Global Assistance , a popular travel insurance company. However, the policy offered by Undercover Tourist covers lots of areas that may already be covered through your credit card including trip cancellation and interruption , lost or delayed baggage, and travel accident insurance, so it may not be needed.

If you purchase tickets that are eligible for a refund, insurance is probably not necessary. If you’re also booking a hotel or rental car, take a minute to determine if you have a credit card with rental car insurance  before purchasing a separate policy.

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a popular feature on the site that helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park.

To access the Crowd Calendar, just click on Crowd Calendar in the top menu bar of the website.

You’ll be able to look at specifics for a handful of the most popular destinations:

• Discovery Cove
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Magic Kingdom Park
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Volcano Bay

Hot Tip: The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar is a color-coded chart that helps you predict which parks will be more or less crowded on a specific day.

If you’re headed to Orlando, be sure to download the Undercover Tourist Orlando Planning App, free for iOS . This handy app will take the stress out of trying to navigate the parks on your own with features like an interactive map, up-to-date park information, park plans, and estimated wait times.

The app covers Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando.

The Frog Guarantee and Frog Family Promise are not price guarantees, rather they’re guarantees of quality and customer service.

When purchasing amusement park tickets through Undercover Tourist you’ll always receive:

• Authentic tickets from an authorized seller
• Free standard shipping
• No hidden fees
• 90-day refund/return policy (not applicable to e-tickets)
• RFID enabled and Genie+ eligible Disney tickets
• Next-day pickup or delivery availability

So, let’s answer the question you really want to know, “Can Undercover Tourist save me money?”

To do this, we priced out some ticket options for 1 adult on Undercover Tourist and compared those to what we could get directly from the park’s website.

In every single example we priced out, Undercover Tourist was the cheapest option! If you’re looking for discounted tickets to Walt Disney World and other popular theme parks, you’ll probably save money by using Undercover Tourist.

Hot Tip: You can NOT use Disney gift cards to pay for tickets through Undercover Tourist. So, if you’ve been collecting gift cards from stores with high points bonuses (like grocery stores ), you’ll need to purchase your tickets directly through the park.

Purchasing tickets to an amusement park can be expensive. So, of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re earning as many points as possible on your purchase.

Amusement park tickets usually code as “entertainment,” so if you’re purchasing them directly, you’ll want to use a credit card that offers bonus categories on entertainment purchases . The Citi Premier ® Card earns 2 points per dollar spent on entertainment purchases, including tickets to amusement parks.

However, purchases from Undercover Tourist code as “travel” which opens up the door to earn points on a variety of different credit cards. These credit cards all earn bonus points on the travel category, which will include amusement park tickets purchased from Undercover Tourist.

Earn 3x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ® card
• Citi Premier card

Earn 2x points on travel purchases with these credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card
• Capital One ® Venture ® Rewards card

Hot Tip: If you have an American Express card, check to see if Amex Offers has any current money-back offers from Undercover Tourist. 

While Undercover Tourist is known as the place to buy theme park tickets, the site also acts as an online travel agency for booking hotels.

To get started, click on Hotels in the top menu bar. Then select your destination from the drop-down box and enter the number of travelers and your travel dates.

Your search results will be displayed in a format similar to other hotel booking websites that you may be familiar with (like Expedia , Priceline , Hotels.com , etc). Filtering options will be available on the left side of your screen and sorting options are located on the upper right-hand side, above the results.

Unlike with tickets on Undercover Tourist, the prices you see initially don’t include tax. You’ll have to click through to the payment page to see the full price with taxes and fees included.

Cancellation policies will vary by the hotel but will be clearly displayed once you add an item to your cart.

Hot Tip: If you’re traveling to Florida to enjoy the theme parks, check out these places to stay in Orlando for your Disney vacation!

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples to see if booking a hotel through Undercover Tourist can save you money. For both of these examples, we priced out a week-long stay for 2 adults and 1 child. Prices include taxes and fees and are for the hotel stay only (tickets are not included).

The results are typical of most price comparisons we do — they aren’t consistent! Undercover Tourist had the best price for the first option, but Trivago came out with the best price in the second example. The bottom line is that you can definitely save money by using Undercover Tourist for your hotel stay, but not always.

The car rental search functionality on the Undercover Tourist website is pretty limited. You’ll only be able to search for car rentals at Orlando International Airport (MCO) from only 5 car rental companies — Alamo, Avis , Budget , Enterprise , and National .

We did a couple of searches to find out if booking your Orlando car rental through Undercover Tourist could save you money. We searched for the cheapest price for a week-long rental on 2 different dates.

In both of these examples, Undercover Tourist came out as the second most expensive option. Interestingly, Momondo  had the lowest price and Priceline had the highest price in both examples.

Undercover Tourist may be a great place to purchase theme park tickets, but it’s not a great option when you’re searching for a rental car.

Undercover Tourist is a popular website for purchasing theme park tickets on the cheap. It also acts as an online travel agency for hotels and car rentals, but only in select cities.

