(Article last updated: March 26, 2019)
When you hear people mention buying a Disney World Annual Pass, you might think "I'm not going more than once this year - why would I need that?"
And it's true that financially it makes sense for anybody going more than 10 days or for people planning more than 1 trip in a 12 month period, but it also often makes sense for people going for shorter stays.
Here's why...
The discounts and perks that come with having an Annual Pass often make it worth the upgrade, especially when you consider that only 1 person in your family needs to have one to take advantage of the discounts.
Let's look at the numbers...
In this article
What exactly is a Disney World Annual Pass?
Annual Pass is the general term for Disney World tickets that last for 366 days versus those that last for a certain number of gate entrances or entitlements. There are actually several different types of Annual Passes available and they all have slightly different perks, benefits, and prices.
What does a Disney World Annual Pass cost?
There's no getting around it: an Annual Pass isn't cheap. If you live in Florida or if you are a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member, you are eligible for some discounts. Aside from upgrading a discounted ticket, you really can't save a lot of money purchasing an Annual Pass, but many people find that the additional perks and benefits associated with their Annual Pass offset the cost.
Here are the levels, prices, and benefits for each type of Annual Pass:
How do you purchase an Annual Pass?
Like with any ticket, it is recommended that you purchase your Disney World Annual Pass at least 30 days in advance (if you are staying offsite) or 60 days in advance (if you are staying on-property) so that you can book your FastPass+ reservations.
There are several ways you can purchase it:
- in person at any Guest Relations or ticket location at Walt Disney World (note: you receive an activated Annual Pass instead of a voucher if purchased this way)
- online through the Disney website
- by calling Disney at (407) 939-7679
What is an Annual Pass voucher & where do I exchange it?
If you purchase your Annual Pass via any method other than in-person on Disney property, you will receive a voucher that you must redeem once you arrive.
You can link your voucher to your My Disney Experience account (the same way you can a ticket) so that you can make FastPass+ reservations. While it can be a hassle to redeem the voucher when you arrive, your ticket start date doesn't begin until you physically hand over the voucher and pick up your pass.
You can exchange your voucher at any Guest Relations or ticket location at Walt Disney World. This includes the Guest Relations windows at Disney Springs. Note: don't forget to take your photo ID with you when you redeem your voucher or purchase your Annual Pass.
You can not, however, exchange your voucher at your resort. This is important to note because if you book using an Annual Pass resort discount you may be asked to present your Annual Pass at check in, which means you'll need to exchange your voucher before you can do that.
Note: there are reports of Cast Members not asking to see the Annual Pass at check-in but Disney does state that you must present it so it is better to be prepared.
What about upgrading?
Upgrading a current Magic Your Way ticket is another option for getting an Annual Pass.
When you upgrade a ticket you receive credit for the full original purchase price, even if you've used part of the ticket. This means even if you don't decide until halfway through your trip that you want to upgrade you can still do that and not lose any of the value of what you already spent on your original ticket.
There are some quirks to be aware of, though:
- If your original ticket is a Park Hopper Plus (formerly known as a "Magic Your Way with Park Hopper Plus - that's the ticket that lets you park hop plus gives you entry into the Disney Water Parks) and if you have used any of the entries into the water parks (either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon) you can then ONLY upgrade your ticket to a Platinum Plus Annual Pass. If you haven't used any of the entitlements for the water parks, you can upgrade to either the cheaper Platinum or the more expensive Platinum Plus.
- When you upgrade, the start date for your Annual Pass will be the first day you used your original ticket and NOT the day you upgraded.
What are the perks and benefits to Disney World Annual Passes?
Free on-site parking at the parks
Guests staying on-site also get free parking at the parks, but this allows Annual Passholders to park for free even if they're staying off-site. Savings: $25/day.
V.I.PASSHOLDER Support
Disney World Annual Passholders have access to dedicated support services. Annual Passholders can get help by calling (407)WDW-PASS, sending an email through the Annual Passholder Help Form, or by visiting the passholder benefit site.
