Big Annual Pass Price Increases at Disney World
Walt Disney World Annual Pass prices increased overnight, as Florida prepares for the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The price hike is as much as $225 on some APs, and is less than a year after the last October’s increase. In this post, we’ll break down the big price increases and offer some commentary.
Worth noting that this comes on the same day that Walt Disney World is set to release 2020 vacation packages (we planned on covering these price increases, but at present that only gets you a “booking is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore availability as soon as possible. Please check back later” error message), and the day after Disney announced a Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge preview for Annual Passholders in the top tiers.
None of this is all that surprising. We’ve been anticipating multiple ticket price increases this year, and have been warning readers to purchase tickets ASAP to lock-in current prices in our 2019 Discount Walt Disney World Ticket Buying Guide, you’re familiar with this. We’ll dispense with more commentary later in the post, for now, the increases…
Disney Premier Annual Pass
This is the U.S. Disney Parks’ flagship AP, with admission to every theme park at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, no blockout dates, PhotoPass & MaxPass included, parking, and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $1949 to $2099 (up $150)
Disney Platinum Plus Annual Pass
This is Walt Disney World’s flagship AP, with admission to all four theme parks and both of the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, no blockout dates, PhotoPass included, parking, and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $849 to $999 for Florida residents and DVC members (up $150) and from $994 to $1219 for everyone else (up $225).
Disney Platinum Annual Pass
This is Walt Disney World’s other AP without any blockout dates, which also includes PhotoPass, parking, and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $749 to $899 for Florida residents and DVC members (up $150) and from $894 to $1119 for everyone else (up $225).
Disney Gold Annual Pass
Walt Disney World’s Annual Pass that’s only available to Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members. This one has very blockout dates–basically just between Christmas & New Years and at Spring Break/Easter. It offers PhotoPass, parking, and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $609 to $699 (up $90).
Disney Silver Annual Pass
Another Walt Disney World Annual Pass that’s only available to Florida residents. This one has the same blockout dates as the Gold, plus pretty much the entire months of June, July, and beginning of August. It offers parking and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $479 to $519 (up $40).
Disney Theme Park Select Annual Pass
Another Walt Disney World Annual Pass that’s only available to Florida residents. This one has blockout dates that vary park to park, but offers access to at least one park on more days of the year than the Silver AP. (Hope you like Epcot!) It offers parking and the highest level of discounts.
This AP has not increased in price: $439 before and after.
Disney Weekday Select Annual Pass
Yet another Walt Disney World Annual Pass that’s only available to Florida residents. This is valid primarily Monday through Friday, subject to blockout dates. It offers parking and the highest level of discounts.
It has increased from $319 to $349 (up $30).
Epcot After 4 AP
The Epcot After 4 Annual Pass is only offered to Florida residents. It has no blockout dates and allows access into Epcot after 4 p.m., standard parking, plus standard dining and merchandise discounts.
It has increased from $289 to $309 (up $20).
Water Parks Annual Pass
Available for all to purchase, the Water Parks Annual Pass has no blockout dates and offers admission to both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach for an entire year.
It has increased from $130 to $139 (up $9).
Water Parks After 2 Annual Pass
Available only to Florida residents, this AP has no blockout dates and allows admission to both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach for an entire year, but only after 2 p.m.
It has increased from $79 to $89 (up $10).
In terms of commentary, even though some of these price increases are staggering, I’ve lost the capacity for surprise when it comes to Walt Disney World ticket price increases. At this point, attendance is up, the parks have a devoted and passionate fanbase, and a slate of new additions rolling out pretty much non-stop between now and 2022. Why wouldn’t they increase Annual Pass prices?
Now, you might point out that there has been attendance and spending softness this summer (as we noted in yesterday’s article about AP discounts), but these increases aren’t aimed at the here and now–they’re about the future. It’s not as if every Annual Passholder (or even a majority) will be renewing between now and September when attendance is expected to be weaker. In the bigger picture and longer term (when the increases will have more of an impact), Walt Disney World has good reason to expect increased attendance, and even more demand for Annual Passes.
Obviously, the Disney Vacation Club membership numbers continue to grow, and we’d speculate that more hardcore out-of-state fans are finding ways to leverage Annual Passes for multiple visits in the same 365 day period. Perhaps most significantly, there has been a population explosion in Central Florida.
