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Credit: DisneyThis week, Disney has rolled out significant discounts, including summer hotel offers of up to 40% off for Annual Passholders and 35% off for Florida residents, as well as general public discounts available through October. The return of the Discover Disney ticket at just $64 per day for four-day passes indicates Disney’s effort to boost bookings for a potentially slower summer season.
However, alongside these attractive offers, Disney introduced a Florida resident ticket that raises eyebrows due to its limited value. The 2-Day, 2-Park ticket, available for $95 per day plus tax, restricts access to only EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, excludes Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and expires in three months. This pricing is $31 more per day than the all-parks Discover Disney ticket and $16 more than a three-park version.
This contrast suggests a disconnect within Disney’s pricing strategies, as they simultaneously offer an enticing, competitive ticket while introducing one with higher costs and fewer options.
The Details That Make This “Deal” Questionable
Florida residents can purchase this 2-Day, 2-Park ticket for $190, plus tax, which breaks down to $95 per day. The ticket is valid only at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom from January 12 through April 18, 2026. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are completely off-limits. Guests must make advance park reservations, limited to availability allocated to this ticket type.
The ticket allows visits on consecutive or nonconsecutive days, providing some scheduling flexibility. However, it’s one park per day unless you purchase Park Hopper for an additional $40. Even with Park Hopper, you’re restricted to hopping only between EPCOT and Animal Kingdom.
Compare that to Discover Disney: four days across all four parks for $64 per day. Three days across all four parks for $79 per day. Both provide significantly better value and fewer restrictions than this supposedly special Florida resident pricing.
How This Compares to Previous Years
Finding exact historical comparisons proves difficult because Disney hasn’t consistently offered 2-day, 2-park tickets outside summer periods. However, available data points paint an unflattering picture.
The 2023 version cost $80 per day with the same park restrictions to EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. That’s $15 per day cheaper than the current offer. In three years, Disney raised the per-day price by nearly 19% for an identical product.
The 2025 Summer Magic ticket offered two days at $105 per day without restricting which parks guests could visit. That’s $10 more per day but provided access to all four parks, offering substantially more value despite higher cost.
This new Florida resident ticket represents worse value than previous iterations while introducing more restrictions. Discounts should provide savings that compensate for limitations. This ticket provides neither compelling savings nor reasonable flexibility.
The Discover Disney Ticket Makes This Look Worse
The timing of releasing this Florida resident ticket alongside Discover Disney creates an unavoidable comparison. The Discover Disney ticket costs $64 per day for four consecutive days, providing access to all four parks. No park restrictions. No blackout dates. Better pricing. More flexibility.
Even for just two days, purchasing a four-day Discover Disney ticket costs a total of $256, versus $190 for the restricted resident ticket. That’s $66 more upfront, but you get two additional days plus access to all four parks. The math favors Discover Disney.
The three-day Discover Disney ticket, at $79 per day, costs a total of $237, just $47 more than the two-day resident ticket, while providing an extra day and full park access. The value clearly favors Discover Disney over supposedly special Florida resident pricing.
Who Is This Florida Resident Ticket For?
Identifying the target audience proves challenging. Florida residents wanting maximum value should choose Discover Disney tickets. Residents wanting flexibility to visit all parks should choose Discover Disney tickets. Residents comparing to previous years will find better historical pricing and fewer restrictions.
Perhaps Disney targets residents who specifically only want EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, have limited schedules requiring exactly two days between mid-January and mid-April, and cannot purchase the better-value Discover Disney ticket. That’s an extremely narrow demographic.
More likely, this ticket creates the appearance of Florida resident offerings without providing compelling value. Disney can claim they’re giving locals special pricing while making that pricing less attractive than publicly available alternatives.
The Broader Pattern
This questionable Florida resident ticket fits a larger pattern of Disney’s pricing becoming increasingly complex and contradictory. Multiple ticket tiers, varying restrictions, and overlapping promotions require significant research to navigate. Disney benefits from this complexity because many guests won’t do comparative analysis. They’ll see “Florida Resident Special Offer” and assume it’s their best option without checking alternatives.
The aggressive hotel discounting alongside underwhelming ticket promotions suggests Disney struggles to balance filling rooms versus driving attendance versus maintaining per-guest spending. Different departments may pursue conflicting goals, resulting in promotional offers that don’t align strategically.
For Florida residents considering Disney visits: don’t assume resident-specific offers represent best value. Compare all ticket types, run per-day calculations, and evaluate restrictions carefully. The general-public Discover Disney ticket dramatically outperforms this supposedly special Florida resident pricing.