Free PhotoPass Downloads
Annual Passholders receive downloads of their PhotoPass photos and videos at no extra charge which means you don't need to purchase Memory Maker (note: some Florida Resident annual passes do not include this benefit). This includes photos and videos of anyone that is linked as Friends and Family with the passholder in the My Disney Experience app. Savings: $169-199/trip.
Hotel discounts
Usually, about 2-4 months in advance, AP resort discounts are announced for up to 30% off on resort rooms.
You can always find the current AP resort discounts as well as information on what discounts were offered in the past on our guide to Disney World discounts.
Tip: if you hear of a new AP resort discount that you want to take advantage of, go ahead and book your reservation even if you don't have an Annual Pass. As long as you have one at check-in, you can use the discount.
Food discounts
For $150/year, if you have a Disney World Annual Pass you can join the Tables in Wonderland program which gives 20% off on food and beverages - including alcohol at many WDW dining locations, plus valet parking (which normally costs $33/day) is included.
The best part? Only 1 membership is needed for each group.
The Disney-owned restaurants onsite also frequently offer an Annual Pass discount on dining that ranges from 10-20% off. The restaurant list (as well as the meals offering discounts) can change, so be sure to double check when dining whether or not a discount is offered. It never hurts to ask!
Merchandise discounts
The standard discount for Annual Passholders is 10% off Disney merchandise; however, sometimes Disney will run a promotion which allows you to save up to 20% off of your eligible purchases.
Other discounts
Annual Passholders also have access to discounts on everything from movies at the AMC in Disney Springs to a round of golf to spa treatments.
These are just a few examples of the discounts that have been offered in the past so be sure to review your Annual Passholders benefit information to see what is currently being offered during your trip:
- Sports & Recreation - discounts on things like golf, motorized boat rentals, bowling at Splitsville, bike rentals and miniature golf
- Tours - 15% off tours is the normal discount. Some of the tours discounted are: Disney's Family Magic Tour (Magic Kingdom), Keys to the Kingdom (Magic Kingdom), Backstage Magic (Epcot), Wild Africa Trek (Animal Kingdom) plus many others.
- Discounted party tickets - Passholders are often eligible for discounts on tickets for select nights of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
- Spa treatments - several of the spas at the resorts offer 15% off their services to Annual Passholders
So when does it make sense to buy an Annual Pass?
By the time you do the math, it might make sense for you to upgrade 1 ticket in your group to one of the Disney World annual passes (especially with hotels - the price to upgrade can pay for itself in just a couple of nights at a Deluxe hotel).
Going by ticket prices alone - and not taking into account any of the other discounts - you can see the points where people break even or start to save money by purchasing an Annual Pass:
But if you plan to access any of the other discounts (especially resort discounts), your savings might outweigh the cost of the Annual Pass much faster.
Lots of people focus on the Free Dining promotion but it's important to keep all options open when booking your trip. So the next time you hear about a new AP discount code that's been released, pay attention. It might work out to be your best option.
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Thinking about checking out Disney World annual passes to save money? Tell us about it in the comments..
68 Comments
If I have a 8 day park hopper plus ticket and I wanted to upgrade my ticket which was included with a free dining package for 4 people, and I did not use any of my tickets, and I’m out of state resident… Could I purchase the annual pass that does not include water parks and still on this trip keep my plus tickets for the 8 days? So my current trip August 2019-September 2019 would have those plus tickets and then after this trip ends my AP moving forward just gets me into the parks except water parks… is this possible?
Do you have any content or recommendations for when it makes more sense for a couple to both purchase annual passes? Im assuming its only when there is going to be more park visits throughout the year than the cost of the annual pass?
Hey, I had a question about the passes. I am going to be in Florida for a few months for work and I’m wondering if the pass is worth it or if I should just buy individual days. I wouldn’t go for more then one or two days at a time and I’m not sure if id go more then 4 or 5 days
You would most likely benefit from the AP 🙂
The problem is with the new ticket pricing that the prices fluctuate daily so I can only give you estimates. Since this was written in March, I assume that the month you are in Florida would be June or July? So these numbers are based on kind of an average price of the summer months.