Several cities in the Orlando metro area are among the fastest growing in the United States. Many of these new Florida residents are people fleeing the Northeast and Midwest. This is significant because it means Walt Disney World, traditionally a tourist destination with a far lower AP pool than Disneyland, has likely increased its Annual Passholder population in the last few years despite all of these price increases.
The story painted by these top-heavy Annual Passholder price increases is that Walt Disney World wants to discourage purchase of the highest-tier APs (or charge a significant premium to those with significant disposable income who might not notice a difference either way), pushing people instead towards the passes with blockout dates.
Essentially, AP pricing becomes a means of attendance control, just as it has been for years in California. Disney does not want to eliminate or even significantly reduce its herd of Annual Passholders. They are necessary during low seasons for tourism, for buying food & drinks at Epcot’s festivals, and purchasing exclusive merchandise. However, Disney does want to steer people towards certain APs, thereby working to distribute attendance to days that are historically low.
Then there’s the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge factor. Much has already been written about that, so I’ll spare you a regurgitation of the expected tourism boom once that blockbuster new land debuts and is fully open. As noted above, there are several other big additions on the horizon at Walt Disney World, so don’t expect these price increases to cease any time soon.
To the contrary, expect more regular ticket price increases (on both APs and standard tickets) coupled with discounts on select products (and to select demographics) when Walt Disney World deems it necessary to boost attendance for certain windows of time.
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
What do you think of these Walt Disney World Annual Pass price increases? Will you still buy one, or are you priced out? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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!
Thanks for the tip about going to Sams. We are planning a short trip next March and then hope to do the Princess 5K the following February. We were planning to get an annual pass to cover both trips since they will be within 365 days of each other. I hadn’t purchase the pass yet since we were still many months away. After seeing the price increase and the comment about Sams, I quickly went to the Sams website. I did call Disney to double check and make sure that the 365 clock did not start until we actually activated the pass next March. My cast member thought it would work that way, but he double checked with ticketing and said I was good to do it this way. I mentioned to him that I needed to know asap because I had the tickets in my ‘cart’ at Sams and that they were the old prices. He said I had better do it today because he thought the price would be increased by tomorrow. Thanks for the tip. That just saved me almost $500.
Just got an AP from Sam’s club with old pricing!!! Grand total paid 924 which included taxes and fees for the out of state AP (sorry can’t remember the name of the pass but is now 1192 with taxes). I don’t have a Sam’s membership but have bought from there before online without a membership (had to pay a few bucks more for the order) and had a membership in cart in another window but didn’t pay for it so maybe that helped.
Suck it Disney. At least for another year.
Love Trump! â¤ï¸
vomit!
Poor suzie. Hope she doesn’t vomit for the next 6 years.
Well, that’s it for me, folks. We’re already booked for the week of 7/1. We’re leaving on 7/5, which (coincidentally) is the day our Gold passes expire.
I also have Labor Day week booked. This weekend I had our 3 passes in the shopping cart, about to check out at $1,652 and was interrupted by a phone call. Just checked now thinking I should hurry up and renew– and BOOM– price is now $1,897. Two days later, $245 more.
Camel’s back: BROKEN
I’m done. Finished. Been coming here FAITHFULLY since the summer of 1972 but– sadly– this is it. I write this with a heavy heart, and a sick pit in my stomach.
I already have reservations for Labor Day week, which I’m going to cancel and get refunded, as soon as I hit Submit on this post.
Disney just killed another lifelong-loyal fan.
It might be worth it to me to pay more if this star wars land held any interest to me but it DOESN”T!!! All the crowds and increases in prices just because of star wars land just churns my stomach. Sure it is immersive. Who gives a F@(% if you don’t care about star wars and the crappy new movies or the drab depressing colors of the land or whatever everyone thinks is so frickin great there. That said I scored old AP pricing at Sam’s club today so I’ll deal with this tom foolery for a bit longer. Word in podcasting land is that bookings for the fall are not at all what Disney was hoping for – maybe crowds won’t be too bad. Here’s hoping
Before cancelling our September reservations, I checked AAA and they still had old pricing this evening, so I renewed at the old rates for one final year– but ONLY because it was old pricing. I’m almost expecting to find an email tomorrow morning saying the the order was cancelled because the wrong rate was charged. Maybe there’s some kind of grace period for 3rd parties to update their prices?