It’s a great site to use to save some money on theme park tickets, but the savings on hotels and cars aren’t as consistent.

Before you head to Disney, check out some of our helpful guides including re-opening plans , packing lists , and even how to visit virtually .

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does undercover tourist give refunds.

Yes, most ticket purchases are eligible for a refund within 90 days of purchase if you choose to have your tickets mailed to you. E-tickets are usually non-refundable. If you choose to return tickets, you’ll be charged a 5% fee.

What is the Undercover Tourist crowd calendar?

The Undercover Tourist Crowd Calendar helps you identify the least and most crowded times to visit a specific park using a color-coded system.

Is Undercover Tourist legitimate?

Yes, Undercover Tourist is a legitimate website that sells discounted amusement park tickets and it acts as an online travel agency for hotels and rental cars. It’s an authorized seller for tickets to some of the most popular parks in the U.S. including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Why is Undercover Tourist cheaper?

Undercover Tourist buys tickets at a wholesale price from the theme parks so they’re able to re-sell them to you at a discounted price. Plus, they don’t charge any additional fees so the price you see is the price you’ll pay.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Walt Disney World Ticket Discounts

LAST UPDATE: 4/2/24

This page is all about the best ways to get Disney World ticket deals . Multiple  Disney World ticket discounts  are available for the general public and even a few ways to get a discount on Disney World annual passes . There are special discounted Disney World tickets available for Florida residents and members of the US military. If you’re buying passes for a family, even 5% or 10% off  Disney World tickets can add up to a chunk of money!

This page is about ticket discounts for the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.  If that’s not where you’re planning a trip, perhaps you want our page about  discounts on tickets to Disneyland in California . Or you may want  information and tips for the Disney parks in other countries .

This page compiles a comprehensive list of places that offer Disney World ticket discounts and deals. Read on for the complete details.

• If you are visiting this page for the first time, we highly recommend that you first read our Advice, Tips and Tricks for Walt Disney World Tickets and Passes page, which contains important tips that could save you money and help you avoid scams.
• For comparison purposes, you may want to check the  regular prices of all the Walt Disney World tickets and annual passes .
• If you live outside the USA, you will want to check out our page on Discounts on Tickets for International Visitors , which lists some options that are only available to you.

Sources for Walt Disney World Ticket Discounts

Discount tickets from undercover tourist, four-day, four-park magic ticket, special three-day, three-park ticket, advance purchase discount, discounts on annual passes.

• Florida Resident Ticket Discounts
• Military & Civil Service Ticket Discounts

Corporate, Government & Other Membership Discounts

Canadian resident ticket discounts.

• DVC Member Ticket Discounts
• University of Central Florida Ticket Discounts
• AAA and CAA Ticket Discounts

Online Travel Agencies

Other Walt Disney World Ticket Information Pages

• Regular Ticket Prices
• Ticket Advice, Tips and Tricks
• Discounts on Tickets for International Visitors
• Discounts on Water Park Tickets

For the best discounts on multi-day Walt Disney World tickets (and other theme park and attraction tickets), we highly recommend checking out  Undercover Tourist , a reliable ticket broker offering excellent Disney World ticket discounts and outstanding customer service.

How can Undercover Tourist offer discounted Walt Disney World tickets? Undercover Tourist buys tickets wholesale directly from Disney and sells them at a slight mark-up. Undercover Tourist is a Disney Parks USA Selected Ticket Seller – Disney’s authorized program for ticket resellers.

Theme park tickets are an expensive outlay, and you should feel confident that you are dealing with a legitimate business . Undercover Tourist is a reputable company that we have recommended since 2006. Over 100,000 MouseSavers.com readers have bought and used tickets from this ticket broker. 

Tickets purchased from Undercover Tourist   have the EXACT same benefits as those purchased at the Disney gate.  You can log into MyDisneyExperience.com , create an account if you don’t already have one, and enter the numbers off your Undercover Tourist tickets and set up your Disney Genie preferences. 

Undercover Tourist prices include tax and FREE shipping. When comparing prices with Disney’s published prices, remember that Disney quotes prices without including the 6.5% tax. Undercover Tourist prices include the tax. Be sure you are comparing “apples to apples” by looking at the full price with tax!

Undercover Tourist Walt Disney World tickets are refundable! This includes e-tickets as well as physical “hard” tickets. This is a huge benefit — even Disney doesn’t offer refunds on tickets! There is a 5% restocking fee, so most of the time it’s better to change the tickets rather than refund them, but for those cases when you really won’t be able to use the tickets at all, it’s great to know you can get 95% of your ticket cost back. To be eligible for refund, your tickets must be unused and unchanged. Check Undercover Tourist for the full terms and conditions.

• Visit Undercover Tourist to purchase discounted Walt Disney World tickets and other attraction tickets!

Exclusive Discounts for MouseSavers Newsletter Subscribers

Undercover Tourist offers its best deals on tickets exclusively for MouseSavers Newsletter subscribers. These special prices are not available to the general public and are not published here on MouseSavers.com. They are provided ONLY through private links in our monthly newsletter, which comes on the 15th of each month (or the next business day), and one Hot Deals announcement near the end of each month. Undercover Tourist offers even larger discounts on a small selection of attraction tickets in the Hot Deals Announcement, so for the absolute best deals you’ll want to subscribe to both FREE newsletters.

