Walt Disney World will soon restore a popular guest perk, but today's happy news was paired with notice of a price increase for all four annual pass types, and a bump in the parking fee.
All Day Park Hopper Access
All-day park hopper access is coming back beginning January 9, 2024. This change means that guests with park-hopper tickets can change parks anytime during normal operating hours, instead of waiting until 2:00 p.m. as has been the policy since the perk was restored in 2021.
The new policy goes into effect the same day at Walt Disney World drops theme park reservation requirements for date-based ticket holders, and also the same day that the Disney Dining Plan returns to the World. These changes all bring resort operations closer to their pre-pandemic “normal.”
Annual passholders and those with certain non-dated tickets still need to make theme park reservations to visit before 2:00 p.m. most days, but the new park hopper rules apply here as well. Once the AP or ticket-holder has scanned into the park for which they have a reservation, they can immediately hop to a different theme park without waiting until 2:00.
Sometime in January, Walt Disney World will roll out “Good-to-go days” for annual passholders; days where they can visit a theme park without needing to make a park reservation at all. Disney says the theme park reservation calendar will be updated “periodically” to reflect these dates.
Annual Passport price increase
As Rumplestiltskin said in ABC's Once Upon a Time, “All magic comes with a price, dearie!” This time, the price increase is limited to annual passholders, and is effective October 11, 2023.
| Pass Type | New Purchase | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Incredi-Pass | $1,449 ($50 increase) | $1,229 |
| Sorcerer Pass | $999 ($30 increase) | $849 |
| Pirate Pass | $799 ($50 increase) | $679 |
| Pixie Dust Pass | $439 ($40 increase) | $369 |
Of the price increase, a Disney spokesperson said “We are constantly adding new, innovative attractions and entertainment to our parks and, with our broad array of pricing options, the value of a theme park visit is reflected in the unique experiences that only Disney can offer.”
Parking rate increase
One final note: Effective October 11, 2023, standard theme park parking increases by $5, to $30.
