Free Ticket To Disneyland? Yes, Please!

The "happiest place on earth" is not cheap to visit. Tickets to Disneyland and Walt Disney World can easily cost a family of four close to $300. That's just to get in the place. But they've found a way to help you experience the park for free -- all you have to do is lend a hand.

The theme parks have partnered with the HandsOn Network to link volunteering and ticket admission. The promotion is called Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.

Starting Jan. 1, 2010 people can go to DisneyParks.com to browse for volunteer opportunities in their area and sign up for a day of service. Many of the opportunities will be projects that the entire family can participate in.

"It's a great way to honor guests who are making a positive contribution to their communities," Disney President and Chief Executive Robert A. Iger said in a statement.

To be eligible for the promotion, volunteers must pre-register and sign up through the parks' website. When you join the HandsOn Network, you can work with any organization to qualify; from Habitat for Humanity to local food banks, churches, health care centers and educational programs.

One million certified volunteers who’ve donated a day of service will get a one-day ticket to Disneyland in Anaheim, California or Walt Disney World in Orlando in 2010.

Once you've gotten that pesky admission situation settled, you've just got one decision left: Orlando or Anaheim.

(And I may be biased because I lived in Southern California, but to get the full Disney experience, I'd say go to Walt Disney World!)

photo courtesy of presstelegram.com.