Disney World Fans Frustrated by Halted Sales of Annual Passes

By Ashley Turner

Walt Disney World resumed selling its formerly discontinued annual passes on Thursday morning, but high demand may leave eager park-goers out in the cold. It took several hours for fans to purchase one of the yearlong passes to Disney's Florida theme parks after sales were suspended 16 months ago in order to manage crowd levels, creating a significant wait time for those trying to buy one online. Since it has been more than a year since most people were able to buy an annual pass, a long waiting list was a foregone conclusion. Florida residents could buy a yearly pass for $399, but even by those standards, the waiting list was still long, according to Fortune. Disney announced they would resume new sales of Disney Incredi-Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass, and Disney Pirate Pass, available to purchase online starting at 6 a.m. on April 20. However, a minor issue occurred as the passes were not available for purchase until around 6:40 a.m. As of 11:15 a.m. ET, there was still a two-hour wait that had started at 9:00 a.m. ET, with the status bar showing roughly only a quarter of the progress bar filled. 

Some of those in line might not even walk away with a pass: Disney warned when it announced plans to reopen ticket sales that only a limited number would be available and that future restrictions could be imposed, reported Fortune. There will be no savings on non-Floridians purchasing an annual pass. The top tier pass, called the Incredi Pass (with no blackout dates), will cost $1,399 for one year's access, an increase of $100 compared to the last time it was offered. It is worth noting that Disney World suspended the sale of new annual passes during its four-month shutdown during the pandemic in 2020. Sales resumed in September 2021 with new prices, restrictions, and names, only to have them suspended again two months later.

The Disney annual pass tiers available on April 20, per Wesh Orlando:

  • Disney Pixie Dust Pass (Florida residents only) – $399
    • Allows entry on most weekdays, but is subject to blockout dates, including peak and holiday periods
  • Disney Pirate Pass (Florida residents only) – $749
    • Allows entry on most days, but is subject to blockout dates, including peak and holiday periods
  • Disney Sorcerer Pass (Disney Vacation Club members and Florida residents only) – $969
    • Allows entry on most days, but is subject to blockout dates on select days, during select holiday periods
  • Disney Incredi-Pass (All guests) – $1,399
    • No blockout dates apply
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