See the ticket details for both trips above for ticket validity dates.

For our May trip, March 31 is the last day to register.

For our November trip, August 31 was the last day to register.

Registration and payments are made through my online payment platform.

I can’t hold spots, but we won’t run out of tickets as long as you order them by the deadline.

Spaces for our November trip’s optional add-on events and hotel rooms are limited. To secure rooms or spots at our events, please register sooner rather than later. (I can’t hold spots or rooms, and you must pay for your tickets before requesting rooms and add-on events.)

My workload doubled in the past due to families doing partial registrations (so they could lock in a group room before buying all of their tickets). Because of that, I will allow add-ons only on a very limited, case-by-case basis.

Since we won’t have any group events for our May trip, there’s no need to get my tickets.

We are planning group events and an educational program (if we meet group minimums) for our fall trip. I may be able to add annual passholder/military tickets as I have on a limited basis in the past, but it’s not guaranteed. I’ll update this as soon as I have details.

Since there are no group events in May, you’re free to visit the parks as you wish.

If we have an educational program in November, everyone in your party will be required to attend the program to qualify for our tickets. If you do any of our optional add-on events in November, you’ll attend with the group. Otherwise, you’re free to visit the parks as you wish.

Our tickets include all of the above. Scroll back up to the trip details at the top of this page for more information about what our tickets include for each trip.

They’ve never limited our tickets, so don’t stress about ticket availability. Register when you’re certain you’re going and are able to pay. (Payment will be submitted when you register.)

However, spaces for our November trip’s optional add-on events and hotel rooms are limited. To secure rooms or spots at our events, please register sooner rather than later.

I’ll email ticket numbers beginning in late March or April for our May trip and beginning in late September or October for our November trip. You do not need ticket numbers to reserve dining or special events at Disney.

Tickets will be digital/mobile, accessible through the My Disney Experience (MDE) app. A cell phone using Disney’s free MagicMobile service or a MagicBand (if you have one) will be required to access your tickets and enter the parks.

Beginning in 2026, we will no longer have to reserve parks.

We can’t add days to these tickets. In order to streamline (and plan more trips!), I’m offering only 3-day tickets for May and only 6-day tickets for November.

If you’re staying longer, there are other places to spend your time that don’t require a ticket: Disney Springs_® (formerly Downtown Disney) has a lot of shops, restaurants, and activities, as does the BoardWalk area.

You’ll also have three fun visits (in May) or six fun visits (in November) to the water parks, miniature golf courses, etc., during the trip. They’re separate from park days, so you can use them on days you’re not going to the parks.

If you’re staying for fewer days, use the extra park days on the evening of your arrival to see fireworks, and/or experience your favorite attraction one more time before you leave on your departure date.

For May, homeschool families and their guests qualify for our tickets.

For November in addition to being a homeschool family (or a guest), everyone must attend our educational program (if it’s confirmed) to qualify for our tickets. If you don’t attend, Disney can either deactivate/invalidate remaining days on your tickets or charge you the difference between our discounted group tickets and their regular tickets.

Everyone in your party will get the discounted tickets, but each family unit must order tickets separately (grandparents, single aunt/uncle, adult siblings can be included on your registration).

Ask others in your travel party (sister’s family, best friends and their children, etc.), to order tickets separately and note that they’re your guests in the comments section of their registration.

For our November trip, everyone in your party with our tickets must attend the educational program (if it’s confirmed).

You’ll be able to add our tickets to MagicBands via the My Disney Experience website. I’ll email more information about that when I email your ticket numbers.

Disney no longer provides free MagicBands to their guests. If you have a MagicBand from a previous trip, you can use it for our trips. (Make sure it’s still “active” in your MDE account).

The FastPass system no longer exists, and Lightning Lane has replaced Genie+.

Lightning Lane is a paid add-on that is similar to the previous free FastPass system. It’s relatively new.

Here’s a little more information about how our tickets work with Lightning Lane:

• Guests of eligible resorts can purchase and choose Lightning Lane passes seven days prior to their check-in date for the length of their stay (up to 14 days).
• Families who stay off property can purchase and choose Lightning Lane passes three days in advance of each day of their visit.

If you want to buy Lightning Lane passes, you can do that through your My Disney Experience (MDE) account.

The price is per ticket, not per day.

When you submit your registration for tickets, your credit/debit card is charged for the full amount immediately through my online payment platform. I don’t offer a payment plan.

I accept credit/debit cards through my online payment platform, which doesn’t accept gift cards. I can’t accept any other payment methods for tickets.

You’ll receive information about booking group rooms after I process your payment for tickets. You’ll reserve rooms through me, not through Disney, and payment will be due in full after I confirm your room (not upon arrival). I accept checks or transfers via Zelle. I don’t accept any other payment methods for group rooms (including PayPal, Venmo, gift cards, etc.).

