If you’ve got an Annual Pass for Disney World, or are thinking of buying one, and will want to renew it, we’ve got some key information you need to know.

Annual Passes grant holders access to the Disney World theme parks on many days of the year (though Park Passes are still required to enter). Right now, new Annual Pass sales are paused for most pass types, but renewals remain available. If you’re a Passholder, then you already understand why this post is critical to you. But what if you’re not an Annual Passholder yet? Well, we’re going to let you in on a sneaky way you could get one of the highest Annual Pass types, despite new sales for that pass not being available. Here’s everything you need to know.

Annual Pass Types

There are currently 4 types of Disney World Annual Passes. Here’s a quick breakdown of each with their pricing (note that some pricing will be changing as of December 8th, 2022):

• Incredi-Pass
  • Old price: $1,299 — New price as of December 8th, 2022: $1,399
  • No blockout dates
  • Can hold up to 5 Park Pass reservations at one time
• Sorcerer Pass
  • Old price: $899 — New price as of December 8th, 2022: $969
  • Limited blockout dates
  • Can hold up to 5 Park Pass reservations at one time
  • Only for Florida Residents and Disney Vacation Club Members
• Pirate Pass
  • Old price: $699 — New price as of December 8th, 2022: $749
  • Has blockout dates, including peak times and holidays
  • Can hold up to 4 Park Pass reservations at one time
  • Only for Florida Residents
• Pixie Dust Pass
  • Old and new price: $399 (no price change there)
  • Has the most blockout dates including peak times, holidays, and weekends
  • Can hold up to 3 Park Pass reservations at one time
  • Only for Florida Residents

If you had an old Annual Pass, you can renew into one of the new passes at a special renewal price — more details on that in a second. 

Also, remember — while an Annual Pass can provide you with valid admission to the parks on all dates except for blockout dates, a Park Pass is still required to enter the park. So, to visit Magic Kingdom, for example, you’ll need your valid admission (the Annual Pass), you’ll need to make sure that you aren’t blocked out on that date, and you’ll need a valid Park Pass for Magic Kingdom for that date. If Park Passes fill up, then you may not be able to get into the park of your choice or any park at all. Getting a Park Pass is a critical step you can’t forget.

For more details on the blockout dates and other information about the pass types, click here

Are New Sales Available?

New sales for most pass types are NOT available. New sales of the Incredi-Pass, Sorcerer Pass, and Pirate Pass are not available as of the time of this post.

New sales are available, however, for the Disney Pixie Dust Pass — the cheapest of the passes. Remember that the Pixie Dust Pass is only available for Florida Residents and has the most blockout dates of all the passes.

Disney has not yet indicated when new sales of the other passes will be available. For the time being, it appears they are maintaining the pause on most new pass sales to focus on existing passholders.

But Disney has, as noted above, revealed the increased prices at which new passes will be sold (whenever they are made available to purchase).

Click here to see why Disney’s CEO has indicated that the Annual Pass program could provide “flexibility”

Are Renewals Available?

Yes. Even though new pass sales aren’t available for most pass types, current Annual Passholders can renew into ANY of the 4 pass types at a special renewal rate.

Can You UPGRADE Your Pass?

Yes! Again, Disney notes that existing passholders can “renew into any of [the] four pass types.” So if you’ve got a Pixie Dust Pass, for example, when your renewal period comes, you can renew into a “higher” pass — like the Incredi-Pass.

You can upgrade your Annual Pass at the time of renewal. If you log into your My Disney Experience account to renew, you’ll be able to select whatever new Annual Passholder level you’d like to renew into.

Sneaky Way to Get an Upgraded Annual Pass

If you’re a Florida Resident and want a Disney World Annual Pass, but the pass type you’d like is not the Pixie Dust Pass, there is a sneaky way for you to get an upgraded pass, but you’ll have to do some waiting.

For the time being, the only new Annual Pass sales are for the Pixie Dust Pass (cheapest pass, Florida residents only, most blockout dates). So that is the only NEW pass purchase you could make. If you’re eligible (you’re a Florida resident), then you could purchase that pass at $399 (plus tax) and use it for a year. It might not be ideal because it has lots of blockout dates, but it might “do the trick” for the time being.

When renewal time arrives, you can renew into ANY of the Annual Pass types. That means, after holding on to the Pixie Dust Pass for a year, you could then renew into any of the other passes — including the Incredi-Pass. Even though new sales for those other passes aren’t available, renewal could be your option to getting one in a more roundabout way.

Granted, you’d have to be eligible to get the Pixie Dust Pass in the first place, and you’d need to be willing to spend the money on that pass for the first year, but it could work out for you if you want an Annual Pass and aren’t willing to wait until Disney announces when new Annual Passes (for the other pass types) will go on sale.

It won’t be the right choice for everyone, but if you’d rather have a pass with the option of renewal than no pass at all, it might be something to consider.

Click here to learn about the Annual Passholder lawsuit filed against Disney regarding Park Pass reservations

How Do You Renew?

According to Disney, there are 3 ways to renew your Annual Pass:

1. Renew online
2. Renew at a Disney World theme park ticket window or the Disney Springs Guest Relations spot
3. Renew over the phone — call (407) 560-PASS or (407) 560-7277

Note that when it comes to paying for your pass, there is a monthly payment program that is ONLY available for Florida Residents. If you are renewing a pass through the monthly payment program, you won’t be able to renew over the phone. But you can renew online, or in person at the theme park ticket window or Disney Springs.

The Annual Pass owner doesn’t need to be present for the whole renewal process, but Disney does specify that each “Annual Pass owner will need to be present at the ticket window to receive his or her pass.”

When Can You Renew?

Annual Passes may be renewed “up to 60 days before and 30 days after expiration.”

How Much Does It Cost to Renew?

If you’ll be renewing your pass, you do get a renewal discount, meaning you pay a slightly reduced price to renew (compared to what it costs to buy a new pass). Currently, the renewal prices are as follows:

• Incredi-Pass: $1,104
• Sorcerer Pass: $764
• Pirate Pass: $594
• Pixie Dust Pass: $339

Given the recent changes announced regarding the pricing for new Annual Passes, however, we could see these renewal numbers change. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for updates.

And that’s what you need to know about Annual Pass renewals! What questions do you have about renewals, pricing, or the Annual Pass program in general? Tell us in the comments!

For more details about the Annual Pass program, click here

What questions do you have about renewals, pricing, or the Annual Pass program in general? Tell us in the comments!

The post Breaking Down Annual Pass Renewals for Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.