The Perks of being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder may seem elusive. Sure you get in the parks for one full year with a pass-holder ticket, but is it worth the cost? Are the other perks really that great? We’ve chatted about the cost of a Disney Annual Pass, the Annual Passholder Platinum Pass, and talked about why it’s not really about the money and more about how you like to vacation. But what else do you need to know?
Contents
- 1 Walt Disney World Passholder Cost
- 2 Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Perks
- 3 The Benefits of Being a Disney World Annual Passholder
- 4 Is the Disney Annual Pass Right For You and Your Family?
- 5 Should You Get a Disney Annual Pass for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World?
- 6 What are the Walt Disney World Passholder Perks for 2022 and 2023?
- 7 What is the BEST Time to Get a Walt Disney World Annual Pass?
Walt Disney World Passholder Cost
Walt Disney World Annual Passes are available intermittently, and costs change constantly. As such, you can check the Disney Annual Passholder Page for details about current prices and levels.
Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Perks
For the purpose of this post, and since we’re not Florida residents, to be completely clear here, we’re talking about the Disney Incredi-Pass. Check out Disney’s Pass Holder levels and pricing here. We’ve reconsidered the need to get the pass every year so far. Of course, since we’re currently running a vacation blog focused on Disney, we see it as necessary. But we still question it every time. Why? Well, it’s expensive as heck. We live in Ohio, meaning we place a lot of hope on cheap flights. And we both have jobs that like it when we show up. Chances are these would be real concerns for you too. Let us break down what you “really” get as a Disney Annual Pass holder.
The Disney Incredi-Pass includes the following for ONE FULL YEAR. From the moment you activate it at the Guest Services Ticket Window at Disney here’s what you get.
- Admission to all 4 theme parks
- Park Hopper Privileges
- No Blockout Dates
- Up to 5 Park Pass Reservations at a time
- 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
- The Mickey Monitor Annual Passholder Quarterly Newsletter
- Ability to purchase Annual Passholder Special Event Merchandise
- Free Annual Passholder Keepsake Gifts at Epcot Festivals
- MagicMobile Wallet Customizations
The Benefits of Being a Disney World Annual Passholder
Admission to all 4 Disney theme parks
Admission to all four theme parks with the Incredi-Pass has no blackout dates. Let us repeat that. No Blackout Dates. This is a huge perk and one to consider if you find you will be visiting Walt Disney World during busy times. You will have access to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot 365 days in your membership year.
Note: The Disney Incredi-Pass does not include the water parks; Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. Both Water Parks and Photo Pass are not included but are available as add-ons for an extra $99 dollars each.
Disney World Annual Passholder Perks Park Hopper Privileges
We started visiting Walt Disney World annually in 2013. We didn’t get annual passes until 2017. And until then we went a solid 4 years, on multiple visits, WITHOUT a park hopper. So, having park hopper privileges may or may not be a big deal for you. We’ve written about why you may or may not need a park hopper at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
So what’s the big deal? With Park Hopper Privileges, you can visit multiple parks in one day, or all four parks if it so strikes your fancy. This is great if you’ve got big plans for a whirlwind ride-all-the-things vacation, or want to visit Epcot for a festival, but need to be back at Magic Kingdom for a fireworks dessert party.
We have to admit, having the park hopper as part of our Disney Platinum Pass means that we can be extra lazy with our planning. Instead of committing to just one park per day, we can plan our fast passes in one, and dine in another. Or if we find a park particularly crowded we can leave and go to another. We also love this perk when we’re staying on the Boardwalk. Since the Boardwalk connects Epcot and Hollywood Studios by a walking path we often just go between them in a single day via the walking path. So convenient!
Up to 20% off at select dining locations
Disney has a full lineup of restaurants in the Disney Parks, Resorts, and Disney Springs that take the Disney Annual Passholder discount. Most restaurants offer a 10% discount, but some places, like the Werthers shop Karamell-Kuche, go all the way up to 20%. So there are always opportunities to save. If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time you know we adore food. Finding amazing meals and snacks is truly our favorite part of any vacation, so this perk is a big one for us. Sure 10% here and there isn’t a lot, but when you’re staring at the dining bill well over 100 dollars, you’ll be glad you have the perk.
Up to 20% off select merchandise in-store or online at Shop Disney Parks
Yes, folks, this does include 20% off Dooney and Bourke Disney bags. Believe us, this was the biggest shock! Many gift shops are included and you can also get discounts on Alex and Ani jewelry as well. Many retailers in Disney Springs are also included. In fact, the merchandise discounts are a big reason that many get the annual pass. We’ve even heard of families buying just one pass for the whole family so they could get the discount on merchandise, dining, parking, and more.
FREE Standard theme park Parking
As Disney’s parking rules change, we’re glad to say they still offer Complimentary Standard Theme Park Parking. This is a $25 savings for parking at any of the theme parks. For a full list of parking charges, check out Disney’s Parking Fees.
