Getting the Most Out of Your Walt Disney World Vacation Tickets

July 24, 2014 by oticketc

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So you are going on vacation to sunny Central Florida and will be visiting the Walt Disney World Resort and are now in need of tickets. The first step in any travelers-to do-list will be choosing what parks they want to do and for how many day? Well this sounds about right, but there are a few very important issues that need to be discussed first. First of all there are four different theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort. First and most famous is the Magic Kingdom, followed by Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. In order to see all of these world famous attractions, you must first decide on what type of ticket you will need and in what capacity you wish to use them.

The most basic ticket offered is the Disney Base Ticket. The base ticket allows a guest to come into a selected Disney park and visit for the day at that particular park only. And moreover, as a visitor you may get in and out of the same park as many times throughout the day, but may not travel to another Disney park in that same day. You may buy as many days as you wish up to ten days for the Base Ticket.

Next will be the Disney Hopper Ticket. The Hopper Ticket allows a person to go to more than one Disney park in the same day. For example, a person might start the day at the Magic Kingdom then decide later on that day to finish up over at Epcot for dinner and drinks. This ticket will allow you to jump from one park to another park as many times in a day as you want. I always say that this ticket is worth the extra money as it gives the traveler the freedom to visit whatever Disney theme park they wish whenever they want.

Next is the Disney Water Park Fun & More Ticket. This ticket is the same exact ticket as the Disney Base ticket but comes with additional add-ons. The add-ons consist of the two Disney water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Miniature Golf at two different Disney courses and golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. The amount of visits to any of the add-ons is determined by how many days you have purchased. For example, if you buy a fourth day Disney Water Park Fun & More ticket, you will receive four add-ons to choose from. This is a great ticket for the budget traveler giving you many things to do without the price.

Last is the Disney Park Hopper Water Park Fun & More Ticket. This ticket is the premium ticket and for good reason. This ticket is the regular Hopper ticket with all the bells and whistles. Not only do you get to Park Hop, but you get all of the add-ons to go with it. A good example would be that a person starts at Animal Kingdom and stays for the morning, then hops over to Hollywood Studios for lunch and their parade then finishes the evening swimming over at Typhoon Lagoon. The possibilities are endless. This is a ticket for the family who wants to experience everything that Disney World has to offer.

If you are in the market to purchase discount Disney World tickets or any other Orlando theme park passes, please contact Orlando’s authorized Discount theme park ticket company, The Official Ticket Center by calling toll free 1-877-406-4836.

Tips for Buying Discount Disney Hopper Tickets

March 11, 2014 by oticketc

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Is the Disney Hopper Ticket Right for You?

Have you ever been to any of Walt’s theme parks in Orlando, Florida and found yourself either wanting to see more of the other Disney theme parks or that the park you are in is just too crowded? Well you wouldn’t be alone. With all of the different tickets you can buy to see all of Walt Disney World’s world famous theme parks, the one ticket that has been the most popular has to be the famous Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket!

Working for the mouse for 8 years I have seen it all and the one thing that I would hear the most was how guests wish that they had bought the hopper ticket when they were planning and buying their passes. The main reason people wished they had purchased the Hopper Ticket was that they had accomplished most of what they had set out to do at a certain park and wished to go over to another park in the same day and finish the evening off at another Disney park. On some nights for example, the Animal Kingdom might close at 6pm. and the Magic Kingdom on that night might close at 12am midnight. When you have a 1 Day Base Ticket, you are closing out your night early at the Animal Kingdom. If you had spent an extra $30 to upgrade your ticket to a Hopper Ticket, you would be spending the evening at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot with everyone else being the hero of your vacation. Most people go in with the mindset that they are going to be content with just spending the day at one park, but you would be amazed at how people’s moods and energy change once they are in Walt’s parks.

