Is a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Right For Your Family?

Is a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Right For Your Family?
One of the most asked questions we get is whether or not a Disney World Annual Pass is worth it. The real question isn’t whether or not the Disney Annual Pass is worth it but more about whether or not a Walt Disney World Annual Pass is Right for your Family. How often will you visit Walt Disney World in one year? Will you actually take advantage of those impressive Annual Passholder discounts? How about the restaurant discounts? Furthermore, will you be able to get off work to visit? If you live outside of Florida, are you willing to pay $1400 for each person in your family for this annual pass? So many things to consider! Let’s dive in.
 
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What You Should Know About the WDW Annual Pass

To level-set, we are Walt Disney World Annual pass holders, but we haven’t always been and may not always be. It’s a huge investment to make and we reassess this every year when renewal time rolls around. Some years allow more travel than others. Also known as a Disney World Season Pass this annual pass to the parks is just that, ANNUAL. So consider there may be some years that it makes sense for you, and other years that it doesn’t.  So what is a Disney World Annual Pass? And what do you get when you purchase it?

Disney Annual Pass Information

A Disney Annual Pass is a pass that includes your Disney World park tickets, and Park hopper tickets for the duration of One Year. 365 Days. When you buy a WDW Annual Pass you’re technically just buying access to all four theme parks for one year. As such, you can consider it an Annual Pass for ALL Disney Parks at Walt Disney World. With exceptions of course. Here are the details. 

  • A Disney Annual Pass includes access to the 4 Disney World Parks; Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom.
  • A Disney World Pass includes Park Hopper privileges to all four parks. 
  • Disney Water Parks ( Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) ARE NOT INCLUDED in a Disney Season Pass. But, they can be added for $99 + tax for the year. Again, this is per individual pass. 
  • Disney PhotoPass Downloads ARE NOT INCLUDED in a Disney Season Pass. But, they can be added for $99 + tax for the year.
  • Children Under 3 Years Old do not need a pass. 
  • Disney Annual Pass prices for children ( under 3) and adults are the same, as below. 
  • Annual Passes may be unavailable for purchase at any time. 

Are Disney Annual Passes Always Available?

No. Walt Disney World Passes are not always available. Disney World Tickets, however, are always available. 

Is Disney Park Hopper Ticket Included in a Disney Annual Pass?

Yes. Disney Park Hopper privileges are INCLUDED in a Disney World Annual Pass. While we don’t always think you need a Park Hopper Ticket, to make the most of your Disney Vacation, this privilege means that you can visit one park in the morning, and then after 2 p.m., you are allowed to visit another park. This “Park Hopping” is included in your Disney World annual pass. Just use your MagicBand, loaded with your Annual Pass, or WDW Annual Pass Card to scan in at each park. 

Is there a Disney Annual Pass for Families?

No. There is no Disney World Annual Pass for Families. Disney Annual Passes are available for all guests over the age of 3. If you have a child under 3, then you do not need a pass for that child. 

Is there a Disney Annual Pass for Kids?

No. While children can have a Disney Annual Pass, the cost is the same, regardless of whether or not the pass is being used by a child or an adult.

Can I Get into ESPN Wide World of Sports with a Disney World Annual Pass?

If you have an Annual Pass that includes the Water Park and Sports Option, then your Annual Pass will gain you entry into ESPN Wide World of Sports.  Note that not all events at ESPN are open to the public and may require additional tickets or reservations. 

Can I get into the Disney Water Parks with a Disney World Annual Pass?

If you have an Annual Pass that includes the Water Park and Sports Option, then your Annual Pass will gain you entry into the water parks. 

What Does the Disney World Annual Pass Plus Water Park and Sports Option Include?

For the duration of your Annual Pass, adding the Water Park and Sports Option costs $99 + tax and includes passholder admission to all 4 theme parks PLUS, the following experiences  (with no blockout dates):

  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park or Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, whichever is open.
  • Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
  • FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail
  • Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (one round prior to 4:00 PM)
  • Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (one round prior to 4:00 PM)
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

What Does a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Cost?

