The Magic Your Way Base (MYW) ticket prices start at $79 for ages 10 and over and $68 for ages 3-9. There are several add-on features that you can select to include:
the Park Hopper Option allows you to go from park to park in the same day
in addition to admission to the four major theme parks, the Water Park Fun & More Option includes visits to the water parks, Pleasure Island, Disney Quest, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney’s Oak Trail golf course
the No Expiration Option allows you to use any unused portion of your pass during a future return visit.
Each option can be added to the Magic Your Way Base Ticket for an additional charge. Previously, the amount was determined by the number of days originally purchased, however, in 2008 Disney went to a flat rate charge. The cost of the Park Hopper Option is currenty $52 and the Water Park Fun & More Option is $52.
If you are buying multi-day passes you may want to consider the Park Hopper Option. Without the Park Hopper Option you will only be able to visit one park per day, however, many people plan their days so that they don’t go from one park to another, thereby saving $52 per ticket ($208 for a family of 4). If you purchase passes without the option and later decide to add it, this can be done within 14 days of the initial use of your pass, but be aware that even if you have already used days it will still cost $52 per ticket, there is no pro-rating.
When you add the Water Park Fun & More Option, you are allotted a certain number of visits based on the number of days on your MYW Base Ticket. Whether or not to include this option depends on what you plan to do. If you are sure you will go to the water parks and/or any of the other included venues more than one day, this option is a good deal. If you’re not sure, and if this is your first trip you may want to keep your options open. It would be better to purchase an individual admission, assuming you will only visit one of the venues, but if you decide there’s time for more you can add the option later.
The No Expiration Option is available only on tickets of 2 days or more, and the additional price increases with the number of days. If you come to the end of your week and find that you have only used 4 of the 5-day pass you purchased, by not having the No Expiration Option, you lose $3 per pass (the difference between $228 for a 5-day pass and $225 for a 4-day pass), for a family of 4 that would be $12. To add the No Expiration Option would cost $292 ($73 x 4 passes). Before adding this option look at the difference between what you have used, what you will forfeit, and what it will cost to add the option.
Don’t add-on a feature simply because it sounds like a good idea or because someone has told you that if you plan to go to the water parks you need to add the Water Parks Fun & More option. It may or may not be cost effective for your situation. Consider what your family wants to do, and perhaps more importantly, will actually do. It is better to buy less and add on later, than to spend money on features that you may not use.
For more information about Disney World vacation planning, check out these articles:
Join The Practical Mom’s Disney Vacation Companion Forum on Facebook
