Disney World May Finally Restore 2019-Style Annual Passes — Here’s What’s Changing

Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World are seeing changes again; this time, it’s in their favor. While an Annual Pass has always been a major investment, the perks, savings, and flexibility it offers can more than make up for the cost. Now, with Disney’s latest updates, the program feels closer to how it used to be before reservations took over.

Four Levels of Access

Disney currently offers four different tiers of Annual Passes, but only one—the Incredi-Pass—is available to everyone. The other three are reserved for Florida residents, and the Sorcerer Pass is also available to Disney Vacation Club members, no matter where they live.

Here’s the current lineup:

• Incredi-Pass – $1,449, open to all guests, no blockout dates.

• Sorcerer Pass – $1,049, Florida residents and DVC members only, blocked out during major holiday weeks.

• Pirate Pass – $799, Florida residents only, blocked on select weekends and holidays.

• Pixie Dust Pass – $439, Florida residents only, blocked on most weekends and all major holidays.

For Florida locals, these passes can pay for themselves quickly. Without one, a single-day park ticket can cost close to $200 during peak seasons. That means just a few trips a year can cover the price—especially when you factor in the extra perks.

Why Passholders See the Value

Every Annual Pass tier includes free standard parking, saving frequent visitors hundreds of dollars. Passholders also enjoy discounts on select food, snacks, and merchandise, making those extra purchases more affordable. The ability to hop between parks on the same day without paying more is a huge plus, especially if you want to take advantage of shorter wait times or catch a show in another park.

In addition, passholders often get first access to limited-time event tickets, sneak previews of new attractions before they open to the public, and exclusive merchandise drops that can’t be found anywhere else. The Incredi-Pass offers total freedom to visit whenever you want, while the other tiers still deliver solid value for guests who don’t need peak holiday access.

From Open Access to Reservations

Before 2020, having an Annual Pass meant you could enter any park on any valid day without a second thought. Locals could decide mid-afternoon to grab dinner in EPCOT or spend an hour riding a favorite attraction. That spontaneity was part of what made the pass so appealing.

Then came the Park Pass reservation system. Suddenly, every park, every day, required a reservation—yes, even for passholders. There were also limits on how many active reservations you could hold at once unless you were staying at a Disney Resort hotel.

The First Loosening of Rules

Disney eventually softened the restrictions, allowing passholders to enter any park after 2 p.m. without a reservation—except for Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays, which still required booking in advance. This was a step in the right direction, but mornings and weekend visits to Magic Kingdom remained locked behind the reservation system.

Enter: Good To Go Days

Now, Disney has introduced Good To Go Days, and they’re a game-changer. On these select dates, Annual Passholders can enter any park without a reservation—even before 2 p.m. It’s the closest the program has been to its pre-2020 form.

So far, only three Good To Go Days have been announced: August 3rd, 4th, and 7th. The list is short, but it’s a start. Passholders are hopeful this is the first step toward eliminating reservations.

Parades Without Reservations

Another welcome change is the removal of parade-related restrictions for the Disney Starlight Parade at Magic Kingdom. Passholders can now enjoy this nighttime event without securing a Park Pass reservation in advance.

The only major restriction is that Magic Kingdom still requires a reservation on Saturdays and Sundays. For EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, passholders can walk in freely after 2 p.m. every day of the week.

What a No-Reservation Future Could Mean

If Disney removes reservations entirely for Annual Passholders, it would be the most significant shift since 2019. Locals could return to making spur-of-the-moment trips after work or on free weekends. Out-of-state passholders could plan vacations without worrying about their chosen parks being available.

It might also convince more guests to buy Annual Passes. The reservation system has been a sticking point for some potential buyers who miss the old “show up and go” model.

Remembering the Old Annual Pass System

Before reservations, the only limitation was whether your pass had a blockout date. If it didn’t, you were good to go. That ease of access was one of the biggest selling points; many passholders want to see it return.

Crowd control would still need to be managed, especially during holidays and peak seasons, but that could be done with targeted pricing, special event tickets, or other methods.

Perfect Timing

Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe has been a massive draw for theme park fans, and its passholders don’t face daily reservations. If Disney wants to keep pace, making APs more flexible is smart.

Passholders are more than just frequent visitors—they’re consistent spenders. They eat in the parks, shop for exclusive merchandise, and often bring family and friends who buy their own tickets. They’re also some of the most vocal fans online, sharing their visits and encouraging others to come.

The Momentum Is Building

With Good To Go Days offering actual no-reservation visits, parade restrictions gone, and only Magic Kingdom weekends still requiring booking, Disney’s Annual Pass program is closer to the pre-2020 setup than we’ve seen in years.

If Disney takes the final step and drops reservations entirely, it would not only please existing passholders but could also attract a wave of new ones—just in time to compete with other major theme park expansions happening in Florida.

Why Fans Are Watching

Every change so far has been a small step toward more freedom. The question is how far Disney will go. Will Good To Go Days continue to grow until they cover most of the calendar? Will weekend restrictions at Magic Kingdom eventually disappear?

Passholders have reason to be optimistic. For now, the flexibility is better than it’s been in years, and the program’s value is only increasing. If Disney fully restores the old system, it could be the most popular decision they’ve made for APs in over a decade.