• Subscribe to the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter and the optional FREE Hot Deals Announcements!   The main newsletter comes out on the 15th of each month (or the next business day) and the Hot Deals announcement with the special Undercover Tourist sale prices comes out on the final Monday of each month (or the next business day). We do not send out the private links separately from the newsletters, so please plan ahead.

For a limited time, you can purchase a Four-Day, Four-Park Magic Ticket valid for admission April 2 through September 22, 2024. Ticket expires 7 days after first use or September 28, 2024, whichever comes first. A theme park reservation is not needed for this ticket.

This is a special ticket, available for a limited time, that gets you one admission to each of the four main Walt Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. No park hopping is allowed, and you can’t upgrade the ticket to go for more days. If you want to revisit a park on another day, you’ll have to buy another ticket. As with regular base tickets, you are allowed to leave a park and return to it the same day.

• 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket costs $421.74 – $508.01 per adult (age 10+) and $336.54 – 432.39 per child (age 3-9), depending on the date, tax included. 

You can add the Water Park & Sports option for $63.90 per ticket, tax included. 

This is not really a discounted Base ticket, but it does save money for folks who plan to visit each of the four parks for one day with no hopping, since the regular 4-day Base ticket gate prices are $484.67-$673.34 for adults and $465.91-$654.31 for children. It can be purchased from Undercover Tourist or directly from Disney.

For a limited time, you can purchase a Special Three-Day, Three-Park Ticket valid for admission April 2 through September 24, 2024. Ticket expires 5 days after first use or September 28, 2024, whichever comes first. A theme park reservation is not needed for this ticket.

This is a special ticket, available for a limited time, that gets you one admission each to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios only . No park hopping is allowed, and you can’t upgrade the ticket to go for more days. If you want to revisit a park on another day, you’ll have to buy another ticket. As with regular base tickets, you are allowed to leave a park and return to it the same day. Please note: This ticket does not include admission to Magic Kingdom. 

• Special 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket costs $284.36 – $345.06 per person (age 3+), depending on the date, tax included. 

This is not really a discounted Base ticket, but it does save money for folks who plan to visit only those three parks for one day with no hopping, since the regular 3-day Base ticket gate prices are $362.13-$528.19 for adults and $347.43-$513.27 for children. It can be purchased from Undercover Tourist or directly from Disney.

All regular Walt Disney World tickets, including Base, Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus tickets of 3 days or longer are $21.30 less (tax included) when purchased in advance directly from Disney online or over the phone (versus buying them at Walt Disney World ticket booths, guest services locations or Disney hotel desks). In our experience, Undercover Tourist typically has discounts that are significantly better; be sure to compare the final prices with tax before purchasing.

There are no current sources of discounts on Walt Disney World annual passes for the general public. There are, however, some discounts available for members of certain organizations or geographic areas, and there are also some special passes available for local residents that are cheaper than the regular annual passes, but come with blackout dates and other restrictions. Use these links for more information:

• Non-discounted prices of Walt Disney World annual passes
• Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member discounts on Walt Disney World annual passes
• AAA/CAA member discounts on Walt Disney World annual passes
• Florida resident discounts on regular Walt Disney World annual passes
• Florida resident lower-cost restricted Walt Disney World annual passes

Florida Resident Disney World Ticket Discounts

In order to qualify for Florida Resident ticket and annual pass discounts, you have to show proof of residency such as a valid Florida driver’s license or Florida state ID card, showing a Florida address. These tickets and passes are also controlled using a biometric finger scan, to prevent them from being transferred to non-Florida residents. Disney has the system down to a science — trust us, you really can’t buy or use these tickets unless you actually live in Florida!

If your primary ID is from a different state, but you do own a residence in Florida, even one you only use part of the year, you can generally buy Florida resident tickets and passes by showing, for each adult , an ID from another state plus a recent utility bill or bank statement in the same name (no more than 2 months old), addressed to your Florida residence. Timeshares are not considered residences for the purposes of buying Florida Resident tickets and passes.

The only exception is small children — since Disney can’t reasonably require them to show residency through an ID, it’s technically possible for Florida residents to buy Florida resident tickets for non-resident kids. For instance, if Grandma and Grandpa live in Florida, they could accompany their grandkids who live outside Florida to Walt Disney World, and buy the kids Florida resident tickets.

If you’re not an actual Florida resident, can you just go to Florida, get a Florida ID and buy tickets at the Florida resident rate? Not legally. This scam is promoted by some websites and “e-books” that sell advice about how to save money at Disney World. Here’s what the Florida Dept of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles has to say about that: “Giving false information on an application for a driver license or identification card is a third degree felony which may result in arrest, and includes a one-year suspension of the driving privilege.”

Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets

Florida resident tickets.

