Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Tiered Annual Passes and Parking Price Increase

Good morning, Tinkers!

     So the big news today is about the changes that have been made to the Annual Passes. As of October 4th, Walt Disney World's Annual Passes will be sold on a tier system, with varying options and varying price points. Before I get into the new passes and a full breakdown of them, I'll mention some other news...

     Disney parking prices have gone up, from $17 to an even $20. This applies to the four theme parks, for Day Guests only. If you are staying on Disney property, parking fees are waived with your resort tag in your window. All Annual passes will also waive parking fees, which is a new feature for some of the passes.

     Now let's get into the Annual Passes. I'm not going to sugar coat it. There's been a large price jump, if you compare apples to apples, but there are some positives too. Namely, flexibility. There are more options for those that don't want the commitment, or price tag, of a full Annual Pass, but don't want to be blocked out for the whole summer. There's also a fun new feature for the top three tiers of passholders: Free PhotoPass Downloads! That means that whenever you are in a park and you get a photo taken by a PhotoPass photographer and they scan your Magic Band, you can then log into your My Disney Experience Ap on your phone, or the web version on your computer, and download all of those awesome photos for free! That includes photos taken in front of the Castle, photos taken at certain character meals, and Magic Shots, where characters are digitally added into your picture. When you consider that unlimited digital downloads run $199* on the Memory Maker package, this is a NICE perk to have as an Annual Passholder.

     So, if we look at the most commonly purchased pass, the standard Annual Pass, which has no blackout days, that pass is now called The Platinum Pass. It still includes unlimited entry to the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks, with no block out days, complimentary parking, special discounts on food and beverages and merchandise, and the new PhotoPass Digital Download feature. The price has increased about $100, to make the pass almost $650* for a year, ($750* if you're not a Florida Resident or DVC Member). If you usually purchase the Premium Annual, giving you access to the waterparks, Oak Trail, ESPN and DisneyQuest, (while it's still open), your pass is now called the Platinum Plus Pass, and you can expect to pay about $730* for it, ($830* if you're not a Florida Resident or DVC Member). If you find those price points to be too high, and you don't mind being blocked out of the parks for Christmas Vacation and Spring Break, (two of the busiest times of year anyway), AND if you're a Florida Resident or DVC Member, you can go with the Gold Pass, at $550*.

     If you don't mind giving up the PhotoPass feature and are a Florida Resident, there are even more options. The Silver Pass, at $390*, is just like the old "Seasonal" Pass, blocking out Christmas Vacation, Spring Break AND the whole Summer. There's a Week Day Select, which doesn't have black out days, but only allows admittance Monday thru Friday. The one is $260* Are you the Guests that really only wants to visit Disney for evenings in Epcot? Then you can go the most economic route and get the Epcot After 4pm Annual for only $250*.

     Have I confused you? No problem! Check out the full list of passes, benefits and pricing at DisneyWorld.com.

     Oh, and don't worry... If you already are an Annual Pass Holder, your pricing and benefits do not change until you renew. And yes, there is still a discount for renewing. You'll save 15% and can switch to whichever pass you choose. Plus monthly payment plans are still an option.

     There you have it! Questions? Comments? Let me know! tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com

* All pricing is listed without tax.