Annual Passes at Disney World haven’t been sold since the parks closed in March of 2020, except in very specific cases.
Walt Disney World Annual Passholder
Disney announced at the beginning of the month that Annual Passes WOULD return before the start of the 50th-anniversary celebration! Well, now it’s time to mark your calendars! Disney World Annual Passes will go on sale again on September 8th! And we have ALL the details.
Similar to the new Magic Key system in Disneyland, Disney World’s pass system is getting a revamp.
Disney World Annual Pass
The new system will offer 4 passes: the Disney Incredi-Pass, the Disney Sorcerer Pass, the Disney Pirate Pass, and the Disney Pixie Dust Pass. We’re going to walk you through ALL of the pricing and changes here as simply as we can!
Types of Annual Passes and Pricing
Incredi-Pass Pricing
The Disney Incredi-Pass is the most expensive of the bunch at $1,299 plus tax. Florida residents can pay $99 per month for 12 months after a down payment of $205. This pass option has NO blockout dates and you can hold up to 5 park reservations at one time.
Tree of Life
Sorcerer Pass Pricing
Next up is the Disney Sorcerer Pass! This one costs $899 plus tax. Florida residents can pay $63 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment. The Sorcerer Pass has limited blockout dates, can hold 5 park reservations at a time, and is ONLY available to Florida Residents or Disney Vacation Club Members.
Magic Kingdom
Pirate Pass Pricing
The Disney Pirate Pass will cost you $699 plus tax, with the option to pay $45 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment for Florida residents. This pass is available only to Florida residents, has blockout dates around peak times and holidays, and can hold 4 park reservations at a time!
Welcome to EPCOT!
Pixie Dust Pass Pricing
Lastly, the Disney Pixie Dust Pass will cost $399 plus tax. Florida residents can pay $19 per month for 12 months after a $205 down payment, and the pass is only available for Florida residents. Most weekdays will be available for guests with the Pixie Dust Pass, however, it has the most blockout dates. It can still hold 3 park reservations at once.
Slinky Dog Dash
Here’s a look at these passes and prices all broken down in one graphic.
©Disney
Reservation Details
As seen above, the number of park reservations that can be held will depend on the pass type. There will also be “bonus reservations” on the calendar available for Passholders from time time, and that reservation will NOT count as part of the limit.
Let’s Go!
When Passholders stay at Disney World resorts or other select hotels, they will be able to make park reservations for each day of their stay. This is in addition to the number of reservations the pass can hold.
©Disney
There will also be enhancements to the reservation system that includes an integrated calendar that lets Passholders see blockout dates for each type of pass, view available dates, and make, modify, or cancel the park reservations all in one spot.
Customization
Passholders will also be able to customize their pass by choosing to include things like Water Parks, Sports, or Disney PhotoPass. All add-on options will be available to purchase with any of the four new passes.
There is a Water Park and Sports upgrade option for $99 plus tax and PhotoPass upgrade for $99 plus tax. These can be added to any pass type.
©Disney
In terms of the Water Park and Sports option, Annual Passholders can pay $99 (plus tax) for the year to enjoy admission to Disney’s water parks, golf courses, and more. For the duration of the Annual Pass, the Water Park and Sports Option add-on will give the guest one admission to select Disney World experiences with no blockout dates, including Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail, and more.
©Disney
Note that there are certain restrictions, like miniature golf is only valid for one round and you can only get one miniature golf visit per guest per day. Be sure to check all of the rules and restrictions when purchasing this add-on.
When it comes to the PhotoPass add-on, for $99 (plus tax) for the year, Annual Passholders will be able to download select attraction photos and videos, Disney PhotoPass photos and videos captured from the first valid date of the pass until the pass expires, and get other benefits.
©Disney
Again, note that there are special terms that apply to the PhotoPass add-on, so be sure to check those before purchasing.
Passes will continue to offer perks and benefits including the park hopping option, standard theme park parking, and discounts on merchandise and dining. Disney also mentioned that there would be a few special surprises throughout the 50th anniversary celebration!