The biggest advantage to buying a Park Hopper Ticket in my opinion is that if a theme park gets a little too busy for your taste and it does happen quite frequently, you have the ability to travel over to another park where the crowd is much more manageable. For instance I have personally had my own Disney Park Hopper Ticket and started out at the Magic Kingdom and by 3pm or 4pm the park was an absolute mad house. Having the Park Hopper Ticket I and my guests were able to jump on a Monorail and stop by a Disney Resort for a cold beverage on our way to Epcot. Epcot is my default park to head to for a little elbow room. Epcot also closes every night at 9pm. so it is a great park that stays open semi-late and you do not feel the crowd factor as much as you would at any other Disney park.

To add a little curve ball to this equation, you can also buy a Walt Disney World Water Park Fun & More Ticket or the Premium ticket of all tickets the Park Hopper Water Park Fun & More Ticket. Both of these tickets are Hoppers in a sense. The Water Park Fun & More ticket is NOT a Hopper ticket for theme parks i.e. Epcot, Hollywood Studios etc. but a Hopper ticket from your one theme park that you are allowed to visit in that day, to an “Optional” item of your choice. The “Optional” items are the 2 Disney Water Parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney Quest, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Disney’s Miniature Golf Courses at 2 locations or a round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. So for example with this ticket you could start off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and stay until 4pm., then you could walk to the front of the park and jump on a Disney bus and go over to Typhoon Lagoon and spend the rest of the day there soaking up the evening sunshine before returning to you humble abode for the night.

Now if you had bought the Walt Disney World Park Hopper Water Park Fun & More Ticket you could do the same thing as the Water Park Fun & More ticket but now you have the ability to Park Hop between theme parks in the same day as well as Hop over to one of the “Optional” items as well. It all boils down to how much money you want to spend, how many days you are going to be here and do you want the ability to change course within you day in order to visit multiple parks. If money is tight and you do not want to visit more than 1 park within a day, or you think that you or your kids will not be able to handle this type of traveling, then stay with the Disney Base Tickets. They are a great ticket and have served many a traveler with just the right amount of Disney Pixie Dust, but if you are the type of person who can handle a little more action in you day then the adventure ticket you are seeking is definitely the Disney Park Hopper Ticket.

To purchase any of these tickets that I have mentioned at a discount, please contact The Official Ticket Center in Orlando, Florida. There are many online ticket brokers, but they are local and have an actual Guest Service location within 5 miles of Disney and other Orlando theme parks.

©Patrick Pulliam 2014

Is MagicBand the Answer to Next Generation Theme Park Experience?

February 11, 2014 by oticketc

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iPhone or Ticket???

The Official Ticket Center ~ Since its announcement in 2013, Disney World’s NextGen Project ~ MyMagic+ is seen as a landmark move on part of the company in taking future theme park vacations to the next level. Being termed as Next Generation Experience, the billion dollar Project features a new ride reservation system called the FastPass+ (FP+), which replaces the traditional Fastpass(FP) program. The Project also brings a My Disney Experience (website and mobile app) and a MagicBand system, which integrates all our vacation essentials with a magical wristband. Whether it’s the Disney Resort room key that you are looking for or a standard park tickets; whether you are making payments or managing the reservations, the RFID-enabled wristband is all that you need today.

Truly, Disney seems to have brought a substantial change in the way we looked forward to our future theme park vacations. The pursuit for a more advance and flexible theme park experience probably comes to an end with this billion dollar future vacation initiative. Also the rolling out of MyMagic+ already started influencing guests’ experiences today. And the company is really excited about it.

However, there are some speculations about MyMagic+ that question the credibility of the project and its features such as the MagicBand system. According to the latest development in the hotel access system today guests will soon be able to use their cell phones as room keys. The visitors simply have to tap or scan their smart phones to enter their rooms. As such there are debates on whether fans would rather go for a more expensive and dedicated Disney access system or just simply prefer to have their cell phones as mode of admissions. For some it seems Disney is at the wrong end of the stick with such a huge investment. The company should have waited for some more time and follow the industry standards by using cell phones as admissions instead of creating its own costly access system.

