If your family loves a Disney World vacation as much as we do, one of the things you’ll find yourself deciding is what type of tickets to buy. You can purchase a single-day ticket, a multi-day ticket, a park hopper pass, or an annual pass. The math can be mind-boggling, but these ticket decisions are a big part of smart budgeting for your Disney vacation. So, Disney World annual pass vs. tickets: which is better for you? And when does Disney’s annual pass become worth it?
If you know for sure that a Disney World vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime event for your family, then tickets for your trip make sense, of course. But if you think your family would love to come back to Orlando again, you should consider a Disney World annual pass, even if you don’t plan to visit the parks very often.
Compared to prices for Disney tickets one trip at a time, the annual pass can earn you some pretty good discounts. Plus, there are additional savings on dining, merchandise, photos, and more for annual pass holders. With just two trips to Disney World in a year, the cost of an annual pass can become worth it for your family.
The exact math will depend on how many people are going, how long your Disney vacations are, how many parks you visit, and how much you spend on things in addition to the admission tickets, i.e., on resort stays, food, souvenirs, etc.
Now, Disney World’s annual pass prices are not for the faint of heart. So, to make it easy for you to decide between Disney World annual pass vs. tickets, we’ve done a deep dive into the world of Disney World pricing for you.
Disney World ticket prices
Tickets to the four Walt Disney World parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studies – vary in price depending on the season. Typically, ticket prices are higher during the holidays and lower when kids are in school (yep, this is not good news for families with kids).
The other thing that affects ticket prices at Disney World is the validity length. The more days you plan to spend in the Disney World Theme Parks, the lower your per-day cost to admission to the parks will work out to. It’s worth noting that longer validity tickets (multi-day tickets) are valid for a few extra days, which means you can enjoy non-park days on a multi-day Disney vacation. For instance, a 10-day Disney World ticket is valid for 14 days from the start date. This means you can visit the parks on any 10 days out of 14 days from the start date.
Also, there are advance purchase discounts if you buy online or on the phone as opposed to the ticket windows at Disney World theme parks. As a general guideline, base tickets (1 park per day) start at $116 for adults and $110 for kids ages 3-9 for a 1-day ticket. The price for a 10-day base ticket (1 park per day, no park hopping) starts at $553 for adults and $529 for kids ages 3-9. As you can see, purchasing a 10-day base ticket brings your per-day cost down from $116 to $55.
But remember, you’ll pay extra to access the water parks and sports experiences. Also, if you want to hop between the four Disney World parks – Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios – on the same day, you’ll need a park hopper ticket. Park hopper ticket prices start at $185 for adults for a 1-day ticket.
Which Disney World ticket should I buy?
Confused? We don’t blame you! Let’s make it simple. If it’s unlikely you’ll come back to Orlando anytime soon, then a Disney World annual pass vs. tickets is a no-brainer. You should purchase tickets for your trip.
Now, let’s say it’s your first visit to Disney World, you’re staying in Orlando for 7-10 days, and you want to visit all the theme parks. Consider buying the Disney World 5-day base ticket. This will allow you to visit each of the four Disney theme parks once each and then you can repeat the park your family loved the most. Remember, your 5-day ticket is valid for 8 days, so you can enjoy non-park days in between. Your base ticket does not include entry to the two Disney water parks. However, you can purchase a 1-day water park ticket separately (typically $65 per adult, $59 per child).
On the other hand, if you’re on a shorter trip and have only 2-3 days in Orlando, then you’ll need a park hopper ticket if you want to see all the Disney World theme parks. As noted, park hopper tickets are more expensive than base tickets. And it takes a fair bit of stamina to squeeze in more than one park in a day. Not recommended for families with small children, in our opinion.
Disney World annual pass types and prices
A Disney World annual pass provides unlimited admissions to the four major theme parks plus a host of additional benefits. Here’s a quick overview of the types of annual passes you can buy at Disney World.
Disney World Platinum Pass: Includes unlimited admission for a year to all four Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios). Price is roughly $1,275 for all ages (under 3s are free).
Disney World Platinum Pass Plus: Includes everything in the Platinum Pass plus entry to the two Disney water parks, Oak Trail Golf Course, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Price is roughly $1,375 for all ages (under 3s are free).
Disney Premier Passport: Includes unlimited admission to both Disney World Florida and Disneyland California. Price is roughly $2,275 for all ages (under 3s are free).
There is a renewal discount for returning annual pass holders. Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members can benefit from discounted Disney World annual pass prices. They also have a wider choice of types of passes, such as weekday passes, silver and gold passes.
Disney World annual pass perks
Unlimited entry to the Disney World theme parks is not the only perk of an annual pass. Annual pass holders enjoy many more benefits, including:
- No blackout dates
- Park hopping
- PhotoPass and free downloads
- Up to 20% discount on select dining
- Up to 20% discount on select merchandise
- Free standard parking
- Exclusive events, previews, and discounts on ticketed events like Halloween and Christmas parties
- An extra 5-10% on Disney hotel offers over and above publicly available discounts
- Annual pass holder branded merchandise and exclusive Magic Band designs
- Room offers at Aulani, a Disney Resort in Hawai’i
- Early registration for runDisney events
- Discounted rates with car rental partners
- Owner’s locker, a convenient container to store personal items and vacation gear at a climate-controlled warehouse between visits to Disney World (first six months free, then $10.50 per month) with free pickup and delivery
- Access to V.I.Passholder Support to understand benefits, get recommendations, and get answers to your questions
We can tell you that dining and merchandise at Disney World can make money disappear out of your pocket like you wouldn’t believe. You’ll find yourself swiping your Magic Band more often than you care to admit. So, if you really want to get into the Disney spirit, the discounts can’t hurt, nor the great memories of your vacation captured by Disney photographers.