• Florida Resident Sorcerer Pass
• Florida Resident Pirate Pass
• Florida Resident Pixie Dust Pass

Florida residents can buy these special limited-time 3-day and 4-day tickets, valid for admission April 2 through September 28, 2024. Like the regular Florida Resident tickets, you can visit for one day here and there during the validity period. 

• 3-Day Discover Disney Ticket: $233.24 for all ages (3+), tax included. This ticket is similar to a discounted 3-Day Base Ticket , but with a much longer expiration. 
• 4-Day Discover Disney Ticket: $250.28 for all ages (3+), tax included. This ticket is similar to a discounted 4-Day Base Ticket , but with a much longer expiration. 

You can add the  Water Park & Sports ,  Park Hopper  or  Park Hopper Plus options at a significant discount. Water Park & Sports add-on is $37.28 per ticket, tax included. Park Hopper add-on is $42.60 per ticket, tax included. Park Hopper Plus add-on is $58.58 per ticket, tax included.

Advance theme park reservations are required. Tickets and add-ons expire 9/28/24.

• Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets can be purchased at a discount from Undercover Tourist or directly from Disney at the regular price; you must have proof of Florida residency.

Florida residents can choose from several savings options for 1-4 day tickets.

• 1-Day Florida Resident Ticke t: Florida residents pay full price for a 1-Day Base Ticket . However, you can add the Park Hopper  or Park Hopper Plus options at a significant discount. 
• There is no 2-day Florida Resident Ticket, but the 3-day Florida Resident tickets are cheaper than the 2-day regular tickets, for all variations.
• This ticket is similar to a discounted 3-Day  Base Ticket .
• Prices vary daily – discount is typically 30% or so off the regular ticket prices. You have to choose specific dates to visit.
• You can add the Water Park & Sports , Park Hopper  or  Park Hopper Plus options at a significant discount. 
• The ticket and any add-on options expire after the final date of the range you select, just like regular Disney World tickets.
• This ticket is similar to a discounted 4-Day  Base Ticket .
• You can add the Water Park & Sports , Park Hopper  or  Park Hopper Plus options at a significant discount. 
• Auto Club South (AAA) offers a discount on the 1-Day and 3-Day tickets.
• Florida Resident Tickets can be purchased at a discount from Undercover Tourist or directly from Disney at the regular price; you must have proof of Florida residency.

Florida Resident Sorcerer Pass (formerly Gold pass)

This special pass is only available to Florida residents and DVC members. The Sorcerer Pass provides one year of admission (with a few blackout dates) to the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), plus FREE parking. Theme park reservations are required except on “good-to-go” days. You can have up to 5 theme park reservations open at any one time with this pass (when staying at a Disney resort, you can additionally have as many park days reserved as hotel stay days).

On “good-to-go” days, Annual Passholders can visit select theme parks without a theme park reservation. To see “good-to-go” dates, check the theme park reservation calendar, the Annual Passholder admissions calendar or the My Disney Experience app. New dates will be added periodically, and may be added days or weeks in advance.

Sorcerer Passholders can enter the parks on any valid date for this pass after 2 pm without a theme park reservation, except for the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.

All prices listed include tax.

• First time Sorcerer Pass: $1,063.94 for all ages (3+).
• Renewal Sorcerer Pass: $904.19 for all ages (3+).
• Florida residents can pay in 12 monthly installments of $72/month with $205 down payment ($76/month with no down payment for renewal).
• Unlimited PhotoPass downloads can be added to this pass for $105.44 ($90.52 for renewal).
• The Water Park & Sports option (includes water park admission and more ) can be added to this pass for $105.44 ($90.52 for renewal).

The blockout dates for Sorcerer Passes are basically just Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Disney will occasionally adjust the blockout dates for this pass; check the Disney website for the most current blockout dates.

You must have proof of Florida residency (or DVC membership) to activate this pass.

First time Sorcerer Passes can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you’ll get an “unactivated” pass attached to your MyDisneyExperience account, which will activate on first entry to a park), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you want a physical plastic pass, you can get one in person by visiting a ticket booth or guest services location on your next visit and requesting one.

Renewal Sorcerer Passes can be purchased at the theme park ticket booths or at DisneyWorld.com .

Florida Resident Pirate Pass (formerly Silver pass)

This special pass is only available to Florida residents. The Pirate Pass provides one year of admission (with some blockout dates) to the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), plus FREE parking. Theme park reservations are required except on “good-to-go” days. You can have up to 4 park reservations open at any one time with this pass (when staying at a Disney resort, you can additionally have as many park days reserved as hotel stay days).

Pirate Passholders can enter the parks on any valid date for this pass after 2 pm without a theme park reservation, except for the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.

• First time Pirate Pass: $850.94 for all ages (3+).
• Renewal Pirate Pass: $723.14 for all ages (3+).
• Florida residents can pay in 12 monthly installments of $54/month with $205 down payment ($61/month with no down payment for renewal).

The blockout dates for Pirate Passes are more extensive than for the Sorcerer passes: Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, spring break, most holiday weekends, and a sprinkling of Saturdays throughout the year. Disney will occasionally adjust the blockout dates for this pass; check the Disney web site for the most current blockout dates.

