I need help. Cast Member or Expert.

[pranker51502]

I bought an annual pass last year in November. I was just messing around the WDW website and checked to see how much it would be to renew my pass. It says 400 and whatever dollars. I thought that after every year you renew them you get a discount. I just wanted to know if it will cost me the 400 or will i get a discount because i already had a pass for this year.

[disneydame2004]

Hate to break it to you, but over $400 IS the discounted price for an AP renewal.

From MouseSavers.com, here are the latest AP prices (including tax):
First time Annual Pass purchase: $477.12 Adult (10+), $420.68 Child (3-9)
Renewal Annual Pass purchase: $434.52 Adult (10+), $383.40 Child (3-9)

[tizzo]

Hate to break it to you, but over $400 IS the discounted price for an AP renewal.

From MouseSavers.com, here are the latest AP prices (including tax):
First time Annual Pass purchase: $477.12 Adult (10+), $420.68 Child (3-9)
Renewal Annual Pass purchase: $434.52 Adult (10+), $383.40 Child (3-9)

That's odd. According to AAA South's web site, retail price of a FL Resident Renewal Annual Passport, as of 8/5/07, is $304, with the AAA discounted price being $295.95 (eight bucks, woo-hoo!)

Perhaps this is a non-FL resident price? Does Disney let non-FL residents buy APs at a higher price? I was lead to believe that you couldn't even buy a WDW AP at all without showing proof of FL residency.

[04CP_ Nolan]

The prices are changing as well with the 6% increase per ticket. I haven't heard anything about the new AP ticket prices since the increase was announced.

[tizzo]

The prices are changing as well with the 6% increase per ticket. I haven't heard anything about the new AP ticket prices since the increase was announced.

I think the numbers I cited are post-increase. I base this in part on the fact that AAA's site says that prices are "as of 8/5/07", but mainly (since these days you really can't believe everything you read) because when I renewed mine just a couple of weeks ago, I paid less than what they're showing right now.

In any case, a price over $400 would reflect about a 35% increase -- and I think something like that would have gotten rather more attention from the press, especially here, than Disney's announcement has received.

[disneydame2004]

The original poster said "Annual Pass" and those are the prices for a normal Walt Disney World Annual Pass. I didn't notice that Pranker51502 was a Florida resident. There are different types of tickets available for Florida residents, including a Florida Resident annual pass, a seasonal pass, even an "after 4 p.m." pass. Prices and types are available at the bottom of this page: Ticket Price Comparison Chart I am not sure all the prices have been updated for all types of passes, though.


And yes, the prices I posted were post-increase.

[tizzo]

The original poster probably made the same mistake I did, assumed that all APs were FL resident APs, and therefore omitted that particular qualification in his query. that's also probably how he got confused in the first place. I'm sure that Disney has run advertising or said or done something in the past that gave the impression that only FL residents can buy APs. Or perhaps it is an old restriction that has recently been lifted.

In any case, I hope we've managed to put his mind at ease. I know when I read your response to him, my heart skipped a beat or two at the prospect of such a huge increase on my renewal price next year (which basically would have made this my last year).

Anyway, pranker, hope this clears things up. If you are a FL resident, your renewal will run you a little over $300 (plus tax). The somewhat higher numbers you found on Disney's web site were for non-resident AP renewals. Disney will send you snail mail well ahead of your expiration date notifying you of your pass expiration, and detailing renewal options and prices. While there are discounts to be found, they are very small. AAA's discount on AP renewals last year was $11. This year it is only $8.

If you're in the military, a military civil servant, or possibly a defense contractor, there may be other discounts available, check with MWR. As a contractor, I used to be able to do things like rent recreational equipment at MWR, but I don't know if they'd have let me use any discount programs they might have had. But I think all civilians had the same access as service personnel (although this was many years ago). Likewise, some local employers have arranged for discounts at Disney (my brother-in-law was able to get a little bit better of a discount through his employer out at Kennedy Space Center than we did at AAA), so ask at work. But don't expect any "magic" (forgive the pun), any discounts I've ever heard of have been quite small.

[mritty]

TDisney will send you snail mail well ahead of your expiration date notifying you of your pass expiration, and detailing renewal options and prices.

Don't depend on that. My AP expired in May of this year, and I never heard a peep from Disney, via snail mail or otherwise. Take it to the gate and renew it, or else call them to find out how to renew other than in-person.

[tizzo]

Don't depend on that. My AP expired in May of this year, and I never heard a peep from Disney, via snail mail or otherwise. Take it to the gate and renew it, or else call them to find out how to renew other than in-person.

Good point - especially if you move. When we moved, we didn't get anything in the mail from Disney until after we renewed our passes.

Another option is on the web site. If you go to Walt Disney World Resort - Detecting Browser Properties . . ., there is a link for Passholders near the top. Clicking on that brings you to a login page where you enter the information printed on the back of your pass. When you enter that information, you get a semi-personalized page showing things like when your pass expires. When it's time to renew, there should be a link there taking you to a page where you can renew online. I would assume that this page would already know everything about renewal, such as your name and address, type of pass, and price, but I can't say for sure because I've never used it (we get ours from AAA for the $8 discount, so we always renew there in person).