It’s been over 4 decades since Walt Disney World introduced Annual Passes, and yet a major perk of the program is STILL missing from the resort.
Annual Passholder
Walt Disney World first introduced the Annual Pass — then known by the full “Annual Passport” name — ticket options back in September of 1982. These passes — part of the company’s overall transition from general admission tickets and ticket books to “all-in” tickets, which covered park entry and ride access — initially offered a year of entry to the Magic Kingdom and the then-brand-new EPCOT Center for $100 for adults, $93 for juniors (yes, there was a “pre-teen” category for tickets back then), and $80 for children (3-11). Suffice to say, over the years, prices have gone up, but so have the number of perks available to APs. However, one popular benefit available at the Disneyland Resort has yet to make it over to the East Coast in the 30+ years I’ve been visiting “The Most Magical Place on Earth.”
Walt Disney World does not offer exclusive Annual Passholder Lounges as a regular feature at the resort. There have been some offered during festivals, but none on a permanent basis. There ARE exclusive lounges available for Disney Vacation Club Members as well as exclusive meet & greet opportunities for Disney Visa Cardholders, but not for APs.
McKim’s Mile House is the new DVC lounge in Magic Kingdom
The Disneyland Resort stands in contrast, as the resort’s Magic Key program — Disneyland’s equivalent of Annual Passes — offers the Magic Key Terrace. This “special dining lounge created just for Magic Key holders and their guests “ is a place where Key Holders can enjoy signature drinks, flavorful meals, and scenic views from above the Golden Vine Winery in Disney’s California Adventure.
Disney
Of course, even without Annual Passholder Lounges, there still plenty of perks available for Disney World APs, including:
- Standard Theme Park Parking is included.
- Park Hopping (the ability to visit more than one park per day) is included.
- Discounts of up to 20% on select dining, merchandise, and activities (such as select tours, recreation options, and spa treatments). Annual Passholders are required to show a form of identification along with the portion of the My Disney Experience app that shows they are an Annual Passholder (instead of their physical Passholder card) in order to receive these discounts.
- Access to V.I.Passholder Support at (407) WDW-PASS or (407) 939-7277 from 7AM – 11PM EST or online.
- Exclusive merchandise for Passholders, such as Passholder-exclusive MagicBands and Passholder-exclusive items at EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals. (You can see ALL of the exclusive merchandise that is available ONLINE here!)
- Passholders who have connected their My Disney Experience account with their Annual Pass will get a unique color and sound sequence when using their MagicBands to enter the parks!
- Each Disney World theme park often has an exclusive dedicated entrance for Annual Passholders!
- Passholders are eligible for “Good-to-Go” days which do not require a Park Pass reservation, and do not count against your Park Pass reservation allotment. Disney notes that “the theme park reservation calendar will be updated periodically and will show Passholders select days when they may visit a Disney World theme park without needing a theme park reservation.”
- Savings on tickets for seasonal events, including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and Jollywood Nights.
AP Magnet
Disney World Annual Passholders have access to a litany of perks at Walt Disney World, but Annual Passholder Lounges have never been one of them. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Walt Disney World.
Disney Needs New Visa Cardholder Perks
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Are you an AP? Do you wish there was a dedicated AP lounge area at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments below.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I do wish that there was a dedicated AP lounge at WDW, but I do wonder what they would take away or potentially not re-open (looking at you, Restaurant Marrakesh) in order to provide one. Although, if they kept Restaurant Marrakesh as beautiful as it has been, I could live with even that.
A very interesting dining experience. I miss it, the food was authentic. The closest I will ever get to anyplace outside the U.S.. that is what I liked about Epcot. I could travel the world at my leisure. Now it is nothing but a food and drink worlds fair.
When they tried that in Morocco a couple of years back it was a disaster when we were there. There was no organization or cast members to limit the people as they do at the DVC lounges. I think there are many more passholders than DVC members.