You must have proof of Florida residency to activate this pass.

First time Pirate Passes can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you’ll get an “unactivated” pass attached to your MyDisneyExperience account, which will activate on first entry to a park), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you want a physical plastic pass, you can get one in person by visiting a ticket booth or guest services location on your next visit and requesting one.

Renewal Pirate Passes can be purchased at the theme park ticket booths or at DisneyWorld.com .

Florida Resident Pixie Dust Pass (formerly Theme Park Select Pass)

This special pass is only available to Florida residents. The Pixie Dust Pass provides one year of admission (with many blockout dates) to the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), plus FREE parking. Theme park reservations are required except on “good-to-go” days. You can have up to 3 park reservations open at any one time with this pass (when staying at a Disney resort, you can additionally have as many park days reserved as hotel stay days).

Pixie Dust Passholders can enter the parks on any valid date for this pass after 2 pm without a theme park reservation, except for the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.

• First time Pixie Dust Pass: $467.54 for all ages (3+).
• Renewal Pixie Dust Pass: $397.25 for all ages (3+).
• Florida residents can pay in 12 monthly installments of $22/month with $205 down payment ($34/month with no down payment for renewal).

The blockout dates for Pixie Dust Passes are quite extensive: Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, spring break, most holiday weekends, all Saturdays and most Sundays. Disney will occasionally adjust the blockout dates for this pass; check the Disney web site for the most current blockout dates.

First time Pixie Dust Passes can be purchased at DisneyWorld.com (you’ll get an “unactivated” pass attached to your MyDisneyExperience account, which will activate on first entry to a park), or just wait and purchase at the theme park ticket booths. If you want a physical plastic pass, you can get one in person by visiting a ticket booth or guest services location on your next visit and requesting one.

Renewal Pixie Dust Passes can be purchased at the theme park ticket booths or at DisneyWorld.com .

Military & Civil Service Disney World Ticket Discounts

Military salute ticket offers, ongoing military/dod discounts.

Military Salute Tickets for Visits January 1 – December 20, 2024

Active or retired US military personnel may purchase  4-Day, 5-Day or 6-Day Military Salute Tickets which include the Park Hopper option,  and can add the  Park Hopper Plus option, to be used by themselves, family members (including spouse) or friends. Blockout dates are March 24 – April 6, 2024 and November 24-30, 2024. 

• The 4-Day Military Salute ticket is $369 per ticket + tax. The 4-Day Military Salute ticket with Park Hopper Plus costs $399 per ticket + tax.
• The 5-Day Military Salute ticket is $389 per ticket + tax. The 5-Day Military Salute ticket with Park Hopper Plus costs $419 per ticket + tax.
• The 6-Day Military Salute ticket is $409 per ticket + tax. The 5-Day Military Salute ticket with Park Hopper Plus costs $439 per ticket + tax.

No Base Ticket (without the Park Hopper option) is available with this offer.

Please note: With these tickets, a theme park reservation is required for the first Walt Disney World theme park you want to visit each day. 

Tickets expire and may not be used after 12/20/24. You may purchase up to 6 tickets.

The 4-Day Military Salute tickets must be purchased by 12/17/24. The 5-Day Military Salute tickets must be purchased by 12/16/24. The 6-Day Military Salute tickets must be purchased by 12/15/24. 

How to Get Military Salute Tickets

Tickets for use 1/1/24 – 12/20/24 went on sale on 10/24/23. 

Military Salute Tickets must be purchased in person, with military ID by the eligible member or their spouse.

• You can  pre-purchase the tickets (in the form of an exchange voucher)  at a military base  (MWR/ITT office),  TAX-FREE!  The exchange voucher is then taken to a Main Entrance theme park ticket window, where it is exchanged for the actual ticket (activated).
• Activated tickets can be pre-purchased   at Shades of Green , TAX-FREE. Thanks to Alicia R for info.
• The military tickets can also be purchased at the Main Entrance theme park ticket windows or at Disney Springs’ Guest Relations, but if you do this, you must pay tax.

Rules for Military Salute Tickets

These tickets are for active or retired members of the US military, including the National Guard, Reservists, the US Coast Guard, the US Space Force with a valid military ID card. It also includes the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Dept of Defense (CIA, FBI, Secret Service) and Coalition Forces are not included .

The military ID will be checked when the tickets are activated. Once the tickets are activated the group can split up.

More details are available on the 2024 Walt Disney World Military Salute ticket offer page or the 2023 Walt Disney World Military Salute ticket offer page .

Where to Ask Questions About Military Salute Tickets

If you have questions about this promotion, please don’t send them to us. All the information we have is listed above. If you need more info, here are some good resources:

• Military Disney Tips has a very long FAQ on these tickets.
• Call  Shades of Green  (SOG) directly and ask them. They seem to have a pretty good handle on some of the issues involved with the military tickets. However, be aware that sometimes Disney’s internal policies and SOG’s policies are slightly different.

