Disney World temporarily suspends sales of new annual passes

Walt Disney World has stopped selling most new annual passes to its theme parks. The temporary change was posted on the company’s website late Sunday night.

Sales of its three most expensive annual passes — Disney Pirate Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass and Disney Incredi-Pass — are “currently paused,” the website says.

Only the Disney Pixie Dust Pass, designed for Florida residents and valid only on weekdays, remains available for new sales at this time.

The three paused passes are still listed on the site but with notations that read “currently unavailable.”

The change occurs as Thanksgiving week begins, the December holidays approach and travel restrictions into the United States have been eased.

Current annual passholders can still renew their passes within 30 days of their expiration, the site says.

“I really think that by what they’re doing, it’s certainly going to help revenues, there’s no question about that. But I really think the guests benefit too, by controlling the crowds,” Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, said Monday.

No end date was given for the pause. “We will continue to evaluate the return of new sales for these passes,” the site says.

But Speigel said he would be surprised if annual passes remained in their most recent form.

“The pass programs have really gotten out of control, quite frankly. They’re out of control in the industry as a whole, and that goes for the regional parks too,” he said.

The company recently introduced Disney Genie, a day-planning service, at the four Walt Disney World theme parks. One of its features allows guests to pay for quicker access to rides and attractions.

“I really do believe that the consumer ultimately benefits once everything comes into play and all these new programs that they’re instituting start working together,” Speigel said. “It’ll take a couple of years for people to understand them, but it’s a positive step for Disney and the guest in our industry.”

Earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said a third of Disney World park guests have been buying the $15 upgrade, which debuted Oct. 19. Guest spending increased 30% at the Disney’s theme parks in the fourth quarter compared with 2019, chief financial officer Christine McCarthy said in an earnings call with shareholders.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products’ fiscal year-end revenue for 2021 was nearly half a billion dollars less than 2020’s. The division brought in $16.5 billion in revenue this year compared with $17 billion in 2020, documents show.

Disney World suspended sales of new annual passes during its four-month shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. At the time, some experts told the Sentinel that pass sales might not return until early ’22.

But Disney resumed the sales in September 2021 with new prices, restrictions and names, ditching the previous silver-gold-platinum names for annual pass levels. The new sales were in place before the beginning of the resort’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Oct. 1.

In August, when the new passes were announced, the official Disney Park Blog posted that passes might be made unavailable again “as we continue to manage attendance to provide a great experience for everyone.”

Another pandemic-prompted change, which requires date-specific, park-specific reservations, remains in effect.