I couldn’t care less about Star Wars. I’ll say it again. Star Wars– who cares!! Saw the original movie in ’77 and was not impressed. Saw the next 2 on videotape at a friend’s house many years later, and never watched them again. We’ve never even been to Hollywood Studios– no interest. I’ve heard it lacks shade and compared to other parks, there isn’t much to do. The only saving graces of Epcot are the Test Track, Soarin’ and Frozen. The rest (to me) is boring. The only reason we go to WDW is for the MK, my favorite since childhood. AK only rarely. DHS, never.
What, you want special pricing just because you don’t like Star Wars? Get bent.
I just did the same to a vacation I was planning for the July 4th holiday weekend. Completely outrageous price increase that is completely unjustified at the moment since the majority of Hollywood Studios is shuttered until EOG opens.
I’m ok with the price increases. Hopefully it will cut down on the crowds.
I absolutely would not expect that.
If it would cut down on the stupid, self-entitled whiny democrats in the parks, i’d gladly pay double.
THIS is my tipping point, along with the increased hotel rates for next year. $200+/night at POP no thanks. Have been going 2-3x/year for the past 7 years. I was planning 2 trips for next year (Feb & July) for a total of 15-20 nights, and was going to purchase an AP. Now we’ll be doing one trip for probably 5-7 nights, and it will be our last for awhile. I know Disney doesn’t care, and there are other guests to take our spot it’s just disappointing.
I have been going to Disney parks 2x a year since 1989 in the last few years I have seen huge price increases from tickets,parking at parks and now at resorts, and big increases in food and drink and merchandise. You can’t buy a t shirt for under 30.00 that’s insane. Disney has become a greed machine taking every last bit of people’s money very different from the way it was. I see corporate greed and no regard for the people who made that company who they are today at this point I will have to consider not taking a vacation to the happiest place on earth due to the huge expense.
You can easily buy tshirts for under $30. I bought five in may and none were that expensive.
I bought a hoodie at the little shop outside Yak & Yeti on the discount rack for $5.00 !
Shhhh Noelle, don’t give away our secret shopping discount area! Got four hats for ten bucks each last trip.
Downvote.
How is Tom directly responsible for price increases?
I have to say I’m really surprised at these prices. As a poor European I haven’t been to WDW or DL because it’s extremely out of my price range. But also the prevailing myth about Americans is that you don’t have any days off or holidays so how can so many people have the time to go there?
Any word on how much renewals have increased?
I’m sure renewals will be at the same new rate, with the 5% discount or whatever it is. They damn well better make the merchandise and dining discounts more attractive!
dis unplugged predicts that discounts will be attractive for hotel resorts this fall since bookings are not strong (disunplugged is associated with Dreams Unlimited an agency, so they should know?). I’ll have to listen to the podcast (todays) again if they thought that AP discounts would extent to merch and dining.
disney raising prices the minute after they announce a perk? color me shocked. i hope anyone who wanted to take advantage of an AP to get the chance to enter SWGE at a preview immediately bought their AP before this morning’s announcement. you know this happens every time they make some sort of announcement, right? price hikes tend to follow.
I took the DVC plunge in 2000 and feel less and less valued. Every DVC member should be eligible for ALL deeply discounted passes (silver, select, etc) that Florida residents can purchase. Since I’m paying property taxes to Florida, I should get the discount.
I’m surprised at the anger in some of these reactions. What is the point of getting so angry? Is it going to help anything?
It’s expensive, yes, we get it. Not everyone can afford it, also understood. Disney is out to make money – well of course, they’re a business, not a charity. If it’s too expensive, there’s a simple solution – don’t go. Not everyone can afford a Mercedes or a ten bedroom house, so they don’t buy them, the same goes for any type of vacation. If it seems too expensive, don’t go. Find somewhere else to go. Disney is great, but it isn’t the only option for fun family vacations. I have traveled all over the world for significantly less than a Disney vacation. I do go to Disney as well, knowing full well how expensive it is, because it is still within my budget and I enjoy it. One day if it’s out of my budget and I don’t enjoy it, I’ll stop going. What I won’t do is yell about the injustice and greed. Frankly, that’s rather pointless.
