LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL — If you and your family are frequent visitors of Walt Disney World in Orlando, you may have been paying close attention to some of the big changes happening there. The company has been unveiling loads of new attractions and services across the Walt Disney World property. Just in time for the resort's 50th anniversary.
Among the largest changes is the way the company has re-structured it's annual pass system. That's right, gone are the days of the old system. Starting now, the Company's new Annual Passes are taking over.
The big question on everyone's mind is the cost. So, here's a breakdown of all of the new tiers of Walt Disney World's Annual Passes.
Tier | Cost | Designated For |
Incredi-Pass | $1299 | Out of state guests and Florida residents |
Sorcerer Pass | $899 | Disney Vacation Club members and Florida residents |
Pirate Pass | $699 | Florida residents only |
Pixie Dust Pass | $399 | Florida residents only |
Along with park access, these passes come with varying levels of perks and discounts that you can use when you visit Walt Disney World.
Let's ease some concerns quickly, these new passes will act the same as the previous system. You can visit Disney's theme parks in Orlando as many times as you want, but depending on the tier of passes you get, there are a limited number of days available for you to go to the parks on.
For instance, the Incredi-Pass is going to have virtually zero blockout dates. There will be times that parks run out of reservations, so you might not be able to go to the park you want on the exact day you want to visit (Remember the parks are no longer first-come-first-serve. You must book a spot in advance.) But you have almost 365 days to choose from to go with that top-tier pass.
However, if you opt for the Pixie Dust Pass, you have a lot less availability. With the Pixie Dust Pass, weekends and holidays are off limits, but most weekdays are available to visit as much as you want. So that tier will be best for people living close to the Orlando area.
The other two tiers, Pirate and Sorcerer have much less blockout dates, you'll want to head to Disney's website to see which pass and dates work best for you.
Now those prices may feel daunting and paying all of that up front can be a big commitment that people may not be ready for. The good news is that Florida residents have the option to pay for their passes in a series of monthly payments.
Here's how that works. First you pick which pass works best for you, based on the information above. Then, you opt for the monthly payment system.
You'll need to pay an initial payment of $205, then based on the pass you select, you would begin paying for the rest of the pass in monthly payments of a certain amount. Here's a breakdown of those amounts:
Pass Tier | Payment Breakdown |
Incredi-Pass | $205 down, then $98.21/month |
Sorcerer Pass | $205 down, then $62.71/month |
Pirate Pass | $205 down, then $44.96/month |
Pixie Dust Pass | $205 down, then $18.33/month |
Now remember, you pay for what you get. More availability and better perks means a higher price tag. 18 dollars a month may sound great, but it might not be able to visit as much as you want since that pass has essentially no weekend availability.
Ultimately it comes down to what works for you.
Here's a link to Disney's website more information: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passholder-program/benefits-of-becoming-a-passholder/