For over 40 years, Annual Passholders have made up the backbone of Disney World’s guest base. However, recent price increases have some contemplating walking away from the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

Recently, we took to our Facebook page to ask our Annual Passholder readers, “Are you keeping your Disney World Annual Pass, or are you thinking about letting it go? If you’re renewing, what still makes it worth the price? And if you’re walking away, what finally changed your mind?” Suffice to say we got fielded some interesting answers from APs.

Disney World’s Annual Pass program was born in the early 1980s, after the resort had transitioned from the traditional general admission ticket plus A-E ticket book system. Local guests in Orlando were angry about the elimination of the general admission ticket, as many would purchase the relatively cheaper option to visit the parks to eat, shop, or people-watch without purchasing ride tickets. To assuage these fans and — more importantly to the bottom line — to keep them coming back, Disney introduced the first Annual Passports to Disney World in September of 1982. These passes allowed access to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center (when it opened in October of 1982) for a one-year period. The Annual Pass program has evolved a great deal over the years with evolving tiers, discounts, and — of course — the dreaded price increases. That brings us to the most recently announced price changes:

• Disney Incredi-Pass — $1,749 (from $1,629)
• Disney Sorcerer Pass — $1,139 (from $1,099)
• Disney Pirate Pass — $909 (from $869)
• Disney Pixie Dust Pass — $499 (from $489)

Those increases, which have become the annual October event that Disney World fans love to hate, are leading some Passholders to rethink their renewal status, especially given what they perceive as lost overall value. Reader Heather shared, “I didn’t renew in July and don’t regret it. The parks aren’t exciting to me anymore… Maybe I’ll go back someday. For now, I haven’t thought about it much at all.”

Reader Cheryl wrote, “We arrived in August, and we decided that was our last time. We went as cheap as possible staying at all star music. Sharing meals. Doing without on a 5 day trip. For what we paid for that trip, I could have went somewhere international for a 7 day trip. It’s not for us any longer,” while reader Suellen added, “Not keeping. We love Disney, but it has become too expensive. Moving on to try some new places.”

Others, like Kyle, said they intend to remain Passholders, but will likely downgrade to a lower-level pass. They wrote, “Wife and I had Incredi-Pass, but now we are going to drop down to the pixie pass. Disney is starting to nickel and dime everything to the point that we are starting to favor Universal Studios more now.”

However, there were also many readers who said they would still be renewing their passes. For example, reader Nate wrote, “With the renewal discount the monthly payment still comes out cheaper than when we bought first time last year on the sorcerer pass.” Reader Arthur wrote a similar sentiment, saying, “As a local that goes to the parks on average 90 -100 days a year, it still makes mathematical sense. My admission averages about $14 per day over the course of the year. I would never do it if I had to use day tickets…it would cost me over $16,000 if the only option was using day tickets, so mathematically it’s a no-brainer.”

The sub-group of Passholders who live outside of Florida were some of the most active in the comment section, partially due to the limited options currently available to them. The vast majority of non-Florida Residents can ONLY purchase the Incredi-Pass, AKA the most expensive Annual Pass option. (Some eligible Disney Vacation Club Members, including those living out of state, can also purchase the Sorcerer Pass). They also can’t take advantage of paying for their pass in monthly installments.

These limitations led to a split. Reader Grace Ann spoke for the out-of-state visitors who are questioning whether to drop from the program, writing, “For out of state AP holders, it’s getting harder to justify. Unless you are able to go at least twice a year for around 5 or more days each trip, it may no longer be worth it.” However, reader Michelle had a different outlook, writing, “I’m an out of state Passholder, and it still makes sense for me since I go 4-5 times a year. When I divide out the cost for each day I actually use it, it’s still like $80 per park day. Compared to a day ticket, that’s a steal!”

Disney World raised the prices on their Annual Passes, and Passholders are split on whether these new prices are worth it! Want to voice your opinion? Drop by the DFB Facebook page!

Speaking of what experiences are “worth” it, let’s look at Disney hotels!

Disney World Bookings Are OFFICIALLY Open Through The End Of 2027

Are you an AP? How are you feeling about prices? Let us know in the comments below.