The Disney World Annual Pass Cost varies depending on a couple of factors. Some passes are only available to Florida Residents or Disney Vacation Club Members (DVC). Only one pass is available to Everyone Else. So, if you’re out of state there is only one Disney World Annual Pass for out-of-state passholders. If you’re a Florida Resident or a DVC member you have the option to take lower-priced passes with blockout days. Check out all the Disney World Annual Pass Options available on the Walt Disney World Website.  

Walt Disney World Annual Passes 2023 Prices

Pixie Dust Pass | Florida Residents ONLY

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass: $399 + tax
    • Admission to one or more Walt Disney World Resort theme parks on most weekdays during the year with an advance park reservation (reservations are limited and subject to availability)**
    • Blockout dates apply, including during peak and holiday periods—view blockout dates
    • Make and hold up to 3 theme park reservations at a time on a rolling basis. View current Annual Pass reservation availability
    • Passholders staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels are eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their Resort stay(s), in addition to holding 3 theme park reservations at a time
    • Standard theme park parking
    • Discounts on dining, merchandise and more*

Pirate Pass | Florida Residents ONLY

  • Disney Pirate Pass: $749 + tax 
    • Admission to one or more Walt Disney World Resort theme parks on most days of the year with an advance park reservation (reservations are limited and subject to availability)**
    • Blockout dates apply, including during peak and holiday periods—view blockout dates
    • Make and hold up to 4 theme park reservations at a time on a rolling basis. View current Annual Pass reservation availability
    • Passholders staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels are eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their Resort stay(s), in addition to holding 4 theme park reservations at a time
    • Standard theme park parking
    • Discounts on dining, merchandise and more*

Sorcerer Pass | DVC Members or Florida Residents ONLY

  • Disney Sorcerer Pass: $969 + tax
    • Admission to one or more Walt Disney World Resort theme parks on most days of the year with an advance theme park reservation (reservations are limited and subject to availability)**
    • Blockout dates apply, including select days during select holiday periods—view blockout dates
    • Make and hold up to 5 theme park reservations at a time on a rolling basis. View current Annual Pass reservation availability
    • Passholders staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels are eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their Resort stay(s), in addition to holding 5 theme park reservations at a time
    • Standard theme park parking
    • Discounts on dining, merchandise and more*

Incredi-Pass | All Other Guests

  • Disney Incredi-Pass: $1399 + tax
    • Admission to one or more Walt Disney World Resort theme parks during the year with an advance reservation (reservations are limited and are subject to availability)**
    • No blockout dates apply
    • Make and hold up to 5 theme park reservations at a time on a rolling basis. View current Annual Pass reservation availability
    • Passholders staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels are eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their Resort stay(s), in addition to holding 5 theme park reservations at a time
    • Standard theme park parking
    • Discounts on dining, merchandise and more*

And since Disney increases these prices often, always check the site to be sure of the current Disney Annual Pass price.

Annual Pass

What Does a Disney Annual  Pass Include?

The Disney Incredi-Pass, which is what any non-Florida family will need includes the following for ONE FULL YEAR. From the moment you activate it at the Guest Services Ticket Window at Disney here are the Perks of being a Disney Annual Passholder.

  • Admission to one or more Walt Disney World Resort theme parks during the year with an advance reservation (reservations are limited and are subject to availability)
  • Park Hopper Privileges across all 4 parks
  • Up to 5 Park Pass Reservations at a time (Through 2023. Park Pass Reservations are no longer required beginning Jan 9, 2024, for date-based tickets)
  • Up to 20% off at select dining locations
  • Up to 20% off select merchandise in-store or online at Shop Disney Parks
  • Standard theme park parking
  • 10% Disney Sports and Recreation
  • 15% off Tours
  • Annual Passholder Guidebook
  • Official Annual Passholder Magnet
  • Ability to purchase Annual Passholder Special Event Merchandise
  • Free Annual Passholder Keepsake Gifts at Epcot Festivals
  • MagicMobile Wallet Customizations
  • Magical Extras
  • 15% off Disney Annual Pass Renewal
We’ve only actually been Disney season pass holders for the last couple of years. And while being a Disney Annual Passholder has definitely changed the way we vacation, it’s also something that we question every time it comes time to renew.

Do Annual Passholders Need a Park Pass Reservation?

Yes. Annual Passholders do need a Park Pass Reservation. Starting in 2024, Annual Passholders and Cast Members will have special days they can visit called Good To Go Days. These Good to Go Days Will Not Require Park Pass Reservations. But, other days will. 

