Big Changes to Disney World Annual Passes Including Price Increase (2024)

Table of Contents
(UPDATE) Big Change to Park Reservations for Annual Passholders (UPDATE) – Walt Disney World Annual Pass Price Increase Ready to Start Planning Your Disney Vacation? How Long Will Annual Pass Sales Last? Will They Be Suspended Again? WDW Annual Pass Highlights Annual Pass Types & Prices Disney Pixie Dust Pass – $469 plus tax Disney Pirate Pass – $829 plus tax Disney Sorcerer Pass – $1,079 plus tax Disney Incredi-Pass – $1,549 plus tax Add-Ons Annual Passes and Park Reservations Making Park Pass Reservations Good to Go Dates Best Way to Save Big $$$ on Disney Resorts Disney World Annual Pass Blockout Dates How to Use the Annual Pass Blockout Calendar Pixie Dust Pass Blockout Dates Pirate Pass Blockout Dates Sorcerer Pass Blockout Dates Annual Pass Renewals How to Renew Your Annual Pass Upgrading Regular Tickets to AP Monthly Payment Plan Cheapest Discount Disney World Tickets Why Did Disney World Suspend Annual Passes in the Past? FAQs How do the New Annual Passes Compare to the Old Passes? Which APs can Florida Residents Purchase? Which Annual Passes Can Guests Who Live Out of State Buy? What If I Live Close to Florida? Which Annual Passes can DVC members purchase? Explain “Blue Card” DVC Members and the Sorcerer Pass? Are There Any Disney Vacation Club Discounts? What Happened to Old Passes on September 8, 2021? What about Unused/Unactivated Vouchers for “Old” Annual Passes? What Renewal Options Do Current Annual Passholders Have? What About Renewal Discounts? Can I Get a Renewal Discount for the PhotoPass and/or Water Park Add-Ons? Does Everyone in a Family Need to Purchase the PhotoPass Add-On? Is There a Genie+ Add-On for Disney World Annual Passes? Can I Upgrade Regular Tickets to an Annual Pass? When are the Blockout Dates? As an “Old” AP, Do the New Blockout Dates Apply to Me? How Many Disney Park Pass Reservations Can AP Members Hold at the Same Time? What are “Bonus Reservations”? Your Thoughts

Since officially coming back in April 2023 we are glad to report that annual passes have continued to remain on sale for guests desiring to purchase a new annual pass or renew their existing annual pass.

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In this post, we are going to go over go over all the new changes to the WDW Annual Pass program including AP ticket types, prices, perks, blockout dates, add-ons, and more.

While many aspects of the new annual pass program are the same, there are a bunch of changes to be aware of before deciding whether it makes sense to buy one for yourself or not. We’ll update you on all of the changes and everything you need to know about the Pixie Dust Pass, Pirate Pass, Sorcerer Pass, and Incredi-Pass at Disney World.

(UPDATE) Disney announced increases to all four of the Walt Disney World Annual Passes on October 24, 2024. Read on for more details about what this means and if sales will continue this year or next…

Before we get started, you may find these other posts on Disney World tickets of interest, especially with new annual passes currently not for sale:

  • Guide to Disney World Theme Park Tickets
  • How to Get Discount Disney World Tickets
  • 1-Day Disney World Tickets

If you want the Latest Updates on the Disney World Annual Pass Program, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Table of Contents

(UPDATE) Big Change to Park Reservations for Annual Passholders

Some big changes were recently announced to the Disney park pass reservation system, including eliminating park reservations for most ticket types which began on January 9th, 2024. Disney also revealed great news for park hopping for Annual Passholders and when they don’t need theme park reservations on “good-to-go days.”

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That said, there is still some good news for annual passholders, as they aren’t necessarily required to make park reservations for EVERY day anymore!

“Good-to-go days” began in January and will be updated regularly on the reservation calendar showing annual passholders select days they can visit the Disney theme parks without needing a reservation.

