It may sound wild to say that there are some days when it may not be worth it to purchase a full-day Disney World parks ticket, but when you sit and think about it for a moment, there are plenty of instances where a full-day ticket isn’t needed.
Magic Kingdom
For example, if you’re flying in that morning and won’t be in the parks until 1PM, you’re flying/driving out that afternoon and won’t be in the parks past 1PM, or you just prefer to arrive at the park halfway through the day and stay as late as you can. Right now, there’s no way to purchase a half-day ticket, so you’ll need to pay for a whole day even if you’re not using it (unless you’d like to head to a water park or Disney Springs instead). But did you know there USED to be a half-day ticket option that we, along with many Disney fans, deeply miss?
Back in 2019, there was an offering called Mid-Day Magic Tickets that allowed guests access into the parks after 12PM. They could be used at any time in any of the four parks, as park pass reservations didn’t exist yet, and was available from mid-August through right around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we haven’t seen them return.
Expedition Everest
We asked our readers on Facebook what they thought about these tickets, and many of them said while they didn’t use them themselves because they weren’t traveling to Disney at that time, they would absolutely love to have the option now. Many readers shared that they’re locals who would take advantage of them, or are a family who hates getting up early, so they often don’t get into the parks until later anyway. Others told us they used them a lot and DO miss them!
Hollywood Studios
Not to mention that these tickets came at quite the discount. At the time of their debut (August 2019), they cost:
- Two-day ticket from $88 a day, plus tax (from $176 total, plus tax)
- Three-day ticket from $84 a day, plus tax (from $252 total, plus tax)
- Four-day ticket from $79 a day, plus tax (from $316 total, plus tax)
Millennium Falcon
So will Disney World ever bring these back? Well, we don’t know for sure! However, if you’re visiting Disney World as part of a convention (and there are many that happen throughout the year), these conventions often have special ticket deals that allow their participants to get into the park halfway through the day, usually around 1PM.
Magic Kingdom
We hope to see Disney bring back these half-day tickets soon, since there are so many uses for them, and we’ll keep you updated, so stay tuned to DFB!
The ULTIMATE Guide to Planning A Walt Disney World Vacation
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Do you want these tickets to return? Tell us in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I wish they still had the Epcot after 4 tickets. Those made it easier to go to some of the restaurants in Epcot without needing to blow $150.