Sure the use of cell phones to manage our theme park access system will be much simpler and less expensive. And it’s also true that possibilities to incorporate the use of cell phones in other areas of future theme park vacations are many. But then MagicBand is a true Disney property – already installed and available for use. Also by developing its own system Disney ensures a better control over the experiences it promises to fulfill in future vacations. And I think visiting the parks with the new Wristbands is surely a unique experience.

For discounts on Disney World admissions and passes to exclusive Orlando attractions and events, including discount SeaWorld Orlando tickets, Universal Studios tickets and other special Orlando ticket packages,please call our office toll free at 1-877-406-4836.

How Effective Is Disney World’s New Ride Reservation System?

January 28, 2014 by oticketc

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Will FastPass+ Work for You?

The Official Ticket Center ~ Making products and services easily accessible is an important determinant in the success of a business. And I think Disney is probably the best in capitalizing this very crucial aspect in the theme-park industry today. Being the world’s biggest entertainment conglomerate, Disney is unique in handling both its core businesses as well as the demands of fans since inception. It’s not just a source that enables you to connect with your ultimate dreams, but also understands the importance of making things available in the most hassle-free and convenient way possible. One great example of this amazing quality is the implementation of the new ride reservation system at the WDW (Walt Disney World) resort in Orlando.

Intended to provide more flexibility in the booking of favorite rides and bring improvement in the wait-times is the new Fastpass+ (FP+) system and it comes with many great promises. Unlike the legacy paper Fastpass, the ability to obtain reservations in advance becomes a reality now for all those passionate about Disney World rides. If you are staying at a Disney resort then you are good to have a reservation as early as 60 days prior to your trip.

The new Fastpass+ reservation system also puts an end to the need of visiting a Fastpass machine in person. Guests have the advantage of choosing from multiple reservation options now. Moreover, if you are a Disney resort guest you can obtain reservations right from the comfort of your home at a mouse click, or on a smart-phone or tablet while in the parks. Besides, there exist many new Fastpass+ reservation kiosks as well as staff members to assist, throughout the parks for all guests. Another great feature the new system offers is the ability to change the attractions for which you have the reservations. One can also control the return times of attractions reserved and thus eliminate the risk of losing any reservation times.

However, there are also certain speculations about the latest reservation system that suggest otherwise. It’s observed that unlike its predecessor, the new Fastpass+ program brings discrimination among guests or vacationers. There are fans not as happy since the new reservation system mostly favors a particular section of guests specially, those staying at a Disney owned resort. So chances are if you are staying offsite then you are missing some great features. Again with the old legacy Fastpass one can have the ability to obtain reservation at more than one park per day. But the same is not the case with the new system as guests are limited to obtain reservations at one park per day.

But whatever may be the speculations, the ultimate objective of the new program is to cut wait-times and bring more flexibility to ride reservations. And I believe Disney is always a champion in adding more value to our dream vacations.

For discounts on Disney World admissions and passes to exclusive Orlando attractions and events, including discount SeaWorld Orlando tickets, Universal Studios tickets and other special Orlando packages you can all us toll free at 1-877-406-4836.

Tips for Buying Discount Disney World Tickets in Orlando

December 13, 2013 by oticketc

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Local Online Companies Are Your Best Option

If you are one of the many people who are considering a vacation the the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and have been searching for the biggest discounts on the internet, you have unfortunately seen that this is not going to be cheap. After you buy your airline tickets, arrange your accommodations and then get your rental car lined up, your attraction tickets are going to be about as much as all of those expenditures put together. That being said, it is very critical to do your research on the tickets that will best suit you and your family’s needs.

Buying The Best Discounted Tickets

To save the most on any Base Tickets and Multi-Day Walt Disney World Tickets we recommend The Official Ticket Center, a contracted authorized local discount ticket agent that buys in bulk from the parks and re-sells cheaper than AAA, Walt Disney World’s gate price and Disney’s on-line rates. This company is local and not just a no-face on-line site that has no guest service office. They have been in business for over 15 years and is Disney’s largest authorized tickets broker that is just 5 minutes from the front gates.

