Walt Disney World annual passholders have had a rough couple of years. From annual passes only being made available for purchase sporadically following reopening to minimal reservation ability at the theme parks, many have voiced concerns over the last three years about the value that they are getting for the price that they pay for their passes.
And while there are some good changes happening for annual passholders, there’s one big change that took effect this week that we have to address first.
1. Walt Disney World annual pass prices soar to new heights
Walt Disney World has raised prices on annual passes yet again, with their highest tier of pass now costing an eye-watering $1449. Here’s the full breakdown by tier:
- Pixie Dust Pass $439, previously $399
- Pirate Pass $799, previously $749
- Sorcerer Pass $999, previously $969
- Incredi-Pass $1449, previously $1399
2. Reservations will still be required in 2024, but there will be several “good to go” days where reservations won’t be necessary
When Walt Disney World made the announcement this year that the resort was getting rid of theme park reservations, unfortunately, they didn’t include annual passholders. As of now, annual passholders will still need to make reservations to visit theme parks, and on busy days, certain parks may be unavailable.
However, in an effort to make the reservation system a little less complex, Disney has announced that starting in January 2024, special “good to go” days will be added to allow passholders to make an unplanned visit to a Disney World theme park without a prior reservation. It is unknown exactly how many of these days will be added to the calendar, but hopefully they will give annual passholders a little bit more flexibility when it comes to using their pass.
3. All-day park hopping returns
Though annual passholders will need reservations, Disney has announced that starting January 9, 2024, passholders will be able to hop between parks at any time during operational hours, instead of having to wait until after 2 p.m.
In theory this could be used to get around the reservation issue, as passholders who may not be able to reserve a spot at the Magic Kingdom could just reserve a day at EPCOT, scan their annual pass, and then immediately board the monorail to go to the Magic Kingdom. Though it adds an extra step, it will at least give passholders unable to secure a reservation a way to still get to their chosen park.
4. Additional bonus reservation days continue to pop up this fall
Earlier this month Disney announced several bonus days for annual passholders looking to visit the theme parks during the first two weeks of the month without needing a reservation. And now it looks like the trend is continuing, as the following mid-month bonus days have just been added:
- October 14 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- October 12, 15 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- October 17 – Magic Kingdom
It is unknown if Disney will continue offering this perk throughout the month, but guests who have trips in the future tying up their reservation allotment would be wise to keep checking their My Disney Experience app in the coming weeks to see if more bonus days will be added.