So far in 2024 we’ve found these good-to-go days not be as frequent as we hoped for. They tend to not open up until a few days before on the Disney Annual Pass Calendar.

We also were delighted on January 9, 2024 when park reservations stopped being required for many ticket types, and passholders could now park hop to a second park that day as soon as they visit the first park.

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For example, if you make a park reservation for Magic Kingdom, as soon as you enter the park, you can leave and go to a second park without having to wait for 2:00 pm. You could do one ride, leave and already head to the second park that day at 9:30 am for example.

This is in addition to the recent update which allows Annual Passholders to visit the Disney World theme parks after 2:00 pm without first making a park reservation.

The only exception to this new change is on Saturdays and Sundays at Disney’s Magic Kingdom where park reservations are still required.

The fact that Disney eliminated park pass reservations for date-based tickets is definitely a most welcome change since the park reservation system has been one of the biggest criticisms for guests since it was introduced.

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We’re sorry that Annual Passholders are still required to make them, but at least with the 2:00 pm rule and the new “good-to-go” days, as well as immediate park hopping on most days, it gives passholders a lot more freedom, especially those who like to hop over to the parks in the evenings after work.

Annual Passholders can already visit the parks after 2:00 pm without a park reservation (except Saturdays and Sundays at the Magic Kingdom).

It’s also important to note that these days may vary from park to park, and blockout days will still apply.

This is the first of a few changes planned for the Park Pass Reservation system in the coming months, so stay tuned for more updates soon.

(UPDATE) – Walt Disney World Annual Pass Price Increase

Disney World has recently announced price increases for all 4 tiers of Annual Passes effective October 24, 2024.

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Disney resumed sales for Walt Disney World Annual Passes in Late April 2023 after having suspended the new sales of most annual pass types since 202. Thankfully, that is no longer an issue and new Walt Disney World Annual Passes are now on sale once again.

Sales of the Disney Incredi-Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass, and Disney Pirate Pass are available for purchase to the general public now and have been continuing strongly since coming back. Because of that, Disney World has now increased the prices for all 4 annual passes.

New prices for the Walt Disney World Annual Passes are as follows:

  • Incredi-Pass: $1,549 (was $1,449)
  • Sorcerer Pass: $1,079 (was $999)
  • Pirate Pass: $829 (was $799)
  • Pixie Dust Pass: $469 (was $439)
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As you can see, each of the annual pass types went up anywhere from $30-$100. In some cases these are pretty sizable upticks in price, which has sadly become a common occurrence for Disney Annual Passholders.

And while we are sad about the price increases, we are on the other hand thrilled that it appears Disney Annual Passes are here to stay! For well over a year many readers were wondering when Annual Passes were coming back, so now at least you have an answer.

For example, both my sister and brother-in-law naively let their Annual Passes expire thinking they could just buy new ones at any time, and instead, they were waiting over a year and had to buy regular tickets in the meantime every time they visited WDW.

Thankfully, it doesn’t appear we will have to deal with this anymore now that the pandemic appears to be well behind us and hopefully the parks don’t need to close for an extended time anytime soon!

Ready to Start Planning Your Disney Vacation?

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How Long Will Annual Pass Sales Last? Will They Be Suspended Again?

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At this point, we are just thrilled that new sales for Annual Passes appear steady and don’t appear to be suspending any time soon. We don’t know is how long that will last.

Will sales of new passes be suspended again at some point in the future?

At this point, we can’t say yes or no with 100% certainty. While it’s certainly possible it can happen, considering they’ve been on sale now steadily for practically the entirety of 2023 and 2024, we don’t think it’s likely! This is good news for guests desiring to purchase a new annual pass!

And while it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon, they’ve given warnings previously that “the quantity of passes will be limited and passes, or a pass type, may become unavailable for purchase at any time.”

That statement is pretty telling right there. Disney is essentially saying that they reserve the right to stop the sales of new annual passes whenever they please, and to make a statement like that leads me to believe if world events alter the situation or the financial situation calls for it, it COULD happen.

