Single and multi-day tickets were not the only prices that went up at Walt Disney World recently.  Annual Passholders felt the sting of increased prices on new and renewed Annual Passes before others.  So, with the recent price increase is an Annual Pass really worth the cost?  This was a question that my husband and I struggled with as the time came in January to renew our passes or not.  Ultimately, we decided that we would renew.  If you’re on the fence about making this decision yourself, I’ll share with you the reasons that justified ours.

**Disclaimer** I must mention that we are Florida residents, and we purchased the Silver Pass which is only available to those living in Florida.

With our children being so young, and us living so close to the House of Mouse, Walt Disney World Resort is really the only place that we vacation, so we make several trips a year.  Estimating how many days we would visit the parks, we priced out the Annual Passes versus buying tickets.  After doing so, we figured out that it would be less expensive to renew our Annual Passes than to just buy tickets for each trip.

Along with admission to the parks, Annual Passholders receive many discounts.  We have saved a LOT of money using the Annual Passholder offers for rooms at the Walt Disney World Resort!  At times, the Annual Passholder rates have been better than the Florida Resident rate or even the seasonal promotional offer from Walt Disney World.  Since we stay at a resort ninety percent of the time we visit, this is a huge money saver for us.

Not only do Annual Passholders receive discounts on rooms, but also 10%-15% off of food and merchandise at select locations!  I’m sure you all know that once you enter the “Disney Bubble,” there is no leaving; you’re going to be buying your food at the parks and resorts.  Saving 10% each time you eat adds up to quite a bit.  And who doesn’t buy souvenirs?  I know that my Passholder discount saved me quite a bit when I finally splurged on the Mickey and Minnie Vera Bradley bag that I had been eyeing for so long!  For a full list of locations that will honor discounts for Annual Passholders, you can click here.

My Vera Bradley bag I purchased with a Passholder discount.

Walt Disney World Resort has so much to offer besides just the theme parks.  Annual Passholders also receive discounts on La Nouba by Cirque du Soliel tickets, admission to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, golf fees, and special events – like Club Villain or Disney After Hours.  At times there have been special sneak peeks for Passholders to preview new rides or shows.  Walt Disney World also offers Passholder exclusive merchandise, early registration for runDisney race events, and special gifts like these wine glasses I received for visiting 3 times during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

If you are thinking about taking the plunge and becoming a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder, I highly recommend taking the time to do the math and figure out if the number of days you’ll spend visiting the parks along with the dining and merchandise discounts will make it worth it for you and your family.  It is for us!

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