Vacations at a Disney park can ring up quite a bill, especially if you're traveling with a family or staying for longer than a day or so. In addition to the tickets themselves, there's travel fare, hotel fare, food costs and souvenirs to consider. Disney prides itself on making things easy for its visitors, however, and it offers a number of ways for you to save money on the price of admission.
A number of specific discounts on Disney tickets apply to people in particular circumstances. The American Automobile Association offers multi-day tickets at the Disney parks to its members for a less expansive price. You can look into this by contacting any AAA office in your area.
Former and current military personnel can periodically receive free passes if they wish, and Disney also offers recurring specials which give you free admission on your birthday. Employees of corporations who sponsor exhibits in the park receive discounts as well: you can ask the human resources division of your company to see if they apply to you.
For people who visit the Disney parks regularly, an annual pass is one of the best ways to save money on tickets. You pay a single up-front fee, and you may then come back to the parks anytime during a specified series of days in order to receive free entry. "Blackout days" exist on the calendar, during which time you can't use your pass. The number of blackout days depends on the type of annual pass you buy: the more expensive the pass, the fewer the blackout days. (The most expensive grants you admission to the parks anytime they're open.) If you go more than once a month, the cost of admission may end up being cheaper than going to the movies.
Disney periodically offers savings for local residents: people who live in Southern California for Disneyland and Florida for Disney World. Such discounts help them fill the parks during the off-season, when tourists are less likely to be there. Locals are happy to take advantage of the shorter lines. Individual deals vary, but they often translate to cheaper prices on annual passes or "2fer" deals allowing you to visit multiple parks for one single price. Disney's home page has details on specific passes in effect when you want to go, and you will usually need proof of residence (a driver's license or similar document) in order to take advantage of them.
