Credit: shaggyhill / FlickrEveryone likes a good deal, right? Well, with the cost of merchandise only seeming to climb higher and higher, Disney’s latest mega-sale has not just hundreds, but potentially thousands of guests swarming their discount location trying to get a good deal.
Traveling to Walt Disney World is no easy feat. It is a costly vacation, and even with discounts being offered on certain hotels at times, not even 35% off a resort room helps make these trips “cheap”. In addition, Disney ticket prices seem to be climbing a steep hill, and now, ticket costs can be as high as $180.00 per person per day at Magic Kingdom. This does not include parking, food, Disney Genie+, or Park Hopping. Disney trips have been pricing out the average family since the pandemic.
Another sect of Disney guests that have had to endure massive price hikes are their Annual Passholders. When the pandemic shutdown ended, and Walt Disney World reopened, Annual Pass sales came to a halt. Unless you previously had an Annual Pass, purchasing one was not an option; however, renewals were allowed.
When the passes were back on sale, they came at a large price increase for all of the “news” tiers which include: Disney Pixie Dust Pass, Disney Pirate Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass, and Disney Incredi-Pass.
That being said, at Walt Disney World, one of the core groups of guests comes from Annual Passholders. The Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World are not as prominent of the guest makeup as Disneyland Resort. However, there is still a large local crowd that fills the park, along with some other out-of-state Passholders who visit often. Annual Passes allow guests to enter Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an applicable Disney Park Pass reservation, as well as Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon depending on the tier.
Within the new Annual Pass program, the top-tier Disney Incredi-Pass will set a user back $1299, which is a fair amount as we thought the price point was going to be much higher. Payment plans are available for Florida residents, and this pass has no theme park blackout dates. Incredi-Pass users will be able to have up to 5 theme park reservations at a time!
The Disney Sorcerer Pass still provides some great benefits, like an $899 price point, park hopping, etc., with the only “con” being blackout dates starting at this tier (and below). It should be noted that this park pass is only available to Florida Residents AND DVC members.
Florida residents are really in luck here, being the only ones able to purchase the Disney Pirate Pass, and the most affordable option, the Disney Pixie Dust Pass. These passes are $699 and $399, respectively, have lots of blackout dates and seasons, and have limited Park Reservation options.
In January 2024, when the park pass reservation system goes defunct for many ticket types, Passholders will have “Good to Go” days for select parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom).
At times, Disney has given Annual Passholder added benefits, such as V.I.Passholder Days, which took place this June, offering Annual Passholders a 30% discount on merchandise, a 20% discount on select food, and a lounge space in EPCOT with free snacks (albeit nearly expired M&M’s). Now, Disney has offered another offering to Annual Passholders, which feels like a mega sale.
As we have reported, “The shopping event takes place at the AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and only Annual Passholders are eligible to take part. Exclusive Pandora charms and Dooney & Burke items will be available, as well as discounts on other Disney parks merchandise and “early access” to other items.”
As noted by Disney, some of the exclusive discounts and offerings will be:
- EPCOT Reimagined Pandora Charm
- Journey to Imagination with Figment Pandora Charm
- Minnie Mouse Bride Pandora Charm
- Grogu Rose Gold Pandora Charm
- Access to Passholder merchandise available for purchase—including the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Pandora Charm
- 60% off select merchandise — including select apparel, Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary merchandise, Loungefly items, and Dooney & Bourke bags
- Photo opportunities to commemorate this occasion
- Special food & beverage offerings available for purchase
For those who do not know, a virtual queue will be in place for this event. Passholders will need to use the My Disney Experience app to join the virtual queue; a standby queue will not be available.
Here’s how it works:
- You can request to join the virtual queue for this event starting at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the event.
- You do not need to be at Walt Disney World Resort to join the virtual queue.
- Once your group is called, you’ll have up to 2 hours to check in at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. This merchandise event ends at 7:00 PM, so be sure to allow enough time for you to shop.
Today, the door opened at 10:00 a.m. to large crowds swarming the discounts.
Reporter Ashely Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) shared photos, and stated, “The Disney World annual passholder merchandise event is currently underway at ESPN Wide World of Sports.”
The Disney World annual passholder merchandise event is currently underway at ESPN Wide World of Sports. pic.twitter.com/vxiyhXYM8G
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) September 20, 2023
As we can see in the photos, there are tons of guests who are attending the event. Thanks to the virtual queue, Disney is attempting to control crowds, but due to demand, and the inability to control guests’ experience duration during their shopping, the crowds seem to be doubling.
Disney has made it very clear that reselling this merchandise is not allowed and will be a direct violation of your Annual Pass contract. Doing so can have your Annual Pass revoked and your admission into Disney World banned for life.
For those looking to attend the event over the next few days, be warned of the crowds, and be sure to make a virtual queue slot so that you will be allowed to enter. The event ends at 7:00 p.m. daily, and guests will need to show their pass as well as ID to enter.
Will you be attending the Disney Passholder Merchandise Event?
If you are looking to visit Walt Disney World Resort for a magical vacation, the Walt Disney World Website can be a great tool to begin planning your trip! You can begin exploring their theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can also take a look at their water parks where you can splash around in the chill of Disney’s Blizzard Beach (alongside new Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff), or hit the waves at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. When you get hungry or want to go shopping, Disney Springs is the place to be, especially with World of Disney there ready to help you pick up some souvenirs! You can also begin looking for your Disney World Resort! If you are looking to stay at a Deluxe monorail Resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa or a Value Resort where you can hop on the Skyliner like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it is always fun to begin looking for a room that would best suit you and your party. Plus, it has all the information you need to know on Disney Genie+ so that you will be ready to go on your My Disney Experience app once you download it! Click here to check it out today.