How This Impacts Current Annual Passes
If you are currently in your renewal period, you can choose to renew into one of the current Annual Pass options until September 7, 2021. But if you don’t renew before September 8th, your only option will be to renew into the new pass system.
Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
If you have an ACTIVE Annual Pass right now that isn’t set to expire before September 8th, you will keep your current pass and all of its benefits until it expires. So, for example, if you have a Platinum Pass that doesn’t expire until March of 2022, nothing will change for you until March. When you get into your renewal period, you will then have to renew into one of the new Annual Pass options.
Annual Pass
If you have an Annual Pass that is NOT activated, like you have a certificate for a pass, this is different. To keep this pass, you need to visit the parks and activate it by September 7th. If you do that, you will keep your pass for the next year.
©Disney
If you do NOT activate your pass by the 7th, your pass will be converted into the new Annual Pass system on September 8th. You will be given a pass that is comparable to the one you already have a certificate for, meaning you will NOT lose any of the perks included in that pass. So, if you have an unactivated pass that includes PhotoPass and the Waterparks and Sports option, you will not lose those perks. They will remain on your pass for free. Your park reservations will also not be changed or deleted.
If You Want to Upgrade Your Ticket
Have you already purchased a theme park ticket? Well, good news! Disney has shared that eligible tickets can be upgraded to select pass types. This can be done through My Disney Experience, at a theme park ticket window, or at the Disney Ticket Center at Disney Springs. You can also call Disney at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639).
Main Street, U..SA.
Where to Purchase Annual Passes
Passes will be available for purchase on the Disney website or on the My Disney Experience app. You can also call 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639), but you may experience long wait times. You can also purchase an Annual Pass at a theme park ticket window or at the Disney Ticket Center in Disney Springs.
©Disney
But NOTE!! To help with attendance numbers, Disney will be limiting the number of Annual Passes on sale. This means the new Annual Passes CAN sell out. So, if you’re planning to purchase a pass on September 8th, be sure to set your alarms so you have a better chance of snagging one! We’ll remind you when Annual Passes go on sale, so stay tuned for the latest Disney news.
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
We know this is a LOT of information! So please let us know all your questions below. We will do our best to get them answered.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
If I buy an annual pass on Sept 8, does it start Sept 8 or the first day I use it at a park?
Have they published block out date calendars?
So, if we have daily tix can we upgrade to the new annual passes right away or will we have to wait until 9/8?
So helpful and so exciting! Do you know time Disney releases the annual passes online?
If I purchase the AP on Sept 8, can I wait until my trip in March to activate it or would the time of my AP pass length start immediately at purchase?
How does it affect annual passes already purchased but not yet activated?
Make sure to read the black out dates. One pass (FL Resident only pass) blacks out all holidays and all weekends. Others now include Thanksgiving as a black out date.
Are annual passes only for Florida residents?
50% increase in annual pass price to get into the park and $15 per day per person if you want to ride rides. They are really putting it to the DVC members who are trapped in their ecosystem.
Will there be an equivalent pass to the Premier Pass, that is for both Disneyland Parks and WDW? We’ve had one for years and I haven’t see any info on something like that. I know there weren’t that many in circulation but we live in SoCal and go to Florida at least two or three times a year to visit family. Are they retiring that option?
My pass doesn’t renew until February. How do you suppose that is going to be affected?
Sigh.
Appreciate the data, but kind of wish you had done an analysis of the impact on current passholders.
In our case, my wife and I are currently Platinum Pass holders @ $899. To get the same level of benefits, we need to purchase the Incredipass – $400 more…
Except it no longer includes PhotoPass – which is another $99 each. So that makes the increase $500 each – $1000 for the two of us.
What I still don’t know is whether Disney will require us to pay the downpayment on the new level of pass, which they haven’t required on renewals for years.
We are going to have to do some really hard thinking on this – whether paying the equivalent of an additional annual pass is worth it, given the reduction in benefits.
What are your thoughts on this, DFB?
Is this mostly for Fla. residents? My current annual pass does not expire until 3/22. Will I need to renew it in Sept.?
This is truly horrible. Passholders have been the consistent park goers throughout the pandemic, especially FL resident passholders. Now they’re taking away all long holidays and thanksgiving and giving us the summer?? FL residents are smart enough to know the parks in the summer are horrible. Why change something that isn’t broken.