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A good example of this was when the park passes initially resumed sales in September 2021. Sales continued for about 3 months until November. We ASSUMED this was permanently.

Then without warning, one day they were no longer available. If you didn’t buy them when you had the chance, that was it. You had to wait until the next time Disney put them on sale. That means from November 2021 to April 2023 you had to wait nearly 1 1/2 years.

Before now, many people thought Disney has completely forgotten about the idea and thought they were retired for good. Even comment from Disney executive were not always clear.

For example, when sales were suspended, during a Disney company earnings call, The Walt Disney Company former CFO Christine McCarthy was asked about what plans Disney has to fight a potential slowdown in the parks during a recession given the current unstable state of the economy.

McCarthy’s comments were telling. First, she mentioned a number of ideas the company has to keep revenue flowing into the parks, one of which is offering more discounts on park tickets to attract guests to come. However, she did say that “we’re not going to use it to the extent to which we used it during the last recession.”

The most interesting part was when she said another possibility was selling annual passes to Disney World and Disneyland once again. McCarthy mentioned that if new sales of annual passes do return, the program will need to have a more “flexible” business model and changes to the current system, though she didn’t comment on what those would be.

At that point, months had gone by without any Disney executives even mentioning the idea. Even the way McCarthy mentioned the sales of new annual passes coming back seemed like a last resort in case of a recession and guest demand drying up. In other words, as long as guests keep filling the parks, there is no need to bring back annual passes.

Is this a clue the to why Disney did reopen new Annual Pass sales? Everyone knows that inflation has taken a toll on the average consumer and the economy isn’t exactly running on all cylinders at the moment, therefore it’s possible Disney has already seen demand start to dwindle from regular guests, and perhaps they decided to boost attendance by bringing back the less profitable Annual Passholders now.

If that is the motive behind resuming sales, it is feasible that sales can stop again in the future. If it is because the economy is bad and Disney World attendance is down, Annual Pass sales may stick around for a while. The economy doesn’t look like it’s getting a quick fix any time soon, and the worst may be yet to come.

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That said, we don’t recommend you take that chance. Our advice is that if you are considering buying an Annual Pass, make your decision quickly and buy it right when they go on sale. DO NOT wait to buy them if you can, because there is no way of telling how long they will be available.

You may have it in your mind to buy them in a few weeks or months, but there is no guarantee they will still be there at that point in time. Trust men, it’s a huge inconvenience when you have multiple WDW trips planned and you have to pay full price for regular park tickets instead of the savings an annual pass can give frequent visitors.

The bottom line is that as long as Disney World has the capacity and they need more park-goers, annual pass sales will stay open to the public. Of course, one-time guests or guests staying at the Disney World Resorts are much more profitable, and Disney prefers having them fill the parks.

Disney probably already has a good idea of what they want to do. Disney gets its booking data many months in advance, sometimes years in advance, and only they would know what future attendance will be by looking at the current bookings for the upcoming months. They may be more concerned than we know.

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My guess, and this is just a guess, is that Annual Pass sales will stay open indefinitely right now but again, that’s no guarantee. We don’t personally think that Disney will have any reason to halt the sale of new annual passes, especially with the latest price hikes.

If Disney announces that annual pass sales are stopping, we will let you know. In the meantime, the rest of this article explains the new annual pass types and all the differences between them.

WDW Annual Pass Highlights

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First of all, the Walt Disney World annual passes have 4 tiers, each with different blackout dates, perks, and of course price levels.

The new Disney World Annual Passes are:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass
  • Disney Pirate Pass
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass
  • Disney Incredi-Pass

Even though these 4 new passes have new names, they still have many of the old features such as free standard parking at the theme parks, park hopping, and discounts on food and merchandise.