When you research prices online, make sure to see if tax is included as many sites, including Disney DO NOT include taxes. The best thing about The Official Ticket Center other than their local office is that they ship your tickets straight to your doorstep for free unlike most other on-line sites. Also if you need more tickets for all of the other famous attractions, you can stop in their guest service office and buy more tickets unlike other companies.

Just remember that if they are not local and do not have a guest service office, it is best to go elsewhere. There is nothing like having a issue with know one to go to.

So How Much Are Tickets?

Disney tickets are definitely not the same price as they were when we were all kids, so the best way to save in my opinion is to go with the multi-day passes. Disney’s motto is “The More you Play the Less You Pay” is true. Take for example, a 1 Day Pass costs at this moment costs $101.18 for a 1 Day Magic Kingdom adult and $94.79 for a child. Now if you are going to be there for 5 day for example, your best option is to purchase a 5 Day Base Ticket from The Official Ticket Center, this way you are only spending $58.40 a day per adult and $54.40 per child. Even Better for those spending more time, a 10 Day Disney Base Ticket from The Official Ticket Center would only be $35.50 per day per adult and only $33.00 per day per child.

Also a option for over seas travelers and even for US based guests, the Non-Expiration tickets might be best for you. Many travelers enjoy the deep savings of these tickets as they never expire and are less per day than the 14 Day expiration tickets. The most popular of these tickets are the 10 Day Park Hopper with No-Expiration tickets from The Official Ticket Center. Just think about it for a moment, it never expires, it can be used on every vacation for a visit here and there and it will never go up in price.

It is a investment in future vacations. The only thing that you need to remember is that these tickets cannot be used by anyone else other that you. If the Non-Expiration tickets are not for you then I recommend that you look at buying the Walt Disney World Base Tickets from The Official Ticket Center.

Military Discounts and Travel Clubs

If you happen to be in the military or belong to a travel club, your ticket prices can be good and bad. For example, there is a little secret that most people do not know who are in the military and that is Shades of Green over at the Walt Disney World Resort. There, military members can get great discounts that know one can touch.

I recommend that you call 1-888-593-2242 and ask the Shade of Green member what their rates are and if they are extended to additional family. If you belong to a travel club like AAA, make sure that you call them prior to your arrival for prices and make sure they are including their tax. The Official Ticket Center beats AAA prices and in most cases offers tickets that they do not offer.

Recap of What Tickets You Should Buy

Remember that the most important question to buying your discount theme park tickets is how many day you are going to be at the parks. Second question should be, do you want to Park Hop. Third question is , is a Non-Expiration ticket best for you or is a Disney Base Ticket what you need. Lastly, remember to buy your tickets from a local agent like The Official Ticket Center and not just some online no face company. Remember that having a friend in town goes along way.

There’s Just So Much to Do at Disney World During the Holiday Season

November 13, 2013 by oticketc

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Holiday Season at the Disney Parks

The Official Ticket Center ~ Spending the Holiday Season at WDW (Walt Disney World) is always extra-magical. A visit to this Florida based theme park Resort during the Holidays results in ultimate fun experience for families and couples from around the world. It puts you right in the middle of an epic celebration unlike any other. And with such incredible mix of actions and adventures, including exclusive themed shows and other surprises in the offing there is no doubt that the Resort is extra- special for guests and vacationers throughout the celebration period.

Whether it’s the annual Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party with spectacular parades and fireworks shows at the Magic Kingdom Park or the annual food and wine festival at Epcot, the mesmerizing mega-watt spectacle at the Hollywood Studios or the ever glittering Christmas parties and processions during the Christmas holidays or more there is no match to the amount of fun and entertainment Disney guests can have during the Holiday Season.

