Walt Disney World has three regular annual pass options and five that are exclusive to Florida residents. I am going to lay out the benefits to each type of annual pass and explain why I chose the one I did, in hopes it helps some of you make the best decision for you.
I did not purchase my annual pass until over a year after I left Disney because I had enough Cast Member friends who were happy to take me to the parks whenever I wanted. (In Jay’s case, he didn’t really get a choice.) Eventually I got tired of being reliant on other people, and of having to carpool to avoid paying for parking. Last September I made the decision to go ahead and become the very thing I despised so much when I was a Cast Member*.
*Disclaimer: There are lots of wonderful Annual Passholders in the world. Like most things, the few bad ones give the rest a bad name, and oh boy, did I meet some bad ones.
If you are not a Florida resident, you have three choices: a Platinum Pass, a Platinum Pass Plus, or a Water Parks Annual Pass. The Water Parks Annual Pass simply gives you 365 days admission to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach with no blockout dates, however each one closes for about three months of the year for maintenance.
Both the Platinum Pass and Platinum Pass Plus are good for 365 days as well. The big difference between them is the same difference between a Park Hopper Ticket and a Park Hopper Plus Ticket. The Plus ticket includes unlimited admission to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course in addition to unlimited admission to the four theme parks. The Platinum Pass only includes the four theme parks. Both passes have no blockout dates, free parking, and include both unlimited Photopass downloads and discounts on select food and merchandise. The difference in price between the Platinum and the Platinum Plus is around $100. The Platinum Pass is about $250 more than a ten-day Park Hopper Ticket, so depending on how often you’re here it may or may not be a good investment.
As much as I hate to admit it, being a Florida resident gives you much better options. The only good thing that came from giving up my Tennessee driver’s license is the discounts I qualify for now. Florida residents can still choose the Platinum or Platinum Plus pass at the same price as non-residents, but they can choose monthly payments instead of paying all at once.
The Gold Pass is the first of the exclusive passes, although Disney Vacation Club can qualify for this one too. It offers 365 days of admission with two periods of blockout dates around the peak periods of Spring Break and Christmas. It includes unlimited Photopass downloads, free parking, and discounts on select food and merchandise.
The Silver Pass is roughly $150 less than the Gold. It has three blockout periods: Spring Break, early June to mid-August, and Christmas. It includes free parking and discounts on select merchandise and food, but lacks the unlimited Photopass downloads.
The next pass is the Weekday Select and it is about $150 less than the Silver. It has the same blockout dates as the Silver Pass, but is only good Monday through Friday. It includes free parking and discounts on select merchandise and food, but not the Photopass downloads.
The Epcot After 4 Pass is exactly what the name implies. You can go to Epcot any day of the year, but only after 4 p.m. It includes parking and discounts, but no Photopass. There is also a Water Parks After 2 pass that works the same way, except it only includes the admission to the water parks and nothing else. These two passes are the cheapest annual passes available.
All of the Annual Passes other than the two water park passes include Passholder Discounts on resorts, activities, events and more. You get a free magnet with your pass, and a Magic Band. There is a mini-magazine called the Mickey Monitor that releases quarterly by mail, but it’s usually full of stuff I already know about. Each park has a designated entrance only for Annual Passholders, although sometimes its line is longer than the normal ones. They also sell a slew of merchandise that can only be purchased by Annual Passholders.
When I decided to purchase my annual pass, the decision of which pass to get was a simple one, but I seem to be among the few of my friends who felt that way. I know several people who have Silver Passes, and one who has a Platinum, but I am fairly certain I am the only one who currently holds a Gold Pass. I have no desire to be at the parks during the two busiest times of the year. The blockout dates were only an issue this year because Doug was here for a convention, and we couldn’t change the dates of his visit. If I want to go to a water park, my SeaWorld pass includes Aquatica, and the tickets to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are discounted enough I can justify the cost if I need to like when Robby was here.
I never even considered the Silver Pass. Not only can I not stand the idea of being blocked out of the parks for most of the summer, the unlimited Photopass was one of my big selling points. I’m in the parks all the time and I love meeting characters, that means tons of photos! Now I don’t have to worry if whatever Cast Member I hand my camera off to knows how to use it. Plus, I have dozens of photos from every RunDisney race I run, all free!
When I first got my annual pass, the down payment was around $130 with monthly payments of $39.39. When I renewed this year before expiration, I didn’t have to make a new down payment and the price only increased to $42.
I have paid more for gym memberships, and I go to Disney more than I ever went to the gym.
I hope this has been helpful to anyone deciding what pass they need to get in order to enjoy the magic of the Disney Parks. If you already have your pass, what kind do you have?
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