Active duty and retired military, DOD civilian employees and their dependents qualify for discounts on Walt Disney World tickets. The savings mainly come from not paying tax (6.5%).

Disney has the right to check ID at the gate. Military personnel may bring in non-military guests with the military discount as long as they accompany the non-military person(s) and at least 50% of the group are qualified for the military discount (i.e., active duty, retired, DOD and dependents). If military personnel purchase tickets and give them as gifts to non-military users that they will not be accompanying, they risk having the recipient denied entry and the tickets confiscated.

• Discounted military tickets are available through your local base MWR/ITT office . The prices and the exact passes that are available will vary from base to base.
• Another place where active duty and retired military can get discounted tickets is a small Navy Exchange in Orlando that has an MWR/ITT office . It is located near the airport on Tradeport & Earhart Drive. The MWR office phone number is (407) 855-0116  or you can email them at [email protected] for current hours and prices. Thanks to Cathy C & Donald G for info.
• Those with Military ID (and their dependents) can purchase discounted tickets (including Annual Passes) at Shades of Green (SOG), the military-operated resort located on Disney World property.  Thank you to Lisa and Gale M for the info!
• Civil Service employees of certain branches of government (such as NASA) can purchase discounted Disney tickets at their exchange shops at the same rates as military. Typically the tickets must be ordered and will take a couple of weeks to arrive. While the employee must purchase the tickets, reportedly anyone can use them. Thanks to Melissa for the info.

Employees of large companies, major government agencies, or large membership groups like unions or professional organizations (typically those with 200-plus employees or members) may qualify to purchase discounted Disney World tickets, regardless of whether the company has any direct relationship with Disney. Disney has in recent years cut back substantially on its corporate discounts, so in most cases the prices are no better the prices available from resellers like Undercover Tourist . But if you work for a large company, it’s worth checking just in case. Remember that most vendors add taxes and fees at the final checkout, so look at the final price, not the teaser price they list initially.

Tickets are typically offered through private websites operated by various ticket suppliers such as Tickets at Work and Working Advantage, which exclusively service large organizations. A password is required to access those sites. Check with your company or organization’s benefits department to find out whether your company participates and how to get the password.

If you work for a company that is a major corporate sponsor at Walt Disney World (i.e. the company’s logo is on a major attraction), you might qualify for significant discounts on tickets. Check with your Human Resources department for additional info. Additionally, employees of companies that have a business relationship with Disney sometimes qualify for deep ticket discounts. Reportedly, employees of Chase (which offers Disney Visa cards ), Kellogg’s (which does a lot of cross-promotions with Disney) and ADT (installs alarms for Disney) get ticket discounts, or did at one time. Check with your Human Resources department for additional info.

In short, it’s possible your organization or company can get you a better discount, but be sure to compare the final price (with tax. fees and shipping) to the price available from Undercover Tourist  before purchasing.

For a limited time, Canadian residents can save 20% when you purchase a 5-day or longer Walt Disney World ticket for visits starting January 11 – September 28, 2024 . You must select a start date and the ticket is valid for admission beginning on that date and must be used within a limited number of days, depending on ticket length and type . You can add Park Hopper, Park Hopper+ or Water Park and Sports.

These discounted tickets must be purchased in advance. Proof of Canadian residency is required at the ticket window prior to first use.

Book by 5/9/24.

Other Canadian Resident Ticket Discounts

• Select Walt Disney World Park Hopper passes are sold at some CAA offices. The price of Disney tickets purchased in Canada is adjusted periodically to conform to the current exchange rate, so at times it may be possible to time a purchase to benefit from a sudden change in the exchange rate . (Tickets purchased in Canada may be intended only for Canadians and there is a slight chance you might be asked for ID, so US citizens who live near the border should keep this in mind.)
• Air Miles – Readers report that Canadians can redeem Air Miles for select Walt Disney World tickets. Thanks to Dawn N for info.

DVC Member Ticket Discounts for Disney World

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a Disney-operated timeshare program with properties at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Vero Beach, Hilton Head Island and Hawaii.

Note that to get the various ticket discounts, you must have purchased at least one DVC contract either directly from Disney or via resale prior to April 4, 2016.

DVC Regular Ticket Discounts

Most of the time there are no special discounts on regular tickets for DVC members. When a discount is offered, it will be listed below.

DVC Annual Pass Discounts

DVC members qualify to purchase the Sorcerer Pass . This special pass is only available to Florida residents and DVC members. The Sorcerer Pass provides one year of admission (with a few blackout dates) to the four major parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), plus FREE parking. Theme park reservations are required except on “good-to-go” days. You can have up to 5 park reservations open at any one time with this pass (when staying at a Disney resort, you can additionally have as many park days reserved as hotel stay days).

• Sorcerer Pass : $1,063.94 for all ages (3+), including tax.
• Sorcerer Pass Renewal : $904.19 for all ages (3+), including tax.

Discounts are valid for members of the DVC member’s immediate household only.