Do the passes start the day they’re bought or the day that they’re first used? Our next trip is in July and we definitely want to get annual passes for that one but not if they’ll be mostly unused between Sep 8 and that time!
So the annual passes are only for florida residents?
I’ve never purchased an annual pass (AP) before but I was hoping to when they went back on sale. Question, does one have to be a Florida resident to purchase an AP? Do they ask for some kind of proof of residency when purchasing?
The details say nothing about parking being included. Is parking included with any of the passes? If you have to pay $25.00 everyday that you go to the parks than these deals are bad deals
So we just recently renewed our AP. Do we just start paying the new monthly fee or do we have to start from scratch and pay another deposit also?
Guess I’m not sure I understand what happens to existing Annual pass holders after sept 8. Do our passes stay as is until they expire OR do we have to select one of the new types of passes on Sept 8th ? Out current passes expire in March. Hoping they stay as is until then. Not sure we’ll renew with all the new stuff. Photo Pass was one of my favorite inclusions. We are DVC members and the new pricing is comparable to what we paid but wouldn’t include photo pass and has blackout dates which we currently don’t have
So does the year begin with the first day or your stay, like previously? So if I buy one September 8th, but don’t go until November 8th, my year starts November 8th, correct?
Ok, the article says… Up to Sept 8th current passholders can use their passes like usual….but the wording is unclear.. will the current passes change in done way after the 8th? My pass expires August 2022, a year from now…will my theme park select go away? Will I be forced into one of the new passes even though I an not anywhere near my renewal time?
Hello! I want to make sure I’m reading this correctly. If you live outside Florida and do not have DVC you only can get the Incredi-pass?
Thanks!
So what about annual passes that you have but have not used yet? How do they fit into the scheme? I have a platinum pass, mu kids have Gold passes as DVC members? I didn’t plan to use them until next year at the earliest because I thought this rubbish was coming from Bob Chapek!
Ok! So we are, of course, disappointed. So much more than years past and fewer perks. We will miss the photo pass. But, I have a question that needs an answer. Our trips are always 10 to 12 days. How does that work when you can only have 5 park day reservations? Can you book days 6-10 after the 5th day? Can you start adding days after day 1, 2 and so on? This is the worst part for us. We live in Indiana and always spend an extended time there to make it worth the drive. Now they are charging more, WAY more, and making it harder for us a book a stay.
We r out of state annual Passholders and have been for years we always get the platinum passes so how does that affect us with pricing and all and we want one ones with no black out dates and what is the price to do renewals we r two adults please respond back thank u
I’m wondering about the Platinum Pass certificates. I have one sitting in my account, waiting for my next trip, and part of the reason I purchased it was for photo pass. So far it just says Platinum Pass exchange under tickets in my account…
I mean, it doesn’t expire until 2030 and I can’t even cross the border yet, so I’m not in a real hurry. Still, it would be nice to know where I stand with it.
Do you think they will reinstate Tables in Wonderland now that they have decided on the annual passes?
We’ve got the Weekday passes and this looks like a pretty positive change. No more summer blockout and only a couple new blockout weeks that are super crowded anyway. Bottom line looks like a lot more days available to us for a small increase in price. Thanks Disney.
Absolutely aweful this annual pass price ! We are DVc Members in the u k . We normally come for 3 /4 weeks ! We buy the gold annual passes to last two years or the 21 day passes which already we can’t buy as they aren’t selling them anymore . With all the prices going up sadly my DVc will probably be have to be sold 😭😭😭🐭. As it’s making. Disney just unaffordable for normal people . I bought this DVc years ago for my family who are all teachers now to enjoy with their children as I did how very very sad this is a dream ithst being taken away . Bet Walt is crying like we all are !
Let’s start playing taps for the Walt Disney World we once knew. The Chapek Era has begun in earnest and it’s all going downhill fast.
So they are giving us 10 days notice? Unbelievable!
Do you know if the merch discounts are the same for all passes? In a previous publication, it seemed that it would vary by the different passes.
And also, thank goodness all the passes still includes parking!