Every year the period from October through December, until Mickey meets Santa for the Christmas Weekends and beyond, the Resort adorns a more glamorous and dazzling look. The period is also considered to be the peak holiday season when the parks in Orlando are at their busiest best. From the moment you step inside you will be dragged into a world of sheer festive delight. Where besides the awe-inspiring attractions and rides, there exist plenty of specially hosted fun and entertainment opportunities. Being a part of the celebration, we can have a Disney experience, which is more colorful and more magical than before.

Also the event-specific decorations, awe-inspiring creativitie shows, and display of colors throughout the Disney parks during the occasion remind us of the incredible role played by the Imagineers. Just have a look at the colorful entrance or take a walk down the magically illuminated Main Street USA on a Halloween Night or gaze across the forecasted flurry of snowflakes along the Park’s Street with a warming cup of cocoa in hand on a Christmas evening- you could sensed the spirit of holiday is at all time high.

To me, it’s really inspiring watching the seasonal transformations of the parks on each specific occasion- such as, after the grand Halloween farewell, the entire Resort gears up for its amazing Christmas transition. A galaxy of seasonal decors with exclusive entertainment offerings and Christmas specials takes over the usual parks’ magic. And no-matter whichever part or corner of the park you are at the spirit of the season is amply felt. This is the time when every attraction greets you with a more refreshing and magical make-over like no other. Thanks to WDW for making our Holiday Season so special.

For discounts on Disney World admissions and passes to exclusive Orlando attractions and events, including discount Sea World Orlando tickets, Universal Studios tickets and other special Orlando packages you can consult one of our highly trained vacation planners by call us toll free at 1-877-406-4836.

‘Glow With the Show’ Mouse Ears – A Dazzling New Way to Enjoy Disney Spectacles

September 13, 2013 by oticketc

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Glow with the show Mouse Ears

The Official Ticket Center ~ It seems enjoying a nighttime show at Disneyland Resort is more than just a spectacular glow. Imagine watching a show where you are not just a mere spectator, but also have the opportunity to actually add more color and glow to the magic during the event. Imagine the magical ear-hats that you and other guests are putting on start glowing – dancing and playing along with each musical and illuminated sequence as the show progress. And while you are occupied with those dream spectacles (with amazing colors and fireworks) your glowing ear-hat offers an impressive twist to that spectacular theme as it comes out of the lagoon, up the sky and into the audience. Indeed the integration of Glow with the Show mouse ears has revolutionized the prospects of viewing famous nighttime spectacles for over a year now.

No other parks in the world except Disney can connect the shows’ environs with the audience in such incredible style. For all the fans it’s all happening out there in Disney California Adventure Park and the Disneyland Resort. Whether it’s the famous World of Color show or other colorful events the cool Glow with the Show ear makes an amazing and dazzling new way to enjoy the spectacles the Parks have to offer. Truly, the imaginers had gone at length in taking Disney nighttime experience to the next level.

The magical Glow with the Show LED-filled ear-hats are designed so that they can collectively sync up to pulsate and glow with the show. The technological mystery behind this all impressive glow concept has an interesting revelation. As explained by the Disney creative & technical head it’s all about the use of infrared technology that influences the entire control infrastructure for the system. Also the fact that the audience area is divided into as many zones, each capable of sending specific signals to the hats within that zone is a unique initiative on part of the technical team. And the combination of zones and the unique serial number associated with each individual hat enables the creative team to control the hats both individually as well as in group.

Moreover, given the immense popularity and success of the Glow with the Show ears, I am pretty sure that the other Disney Parks in Florida will follow suite soon. And the time is not far for Disney World fans to glow in myriad colors with their version of the magical ear-hats, be it in the midst of Magic Kingdom’s most celebrated castle projection show- celebrate the Magic or at some other special areas in the Disney Hollywood Studios Park for that matter.

For discounts on Disney tickets and passes, and other Orlando theme park tickets, including Universal Studios tickets and Sea World tickets, please call our office at 1-877-406-4836.

