In an unexpected (but not surprising) move by Disney Parks and Resorts, brand new ticket pricing will be effective on Oct. 4, 2015. The new prices will reflect a substantial increase for annual passes to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. The price increases come as both Disney Parks on each coast will begin construction on massive new additions. Disney will be bringing massive properties like Avatar, Star Wars and Toy Story to life in their parks, with new Star Wars additions being rolled out really soon.
We have broken down the new pricing on both Disneyland in California AND Walt Disney World in Florida, starting off with Disneyland.
Disneyland New Annual Pass Pricing
(Scroll down for Walt Disney World in Florida)
The new Disneyland Resort pricing can be seen below:
SoCal Select Annual Pass: $329 (Increase of $30 from $299)
Renewal: $319
$19.17 per month, $99 Down Payment
SoCal Annual Pass (Renewal Only) : $439 (Increase of $50 from $389)
Deluxe Pass: $599 (Increase of $50 from $549)
$41.67 per month, $99 Down Payment
NEW* Disney Signature Pass: $849
$62.50 per month, $99 Down Payment
Renewal: $799
NEW* Disney Signature Plus Pass: $1049
$79.17 per month, $99 Down Payment
Renewal: $989
Disney Premier Passport: $1439 (Increase of $340 from $1099)
Parking can be added to your annual pass for an additional cost of $199 at Disneyland.
Currently the Disneyland Resort is hosting its 60th Anniversary ‘Diamond Celebration’ which has seen record attendance in recent years with plans of starting ‘Season of the Force’, a brand new Star Wars centric-celebration this November in anticipation for The Force Awakens.
It’s also worth noting that in order to help create the foundation for Star Wars Land, many attractions at Disneyland will be closing for over a year starting January 10, 2016. This includes The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer’s Island, Sailing Ship Columbia, The Mark Twain, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, The Disneyland Railroad as well as the spectacular show Fantasmic!
Walt Disney World New Annual Pass Pricing
A similar change is taking place at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida which quietly just celebrated its 44th Anniversary.
The new Walt Disney World resort ticket prices can be seen below:
Water Park Annual Pass: Ages 10+ $110, Ages 3-9 $99
Renewal: Ages 10+ $93, Ages 3-9 $84
Good for admission to both Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach for a year from purchase. There are no extra benefits with this one.
NEW* Disney Platinum Plus Pass: $829 (Tourist), $729 (Florida Resident)
Admission to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks (excluding special events like Not So Scary) and the ability to go from park to park on the same day. No blockout dates, free parking,ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course admission, and Disney PhotoPass downloads. Will include special offers forDisney Resort hotels and discounts on dining, merchandise, and tours. Basically this is your premium annual pass now.
NEW* Disney Platinum Pass:$749 (Tourist), $649 (Florida Resident)
Same as Platinum Plus, with no waterparks, ESPN and Golf Course.
NEW* Disney Gold Pass: $549
Renewal: $429
This is an all new pass, just for Florida Residents and Disney Vacation Club members only. This one gives you admission, and park hopping at all four Disney parks, but there are block out dates. This is a huge step from before, when the only Florida Resident passes to offer blockout dates was the lower tiered pass. Does include parking and discounts, but probably not as much as the platinum. This one gives you PhotoPass Downloads as well, which if you’re big into the Disney pictures, this would be a good one for you.
The following blockout dates apply: December 17, 2015 – January 1, 2016 and March 19, 2016 – April 1, 2016.
NEW Disney Silver Pass: $389
Another new pass, this one is strictly for Florida residents only. Offers four parks, parking and discounts. Also has blockout dates, same as the Gold Pass, the only difference is that this one doesn’t have the PhotoPass
The following blockout dates apply: December 17, 2015 – January 1, 2016 and March 19, 2016 – April 1, 2016, as well as June 6 – Aug 11, 2016.
Disney Premier Passport: $1439 (Increase of $340 from $1099)
This gives you admission to every single park in the country, at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. There are also no blockout dates on this pass, but you’re going to pay a pretty penny for it.
There are also tons of weekday, and later admission tickets for Walt Disney World Parks:
Weekday Select: $259
Gives you admission to all four parks Monday-Friday, and of course blockout dates apply. This pass does not include parking or discounts.
Epcot After 4 Pass: $249
Gives you admission to Epcot after 4p.m. No free parking, but no blockout dates either. Great if you want to just hangout at events like Food & Wine and Flower & Garden
Waterparks After 2p.m: $65
Get access to both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach after 2p.m. every day for a year. No discounts or anything else
Currently there are no known changes coming to Single/Multi-day park tickets, the new changes seem to effect annual pass sales only.
Honestly, if you look at the changes in the annual passes, it’s not that significant of an increase. Sure, you now have blackout dates, but those aren’t very significant for Gold passes, and for Silver Passes, it’s the same as having a Season Pass, which blocks out the summer as well. If you take a lot of pictures during the year, the added bonus of Photopass Downloads are a great value. Parking prices at Walt Disney World will also get bumped up to $20 dollars a day, per car…so the extra price for the annual passes might be worth it if you plan on going a lot during the year at the park, plus every single level of pass (except the weekday pass) has free parking as an option.
How do you feel about these changes? Will you be renewing your Disney pass soon or does this increase affect your Disney park vacation planning? Let us know in the comments!
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