If you buy two 2 day park hoppers throughout the month (4 days total) then just one 1 day Magic Your Way (1 park that day, no hopper) it would cost you approximate $300 for a 2 day Park Hopper (x 2 is $600) and approximately $125 for a 1 day Magic Your Way ticket. So you are looking at approximately $725 (plus tax so maybe closer to $770) for 5 days total if you spread out throughout the month. You also would need to pay $25 a day for parking if you are not staying on site so that is another $125 to bring your total to $895.
The Platinum Pass is $952 and change (including tax) so for an extra $60 you would get the Memory Maker included for all your trips and you can go as many times as you want. You would also be able to park hop on every visit instead of having to stay at one park for the last visit. Your parking fees would be included and you would get 10%-20% off select dining and merchandise.
Personally, I think the AP is more than worth it in your case. And if you happen to come back any time in the 366 days prior to your pass expiring then you are all set to go as much as you want!
Hi Shannon,
I am from Australia and have listened to hours and hours of your podcasts. Thank you so much for all your information.
I am currently planning a Disney/Universal 16 day trip in early October this year for our family of 6. Our 4 kids are aged 10-16 so are all adults in Disney’s/Universal’s eyes…
We cannot afford to stay onsite and the offsite options of kids having a room each is preferable. We are thinking about purchasing a 6 or 7 day ticket. If I buy an annual pass just for myself and link my family in the MDE app, will they be allowed to have their photo taken and will it be sent to me or will they only allow photos to be taken of me?
Roughly, what percentage of Disney food outlets give an AP holder a discount. We will mostly use quick service. Does quick service offer a discount to AP holders?
Thanks for any help
I took an extended family trip with 11 people. Though I am not an AP, I did purchase Memory Maker. As long as we were linked on MDE, I received all the pictures. My 25 year old brother went off to ride coasters on his own at one point and he stopped at every single photopass photographer he saw. At the end of the day I found like 30 pictures of him on my account, lol.
I am going to Disney World April 19-24 and June 5-11. I have already purchased my tickets and added on the memory maker and park hopper option. I am staying on grounds both times. My June trip I got the “Sun & Fun” discount for my room. Should I upgrade my tickets to an annual pass and if I do that will it not let me get the discount for my room in June anymore?
Im looking to buy an Ap this year. We are staying offsite. Has anyone used their discounts to pay for their families entire meals with the AP? We have a small child and opted out of the meal plan.
Yes, you can definitely do that. As long as the person paying is also the same person with the AP.
If a family of 15 travel to Disney together (4 separate reservations) and are linked on My Disney Experience will everyone get the benefits of AP if only one of the four families get the AP? If I get the AP will I have to pay for everything for everyone to get the discount?
Yes Annual passholder will have to pay for the items or meals to get discounts and all people in the party will be able to use photo pass
I read that resorts are charging for parking now. Does the AP give you free resort parking in addition to free parking at parks?
No
Since the answer is no, you don’t get free parking at the resorts, could you just park your car at the parks instead for the time you are staying there? Or do the parking lots close each night?
You can’t park your cars at the parks overnight. You car will be towed.
We are heading to Disney in August with a 21 day Ultimate UK ticket (hopper, stare park etc). We are then heading back at Christmas. Just wondering if you think it would be worth us upgrading to an annual pass in August instead of buying tickets separately for Christmas (I’m tempted as it would make squeezing an extra holiday in next Easter quite appealing!)
Also, if we do upgrade, would it affect out fast passes etc that would be linked to our ultimate tickets?
Thank you!
How does this work if my family of 4 is going to book a package online? I’m the only one with an AP. How do I make sure I’m on the reservation and included in the meal plan and hotel room?
Will all this still work if the child (7 years old) is the one who holds the annual pass? It seems like that would be the way to do it since the child annual pass is cheaper than the adult annual pass.
Unfortunately, Annual Passes are the same price for everybody age 3+.
If I book a room with the AP discount that only one person in my party has, can all other members of my party get Magic Your Way Multi-day tickets as a package? I am curious if the non-APs can get free mini-golf. Also with the Disney Chase Visa credit card you can get “0% for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages.” Can an AP make room only bookings or can an AP also book ticket + room packages while retaining the AP room discount?