We have a 10 day pass for our 24 day October visit at Polynesian/Saratoga Springs. Can I upgrade to an annual pass and do this online? Will this affect my previous park reservations, particularly my Oct 1st reservation? Staying on resort property can I make an annual reservation for every day? Thanks.
I currently have a “voucher” for renewing my Annual Pass, which allowed me to make my Park Reservations into 2022, but I haven’t had an opportunity to use it to actually receive my NEW Annual Pass — I’m curious as to how this new system will affect that.
What happens to current passholders whose pass doesn’t expire until next year? Do you know if those passes will still be honored? The article makes it sound like all annual passes expire on September 7th.
Also, does Disney say why they don’t make the monthly payment plan available to everyone (or at least DVC holders)?
Thanks for the info!
Kinda confused about the Florida Resident prices. 99X12+205=1393, not $1299. 63X12+205= 961, not $899. 45X12+205=745, not $699. So the extra $100 is what? Photopass? It doesn’t say that. Interest? Really? If you’re renewing do you still get 10% off?
Interesting that only Florida residents can purchase annual pass in WDW. Three of the four DLR passes can be purchased by anyone.
Wow that is a big price increase I have the seasonal pass now and what a big increase it’s couple hundreds dollars difference even more than that I think this will be the last year I will be renewing which is very sad we go all the time but it’s getting to expensive
Eric, I’m not sure how Disney will handle that voucher. I think your best bet is to give Disney a call.
I have an annual pass I haven’t started using yet, we have a trip planned for January. Do I just activate it and it’s business as usual?
For the $99 Waterpark / Sports add on, Is that 1 time for each or unlimited
Let’s say I go to Footgolf does that mean I used it and now do not have the option to go again in the year. Or can I go as many times as I want as long as I am only using 1 option a day
Am I reading this correctly, that there is only ONE type of Annual Pass available to non-Florida residents, and it is the most expensive one? (Unless you are a DVC owner, of course.)
I tried to renew my FL Res. Weekday Select Pass ($28) per month. I was told it was no longer sold. I was offered a FL Res Platinum Pass for $68 per month.
Just for clarification: Current passholders can use their “legacy” passes until they expire and will have the opportunity to renew with one of the new plans, according to Disney. This article is a little misleading as it states,
“Until September 8th, current Passholders will still be able to use their pass as usual. If you are currently in your renewal period, you can choose to renew into one of the current Annual Pass options until September 7, 2021. But come September 8th, you will need to renew into one of the new pass system.”
Please verify and correct for the record, otherwise all good info, thanks!
Jim, the information we have is that current ticketholders will need to upgrade to APs in person or by phone when the new program begins on September 8. At a later date, Disney plans to make an online upgrade available (through the website and My Disney Experience, we would expect). I’m not sure if that plan would come to fruition before your trip or not. I would recommend you try calling Disney directly about this to see if they can upgrade you over the phone so you can save yourself a step when you arrive in October. I hope this AP new is helping with your planning. 🙂
Thanks — I’ll actually be activating at the end of October, but I get your meaning here.
What happened was that I contacted “Passholder Relations” (or whatever it’s actually called) because even though I had an ACTIVE Annual Pass, I wasn’t able to make Park Reservations past the date of its expiration & I was more than 60 days from expiration. As a result, they allowed me to obtain the voucher early & essentially activated it so that I could make Park Reservations to coincide with 2021 & 2022 Resort Reservations. This was kind of a new “policy” that they hadn’t originally anticipated when they came up with the Park Reservation System — in other words, originally you were able to make Resort Reservations but had NO way to make Park Reservations beyond your Annual Pass Expiration. I don’t know if that makes sense, but… LOL
Almost went ballistic when I saw the limit of 5 park reservations!
Fortunately I read further to see that staying a Disney Resort permits as many park reservations as you need. As a DVC member I’m always in one.
We purchased tickets to be used for a trip in 3 weeks and also for New Years Eve. If we upgrade the tickets, will that mess up our park reservations? Some of the dates are no longer available (October 1 we have Epcot reservations).
Why was my comment and question removed? It was there for a moment when I checked in, but now it is gone.