2025-2026 Annual Pass Price Increases at Disney World
Walt Disney World has raised prices for Annual Passes by as much as $80 as of October 8, 2025, continuing the company’s tradition of increases at the start of the new fiscal year. This post offers details and our commentary about all of these changes, the amount of cost jumps for each tier, motivations, and more.
This is the first notable price increase of the year on admission at Walt Disney World. They normally happen in early February or mid-October, so it’s not particularly surprising that one happened. In fact, we covered this two weeks ago in Act Fast to Beat Price Increases at Walt Disney World & Disneyland for 2025-2026.
That article specifically predicted the following: “In all likelihood, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will raise rates on or around October 8, 2025.” As it turns out, this was accurate down to the day. For those wondering what my sources (Madame Leota) are saying about next year’s increase, pencil in October 7, 2026 on your calendar as the most likely date for the next price increase.
In any case, this is the first price increase on park admission since last October, which has been the trend for the last few years. It’s not always the case that prices “only” go up once per year. During the height of inflation and the Chapek era, Walt Disney World actually did two major price increases in 2022.
It may be hard to believe, but 2022 was actually the last huge across-the-board price increase at Walt Disney World. Everything since has been much more pedestrian, and closer to in line with inflation. Certain prices have gone up more and new revenue streams have been added (Lightning Lane Premier Pass), but not to the degree that everything did in 2021-2022. Revenge travel was a rough run. Nevertheless, we’ve been advising readers to purchase tickets in advance to lock-in current prices in our Discount Walt Disney World Ticket Buying Guide.
Here’s a look at before and after prices on Walt Disney World Annual Passes…
Against that backdrop, here are the new prices for each tier of Walt Disney World Annual Pass from late 2025 through late 2026:
- Incredi-Pass: $1,629 – previously $1,549
- Sorcerer Pass: $1,099 – previously $1,079
- Pirate Pass: $869 – previously $829
- Pixie Pass: $489 – previously $469
Here’s a look back at last year’s price increases, which occurred slightly later in October:
- Incredi-Pass: $1,549 – previously $1,449
- Sorcerer Pass: $1,079 – previously $999
- Pirate Pass: $829 – previously $799
- Pixie Pass: $469 – previously $439
Just “for fun” here’s how new Walt Disney World AP prices compare to when they were re-introduced with the new tiers back in 2021:
- Incredi-Pass: $1,299
- Sorcerer Pass: $899
- Pirate Pass: $699
- Pixie Pass: $399
For further amusement, here are prices for the old Annual Passes, pre-closure:
- Disney Platinum Plus Annual Pass: $1295 / $999
- Disney Platinum Annual Pass: $1195 / $899
- Disney Gold Annual Pass: $719
- Disney Silver Annual Pass: $539
- Disney Weekday Select Annual Pass: $369
- EPCOT After 4 Annual Pass: $319
The two prices for the first two tiers are for the general public versus Florida residents. Additionally, PhotoPass downloads and water parks became $99 add-ons with the change, so the before/after prices on the top tiers are really more extreme than they appear, especially for Floridians.
Depending upon the tier, it’s really not so much “fun and amusement” as “horrify and shock the conscience,” but hey, it is still spook season!
What’s most interesting to me is that the Pixie Dust Pass increased by “only” $20. Unlike the other tiers, this option for Floridians didn’t have sales paused, so there are a ton of them in circulation. That’s resulted in some ‘interesting’ and unprecedented crowd dynamics, such as the weekends when that AP is blocked out being among the slowest days of the week at Walt Disney World last year (a trend that is finally being undone).
Trying to ‘nudge’ Pixie Dust Passholders to higher tiers via higher pricing might’ve made sense. On the other hand, the gap between the Pixie and Pirate tiers is so significant that perhaps Walt Disney World (correctly) realizes that no such nudging is possible. That for a good portion of Pixie Annual Passholders, breaking the $500 barrier would cause them to cancel.
That’ll probably happen in 2027, but by that time, hopefully Tropical Americas will be open to offer more value to justify the APs. Regardless, inflation will likely continue until then, which will break some of the barrier on its own.
Walt Disney World may not want to lose ‘borderline’ APs, especially since that tier helps fill the parks during the off-season. So not overdoing the increases on the lower tier APs–even if they offer disproportionately better value for money than the higher tiers–makes sense, too.
For all our other grousing about prices, the Pixie Pass still offers exceptional bang for buck to Florida residents. Sure, it’s blocked out weekends, peak holidays, and holidays, but it’s still valid the vast majority of weekdays–including all of the best times to visit. Retiring to Florida and picking up this pass is pretty much the dream! (Sarah’s mom had it, and it was basically her “walking around World Showcase” pass.)