DVC members can call Member Services or buy tickets or passes online on the regular DisneyWorld.com ticketing page, as long as the member is logged into a Disney account that is linked to a DVC membership. For more details and links and instructions for linking your Disney account with your DVC membership, check the DVC Member website.

University of Central Florida Disney Ticket Discounts

Students, faculty and staff at University of Central Florida can purchase One Day, One Park Disney World tickets at a significantly reduced rate. There is a limit of 2 tickets per 30 days. Tickets can be purchased through the SGA Ticket Center located on the first floor of the Student Union in the Lighthouse Mall area. Be sure to buy in advance because they do sell out at times.  Thanks to Amanda for info.

AAA (American Automobile Assn) and CAA (Canadian Automobile Assn) Ticket Discounts

Aaa and caa discounts on disney world tickets.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) and Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is subdivided into regions, with each region having a different independent affiliated club. Each regional club offers different attraction tickets. Some offer discount Walt Disney World tickets; some don’t. Some don’t have discounts, but offer a free bonus of some kind with the order, and if that bonus has value to you, that can be worth considering. Usually you’ll find that clubs in the southeastern US, especially driving distance from Walt Disney World, are the most likely to offer discount tickets. For the very latest information, you should always call your local club or check their web site to see what they offer. Obviously, you will need to be a member of AAA to get these discounts, but in many cases, a club in one region will allow members in other regions to take advantage of their discounts. It never hurts to ask!

Broadly speaking in recent years we have not seen better deals from AAA clubs than from Undercover Tourist on regular tickets for the general public, but if you are a member, it may be worth your time to check what they have. Remember to compare final prices with tax and other fees!

Auto Club South Discounts on Florida Resident Tickets

Auto Club South offices in Florida offer an additional discount on 1-Day and 3-Day Florida Resident tickets for AAA members.

The nearest office to Disney World is located at 783 South Orlando Ave in Winter Park (note that this is not very close to Disney World — it’s about 20 miles away). Call (407) 647-1033 for hours and directions. Passes must be purchased in person unless you are a member of Auto Club South , in which case some passes can be purchased online after logging into the Auto Club South website. You will be sold a voucher that must be redeemed at a Disney World ticket window, with proper Florida resident ID required. Note that Auto Club South e-ticket vouchers are emailed to you, and it can take up to three days for the email to arrive.

Most of the time, the big Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Expedia , Travelocity ,  Orbitz , Priceline , etc. sell Disney World tickets at full price. Every once in a while, one of them will offer a special deal on one or two tickets as a come-on, to get people to come to their site and hopefully book other things. The tickets available on sale can change from day to day (or hour to hour), but it can be worth checking these sites to see if they have a deal on the specific ticket you want. Read our caveats below before purchasing. If you’re only going to save a few dollars, we think you’re better off with Undercover Tourist . If the OTA is offering some kind of super-deep loss-leader special that’s going to save you a bunch, and you are comfortable with the various issues we mention, you may want to take that deal.

Important notes for buying tickets from OTAs:

• Read the terms and conditions carefully. One site we looked at had a disclaimer saying they don’t guarantee that your tickets will be valid and will let you into the park (!!!).
• Make sure you compare the final price, with any tax, fees or shipping, to other sources like Undercover Tourist. A deal that looks great at first glance may not be once miscellaneous fees get tacked on.
• Check and recheck your information before hitting the purchase button, especially your email address. If you buy e-tickets, they will email you the codes you need and if you make a mistake with your email address it won’t go to the right place. That’s not the end of the world; you can call them and they can find your order by name and resend it, but OTAs have notoriously bad customer service.
• Do not take the add-ons or upsells offered, especially any kind of “buyer protection” insurance. If they offer you a special limited time deal on something else like a rental car or hotel, be skeptical, and research carefully whether it’s a good deal. The main reason the OTAs offer these kinds of special ticket deals is in the hope that they can also sell you something with a better profit margin, so chances are good that any other thing they offer you will be full price (or sometimes even above full price!).
• Stick to the big agencies you’ve heard of, that advertise widely and have a decent reputation. If you hear about a great deal from a company you’ve never heard of, we advise staying away. There are lots of Disney ticket scams out there and it’s hard to tell the real vendors from the scammers. Even a vendor that’s not a scammer may not have a reliable supply of tickets, and if their supply dries up unexpectedly while your order is being processed it might be a serious hassle. We have seen this exact situation more than once, and the people who got left holding the bag were not happy.

10 ways to save money on a trip to Disneyland

This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet . 

One-day theme park tickets to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., and its sibling, Disney California Adventure Park, start at $104 per person, so calling Disneyland cheap is about as believable as saying an elephant can fly. But at Disneyland, elephants do in fact fly (Dumbo, anyone?) — and successfully planning a trip to Disneyland on a budget isn’t as impossible as it might seem.

Here’s how to go to Disneyland for less.

Authorized third-party sellers such as Undercover Tourist often sell Disneyland tickets for less than buying directly from Disney

Some membership programs, including AAA and Costco offer tickets or vacation package deals, though they typically command a membership fee to join. Other affiliations, such as employee or student discount programs, might similarly unlock discounts. 