As of 11/1/2025, our 3-day tickets are around $200 less than regular 3-day Park Hopper Plus tickets. (The discount can be a bit more or less than this because regular tickets are date-based. It depends on the date you first enter a park.)

As of 11/1/2025, our 6-day tickets are around $300 less than regular 6-day Park Hopper Plus tickets. The discount can be a bit more or less than this because regular tickets are date-based. It depends on the date you first enter a park. And regular tickets don’t include an educational program, private group event, or access to special add-on events, so our discount is even more.

There are no hidden charges – what you see is what you get. The ticket prices include all taxes and fees. In November, our ticket price also includes an educational program (if we meet our minimums) and our private group event.

So, start with the price of your ticket for May and/or November. If you add on any special events in November, add that to your total. If you add a room at one of our group hotels in November, add the cost of that. And that’s your total.

NOTE: You’ll register and pay for add-on events and group rooms separately after I receive your payment for tickets.

Our tickets, optional add-on events, and group rooms are nonrefundable and nontransferable. If something happens and you have to cancel before the trip, let me know right away and I’ll do whatever I can do for you. No promises, but the sooner you tell me, the better chance I have of helping you. If I’m able to refund any portion of your trip, cancellation fees will be deducted from your refund.

Payment/tickets can’t be transferred to a different Disney trip, or any other trip.

I could provide references from families who’ve traveled with me since I began doing these trips in 2006, but the references could be faked. Instead, read my About page to find out more about me, then do a search of “Carolina Homeschooler trips” and “Traveling Homeschooler trips.” If I’ve cheated anyone, it’ll be all over the internet. 

My “Traveling Homeschoolers” name is newer, created in 2016 to differentiate between my state/local member trips, and trips that are open to everyone, so search both names.

You can also get a sense of who I am and what I do if you follow me on Facebook and read comments and feedback from my 41,000+ followers, and read the Featured post, where almost 200 travelers have shared feedback regarding my trustworthiness.

It’s too stressful to pay for any of my trips if you don’t trust me, so research before you order tickets.

If we reach the minimum required for our educational program, it will be on Monday, November 16. Location, timing, and other details will be updated as soon as possible. It will be for all ages, and attendance will be required for everyone with a ticket, so save a park day on your ticket for this event.

Details will be posted when plans are finalized. The larger our group, the more exciting our private group event will be! Please help us spread the word by sharing with other homeschoolers on social media, in group chats, at co-ops and meetups, and anywhere else you connect.

You can use your park days and fun passes throughout the validity dates of the tickets. The days don’t have to be consecutive – you can skip days. Your fun visits can also be used any time throughout the validity dates, even before you use any of your park days.

We have premium tickets with the Park Hopper_® Option included, so visiting two parks in the same day will count as one park day (since you’re just hopping to another park).

Park days don’t have to be consecutive. You can go one day, skip the next, go the next two days, then skip the next, etc., until you use all your days. Just stay within the date range of the tickets.

Fun Visits are included on our tickets, so you won’t get separate tickets. You’ll scan your ticket to enter a waterpark or miniature golf course the same way you would scan into a park.

Fun Visits are separate from park days – you can use them throughout the validity dates of our tickets.

They don’t have to be used on days you visit the parks. (But they can be combined with a park day if want to do a water park in the morning and head over to Epcot in the evening to “eat around the world” and watch the fireworks show, for example).

You can use them before you visit any parks – you don’t have to use a park day first.

You can do a round of miniature golf in the morning and visit a water park in the afternoon. This counts as two visits because they’re two different sites.

You can visit a water park in the morning, leave for lunch, then come back to the same waterpark in the afternoon. This counts as one visit because you’re coming back to the same water park.

You can do only one mini golf course on the same day, and the round must begin before 4:00 pm.

You can only do one round of Foot Golf, and it has to be on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday after 2:30 pm. It’s subject to availability, so try a different day if there’s no availability on your first-choice date.

They usually close one of the water parks for refurbishment while the other one stays open. Typhoon Lagoon will likely be open during our trips. (That said, Blizzard Beach was also open during several dates of our spring 2025 trip. Not sure if that will happen again, but I’ll update when they post the schedule.)

You can all your fun visits for water parks instead of using them for other sites. It’s up to you!

We have group room discounts at Pop Century, All-Star Sports, and Port Orleans Riverside for our November trip.

Staying at a Walt Disney World_® Resort hotel:

• Resort guests can get Individual Lightning Lane experiences 7 days in advance, while off-property guests have to wait until 3 days in advance.
• Buses (and the Disney Skyliner if you stay at Disney’s Pop Century Resort) provides transportation frequently throughout the day. Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside also has a water taxi to Disney Springs®.
• No parking fee at the parks (saving you $35 per day).
• You’re in the middle of the magic, and Disney does “magic” very well.
• You’re able to enjoy 30-minute early entry into any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks every day.
• Value resorts are louder in noise level due to being less spread out and having more families with younger kids, especially near pool areas. Theming is also “louder” than moderate resorts, and rooms are smaller. However, beds are queen-size now (one pulls down from the wall and can be stored during the day, resulting in a more open space when not sleeping).
• Moderate resorts are quieter in noise level and theming than value resorts, are more spread out, and rooms are a little bigger than the value resorts (two queen beds).