Speaking of which, what I really wonder is whether it might be time to bring back some of the other options. Advance Dining Reservations have fallen off a cliff–perhaps bringing back the EPCOT After 4 AP would give a boost to the World Showcase restaurants? If I were in charge, one of my first decisions would actually be to introduce an Animal Kingdom Afternoon AP. It would cost $199. I’m not even joking.
Bringing back more options that would appeal to older locals seems like all upside to me. More options at the lower end of the spectrum on passes that are most attractive would be a good thing. Especially given what we’ve seen in terms of colossal crowds immediately before or after lengthy blockouts of the lowest tier (around this year’s Spring Break, pre-Christmas, and post-New Year’s).
It’s also somewhat surprising that the biggest increase is once again for the Annual Passes that were already the most expensive. I’m familiar with the concept of “percentages” and understand that bigger numbers get even bigger as a result of equivalent increases. Perhaps that’s all this is.
However, my theory since the relaunch of Annual Passes in 2021 has been that Walt Disney World doesn’t really want out of state APs. This might be painful to read, as we receive comments all the time about how Walt Disney World should appreciate non-Floridian APs even more and offer better deals to out of staters.
The logic is somewhat sound, albeit misguided. These readers reason that they are “better” for Walt Disney World because they book hotel rooms, do all of their meals on-site, buy souvenirs, and so forth. Basically, they do all of the right things to keep those coveted (in Disney’s eyes) guest spending metrics high. In theory, these aren’t just Walt Disney World’s whales–they’re the sustainable whales. Even better than one and done first-timers!
That’s one way to look at it. Another is that these whales would spend even more if they instead purchased multi-day tickets when they visited Walt Disney World.
Alternatively, this type of big spending guest would pay more per trip if they decreased their frequency of visits. In theory (a different theory than the last one), there’s no downside to this for Disney–even higher per capita numbers from the guest profile I’ve described and someone else takes their place!
Have you ever heard the saying, pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered? That’s how I’d describe this POV, which is also to say I do not agree with it. Yes, in theory this works. Assuming the whales don’t get just fed up, travel elsewhere, and realize maybe they’d prefer doing that all the time. This would be the equivalent of Philip Morris jacking up the prices of cigarettes to the point that people stopped smoking. Addicts are great for business…until they stop being addicts.
The other gaping hole in this logic is that it assumes Walt Disney World is operating without any surplus capacity.
Perhaps true in 2021-2022, but very much not the case anymore. There’s plenty of extra bandwidth to accommodate APs in addition to that fictional family from Denver. Except for like 4 weeks of the entire year. But the bottom line is that it’s better to have two families of whales than one family of super-whales plus empty space.
Perhaps the most reasonable possibility is that Walt Disney World thinks they still have plenty of pricing power over higher spending Annual Passholders. That they’ve increased prices with impunity on the top tiers of APs, and yet, the number of these APs in circulation continues to hold steady. That anyone willing to pay $1,549 for unlimited access to Walt Disney World in 2025 will be willing to pay $1,629 for the same in 2026.
Maybe they’re right. But Walt Disney World did just offer two back-to-back special offers to entice more Annual Pass sales, so I’m skeptical they have the pricing power they’re acting like they have. Not only that, but September 2025 was the slowest month at Walt Disney World since Fall 2021. So there’s that, too.
Speaking of which, what are we even doing with Good to Go Days?! This was a great idea when it originally launched, but has been a massive disappointment. There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever that the default for 45+ weeks per year (and that’s a conservative estimate) should not require reservations.
Right now, I could point to 320+ days on the calendar that pose zero danger (literally zero!) of the parks hitting capacity. Walt Disney World is leaving money on the table by continuing this friction. It’s not just pointless–it’s counterproductive. It’s deterring some guests from purchasing APs in the first place at a time when, again, Walt Disney World has plenty of surplus bandwidth.
Park reservations are one of Josh D’Amaro’s pet projects, and to his “credit,” they absolutely make sense for Annual Passholders at Disneyland. But Walt Disney World is different. Flip the script and make it so reservations are required on APs for the few weeks per year when crowds pose a problem, and let everything else be open access.
Requiring reservations for Annual Passes almost across the board is now doing more harm than good. They’ve mostly become a formality, and yet, I’d be willing to bet that there are former APs (or even prospective ones) who are holding out due to the reservation rule. Either on principle or because they don’t realize reservations are now a non-factor at Walt Disney World.
