Disney Annual Pass Benefits and Discounts for Passholders 2024

Disney Annual Pass Benefits and Discounts for Passholders 2024

If you’re wondering what are the Benefits of a Disney Annual Pass we’re here to break it down and clear things up! 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 before about the Disney Annual Pass Price, 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? All about the Disney Passholder Discounts of course! 

Walt Disney World Annual Passholder

Disney Annual Pass Cost

If you’re wondering about the Disney Annual Pass price know that people outside of Florida have one Disney Annual Pass option; the Incredi-Pass.  It’s also the most expensive. The Disney Annual Pass Florida Resident price, however, varies and typically goes up at least once a year.

Also to keep in mind, Walt Disney World Annual Passes are sometimes only available intermittently. As such, you can check the Disney Annual Passholder Page for details about current prices and levels. 

How much is the Disney Annual Pass?

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. 

Disney Annual Pass Types

The big difference when choosing the kind of Disney Annual Pass avaialble to you is your residencey. Note the stipulations of each in this quick look at Disney annual pass costs. The florida residents disney annual pass options also offer a monthly payment option. 

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass: $439 + tax Or, $22 per month with 12 monthly payments and 0% APR after $205 down payment on the Florida Resident Monthly Payment Program. Florida Residents Only
  • Disney Pirate Pass: $799 + tax Or, $54 per month with 12 monthly payments and 0% APR after $205 down payment with the Florida Resident Monthly Payment Program. Florida Residents Only
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass: $999 + tax Or, $72 per month with 12 monthly payments and 0% APR after $205 down payment with the Florida Resident Monthly Payment Program. Eligible Disney Vacation Club Members or Florida Residents only
  • Disney Incredi-Pass: $1449 + tax Or, $112 per month with 12 monthly payments and 0% APR after $205 down payment on the Florida Resident Monthly Payment Program³ All Guests

Disney Annual Passholder Park Reservation Requirements 2024

If you’re a Disney Annual Passholder, then even after the park pass reservations are lifted for resort vacationers on January 9, 2024, you will still need a Park Pass Reservation to enter any Disney Theme Park. As such, Disney has rolled out Good to Go Days, when Disney Season Passholders may enter the theme parks in 2024 without needing a park pass reservation. Though Blockout dates will continue to apply like they do today. The theme park reservation calendar, Annual Passholder admissions calendar and My Disney Experience app will show days that are good-to-go. The first Disney Annual Passholder Good to Go Days will be released on January 11, 2024 and then added periodically and may be released days or weeks in advance.

Disney Annual Pass 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.  

    • 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)
    • Blockout Dates are dependent on the TYPE of pass you have. 
    • Number of  theme park reservations are dependent on the TYPE of pass you have. Specifying the number of reservations you can hold 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*
    • Ability to purchase Annual Passholder Special Event Merchandise
    • Free Annual Passholder Keepsake Gifts at Epcot Festivals
    • MagicMobile Wallet Customizations
    • Magical Extras
    • Special Event Discounts. 

Annual Pass Program at Walt Disney World

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!

Werthers Store in EPCOT Germany

Disney Passholder Discount | 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. 

Disney Passholder Discount | 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. And such a perk when you’re up against expensive Disney’s Parking Fees.

Disney Passholder Discount |  15% Off 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. 

wild africa trek dining lunch

Disney Passholder Discount | 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.

Disney annual passholder slider for magic band

disney passholder magnet

Disney 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 Disney 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.

Disney Annual Passholder Special Merchandise

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. 

Disney Annual Passholder special event gifts

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!

What do you get as a Disney World Annual Passholder Perks of Membership

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 a Good Idea? 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. 

disney world annual pass

What are the Walt Disney World Passholder Perks for 2024?

In addition to ALL THE THINGS above, we can probably expect a few things available to pass holders. There will “probably” be soft openings and early access to Disney annual pass holders for the following. 

  • Ride Preview for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Also check the Disney Annual Passholder Discounts for Special Events to see  everything else that your pass cna get you. 

What is the BEST Time to Get a Walt Disney World Annual Pass?

This really depends on when you plan to visit Walt Disney World. For instance, if you’re hoping to make the most of your pass and know you always take an annual family fall trip, and sometimes you try to go to the Epcot festivals then we’d recommend a late September to late September time period. This would allow you to take an October trip, visit the festivals throughout the year, and then one more fall trip in September before your year pass runs out. That way, you’re technically getting two annual trips in one pass. 

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.  If you got questions, let us know. 

 

The Walt Disney Annual Pass is going up! Is 2019 a good year to become a Disney AP? Here's everything you need to know about the perks and benefits of being a Disney annual passholder. #polkadotpixies #disneyannualpass #disneyap #wdwap

Co-Founder and Director at Polka Dot Pixie Co LLC | Website | + posts

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.


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6 thoughts on “Disney Annual Pass Benefits and Discounts for Passholders 2024”

  • 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!:)