Some of the highlights for annual pass types include:

  • More Park Reservations: Depending on their pass type, Passholders can now hold up to five Disney Park Pass reservations at a time. Not only that, but “bonus reservations” will also be added to the calendar from time to time which Passholders can make without it counting against their normal reservation hold limit. As before, passholders staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can make park reservations for the length of their stay.
  • Annual Pass Add-Ons: Different add-on options are available for purchase with any of the 4 annual passes according to your preferences. Some options include the Water Park and Sports package or Disney PhotoPass downloads.
  • New Integrated Calendar: A new calendar will let guests easily see blockout dates for each pass type. Enhancements to the reservation system let Passholders quickly see available days and make, modify or cancel a reservation all in one place.
  • Enjoy Passholder Perks: Passes will continue to offer benefits including the Park Hopper option, standard theme park parking, and discounts on merchandise and dining. And, there will be a few special surprises throughout the 50th-anniversary celebration.

Annual Pass Types & Prices

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Prices recently increased for Annual Passes, even though most of them are not for sale at the moment. Here is a breakdown of each annual pass type and how much they cost:

Disney Pixie Dust Pass – $469 plus tax

  • For Florida Residents Only
  • $469 plus tax or $25 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment (Payment Plan for Florida residents only)
  • Reservation-based admission most weekdays, subject to blockout dates (including peak and holiday periods)
  • 20% off select dining and merchandise
  • Free Standard Parking
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Disney Pirate Pass – $829 plus tax

  • For Florida Residents Only
  • $829 plus tax or $57 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment (Payment Plan for Florida residents only)
  • Reservation-based admission most weekdays, subject to blockout dates (including peak and holiday periods)
  • 20% off select dining and merchandise
  • Free Standard Parking
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Disney Sorcerer Pass – $1,079 plus tax

  • For Florida Residents and Disney Vacation Club Members Only
  • $1,079 plus tax or $79 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment (Payment Plan for Florida residents only)
  • Reservation-based admission most weekdays, subject to blockout dates (including peak and holiday periods)
  • 20% off select dining and merchandise
  • Free Standard Parking
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Disney Incredi-Pass – $1,549 plus tax

  • For ALL Guests
  • $1,549 plus tax or $121 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment (Payment Plan for Florida residents only)
  • No Blockout Dates
  • Reservation-based admission with no blockout dates
  • 20% off select dining and merchandise
  • Free Standard Parking
  • Standard theme park parking included
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Annual Passholders can visitDisneyWorld.com/Passfor more information and updated details about Disney World’s new Annual Passes and also to purchase them.

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Add-Ons

One big change to the new annual passes is that there are fewer perks built-in automatically, and more you have to now pay for. For example, the popular PhotoPass option was always included with the higher-level passes, but it’s now an add-on only and you have to pay $99 plus tax if you want it.

The Water Park and Sports option is also $99 plus tax and includes admission to:

  • Typhoon Lagoon
  • Blizzard Beach
  • Oak Trail Golf Course
  • FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail
  • Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4 PM)
  • Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4 PM)
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

So even though the Incredi-Pass is $1,549, if you want these add-ons the cost is really $1,749.

The one we are most upset about is the PhotoPass not being included. But since we use it so much, it’s worth the $99.

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Annual Passes and Park Reservations

Disney recently made a huge change to when annual passholders are required to make Disney Park Pass Reservations and they now have much more freedom than they used to.

Before this update, annual passholders had to make a park reservation for each day they wanted to visit the theme parks. Here is the latest breakdown:

When Park Reservations ARE required:

  • On Saturdays and Sundays all day
  • On Weekdays BEFORE 2:00 pm

When they ARE NOT required:

  • On “good-to-go days”
  • On Weekdays after 2:00 pm.

This makes it much easier for APs to visit the theme parks as now there are more options to make last-minute visits.

It’s important to remember Annual Passholders still need to make Park Reservations on the weekends and before 2:00 pm on other days, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

During the times that Park Reservations are required, passholders still have a limit to how many reservations they can make at one time. Right now, the Pirate Pass, Sorcerer Pass, and Incredi-Pass each allow for 4 or 5 park pass reservations at a time. The Pixie Dust Pass is the only one that is still limited to 3 reservations.

