I Gave Up My Disney Parks Annual Pass: Here’s How Much Money I’ll Save
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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Ah, the magic of Disney. Not much can beat it — well, except maybe your budgetary restraints.
Miranda, a busy mom of three from Orlando, Florida, has been a loyal Disney Parks annual passholder for over a decade. She and her family visited Walt Disney World frequently, enjoying spontaneous park trips and exclusive passholder perks. However, after price hikes and changes at Disney World, Miranda made the difficult decision not to renew her family’s annual passes last year.
Here’s why Miranda gave up the parks — and exactly how much money she’ll save.
Saying Goodbye
“Giving up our passes was bittersweet,” said Miranda. “The parks have always been a big part of our lives.”
As Florida residents, Miranda’s family took advantage of the lower-priced Florida Resident annual pass options. However, she said, even those prices have risen exponentially each year. “What used to cost around $500 per pass now costs over $1,000,” she explained.
Miranda also noted changes at Disney World that have recently chipped away at the passholder experience. “You need reservations just to get into the parks now, which takes away a lot of spontaneity,” she said. “It’s harder to justify the high price tag when the magic of just being able to drop in whenever is gone.”
Crunching the Numbers
According to Disney’s website, current Florida Resident annual pass options range from $469 (plus tax) per pass for the Pixie Dust Pass to $1,549 (plus tax) per pass for the top-tier Disney Incredi-Pass. Miranda’s family of five held the middle-tier Pirate Passes, which are currently $829 per pass. So, for her family, not renewing their annual passes saves them over $4,000 a year.
“As much as we will miss our passes, that’s money we can use for other expenses right now,” said Miranda. College tuition for her oldest child is looming, so putting thousands of dollars towards Disney passes is less feasible.
Of course, her family will still visit Disney World in the future. “It just means carefully budgeting for tickets when we do go,” Miranda said. She plans to take advantage of discounted multi-day tickets and even time their trips around lower-cost seasons.
Exploring Other Options
While Miranda’s family will miss the convenience of having Disney annual passes, they look forward to trying new Orlando attractions and parks. “We’ve really only gone to Disney World all these years,” Miranda admitted. “Now there’s more incentive to check out other places.”
A trip to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks is top of their list. “The Harry Potter stuff looks awesome and I think my son will love the thrill rides,” said Miranda. Better yet, annual passes at Universal Orlando cost less than Disney’s for Florida residents.
Miranda also wants to visit LEGOLAND, Florida, with her younger daughter, who loves all things LEGO. Local attractions like Fun Spot, ICON Park and area waterparks are now more viable options without Disney annual passes dominating their budget.
“Orlando has so much great stuff beyond Disney World,” Miranda said. Her family even discussed taking weekend trips to check out other Florida cities now that their schedule isn’t dictated by renewing Disney annual passes year after year.
While they will miss certain aspects of Disney’s annual passes, Miranda feels that exploring Orlando’s many treasures will be a blessing in disguise. “Who knows — we may find a new favorite family destination,” she said.
Final Take To GO
The bottom line is that while giving up her family’s Disney World annual passes was difficult, Miranda found solace in the significant money they would save and opportunities to explore Orlando’s many other theme parks and attractions. Forgoing Disney will allow her family to prioritize other expenses while still enjoying what the world’s theme park capital has to offer.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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