
It has been a long time since Guests could purchase new Annual Passes for the Walt Disney World Resort, but sales are set to begin soon.
Renewals for current Disney Annual Passholders have been offered continuously, however, sales of new Annual Passes have been paused since the Walt Disney World Resort closed at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. For three years, the only exception that allowed some Guests to purchase new passes was limited tiers (with plenty of blockout dates) available for Florida residents only.
With new sales set to resume this week, Disney has confirmed that sales will at least open in the morning of April 20. And we’ve got some tips to help you prepare to purchase your new Annual Pass, too….
RELATED: What You Need to Know Before You Purchase a Walt Disney World Annual Pass
Walt Disney World will open up sales of new Annual Passes this Thursday, April 20, 2023. When the initial announcement was made that passes would go back on sale, Disney had not yet confirmed what time Guests will be able to purchase.
As such, there was plenty of speculation using the times that passes have gone on sale at Disneyland and Genie+ sale times as a basis for educated guesses. As of this morning, however, Disney has confirmed that new Annual Passes will be available “no earlier than 6:00 a.m.”
Disney’s latest update reads:
The Disney Incredi-Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass and Disney Pirate Pass will resume new sales and can be purchased online no earlier than 6:00 AM Eastern Time on April 20, 2023.
The quantity of passes will be limited and passes, or a pass type, may become unavailable for purchase at any time.
RELATED: Walt Disney World Updates Theme Park Reservation Process for Select Guests
Tips for Purchasing Your Annual Pass
In addition to our full guide to Disney Annual Passes, we have some tips to share for when 6:00 a.m. rolls around if you are hoping to purchase your pass this week.
First, sales open at 6:00 a.m. at the earliest, but we do not yet know what time in morning exactly. If you want to ensure that you buy your pass as soon as you are able to, we recommend getting on your computer (or smartphone) and logging into your account on DisneyWorld.com prior to 6:00. just to be safe.
RELATED: Will Disney Ever Bring Back This Annual Pass? Bob Iger Weighs In
Now, back to that virtual queue. When the virtual queue opens stay on the page. Do not refresh the window, and of course, do not close it out. Whenever Disney opens a waiting room system to purchase something online, Guests who leave the queue at any point will lose their spot. Even if you re-enter the queue while logged into your same account, you’ll end up at the end of the line.
Being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder is a wonderful experience, as even with the theme park reservation system, it offers more flexibility (and potentially a good value if you visit enough). Beyond admission to the theme parks, Annual Passholders enjoy merchandise and dining discounts, along with special offers for stays at Disney Resorts, and more.
You can find complete information on the tiers of passes that will be available Thursday on Disney’s official website. And, don’t forget to set your alarm!