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On top of the normal reservation limits, annual passholders staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel will be able to reserve a park pass for each day of their stay. So if you are staying for 7 days, you can make 7 different park pass reservations, plus you will have your normal allotment of 3, 4, or 5 on top of that.

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Making Park Pass Reservations

Park Pass reservations for annual passholders can be made either on the Walt Disney World website or in the My Disney Experience app.

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Whichever one you are using, go to “Make Theme Park Reservations”. There you will choose between making a park reservation for an annual passholder or for someone with only regular theme park tickets.

As an annual passholder, you will then be brought to a screen where you will then choose between regular park pass reservations, or park pass reservations for guests staying at a Disney World Resort hotel (remember, these are unlimited).

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You then select the date you want to visit:

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Then the park:

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Review and then confirm your reservation:

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Good to Go Dates

Another new addition for Annual Passholders are the “Good the Go” dates. Essentially, they allow Annual Passholders to visit any of the 4 theme parks without having to make a park reservation. These are in addition to the current passholder limits and are added to the calendar periodically, likely when crowds are light.

Good to Go reservations do not count towards the overall number of reservations each passholder is limited to.

You can see the “Bonus Reservations” on the Disney World Annual Pass Blockout Calendar. Check periodically as new dates are added all the time.

The dates with the empty green circles are bonus reservations and don’t count against your regular annual passholder limits.

Overall, these are welcome changes and make it much easier for annual passholders to plan days in the parks in advance.

For a more in-depth look, read our Disney Park Pass Reservations Guide.

Best Way to Save Big $$$ on Disney Resorts

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If you want to potentially save thousands of dollars on your next trip to Disney World, I personally recommend David’s DVC Rentals. They consistently have the best prices and biggest selection of Disney Villas that will make you ask yourself: “How do they do it?”

Disney World Annual Pass Blockout Dates

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Except for the Disney Incredi-Pass which has unlimited dates, the other 3 annual pass types have blockout dates when you cannot visit the parks. The less expensive the pass is, the more blockout dates are on the calendar, limiting when you can go.

How to Use the Annual Pass Blockout Calendar

Using either the Walt Disney World website or the My Disney Experience app, go to “Make Theme Park Reservations,” then under“View Current Availability”choose“Annual Pass.”

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On the next screen, select which annual pass type you are using and then choose the park you want to make a reservation for. This will show you the available dates and which dates are blocked out.

When you look at the calendar, if a date has a line slashed through it, that means those dates are blocked out for your annual pass type. If you see a green dot underneath the number, that means park pass reservations are available for that date. Again, yellow stars signify bonus reservations available.

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The lockout dates themselves will not change throughout the year, but park pass availability will change so check regularly.

The Pixie Dust Pass has the most blockout dates, followed by the Pirate Pass, and then the Sorcerer Pass. Let’s take a closer look:

Pixie Dust Pass Blockout Dates

The Pixie Dust Pass has availability on most weekdays throughout the year. Weekends are out, as well as all the holidays.

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Pirate Pass Blockout Dates

The Pirate Pass gives guests more available dates as it opens up the majority of weekdays and weekends throughout the year. Peak and holiday seasons are blocked out.

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Sorcerer Pass Blockout Dates

The Sorcerer Pass has availability almost every day of the year. The only dates that are blocked out are the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods. Other than that you can make a reservation any day of the year.

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We think the Sorcerer Pass is the best value for your money as it knocks $400 off the price from the Incredi-Pass and still has 97% of the same dates available.

Annual Pass Renewals

If you are a current passholder, you may be wondering what happens now with all these changes and what if you want to renew your pass.

Guests may continue using their existing annual pass until its expiration. Then you can renew by choosing one of the new passes, at a discounted rate as always. Usually, this means taking $100 or more off the full price.

Here are the current annual pass renewal prices:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass:$399 plus tax (a $70 discount)
  • Disney Pirate Pass:$709 plus tax (a $120 discount)
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass:$929 plus tax (a $150 discount)
  • Disney Incredi-Pass:$1,299 plus tax (a $250 discount)

These prices equate to a roughly 15% discount over new Annual Pass purchases.