Pulling that lever would generate positive goodwill and could give AP sales a nice little boost, with little to no actual downside. It’s not going to offset these increases for everyone, but it would certainly help. During the busiest weeks of the year, blockouts do the heavy lifting, anyway. They worked for decades through 2019, and would again in 2026.
Retiring reservations for Annual Passholders is an option of last resort, as it’s one of those ‘bells that cannot be unrung’ (absent another closure that offers a ‘reset opportunity’ to Disney). But at the same time, when are park reservations truly going to be needed between now and 2028? The parks are already experiencing a slowdown, and Walt Disney World has nothing new up its sleeves until 2027 (and that’s at Animal Kingdom, the lowest-demand park of the four). Not only that, but Epic Universe is going to find its footing eventually, and fuel more growth for Universal Orlando.
The best time to make this change was last year. The next best time is right now. Here’s hoping it actually happens in 2026.
Honestly, it’s kind of a bold bet for Walt Disney World to raise prices on Annual Passes. It’s not 2022 anymore. Crowds have been down this year, and there’s plenty of economic uncertainty as the year draws to an end.
At the same time, it’s also not surprising. Walt Disney World’s established pattern at this point is to increase prices at the start of the new fiscal year, and this is the smallest (percentage-wise) increase in the last several years. Not only that, but Walt Disney World leadership did study at the Kohl’s School of Business, and lesson #1 there is increase prices and increase discounts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another aggressive AP deal in the near future, rendering these increases somewhat meaningless.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the price increases to Annual Passes at Walt Disney World? Expect to see aggressive discounts offsetting these increases? Thoughts on Walt Disney World squandering Good to Go Days? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any other considerations we failed to take into account or details we missed? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Disney lost me in 2019 over pricing, and it’s only getting worse. I’m never going back because they are never going to change. I hope more people realize that Disney treats its long-time supporters (especially FL residents) like garbage–Disney only wants people who are the top 0.1 percent to go once a year and spend a dump truck of money. The rest of us can either impoverish ourselves for a worse experience each year, or get out.
Interesting thoughts. It is easy to fall into the mindset as an out-of-state AP holder that Disney should be, potentially, appreciating us the most. I guess I can see the line of thought that these APs might potentially spend more on fewer trips if they had to buy regular multi-day tickets. I’m not sure how that would actually play out though. For me personally, having the AP already paid for in one large amount makes it a lot easier for me to be willing to pay more for a nicer resort. It feels like the AP is a totally separate purchase, and then the trip is really just the resort, dining, and extras.
This increase has left a bad taste in our mouths. We’ve been passholders to the Orlando parks for years, and have decided not to renew any passes in 2026. We know we’ll lose our renewal discounts, but are fine with it. We rather find different experiences to do with our family in 2026. With all of the rides down for retheming, construction walls, and areas and rides removed, WDW and UO should be decreasing APs or at least keeping them what they are, not increasing them. It’s time for our family to take to an Orlando theme park break.
I figure the entire purpose of Pixie Passes, and to an extent Pirate Passes, is to put local bodies into Standby lines, so that Disney can sell Lightning Lanes. Gotta have lines if you want to make money from selling skip-the-line passes.
The Sorcerer Pass exists to help sell DVC.
And the IncrediPass feels like it is only offered begrudgingly. if everyone who bought an IncrediPass actually used it to save money vs buying regular tickets, I don’t think Disney would offer it at all. But I bet there are some very affluent consumers who simply renew it each year without even bothering to do the math, and Disney makes enough from those people that they can justify continuing to sell it.
One thing not mentioned in the article is the AP renewal discount typically given by Disney, though those could end. Last year I paid $1473 including tax to renew my AP with PhotoPass (begrudgingly decided to pony up for that, though of course annoyed that it used to be included at no extra charge) compared to $1549 plus tax for a new AP not including PhotoPass If you decide not to renew, then you’re stuck paying the non-discounted rate if you change your mind later.
I consider myself fairly comfortable financially and likely the increases for APs just become another number that disappears from our pile,. but the thing is, with my old timey sense of what a dollar used to be, it just feels embarrassing to admit I could spend so much on a pass,. which increasingly seems like a cover charge to gain access to fun restaurants and the pleasure of walking to and fro,..
“these whales would spend even more if they instead purchased multi-day tickets when they visited Walt Disney World.”
DIsagree with this. An out of state AP holder has done the math. Unless he has such deep pockets that he doesn’t care, he’s made the choice accordingly.