Disney Sports and Recreation Discounts
If you’ve ever visited the moderate resorts or the boardwalk, chances are you’ve seen the fun surrey bikes available for rent. As a Disney Annual Passholder, you get a discount on those! Or what about the Fantasia Gardens miniature golf? Yep, you get a discount on that too. Boat and bike rentals and spa services are all included discounts at 15% off, but there are actually quite a lot of things you can get the discount on. See the full list of discounted offerings.
Up to 15% Off Tours
We cannot rave enough about how amazing the Walt Disney World Tours are. Our very first tour was Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom, and it remains our absolute favorite experience for families. What a way to upgrade your vacation! A Disney Annual Pass can help curb some of those higher prices for those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Another reason why if you’re being strategic and planning on only having an Annual Pass for one year to build in the experiences that cost a little more during your Disney AP year.
Opportunities to attend Annual Passholder Only Events
Every once in a while Disney will announce a Disney Annual Passholder VIP event. These could include being able to attend the opening of new land ( Like Pandora or Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge), special shopping events at Disney Springs, and AP-only magic hours events. For instance, Disney Annual Passholders may be able to register for a VIP experience of early hours at the parks. Or a special tasting at a festival. We were lucky enough to get access to the soft opening of Pandora before it was officially open our first year of having the pass. And let us just say that walking around Pandora with about only 100 other people for a whole evening was super magical! It is true that sometimes not all pass holders get included or invited, but it’s a nice perk when it comes around.
Annual Passholder Guidebook
When you finally become a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder you receive your very own Guidebook to discounts and cards. This may not seem like a huge deal but it’s a great little book to keep with you during your year. It will share which places have discounts and any weird rules that may apply to your new AP status.
Official Annual Passholder Magnet
The Disney AP logo is known far and wide. For this reason, when you get the magnet… be wary of putting it on your car. It may actually be meant for your car, but last we heard these sometimes get stolen off people’s cars. That said, our variety of AP magnets are usually home safe on the refrigerator. Your call. But getting the magnet is pretty cool.
The Mickey Monitor Annual Passholder Quarterly Newsletter
This little quarterly newsletter was a complete surprise to us after we became Disney Annual Passholders. The Mickey Monitor includes information on upcoming events. You get a mini-calendar covering the next few months and sneak peeks at new festival offerings. Plus, merchandise previews and other AP-only information. We love being able to look forward to something fun arriving in the mail and it’s an excellent tool to help planning upcoming Disney trips. Check out previous versions of the Disney Annual Passholder Mickey Monitor Publication on the website.
Disney World Annual Passholder Perks Special Event Merchandise
One of the BEST Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Perks is being able to buy special stuff. Remember that cool kids’ table at school? Well, if you’re a Disney Annual Passholder getting access to special AP merch will get you a seat at that table. Yes…yes it will. Most Special Event merchandise for Disney Passholders is behind the counter at the gift shops and you have to ask to see it up close or purchase it. AP exclusive merchandise tends to be guarded like the crown jewels. This specialty merchandise is a great way to commemorate your Disney AP year. Or just to help you feel extra special all the time. You do have to show your credentials as an annual pass holder to get this merchandise.
Free Annual Passholder Keepsake Gifts at Epcot Festivals
One of our favorite annual pass holder perks is the slew of FREE STUFF you get just for being a pass holder. This is especially evident during Epcot Festivals. There are special magnets commemorating Flower and Garden, Food and Wine, The Arts Festival, and Festival of Holidays. You simply have to show your pass and are handed your commemorative AP magnet. This past year’s Food and Wine Festival also had a special gift. A small wooden cutting board for any AP who visited Epcot 4 times. This free gift totally gave us a reason to show up at Epcot more often. Though we would have been going at least that much anyway!
Is the Disney Annual Pass Right For You and Your Family?
Now that you’ve heard all the Perks of a Being a Disney Annual Passholder, what do you think? Is a Disney Annual Pass Right For Your Family? For those of you ready to vacation at Disney more often, plan on taking longer vacations and like the flexibility of hopping over to Disney on an impromptu trip, the Annual Pass is perfect. For those of you who struggle to get time off work, can’t pull the kids out of school, or are only taking one trip to Disney for the year, then the Disney Annual Pass may not be for you. In fact, you’ll be trying to fit Disney trips in where they don’t work because you don’t want to waste the money spent on the pass.
Make this easy on yourself. Plan things out ahead of time. If you look at your travel year and plan to visit multiple times then maybe it’s the right time to buy. Pass prices will continue to go up, so locking in lower pricing is always a good idea.
Should You Get a Disney Annual Pass for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World?