How to Renew Your Annual Pass

There are 3 ways to renew your Walt Disney World Annual Pass:

  1. Renew at any Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket window or Disney Springs Guest Relations location.
  2. Renew online at the Disney World website
  3. Renew over the phone by calling (407) 560-PASS or (407) 560-7277.

Walt Disney World Annual Passes can be renewed starting 60 days before the expiration date of your current pass or up to 30 after the pass expires.

This results in an approximate 90-Day window for guests to decide if it’s worth keeping their Annual Pass for another year or not. This is a personal decision and you will have to calculate how many days you plan on visiting the Disney World theme parks over the next year.

If the Annual Pass will cost less than standard WDW tickets will, then it’s worth it, you’ll just have to make sure it’s in your family budget to buy them. Coming up with all that money up front is not always feasible for everyone, and you may find it easier to buy regular tickets closer to your arrival date even if it means spending a little more overall.

Upgrading Regular Tickets to AP

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What if you have already purchased regular theme park tickets but now want to upgrade to an annual pass? Not a problem. Guests with an existing theme park admission can upgrade those into an annual pass.

Guests can apply the entire price of their current tickets to the cost of an annual pass. Let’s say you have an upcoming trip and you have already spent $500 on your tickets. In that case, if you trade those tickets in for an annual pass, you will get a $500 credit towards that purchase.

How to Upgrade Annual Passes?
Guests can upgrade from regular tickets to an annual pass both in-person at the theme parks. It’s not currently possible to upgrade your ticket on the Walt Disney World website or My Disney Experience.

If you want to upgrade them in person, head to the ticket window at the entrance of one of the Walt Disney World theme parks. On the phone, you can call 407-W-Disney (407-934-7639).

Monthly Payment Plan

The monthly payment plan for Disney World annual passes is only available for Florida residents. You can get the monthly payment plan with any of the 4 annual pass types, just as long as you live in Florida.

Each pass requires a down payment of $205, then a monthly fee for 12 months. Your monthly fee will depend on which annual pass level you choose and they range from $25-$121 per month.

Unfortunately, if you aren’t a Florida resident, you can no longer use the monthly payment plan to purchase your annual pass.

Cheapest Discount Disney World Tickets

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If you are looking to save money on Disney World theme park tickets, our personal recommendation is Orlando Vacation. They almost always have the best prices on multi-day tickets and can save you $20-$60 per ticket over buying direct from Disney.

Why Did Disney World Suspend Annual Passes in the Past?

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This is a complicated question and the reason it originally suspended new annual passes is not the same reason they have kept suspending them during long stretches since then.

Let’s take a closer look including why sales of Disney World annual passes were suspended in the first place, as well as recent comments from Disney executives to get an idea of how long they might be staying around.

Before the parks closed in 2020, Disney World had tens of thousands of annual passholders, mostly Florida residents or DVC members who make multiple trips to Florida each year. While the majority of guests visiting the vacation kingdom buy park tickets just for the few days of their vacation, for guests who visit more regularly, an annual pass is a much more economical solution.

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Then the parks closed down for 4 months, and during that time they suspended new annual passes before the Walt Disney World parks reopened. As you are well aware, when Disney World first reopened, it greatly modified the guest experience during the reopening phase, and Disney had to change some of the ways the company did business.

Unfortunately, some of the attractions and shows were closed and some restaurants took a long time to open back up. In some cases, years.

Other programs like the Disney Dining Plan and FastPass+ were also suspended or eliminated. Included in all of those suspended experiences and programs were also Disney World Annual Passes.

So with the theme parks not reaching full capacity, this was Disney’s way of keeping the crowds under control. More than that, the biggest reason for suspending annual passes is Disney wants to control what type of guest enters the theme parks and how many at one time.

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Since Disney World was not able to run at 100% capacity, Disney would prefer high-paying guests that come for a week-long vacation over annual passholders who come on the weekends for a couple of hours and then leave.

