Hours after wrapping up its annual D23 fan conference, where it revved up its fan base with sneak peeks into the future of its theme parks, Disney is now facing frustration and anger from those same fans.
Walt Disney World abruptly paused purchases of most new annual passes late Sunday. The most expensive options—Disney Pirate Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass and Disney Incredi-Pass—remain unavailable Monday with no end-date given for the cessation. Only the Disney Pixie Dust Pass, which is only available to Florida residents (and valid only on weekdays) is currently available.
The pause comes as the busy holiday season begins and many fans have been considering buying one as a gift to their family. And many of those would-be parkgoers took to social media to comment, and vent, about the move.
“I’ve planned my entire next years worth of vacation to make an [annual pass] worth it,” wrote one user on Reddit.
The pause on annual ticket sales comes just two months after Disney World reopened sales of the passes after discontinuing sales at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The new passes were already the source of some fan grumbling, as popular perks like free access to the company’s PhotoPass service (which includes ride photos and pictures taken by park photographers) were converted to paid add-ons.
The park, which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, has made several changes in recent months, including charging fans to skip the line. Next March, it plans to open Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser, a Star Wars–themed hotel and immersive experience that will come with premium prices.
Current annual passholders are still able to renew their passes within 30 days of their expiration.
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