Disney World annual pass restrictions
To enforce capacity limits in the theme parks, Disney has started a park reservation system. Resort guests, ticket holders, and annual pass holders have to make a special reservation to enter a park on any given day. This reservation can be made through the Disney Parks Pass System and the park reservations page in the My Disney Experience app.
This means that while park hopping is permitted for Disney World annual pass holders, you will need to make park reservations for the day, visit the park with the reservation first, and you can only park hop after 2 PM.
Also, pass holder park reservations are limited to a maximum of 3 (with the exception of hotel guests). So, if you are an annual pass holder and are staying at a Disney property for three nights, you can book for the four days of your hotel stay plus make three additional park reservations.
Also, a quick word of caution here. The dining discount of 20% is like finding a needle in a haystack. A 10% discount is more the standard, and it’s typically only available at table service restaurants. Also, alcohol is not included in the discount.
Ticket bridging (upgrading to an annual pass)
Let’s say you evaluated Disney World annual pass vs. tickets and decided to go with tickets for your trip to Orlando. While you’re there, your family’s having so much fun, you start regretting not purchasing the Disney World annual pass. Worry not. Ticket bridging to the rescue.
This is essentially an upgrade from a Disney World ticket to an annual pass. You can go to Guest Services anytime during your trip and do the upgrade. They will credit your annual pass for the price of your tickets. Meaning, if you paid $300 for your ticket and the annual pass costs $1,300, you can pay the difference ($1,000) and upgrade to an annual pass.
Is Disney World Annual Pass worth it?
Every family is unique and there are so many variants of tickets that it’s next to impossible to say, Disney World annual pass vs. tickets, which is better for you. But we’re going to try and make it simple with a quick analysis. You can follow this example and do the analysis for your family.
Let’s take the $1,275 Platinum Pass as an example and assume that the average family spends a week at Disney World. A 5-day park hopper ticket costs roughly $600 per adult. So, if you take even two trips in a year to Disney World, you’re already close to breaking even. Don’t forget the discounts on dining and merchandise. You’ll also save $169 to $199 on PhotoPass and Memory Maker. If you’re staying at one of the Disney Resort hotels, you should factor in any additional discounts you snag as an annual pass holder. Also, while parking is free if you’re staying at a Disney Resort hotel, staying offsite and renting a car means theme park parking will set you back by up to $25 a day. With an annual pass, that’s a saving of $175 during a weeklong visit.
Remember, ticket prices can be considerably higher for the holidays. Your annual pass does not have any blackout dates. So, if even one of your trips is in peak season, you’re saving even more money with your annual pass. What’s more, your annual pass means you can enjoy longer, more relaxed trips to Disney World and Orlando, more than a quick 4 or 5 days, if you want. If you decide you loved the annual pass, then with the renewal discount, your average cost of the Platinum Pass over two years is an even better deal.
The Platinum Pass Plus is a good option if you enjoy the water parks and sports recreational facilities. And the jaw-dropping price of Disney’s Premier Passport only makes sense for folks who have homes or family on both coasts and will visit both Disneyland and Disney World.
So, yeah, if you can commit to two or more Disney vacations in Orlando in one year, you’re a winner with the Disney World annual pass.
Tips and tricks to make Disney World’s annual pass worth it
Park tickets at Disney World are slightly cheaper for kids ages 3-9 (under 3s are free). However, Disney World annual pass prices are the same for adults and children. So, here’s a little trick that might work for your family. Instead of the whole family purchasing a Disney World annual pass, you can consider maybe one adult gets the annual pass.
This will allow you to cash in on the merchandise and dining discounts for the whole family. Dining discounts are good for the annual pass holder and 3 additional guests. And since selfie sticks are banned at Disney World, the PhotoPass will prove invaluable in capturing all the picture-perfect moments. What’s more, your annual pass includes free downloads (Disney sells this service as Memory Maker to ticket holders at $169-$199).
Another tip for families with school-going children. To make the Disney World annual pass worth it, plan two summer trips just shy of one year apart. Your annual pass clock doesn’t start ticking until your first entry into the parks. So, if you plan one trip to Disney World in August of one year and another one in July of the next year, just before your annual pass runs out, you will have squeezed out enough value from your Disney World annual pass. And if you can sneak in a quick trip in the winter, then it’s an even better deal.
Disney’s annual pass or tickets: The bottom line
For Florida residents who get a state residents discount and are within driving distance of Disney World, getting an annual pass is a no-brainer. But if you live out of state and are not within driving distance of the Walt Disney World theme parks, then an annual pass may not, at first glance, make sense for your family. But before you write it off, consider the following:
- If you will visit Disney World once during the year, regular tickets are probably your best bet. Unless… you’re planning an extended vacation in Orlando and will enter the parks more than 14 days on your trip.
- If you plan to visit Disney World two times a year, you are sort of in the middle of the road. You will have to do some math to figure out Disney World annual pass vs. tickets, which is better for you.
- If you will visit the parks three or more times a year with 3 or more days per trip, then a Walt Disney World annual pass is totally worth it.
Booking your Disney World vacation can be daunting, especially if it’s your first visit. When you start adding up all the expenses, you might just start feeling faint. But with a smart choice between Disney World annual pass vs. tickets, you can make your Disney vacation worth every cent.
We hope this guide has helped clear some of your doubts about Disney World annual pass vs. tickets. There is no single correct answer to this question, but some quick math before you swipe that credit card can end up saving you hundreds of dollars.