By suspending annual passes, they were assured to make the most money per guest possible at this time. And the fact that new sales are still often suspended tells us that there are more than enough of the high-paying guests they prefer and unfortunately, they don’t need annual passholders at this time.

Since that time, guests have always been able to renew existing passes, but the possibility of purchasing new Annual Passes has not always been available. The only annual pass that has been available the majority of the time is the Disney Pixie Dust Pass, which is the most limited pass and only available to Florida Residents.

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The only exception was from September 8, 2021, through November 20, 2021, when Disney World opened up new annual passes again for purchase just in time for the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Shortly thereafter, they were suspended once again.

This did not come as a surprise as when new Disney World annual passes went back on sale on August 30, 2021, Disney stated in the press release: “some annual pass types may be unavailable for purchase at any time.” And it stayed that way up until April 2023.

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Guests shouldn’t be worried about annual passes being eliminated completely or anything. Renewals for existing annual passes have stayed available, and now that sales are back, it gives us hope.

So how long will you be able to buy Disney World Annual Passes this time around?

FAQs

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Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the new Walt Disney World annual passes. We’ll continue adding more as more information comes out:

How do the New Annual Passes Compare to the Old Passes?

Besides renaming all the passes, there aren’t that many differences between the old annual passes and the new ones. Annual Passholders can now hold more park pass reservations at a time (a maximum of 5) and some of the old perks are now gone like PhotoPass.

The new tickets are more expensive but not as bad as we were originally thinking. Here is what annual passes cost before the new ones went on sale:

  • Disney EPCOT After 4 Pass:$309
  • Disney Weekday Select Pass:$369
  • Disney Theme Park Select Pass:$439
  • Disney Silver Pass:$539
  • Disney Gold Pass:$719
  • Disney Platinum Pass:$1,195
  • Disney Platinum Plus Pass:$1,295

Which old passes do the new ones replace? It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison because there used to be 8 different annual passes and now there are only 4.

In 2021, Disney came up with new names for all the WDW Annual Passes. Here is a general look at the current passes and the old ones they replaced:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass replaces the Weekday Select Annual Pass, Theme Park Select Pass, and Epcot After 4 Pass
  • Disney Pirate Pass replaces the Silver Pass
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass replaces the Gold Pass
  • Disney Incredi-Pass replaces the Platinum Pass & Platinum Plus Pass
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Which APs can Florida Residents Purchase?

Florida residents can purchase any of the 4 WDW annual passes they desire and are not restricted in any way. They also have a bunch of other ticket types available to them for less money than the normal prices.

Read our guide to Florida Resident Disney World Tickets for more info.

Which Annual Passes Can Guests Who Live Out of State Buy?

Unfortunately, the only APs that regular Disney guests can purchase is the Disney Incredi-Pass, the highest-tiered one. This was also the case before the update.

The only exception is for DVC members, who are also able to purchase the Sorcerer Pass. The Pixie Dust Pass and Pirate Pass are only available for Florida Residents.

What If I Live Close to Florida?

Sorry, that doesn’t help you, you still can only purchase the Incredi-Pass, unless you are a DVC Member.

Which Annual Passes can DVC members purchase?

DVC Members can choose between the highest two tiers, the Incredi-Pass and the Sorcerer Pass, though the Sorcerer Pass is likely restricted to “Blue Card” Members only.

Explain “Blue Card” DVC Members and the Sorcerer Pass?

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At this time we aren’t sure but it’s likely that only “Blue Card” DVC members will be able to purchase the Sorcerer Pass. “Blue Card” DVC members are those who have a blue membership and the only way to get that is by either buying it directly from Disney or buying a membership under the old rules (before 4/4/16).

It’s possible that other members can get the Sorcerer Pass, but we’ll update you when we know for sure.

Are There Any Disney Vacation Club Discounts?

No there are not. There used to be a $200 discount on the top-level Disney World annual pass, but that is no longer the case with the Incredi-Pass. This could always change in the future, but as long as DVC sales are strong we don’t expect it to.

