This Week in Theme Park News: Disney World’s New Annual Pass Program, and Universal Beijing’s Opening Date
For what feels like the fourth week in a row, the biggest theme park news of the week broke on the day I write this column. Disney finally revealed all the information behind the new Disney World Annual Pass program in a blog post that went up earlier today. When the pandemic shut Disney World down in March 2020, the company gave passholders two options: either give up your pass and get a refund for however much time you had left on it, or keep your pass and have its expiration date extended by however many days the parks stayed closed. They also halted new sales of the pass at that time, although existing passholders were able to renew.
That’s how it’s stood since the parks reopened in July 2020. The only people who’ve had annual passes for Disney World over the past year are returning passholders who didn’t get a refund during the pandemic. Obviously that wouldn’t last long, and when Disneyland’s new Magic Key Program was unveiled earlier this August, it was clear that the next iteration of Disney World’s Annual Passes would be on their way soon.
Fortunately, the new plans aren’t that much more expensive than the old Annual Pass structure. Some of the perks and benefits have changed, though, and if you wanted to get the full slate of benefits that your old plan offered, you could be looking at a couple of different add-ons that would raise your annual price by almost $200.
Before we get to the add-ons, though, let’s break down the basic plans. There are four, two of which are only available to Florida residents, with a third only available to Floridians and Disney Vacation Club members. Florida residents can also pay on installment plans, with each plan consisting of 12 monthly payments. And, uh, if you aren’t a fan of Disney’s extreme attention to branding, I apologize in advance for the new names. I’m just repeating what Disney went with.
1. Disney Pixie Dust Pass
Annual Cost: $399
The most affordable tier is exclusively for Florida residents, who can pay on an installment plan of $19 a month with a $205 down payment. It is, unsurprisingly, the least comprehensive of the new plans, letting guests visit one or more Disney World parks “on most weekdays.” It’s subject to blockout dates which will include “peak and holiday periods,” so don’t expect to ride that Pixie Dust Pass into the parks on New Year’s Eve, or the entire second half of December. Like all the new plans, you’ll need a park reservation to get in, and can make up to three reservations at one time.
2. Disney Pirate Pass
Annual Cost: $699
The second tier is also only for Floridians, and its installment plan will set you back $45 a month after a $205 down payment. This pass will get you access on most days, including, presumably, some weekends, although once again the holidays and other peak periods are blocked off. Reservations will be needed for any park visit, and you can have up to four of those at one time.
3. Disney Sorcerer Pass
Annual Cost: $899
This pass will cut down on the number of blockout days you’ll be subject to, and it’s the first one you can get if you don’t live in Florida—although only if you are a Disney Vacation Club member. Out-of-staters who aren’t DVC members need not apply. Those blockout dates will include “select days during select holiday periods,” so expect days around Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and the other major holidays to be off-limits. For Floridians who want to take it monthly, this one breaks down to $63 a month, with that standard $205 down payment. This plan also nets you five reservations at a time.
4. Disney Incredi-Pass
Annual Cost: $1299