If you're looking for discount Disney World tickets there are a lot of shady characters you need to be on the lookout for. Many (but not all) discount ticket operators will force you into viewing a timeshare presentation. You'll have to fill out a bunch of info about you and your family, and they'll entice you with $20 Disney tickets or some other ridiculously cheap price.
What they don't tell you is that you'll be thrown into a high pressure sales pitch for 90+ minutes. These people will get ruthless and you should be careful. If you're on vacation with small children the hassle of getting these "discount" passes is just not worth it.
But I've got a better idea for you.
You've got to check out two of the best sites around: eBay.com and Craigslist.org (which, interestingly enough, is partly owned by eBay). I like eBay best simply because it's less hassle. The deals you'll find on eBay aren't quite as good as on Craigslist but my preference is saving time AND money, not just money.
You can expect to save $10-$20 per ticket off even the discounted AAA price. I know that may not sound like a huge savings, but if you're with a family of 4 or 5 that about pays for dinner every day.
For the really good deals on Craigslist you've got to get lucky and find an employee of one of the theme parks who is selling their tickets. See, and here's a little secret that most people aren't aware of, certain employees are given a specific allotment of free tickets every year. If they don't take these tickets they just go to waste. So even selling them for 50% off face value is worth it for these employees who get paid barely $10 or so per hour.
All you have to do is post a Wanted ad in the respective Craigslist for the city you're visiting. That's Orlando Craigslist for Disney World or Los Angeles Craigslist for Disneyland. Also be sure to look in the Tickets section under For Sale.
If you want even more tips check out The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide which was written by a former Disney employee. I sure hope she doesn't get in trouble for all the secrets she spills!
