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.

 

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?

• 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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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. 

 

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

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.

• 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

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

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

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