Since Disney World’s 50th Anniversary happens in 2021- and will continue a good part into 2022, it’s important to consider how often you may vacation through this time. We can guarantee there may be special annual passholder merchandise available for The Most Magical Celebration on Earth, but the current COVID pandemic may prevent you from traveling as often as you like.
What are the Walt Disney World Passholder Perks for 2022 and 2023?
Right now we can probably expect a few things available to pass holders, in addition to all the perks mentioned above. There will “probably” be soft openings and early access to Disney annual pass holders for the following.
- Tron Passholder Preview
- Guardians of the Galaxy Passholder Preview
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Passholder Preview
- Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Early Booking
- Specialty Passholder Merchandise for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary
- An EPCOT preview post-construction. Though this may not happen until 2022, we do expect they will make a big deal out of the new neighborhood layout.
What is the BEST Time to Get a Walt Disney World Annual Pass?
For our money, we’re banking on an October 2021- October 2022 Annual Passholder year giving you the most bang for your buck. Mainly because you get two-anniversary celebrations and tons of new openings throughout this time period. Here are all the things you could look forward to if you chose to time your Disney Annual Pass for Oct 2021-2022.
- Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary is October 1, 2021, and celebrations run between approx Aug 2021- Nov 2022.
- EPCOT’s 40th Anniversary is October 1, 2022, and celebrations run between Aug 2022- mid-2023.
- Major rides will be completed and opening during this time including Tron Lightcycle Run, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Rollercoaster.
- Epcot’s Transformation is set to be completed by the 40th anniversary
- Galactic Starcruiser, the Star Wars Hotel, will be completed.
Read More about being a Disney Annual Passholder
Hopefully, this post has given you a good idea of everything you’re paying for as a Disney Annual Passholder! While the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Perks may seem light for the over 1300 dollar cost of the pass, it really is all about HOW you plan to vacation. Multiple visits in a year can easily warrant a pass. But if you’re just looking to go 1 or 2 times, maybe re-do your math. We found that having a Disney Annual Pass changed the way we vacationed more than it did the experience of the parks. Check out our other posts below. If you got questions, let us know.
- How Our Disney Vacations Changed as an Annual Passholder
- Is a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Right For Your Family?
- Perks of Being a Disney World Annual Passholder
I was told that only one person in a group needes an annual pass. What perks does the whole group get. Certainly not the admission to all 4 parks. Thanks, Pam
Hi Pam. 1 annual pass equals admission to all four parks for 1 person only. Sometimes if a family wants to get the perks of resort discounts, free parking, restaurant discounts, i.e. all the perks stated in this post, they may buy one pass. But it will not allow admission to all the parks for anyone other than the person who bought the pass. Annual Passes are not meant for groups, so if park admission is needed, then every single member of the family or group will need to have their own pass in order to get access to all four parks. Hope that helps!
We’ve just moved to Kissimmee , we close tomorrow on our house.
Then we get our FL license, then our AP.
We have had trouble parking at resorts to eat and explore. (unless a reservation was needed) We are trying to see what the resorts have to offer and get some good food and shopping.
Our last visit we were told we were not allowed to park at the resorts, but had to park at a park (pay 25 parking, then walk)
Though the website says we’re allowed 2 to 3 hour parking.
I called Disney after guard refused us entry. (1st time a Disney cast member was not polite)
So I got a call back from Disney Staffer in charge of people with disabilities complaints. He too said we’d have to park. Only for guests and those with reservations.
Do you know about this new policy?
How does an AP change this, if it does?
Thanks, Ray Ivey
Hey Ray! I’ve actually never heard of that policy and we have many time parked at resorts just to grab food, check out their gift shops, etc. I will say I’ve noticed they are much more strict at the deluxe resorts about this policy, probably because they don’t want people getting free parking to get into the Parks and leaving their car there all day. We’ve never been refused entry to park, but we have had to have proof of a dining reservation and have been given a hard time. That being said, if you read through previous commenters on other posts(specifically our post about parking), they’ve also parked at resorts for free as well. We will have to look into this because if it’s new we will have to make sure we update our information.
Congrats on your move, hope you love Kissimmee!
Annual pass? Expensive? Hell yes! worth every cent ? Hell yes. We have been going to WDW almost every year since before I retired. we usually stay at Fort Wilderness in a motorhome. This year we will be snow birds for the first time. ( We stay at a near by RV resort for 3 months for what one would cost at Fort Wilderness.)
We have had annual passes for three years now This winter we can just show up watch the fireworks then go home. Or have a nice dinner or ride Soaring and go home. You get the idea. Hell just what we save on parking will pay for the pass.
Yeah those parking fees can kill ya! The Annual Pass debate is so complicated but heck if you’re visiting often it just pays off. Thanks so much for chiming in! And how nice that you’ll be wintering in Florida. We’re going to have our first RV experience at Fort Wilderness next year and cannot wait to see how it goes. Congrats on your new Snow Bird Status!:)