Maybe if they price everyone out and attendance dwindles the price will come back down. Maybe it won’t. I don’t own the business so it really isn’t my choice to make. The only choice I have is if I spend my money on it or not. this year I will. Next year, who knows? But I do know I’m not going to bother getting all worked up over something so ridiculous and beyond my control.
My sentiments exactly. I have been roasted here and other forums for reminding people it’s a CHOICE, not a privilege how we spend the money we make. No one is forced to use their retirement savings or max a credit card. And a Disney World vacation is not going to make or destroy anyone’s childhood or family relationship. Hopefully everyone already knows that, but you can’t see that by the comments. And with crowds not staying away and more and more people crowding into the parks and resorts, there is no end in sight. My stupid iPhone costs a $1000 – and I don’t even like it. We forget how expensive everything is today, with consumers willing to pay $6 for a coffee, $3 for “Vitamin” water, and $12 for a burger, while streaming a $5 movie on a 5″ screen, why should we be surprised?
I agree that it comes down to a choice, and it is getting more attractive to do a camping trip, go to Maui or Europe, and save money over Disney World. And I will definitely do that. I am cancelling my September DVC reservation and rolling the points forward, so I can spend more time with my family who can’t go because of costs, and that is ok too. I am fortunate to get to be in the World 2-3x every year and if I miss one time, it’s ok. Actually, waiting makes my Disney heart grow fonder, and more willing to pay the exorbitant food prices! But I will never waste time complaining about costs – it just dulls every day and irritates people around me. Regardless of the circumstances, better to treat it as Uncle Remus says – everything is satisfactual.
Interesting you bring up Maui (went in 2018). I told my wife a few weeks ago that the price difference between 5 days (or was it a week) in Maui at the resort we were in was maybe $1000-1200 more than the same time frame for the Value resorts we stay in at WDW. Admittedly, that included park tickets (which is not a factor in Maui) so it wasn’t exactly a true apples to apples comparison, but I was surprised how relatively close in cost the two are.
Well good for you for at least being able to go one time. And no there’s isn’t another place to go that’s “like” Disney. I realize that there will be price increases, but as someone said before, I do t care about the drab Star Wars land, bring me old Walt’s vision Disney with a new twist, and this is not even an old schooler talking, my teenagers feel the same way. While it’s a choice as you say how to spend your money and I don’t t have to buy a Mercedes, but I’m saying people that are saying it’s a choice I’m sure are capable of continuing to go. But thank you for telling me I have a choice that I don’t have to go. Thank you for making my day
Why? Because Disney pretends to convey happiness, dreams, fariytales, fantasy, and all things wonderous and wonderful…. while the back-office picks your pockets clean at every turn. This SUBSTANTIAL rate increase is yet another example of the “thanks” we get for being lifelong-loyal.
I’m in my 50s. Been coming to WDW faithfully since the summer of ’72 when I was a kid. Like others in this forum who grew up on WDW, and then raised our kids here as well, we’ve seen the sick (de)evolution of Disney into a corporate cesspool of greed. This shockingly-high passholder increase, comes almost on the heels of ANOTHER price increase just 8 months ago. Two price increases in LESS than a year!!
What used to be an affordable family getaway has become a major investment (and for many, debt) for a single trip.
What a terrible way to honor Walt’s legacy.
You sound like you are a joy to be around in person…Let’s keep your political views off a Disney website, yeah?
Like many others on here, I have to ponder when I will say enough is enough. I understand that it is market driven and Disney can do whatever it wants while attendance numbers are good, but it is getting really hard to justify spending at least 5-6k on a vacation. And that is with being a DVC member and not paying for hotel! When you can book a similar package at Universal for significantly less (at least 1k when I was doing some price checking earlier) that comes with their Express pass to skip lines it makes you wonder if you are making the right call. Disney may very well become the secondary park we spend 1-2 days at on our trips as opposed to the place we spend the entire trip. Not something I want or am happy about, but there just has to be a breaking point eventually.
AMEN!!!! This is the truth!
Just bought passes a couple of days ago! Whew!!!!
I am a DVC owner and would not mind this increase so much if we had access to monthly payments, like Florida residents. My pass expires on July 3rd and I am considering one more trip before letting it expire and then selling my DVC. It is getting to the point that middle class families cannot afford Disney anymore. Maybe I will win the lottery or something and it won´t matter, but as a single parent trying to live off of a teacher´s salary, it seems like our yearly trips to Disney may become Universal trips or cruises in order to still be able to afford an annual vacation. Or Disney will do something amazing and we´ll be eating rice and beans for a month in order to be able to afford to go. (And that <<<, ladies and gentlement, is what Disney counts on when they make these major price increases.)