Disney also sometimes offers discounts to groups, including U.S. military members or Southern California residents.

Also see: The good and bad on booking a vacation through Costco Travel

There are two Disney theme parks in Anaheim, and if you want to see both in one day, you’ll need a  Park Hopper ticket . The problem? Park Hopper tickets cost $65 more per person for a single-day ticket.

If your one-day trip will feel incomplete if you don’t see both, say, Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and Avengers Campus across the way at Disney California Adventure, then you’ll need the pricier Park Hopper option. But if you’re there for multiple days, save by visiting one park per day. The best way to do Disneyland is by focusing on one park at a time, anyway.

Plus: 7 off-the-radar places worth stopping on a California road trip

The theme park turnstiles typically open for business slightly before official park opening time, and it’s likely guests will be waiting. By arriving early, you’ll be able to pass the security check and scan your tickets. From there, you’ll typically be able to linger within the first few hundred feet inside the park, browse the shops and be ready to power walk to the rides as soon as they open.

You can race to your priority experiences, like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This new ride opened just in time for the  Disney100 Celebration . By hitting your must-do rides early, you’ll avoid the longest wait times. According to Disney trip planning website Touring Plans, which tracks ride wait times, lines are usually the longest from 1-2 p.m.

Also on MarketWatch: Disney CEO Bob Iger blasts DeSantis over ‘anti-business’ retaliation

When it comes to meals, the cheapest way to do Disneyland is to bring food from elsewhere. Disneyland explicitly allows outside food and nonalcoholic beverages, with just a few stipulations, such as no glass containers.

Pack nutrient-dense snacks like protein bars and nuts. Road trippers might stop at a supermarket along the way. Nearby cafes and fast food restaurants can offer similar-quality food for less money, and a few are within walking distance of the park. If you’re willing to venture out further, dine at Anaheim Packing District — a food hall in a renovated, historic 1919 citrus-packing house that’s a 10-minute drive away.

The official Disneyland app has many capabilities, including displaying GPS-enabled maps, live attraction wait times and — perhaps most useful — mobile food and beverage ordering.

This feature is offered by almost all quick-service restaurants, including the notoriously popular home of the Dole Whip, the Tiki Juice Bar. Budget your time and skip the lines by ordering and paying for your food and drinks in-app.

Another tip in the time-is-money vein: Single Rider. A handful of especially popular attractions, such as the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland and the Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure, offer Single Rider queues, where folks willing to ride separately from their group fill unused seats.

The Single Rider line almost always gets you on board faster than the standard queue.

Forgo the expensive Disney gift shops inside the parks. Instead, purchase plushies or character garb from your local toy store in advance. Then, hide “souvenirs” in your suitcase and spring them on the kids while you’re on vacation. They likely won’t realize their new plushies aren’t actually from Disneyland.

The “Disney tax” on food and souvenirs also applies to other items. For instance, the plastic poncho from the gift shop near Splash Mountain is likely far pricier than what you’d buy elsewhere.

Plus : How to choose the best seat on a plane

Many folks think that the best airport for Disneyland is Los Angeles International Airport — the fifth-largest commercial airport in the U.S., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

But LAX is actually close to 40 miles away from Disneyland, and that distance can equate to a couple of hours in traffic. Two smaller airports, John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport, are each about 15 miles away, which can mean a cheaper and faster trip to the park.

Be sure to read: These are the airlines with the most delays and cancellations

That said, according to 2021 FAA data, LAX served 6.2 times more passengers than John Wayne Airport and 22.7 times more passengers than Long Beach Airport. This suggests that if you opt to fly into LAX, which is further away, you’re more likely to find a direct flight or have more route options. 

And if you can avoid a layover, you’ll likely save a little money on flight costs. A 2019 study from the MIT International Center for Air Transportation, a research arm of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that the cheapest nonstop flight is, on average, $31 less expensive than the cheapest flight with a layover.

Don’t miss: 5 travel hacks to beat the summer crowds and high prices

There are three Disney-owned hotels in Anaheim, and they’re almost always more expensive than non-Disney hotels of similar quality nearby. Unlike at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where staying on-property usually has benefits like more frequent bus transportation to the parks, that’s typically not the case on the West Coast.

In California, many off-site hotels remain within walking distance — and many can be booked using credit card points.

See: Learn these 5 myths about credit card rewards to reap more benefits

If you end up spending $13 on a turkey leg in the park, you might as well earn some rewards. Though the best Disney credit cards aren’t actually Disney-branded.

Instead, look to travel credit cards that earn bonus points on general travel spending and at restaurants. Some command high annual fees, but they typically offer even higher spending rewards, plus extras such as TSA PreCheck statement credits and airport lounge access. Consider holding a  premium credit card  as the plastic (or metal) equivalent of the royal treatment.

More From NerdWallet

• How the 41% of Americans With a Travel Card Can Boost Rewards
• When Does Travel Brand Loyalty Make Sense?
• Travel Rewards Programs Shouldn’t Be So Annoying to Use

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @SAFmedia.