Disney World’s Abandoned Attraction – The Discovery Island Still Reflects an Inspiring Past

August 29, 2013 by oticketc

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A look at Disney's lost island

The Official Ticket Center ~ Probably the story of Walt Disney World wouldn’t have been completed had Walt not spotted an inspiringly beautiful island in the Bay Lake long back. This little unspoiled looking island is considered to be the harbinger of the Disney World Project that tends to fascinate millions of theme park lovers today. The island itself being a natural gift had been a real source of inspiration for the Disney imaginers. It had played a unique role in the making of the greatest and happiest place on this Earth ever. Today while Discovery Island is no more a part of Disney attraction, its glorious past still inspires many Disney fans and visitors who had toured the island earlier.

The history of this abandoned Disney area narrates an interesting story which goes back to the time when it was known as Raz Island (between 1900 and 1937). From a great family living retreat and farming ground to favorite hunting retreat of a group of local business people, the Island had catered to different needs of its past owners. After Disney purchased the Island in 1965, it became the inspiration for the world’s largest and greatest theme park development initiative ever.

Map displaying Disney's Discovery Island

Being an unspoiled gift of Mother Nature, the Island occupied a unique place among all other man-made land-attractions as featured in the Walt Disney World Resort. The Discovery Island is intended as a nice and relaxing diversion for Disney World guests. Guests were transported to the Island by a boat ride from the Contemporary Resort or Fort Wilderness (the resort hotels along the Magic Kingdom Monorail Loop nearby).

During its twenty-five years of service as a nice little diversion attraction by Disney, it developed an unforgettable bond with its visitors and guests. From being a rather low-keyed and relaxing pirate themed-area called Treasure Island to a more rich and lush tropical Discovery Island and finally its abandonment in the year 1999, it’s a long long journey that was perished only to be remembered forever.

The original Discovery Island is closed for the public forever, but the very spirit it shared is still alive and actively practiced in Disney Animal Kingdom now. The emphasis on providing animals with the best of natural habitats and care is advocated in detail precision at Animal Kingdom today. There is also an exclusive Discovery Island Trail attraction that can be found at the Disney Park. Here one can discover the diverse botanical environment, including extensive habitat of wildlife and other secrets of nature the lost Discovery Island boasts of long before.

For discounts on Walt Disney World tickets and passes, and other Orlando theme park tickets, including Universal Studios tickets and Sea World tickets you can call us today toll free at 1-877-406-4836

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT REVEALS MAJOR ATTRACTION NEWS

May 21, 2011 by oticketc

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Orlando, Fla. (May 19, 2011) – Universal Orlando Resort today announced that its newest attraction will be based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s blockbuster 3-D-CGI feature “Despicable Me,” bringing minions, mayhem and a whole new level of 3-D family fun to its guests. The “Despicable Me” experience will replace the Jimmy Neutron attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Continue reading →

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex 10 Year Master Plan

May 18, 2011 by oticketc

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NASA officials announced on 4/12/11 that Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has been selected to permanently display space shuttle Atlantis upon retirement of the Space Shuttle Program. Atlantis, one of three orbiters in the space shuttle fleet, will fly the last scheduled space shuttle mission before being retired in 2011.

The $100 million exhibit for Atlantis will be the marquee element of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s 10-year master plan. Initial design concepts for the 65,000 square-foot home for the space-flown orbiter include viewing the space shuttle “in flight,” showing how the spacecraft worked in space and providing a unique vantage point for guests to look at the complex vehicle up close. Complementing the orbiter display will be interactive features reflecting major accomplishments of the Space Shuttle Program, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.

Officials with Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex plan to break ground on Atlantis’ new home in 2012 with a grand opening planned for 2013. The orbiter home will be located in the Shuttle Plaza at the main Visitor Complex; incorporating the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction. To purchase your Kennedy Space Center Tickets, please call our office toll free at 1-877-406-4836 TODAY.