If anyone thinks this will keep the FL locals away, you are wrong. A FL resident Platinum pass with no blockouts will still only be about $60 a month which is a bargain to be able to go to Disney daily if you are close by like I am. And still a bargain if you are retired like I am. Two trips with the free parking along almost pays for the pass itself, plus the free photo pass. So no anyone within an hour or so of the parks that are locals are still going to renew and remember locals pay monthly so the sting is not as bad when you pay monthly over 12 months.
How do payments justify the massive costs? How does a family of four fork over 4k (3k at best) for passes, what am I supposed to do as a family of 7? 3,000 dollars, for PARK tickets….the cheapest 10 day with no hopper or water parks is $2500, like give me a break! Luckily two kids are currently 2 & under, but that changes in November and I have to buy 3 adults, because you know anywhere in the world 10, 11, 12 year olds through 16-18 are considered children except Disney considers them adults, it is just insanity. No matter how you look at this it’s unbelievable.
It always makes me wonder why people who have a bunch of kids think that they deserve some sort of discount basically for having that number of kids. My kids cost the exact same amount as yours do at Disney World. If you had more children than you can afford to take to Disney World, I don’t think that is anyone else’s fault (or problem). I truly hope you love and cherish each and every one of your children (I’m not being snarky here). But to expect the world to somehow give you a discount because you have 5 children is unwarranted. Take some personal responsibility, it isn’t Disney’s fault that you have so many children that you can’t afford to take them to Disney World.
It may be doable if you’re only buying one or two passes, but for a family of five even with monthly payments that just added another $62 to the $350/month we’re already paying … and that’s just to get in the door. That’s more than a car payment!
Disney’s prices were already a shock to me when I had to go from paying two passes to three, and then meals go from $20 to $40-50, etc… I’ve got two more kids turning “the adult age of 3” in Disney’s eyes this fall, and I don’t have the foggiest idea how we can afford to go anymore.
I understand but where else as a local can you spend 60 dollars a month and get unlimited daily access to anything as you do with Florida resident Platinum AP pass? Where else will you go for you and kids to experience unlimited daily access for that price per month in FL???? A movie alone in the theaters will cost you $20 each and that’s for a 2-hour experience. Any other theme park or amusement park the same. For $60 a month it is still a bargain to have unlimited access WDW with no blockout dates.
FYI, Sams Club still has old pricing on AP’s while they last…https://serviceshub.samsclub.com/pages.php?sub=wdw#walt-disney-world-resort-annual-passes
Thanks for that tip, they are indeed. If you buy AP from Sams Club, does the year start immediately or at first use?
They start at first use, and have a marked 2030 expiration. Some purchase multiple certificates for future use and cost savings. No problem having multiple certificates in MDX.
I’m in the UK and my AP has just expired. I was planning to renew but this has changed my mind. Coming from outside the US, it has to be the platinum pass which was already expensive but I considered it worth it. However international AP holders don’t receive any email communication (despite multiple futile attempts to opt in and change this). This means missing out on passholder events and previews, even when I’ve got a trip planned. Add to that a $200 plus price increase for benefits I still can’t use and I think that’s the line where I give up on multiple trips to WDW 🙁
“However international AP holders don’t receive any email communication (despite multiple futile attempts to opt in and change this).”
If it makes you feel any better, this problem is not unique to international AP holders. Receiving correspondence from WDW is hit or miss for everyone.
As for getting that fixed…good luck. After we got married (almost a decade ago), Sarah has tried countless times to change from her maiden to married name. Nevertheless, it ‘magically’ reverts from time to time!
It helps a little and I know Disney communication is universally terrible. But judging by our experience and the forums it does seem even worse for international AP holders.
No matter what at these prices I think Disney really do have to get their act together on this. The offers and events are part of that premium price tag!
Were from the uk and Dvc owners so we get the gold one. Could you do this instead of platinum?
Thanks for the suggestion David. It’s something I might look at down the line but right now DVC just isn’t affordable for us. Part of the draw of the AP was staying off-site and saving on parking.