What Happened to Old Passes on September 8, 2021?

If you were a current AP holder, nothing happened to your annual pass unless you renewed it or purchased another one at a future time after that. The only thing that changed was you can now have more Park Pass Reservations now than previously possible. Everything else stayed the same.

What about Unused/Unactivated Vouchers for “Old” Annual Passes?

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Vouchers for the “old” annual pass could be redeemed until September 7, 2021. You then received the old pass. If you redeemed your voucher on September 8, 2021, or after, you received a new annual pass with the corresponding add-ons in line with the voucher you purchased.

What Renewal Options Do Current Annual Passholders Have?

If you are currently within your renewal window, you can renew your AP and are subject to the new prices and rules.

What About Renewal Discounts?

One positive is annual passholders still get a discount every year when they renew. The current renewal discount for current passholders is 15%.

Here are the new prices for Walt Disney World Annual Passes after the renewal discount:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass:$399 plus tax (a $70 discount)
  • Disney Pirate Pass:$709 plus tax (a $120 discount)
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass:$929 plus tax (a $150 discount)
  • Disney Incredi-Pass:$1,299 plus tax (a $250 discount)

Can I Get a Renewal Discount for the PhotoPass and/or Water Park Add-Ons?

Yes, you can. There is also a 15% percent discount on the PhotoPass or Water Park add-ons which means those will cost $85 instead of $100.

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Does Everyone in a Family Need to Purchase the PhotoPass Add-On?

No, they don’t. As long as you normally travel with your family, one person needs to purchase the PhotoPass add-on. That account can share the family photos with everyone else.

Is There a Genie+ Add-On for Disney World Annual Passes?

No, there isn’t an add-on for Disney Genie+ available for purchase with Disney World annual passes or any discounts. If you want to use the new Disney Genie+ service you will have to pay for it on a daily basis like everyone else.

Can I Upgrade Regular Tickets to an Annual Pass?

Yes, you can. If you have already purchased regular Walt Disney World theme park tickets, you can upgrade those into annual passes. This is easy to do and the amount of money you have already paid toward your theme park tickets will be carried over into the final price of an annual pass.

When are the Blockout Dates?

We’ve posted photos of the lockout calendars earlier on in this post. You can also click this link for the individual blockout calendars for each AP type directly from Disney.

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As an “Old” AP, Do the New Blockout Dates Apply to Me?

No, they don’t. As long as you have your current annual pass, those are the blockout dates that apply to you. As soon as that AP expires and you renew, then the new blockout dates will be applied to your AP.

How Many Disney Park Pass Reservations Can AP Members Hold at the Same Time?

This depends on which annual pass you have purchased. Here is a list of each AP type and the corresponding number of park pass reservations you can have:

Park Pass Reservation Limits for Annual Passholder:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass: Up to 3 reservations at a time
  • Disney Pirate Pass: Up to 4 reservations held at a time
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass: Up to 5 reservations at a time
  • Disney Incredi-Pass: Up to 5 reservations at a time

What are “Bonus Reservations”?

Disney hasn’t fully explained the “Bonus Reservations” at this time, but they will be dates that APs can make Disney Park Pass reservations that don’t count against their normal limit. So if your pass normally allows you to make 5 park pass reservations, these will be above and beyond those.

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That wraps up our look at Walt Disney World Annual Passes. We hope that it was helpful to you and that you now know what you need to make an informed decision if they are for you or not (whenever they come back).

If you are going to Disney World soon, make sure to read our Disney World Planning Guide for all the tips and info you will need to cover everything! Also, check out our Disney World Crowd Calendar so you know when the best time to visit is!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates in Walt Disney World as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the uptick once again in annual passes prices.

  • What changes would you like to see to pay the increased costs of an Annual Pass?
  • What is the most you would pay for an annual pass?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media. I work hard at making this website a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks, and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

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Ziggy Oskwarek

My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.

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