Then too they could be a moron. I know plenty of well to do morons.
They are really driving away the APHs that bring in revenue. Locals pop in, ride a few rides, maybe get a snack and a drink. Out of state APHs come for several days or even weeks, and spend on hotels, meals, add-ons and souvenirs. We let our passes expire last year, hoping things get better – no more park passes, return of Photo Pass and TiW, more plentiful resort discounts, etc. – but it really does seem like they don’t want us back. We have an RV, we also like to visit Hawaii where we have a timeshare, and we’ve discovered cruising (not with the Mouse), so we’re happy to spend our vacation money elsewhere, since Disney doesn’t want it.
Just yes to your whole analysis.
I would love if you were the CEO and could make those Animal Kingdom-only passes appear. We would buy them immediately.
And “The other gaping hole in this logic is that it assumes Walt Disney World is operating without any surplus capacity. Exactly this. This is Econ 101.
I always assume that out-of-state annual passes are priced as a multiplier of the typical ticket price. Whenever I’ve balked at the Incredi-Pass renewal cost, I’ve checked the cost of magic your Way tickets, and the breakeven point is still two trips in a year (once you factor things like parking charges and dining discounts, significant for a solo traveler), or three trips ignoring those discounts. The multiplier has been about that for the last 10 years. Conversely, the Florida resident passes are priced to very different market dynamics.
I don’t think this is the same as saying that Disney doesn’t want out-of-state passholders – my annual pass has made me do many more trips to WDW than I would otherwise have done. I am 100% certain that I’ve given more money to WDW as a result of my annual pass, even including the discounts, then I would have done if I bought MYW tickets. (Maybe I’m the real loser here, since if annual passes vanished I’d go to Tokyo much more).
I’ve actually done this math for several (but not every) years since 2016, and it is correct to say that the breakeven point compared to regular tickets has been consistent from year to year during that time. It does depend on the length of the trip and how many trips (lots of short trips vs. two or three longer ones), but within every analysis category, the pattern is virtually unchanged.
I agree with this. My issue is that while the proportion or ratio is about the same, the actual costs of both formats is significantly higher than they were not that long ago. It’s like the idea that you save more money with a coupon when you use it on a higher priced item. Any way you slice it you are spending a lot more money. In the case of annual passes or regular tickets, that adds up to an even bigger chunk of money because you are buying tickets for a family rather than just one ticket.
I’d like to see a “being a friend” AP that is linked to a “regular” AP at the equivalent tier. The BAF AP is not assigned to a specific person and doesn’t have any perks (discounts, free parking, etc). The guest just has to tap in immediately after the linked AP holder. Since we’re talking about our AP wish lists
As a local who feels like they get their money’s worth out of our Disney AP, I also think it’s only a matter of time before Universal adds Epic to their AP’s. And, with the bigger AP discounts, along with HHN ticket and Express Pass after 4 on the top tier pass, some people may be making a tough choice to go that way, if they can only choose one.
“it’s only a matter of time before Universal adds Epic to their AP’s”
I’d be shocked if this happens anytime soon. That park clearly doesn’t have the bandwidth, and opening it up to APs would be (no exaggeration) catastrophic for day guests at this point. Really hope it doesn’t happen within the next ~11 months.
But then again, AP sales are an easy and quick revenue hit, so maybe Comcast won’t be able to resist that.
or might they cleverly be driving us into the arms of the cruise ships? which is what seems to be our focus these days,. so much less stress in a deck chair watching the horizon with everyone happy,. Hook and Mr. Smee stumbling by,.
I have known a couple folks who traded Disney parks for cruises, primarily, because they felt they had to spend too much time on their phones booking rides and such.
consider this whale beached,.. as a New Yorker, I can’t ever see getting annual passes again,. and we spent way more annually during the years we possessed passes than when we just bought tickets for limited spans,. the annual pass is a motivation to go at least 3 times a year,.. it’s quite easy to do the comparative math for meals, resorts, gifts for 20 nights vs 5,,..
this is without even tipping the scales negatively considering the endless questionable decisions Disney has made over the 40ish years we have been attending,.
I totally agree! We used to go from WI several times a year and also being DVC members, always staying on property. I feel they don’t care as much for out of staters as Tom explained, but because we’re all inclusive (meals and such) we did spend our dollars within Disney. Our passes expire in December and probably won’t be renewed.
Yes, I’m pretty sure WDW is leaving a lot of money on the table by chasing margin instead of Operating Income (overall profit). I know that is true of our family.