In 2024, we plan to offer select days on which our Annual Passholders* and Disney cast members may visit Walt Disney World theme parks without needing a park reservation. Once introduced, we will roll out these good-to-go days on an ongoing basis. This will be in addition to the recent update which offers Passholders the opportunity to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Good-to-go days may vary by park, and pass block out dates and capacity limitations continue to apply like they do today. Please stay tuned for more details on good-to-go days.

Other Disney Vacation Costs To Consider

Remember that an annual pass for Walt Disney World acts as a Disney World ticket for all four parks, AND gets you Free Theme Park Parking at those parks. That’s all. Needless to say, a Disney Vacation includes ADDITIONAL costs, even when you have an Annual Pass. You may still need the following. 
As Walt Disney World Annual Passholders who live in Ohio, there is a certain level of commitment involved to make the Disney Annual Pass worth it for us. We do try to visit the quarterly festivals at Epcot, and any new land opening, like Pandora, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. And we always make sure to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or the Disney After Hours events. But, surely, there will be some years where 5-7 trips to Disney are out of the question. As with any vacation we have to consider flight availability, flight cost, and if we can get time off of work. But this is just the tip of the iceberg! Think of everything else that may or may not work for your family. If you have kids in school, work, business travel, or a job that doesn’t compensate for vacation time consider if multiple trips to Disney World make sense. For us, the holidays are jam-packed and make another trip to Disney World during the busiest time of year difficult. 
 

When Does the Disney Annual Pass Make Sense?

WDW Passes can be a great investment in some cases. Whether you’re buying these for a family, or for just yourself, Walt Disney World is an expensive vacation to begin. That said if you’re someone who only gets 2 weeks of vacation a year off from your job, will you be spending all your vacation time at Disney? What about getting the kids out of school? Or perhaps you just visit for an extra long trip around the holidays. Before you start thinking about money and how much it’s going to cost your family to get a Disney Annual Pass for everyone, think first about the year ahead. How many times do you plan to visit Disney? Are you traveling during busy or expensive times? Or were you visiting in the lower-priced off-season? Were you hoping to take advantage of the free dining offers that are only available in the Magic Your Way packages? If so, you no longer get access to package offers, unless you buy them outright. Now, if you’re a Florida resident, keep in mind that there are special passes and prices just for you. So this number goes down considerably and if you’re planning on even taking a few trips throughout the year, you’re likely to break even cost-wise. Here are some things to consider before you buy one. 

  • How many times do you plan to visit Walt Disney World this year?
  • Is your time flexible? Can you take advantage of Passholder Previews for new rides and lands? 
  • Can you budget for additional Vacation Costs like transportation, lodging, and food?
  • Will you take advantage of Passholder Discounts for Special Events and Parties?
  • Do you plan to visit Walt Disney World during popular times of the year?

Can you Save Money with a Disney Annual Pass?

Keep in mind, that a Disney pass can save you money if you use it wisely. So, if you’re looking to save money buying a Disney annual pass, this is how you can make the most of it. 

What is the Break Even Point for a Disney Annual Pass?

So let’s start with the cost breakdown here since that’s usually one of the biggest factors in whether or not you will want to purchase a Walt Disney World annual pass. We’ve seen different figures from different sites, and especially now with tiered pricing in place, it can be slightly more difficult to calculate. Generally, you start by figuring out exactly how many days you’d need to spend in the Parks to break even. Keep in mind that the cost of Disney World Tickets varies between 109- 189 dollars for a 1-day ticket. And as the cost of tickets goes down the more tickets you purchase, 
so if you’re planning a longer trip, your vacation may actually be cheaper per person than a pass.
 
The break-even point for a Disney Annual Pass, at the highest level- the Disney Incredi-Pass, is a 10-day Disney vacation. Consider that for a second. If you and your family are planning More than One Trip to Walt Disney World, and the first trip will be about 10 days, then if you have the pass, your subsequent trips will be “free.” Alternatively, if you plan on taking 2 Disney trips this year, at 5 days each, you most likely won’t see your Annual Pass savings until your third trip of the year. 

When Does the Disney Annual Pass Not Make Sense?

