Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
184
children and costs $52 above the price of your Base Ticket (no matter how many days
that ticket is valid for). So if you purchase a single-day Base Ticket, adding the Park Hop-
per will cost an additional $52 (for a total of $131 for an adult—not cost effective), but
if you purchase a 7-day Base Ticket, the option will still only cost you $52 (for a total of
$286—a good deal).
If you add a
Water Park Fun & More
option to your Base Ticket, you'll get several
admissions to some of WDW's smaller attractions: Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon,
DisneyQuest, and the ESPN Sports Complex (the Wide World of Sports Complex in a
past life). The number of visits allowed depends on the number of days your Base Ticket
is good for (two visits for Base Tickets good for either 1 or 2 days; three visits for a 3-day
base ticket, four visits for a 4-day base ticket, and so on; the number of visits equaling
the number of days your base ticket is good for). This option adds an additional $52
to the cost of your Base Ticket, and, like the Park Hopper, the longer you stay at Disney,
the more cost-effective the option becomes. If you plan on visiting only one smaller
attraction (visiting only once) while at WDW, paying the separate admission fee is
cheaper and smarter than opting for the Water Park Fun & More add-on.
A
1-day ticket to Typhoon Lagoon
or
Blizzard Beach
is $45 for adults, $39 for
children. A 1-Day ticket to DisneyQuest is $41 for adults, $35 for children.
If you're planning an extended stay or going to visit Walt Disney World more than
once during the year,
annual passes
($489-$619 adults, $432-$546 children) are
another great option (Florida residents catch a slight break; $369-$489 adults, $316-
$422 children).
6
OPERATING HOURS
Hours of operation vary throughout the year and are often influenced by special events,
so it's a good idea to call to check opening/closing times.
The
Magic Kingdom
and
Disney's Hollywood Studios
are generally open from 9am
to 7 or 8pm, with hours often extended to 9pm and sometimes as late as midnight—even
1am during major holidays and summer.
Animal Kingdom
usually is open from 9am to
5 or 6pm but sometimes closes as late as 8pm.
Epcot's Future World
is generally open from 9am to 7pm and occasionally later.
Epcot's World Showcase
usually opens at 11am and closes at 9pm. Once again, there are
extended holiday and summer hours.
Shorter Days, Fewer Shows
Tips
Although attendance has started to steadily climb back to where it had been
before the hurricane season of 2004 before leveling off in 2008, the theme
parks—like everyone else—are still feeling the financial crunch (though that
didn't stop them from raising ticket prices by significant percentages in 2009). If
you haven't been to Disney in several years, you may notice that, in many cases,
the parks
close earlier
than at similar times in previous years, and some areas
open later.
Additionally, select shows and parades are offered less often or only
on certain days. The hours and shows listed in this chapter generally apply, but in
order to avoid being disappointed, call
&
407/824-4321
or go to
www.disney
world.com
for up-to-the-minute information.