Staying off Disney property:

• You can’t get Lightning Lane passes as early as on-property guests.
• Depending on the hotel, an off-property hotel may be less expensive for what you get.
• Depending on the hotel, an off-property hotel may have larger rooms than Disney resorts to accommodate larger families less expensively.
• Some hotels offer free breakfast (of varying quality).
• They’re not usually themed as well as on-property resorts, and it may not feel as “magical.”
• You won’t be able to take advantage of early entry into any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks.
• You may feel disconnected from the group. (But families aren’t necessarily staying in the same resort unless you know other families and plan it that way. Still, some families have said they feel more disconnected if they stay off property.)
• If driving to the parks, parking will be an extra $35 per day.
• If you don’t have a car, transportation to the parks won’t be as convenient. Even if your hotel offers a shuttle, it may go only to the parks (not to Disney Springs® or other areas), and it’ll almost certainly be less frequent, with longer wait times than on-property transportation. Also, hotels often share shuttles, making many stops along the way. Many travelers end up renting a car (or getting an Uber or Lyft) due to the inconvenience and hassle, so factor the price of a rental car or Uber/Lyft rides into your budget, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.

My advice:

• Choose the accommodations that best fit your needs and budget – a Disney resort, off-site hotel, timeshare, rental, campground, whatever.
• If you won’t have your own car and don’t want to rent one or arrange for Uber/Lyft rides, an on-property resort will most likely be your best bet. The extra money you spend will be offset by no parking fees (currently $35 per day at the parks), and better transportation options (more convenient, frequent, and less time-consuming than off-site hotels, regardless of what the off-site hotels advertise).
• If you want to be in the middle of the magic, choose a Disney resort. (Disney does “magic” very well.)
• If you have a camper, consider Disney’s Fort Wilderness campground. However, note that the Fort Wilderness bus system has a large footprint and may take additional time when compared to transportation at other Disney Resorts. (Having your own transportation may be preferable.)
• If you’re on a tight budget, will have a car, and don’t mind being more removed from the magic, choose an off-site hotel nearby. Look for one that offers a good free breakfast at the hotel (saves money and time). If you have a camper, consider an off-site campground.
• Don’t buy into the myth that you’ll spend all your time traveling to parks if you don’t stay on-site. The parks, resorts, water parks, and Disney Springs® are spread out over miles. Even guests who stay on-site have to drive to get to the different areas (or use on-site transportation). Many off-site hotels are located nearby (or even inside the Disney Springs® area), so you probably won’t have to drive much farther than we will.
• Choose whatever is best for your family’s budget and preferences. You’ll have a great time regardless of where you stay.

Standard Parking at the theme parks is $35 per day for cars and motorcycles if you’re not staying on-property. (It’s free for on-property guests.) If you hop parks, the fee covers all the parks you visit that day.

Disney doesn’t charge for overnight parking at their resort hotels.

Walt Disney World provides transportation to the parks, water parks, and Disney Springs® during times they’re open to the public. Here’s more information.

Disney’s Magical Express service was discontinued in 2022. Here are some transportation options.

Dining Plans are available for families who pay full price for a package deal (including a Disney hotel). They’re not an option for our group, whether free or not. Here’s more information:

Free dining isn’t really free, and the paid dining plans may not be the best option for your family, either. It’s pre-paying for your food so you’ll have an all-inclusive vacation. (Which can be appealing but may also end up being more expensive.)

The dining plan (whether free or not) has changed a lot over the years. Some resorts are excluded from dining offers and certain room categories may not be available. Also, there are fewer dates available now for the dining plans.

The dining plan (whether free or not) doesn’t include gratuity. Meals at on-property restaurants are usually more expensive than off-property restaurants, so their gratuity is also more expensive. In some cases, just the gratuity alone for a “free” meal was the same or more than what we paid for pizzas for our family (of 5 or 6) off property.

In our experience, we could pay out of pocket for our dining (on property or off), and it was less expensive, more relaxing, and much more flexible than the dining plan. (We did the free dining for five years straight before deciding it wasn’t worth it for our family.)

Every family is different, though, so I encourage you to check out your options and do the math for your own family and circumstances.

I’ve done this trip every fall* since 2006 through Carolina Homeschooler, then moved it to Traveling Homeschoolers beginning in 2016. I frequently do a spring trip, too.

*Except for fall 2020, when Disney canceled our trip due to Covid.

Since this is a private group trip, tickets must be ordered, and rooms must be reserved, through Traveling Homeschoolers.

Our Universal trips are around the same dates as our Disney trips, so you can likely combine both. Here’s more information. (Many families do both Disney and Universal in the same visit.)