One of the cons of a Disney Annual Pass is that when you’re using your annual pass in lieu of purchasing separate tickets, you will lose out on other specials that Walt Disney World offers like Disney free dining and Magic Your Way Packages. Sometimes the Magic Your Way Package could reap a deeper discounted vacation than having the pass, so these cons are worth looking at ahead of time. The same goes for Free Dining Offers. If you live for the free dining deals and depend on it to feed your family on vacation, a minimum 4-day ticket and 3 nights is required at a Disney resort to earn the dining promotion. That said, you would actually have to buy that 4 day/3 night package at the regular Magic Your Package prices in order to get the free dining. Having the pass, in this case, may be redundant.

There are also times when being a Disney Annual Passholder doesn’t make sense. And while MONEY is by far the biggest reason why it wouldn’t make sense, there are a couple of other things to consider. 
  • You don’t have a lot of vacation time
  • Your schedule isn’t flexible
  • You’re only visiting Disney World once or twice this year
  • You can’t or won’t take advantage of special events throughout the year

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Disney World Annual Pass Perks

Of all the Disney World Passholder Perks, the main things to know are here, and we talk more about them in our Perks of being a Disney Annual Passholder post.

  • Up to 20% off at select dining locations
  • Up to 20% off select merchandise in-store or online at Shop Disney Parks
  • Standard theme park parking
  • 10% Disney Sports and Recreation
  • 15% off Tours
  • 15% off Disney Annual Pass Renewal

Walt Disney World Resort Passholder Specials

One of the best parts of being an annual pass holder at Disney is that you do get access to discounts on Disney Resort rooms sometimes throughout the year. So,  if you were a family that was used to staying off-site because it was cheaper, you may actually find comparable rates on-site with the Passholder discount. Mind you, these aren’t dirt cheap rates and since these are sales, they run for a limited time and with some rules attached. But 25% off a room every now and then really helps. These discounts, however, are sporadic and shouldn’t really be configured in your cost analysis. Mainly because the discounts aren’t guaranteed, and could easily happen outside of your vacation dates.

Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Discounts and Perks

In addition to your “free” park admission, you also get 20% off select dining, 20% off most merchandise, and free parking. The annual pass also includes unlimited park hopping, so depending on how you vacation, this could be a great perk. To clarify, the built-in park hopping option just means you can visit more than one Disney park in one day. So if you’re a family with little ones, or the elderly you may be more inclined to pick and stick with one park a day, especially if you’re using the Disney buses or transportation option, which could eat up more time since you’d be waiting in line for these services. 

Annual Pass

How to Decide if a Disney Annual Pass is Right for your family?

Well, be honest with yourself here. Do you plan on taking several trips throughout the year to the happiest place on Earth, or would you rather take one nice long vacation? Are you hoping to make it to all of the special festivals and events or is one enough for you? Will your work and life situation even allow for this kind of frequent travel? Are you traveling to other places this year?

These are all things to consider when deciding whether or not to purchase a Walt Disney World annual pass. It can be an investment. Only taking a week-long trip won’t justify purchasing an annual pass. Especially if you’re buying for more than one person. One thing we have seen some families do is just purchase an annual pass for one person in their family, so they can take advantage of the discount perks without the extra cost of buying a pass for every person in their family. This may or may not be an option for you, but is definitely worth considering!

Disney World Annual Pass Review

We have found that having Disney Annual Passes has allowed us to take more frequent and less rushed trips.  We love that we can go to Walt Disney World whenever we can find a cheap flight. And that our current situation allows for travel that is only an hour and a half by plane. What are your thoughts? Do you think a Disney annual pass is good for families? Let us know, we’d love to hear what you think!

Considering the Disney Annual Pass for your family? Here's all the things to consider when deciding to get a Walt Disney World or Disneyland Annual Pass #disneyonabudget #disneyfamily #disneyannualpass


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3 thoughts on “Is a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Right For Your Family?”

  • Do not buy an Annual Pass during Covid. They limit you to three Park bookings . That’s it. It’s nearly impossible to make dining reservations to match up with your park selection. I have reservations on days that I can’t get into a park. You are more important to them if you buy a straight ticket, there you can book anything. I am an annual pass holder and a DVC member, and they don’t care. It’s crazy.