Disney World rolls out monthly payment plan for annual passes
Featured, Jason Garcia, News — By Jason Garcia on June 25, 2010 at 8:45 am
Walt Disney World began selling annual passes Friday that can be paid for in monthly installments — a tactic long-used by its local theme-park rivals and one credited with helping Disneyland sign up record numbers of passholders in California.
The new Disney World payment option is available to Florida residents who purchase new annual passes, which range in price from $148 for limited “Epcot After 4” passes to $521 for “premium” passes with unlimited admission to Disney’s theme parks, water parks and other venues. Disney says it will extend the installment option to existing passholders looking to renew later this year.
Disney had for years avoided installment payments, in part because executives thought it might devalue the company’s brand — and its ability to command premium prices. But Disney’s attitude has shifted in recent years, and it is increasingly emphasizing affordability with initiatives such as the “Magic Your Way” tiered ticket prices and the deep hotel discounts used to sustain attendance during the global recession.
The company has offered monthly payment options at its Anaheim, Calif., resort since December 2008, and officials there say it has proven enormously popular. Disneyland, which has a much larger local population base in Southern California, has reportedly signed up more than 1 million annual passholders, while Disney World is said to have approximately 300,000.
Disney World executives are “learning a lot from their West Coast brethren,” said Al Lutz, editor of MiceAge.com, a news website devoted to Disney theme parks.
A Disney World spokesman said the resort decided to introduce monthly-payment options “in response to specific guest feedback.”
“We continuously evaluate our annual pass offerings to ensure a variety of choices. We adapt our offerings based on changing guest feedback over time,” spokesman Bryan Malenius said.
Orlando’s other major theme parks have offered similar products for years. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment pioneered the idea in 2001 when it rolled out its “EZ Pay” option for passes to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, billing the price as “less than the cost of a pizza each month.”
Universal Orlando, meanwhile, rolled out its “FlexPay” system in November 2003. “FlexPay is very popular. Passholders like the ability to realize immediate benefits while spreading the cost through the year,” Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said.
Disney, like Universal, will require buyers to make a down payment. Universal charges $70.99, while Disney will charge the equivalent of a one-day, one-park ticket, currently $79. Monthly payments are then automatically charged to a credit or debit card.
None of the parks charges higher prices or financing fees for customers who opt to pay monthly. The goal is to expand the pool of potential pass buyers to include people who may not be able to stomach the entire up-front cost.
Universal, for instance, credits the approach in its regulatory filings with “increasing our base of annual ticket holders.”
Disney World had been considering a monthly payment program for several years, but the process of implementing one was thought to be too cumbersome as the resort worked through the logistics of setting up what essentially is a subscription system. Still, Disney began informing vendors recently that it was finally prepared to start.
Disney said the installment option is currently available only online for new Florida-resident passes. It will add the option at theme-park ticket windows — where many annual passes are sold — later this summer.
In adopting the installment strategy now, Disney could be aiming to insulate its in-state customer base in the face of increased competition from Universal and its new Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the Islands of Adventure theme park. The option should also help ensure a more consistent passholder base, since annual-pass customers now often let their tickets lapse for a year or two before restarting them.
Analysts say the decision also likely reflects the thriftier spending environment all businesses now face during what is a still-fragile economic recovery.
Passholders “may have said, ‘I can stretch it for a year or two,’ but now we’re going into the third year” of a weak economy, said Chad Emerson, an author who was written a book about Disney World. “It’s a tough economy. Annual passes have good values, but they are a larger upfront cost than a single-day ticket.”
Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
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61 Comments
This is great news! This is our second year as passholders and even with the AAA discount, it’s hard to save up almost $400 in one lump sum to put down for a pass. It’ll be really nice to have the monthly payment option so we can continue being passholders.
Wait till you get the bill and see the interest rates that Diney plans to charge. It will soar the final bill to 30% higher.
This is not a free ride that Disney is proposing. So you better save your money a little at a time and pay your self at your bank.
You are incorrect. There are no additional fees or interest.
NO FREE RIDES at Disney!
Can you read, fixitbubba? It doesn’t look like it to me.
Wrong again Bubba.
In 2008 military members both active, reserves and retired got 5 days free in the parks and huge discounts for their family members.
In 2009 millions of people received a free day in the park on their birthday.
In 2010 over a million people got a free day in the park because they voluteered.
There is also free dining.
So Bubba. It looks like you do not know very much about Disney at all.
There always has to be one crazy that thinks they know what they are talking about and ends up embarrassing themselves because they do not check the facts before posting.
Quote from paragraph 11:
“None of the parks charges higher prices or financing fees for customers who opt to pay monthly. The goal is to expand the pool of potential pass buyers to include people who may not be able to stomach the entire up-front cost.”
Finally! Disney has wised up and gotten on the band wagon. In today’s economy, they are stupid not to allow everyone to come to the parks.
This is the best new yet. Every year it’s been killing me to fork out the $1200 lump sum for the family. This will make it much easier on our budget.
Well it’s about time, I’m an annual passholder at Universal specifically because of this option. As a Florida resident in Orlando, it’s nice to have the option to just randomly hit up the park for a hulk ride or a visit to hogsmeade. I normally buy something there anyway and that’s money that you can’t get if I have to drop nearly a k down for 2 annual passes. Universal got it right and I am glad to see Disney waking up. It doesn’t cheapen the brand if locals have a payment plan, that’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Absolutely right its about time! I have had the Universal Annual pass and Sea World Aquatica annual passes because they had the option available. Disney should have woken up about this a long time ago. It is just good business to have more options for bringing families into the park.
Wow…..A great idea…This give people a GREAT chance to become Florida annual passholders…Thank you Disney (were already passholders)
Now this is very cool! We’ve been Universal passholders for several years, and we love just popping over for a couple of hours to see a few things. We’d love to do the same for Disney–we like many of their in-part dining venues–but coming up with the whole thing at once is tough for us.
Also, when out-of-town friends come to Disney, I can go with them now. It seems like friends are always coming down this way, for Disney of course, and I can’t just go dropping $80 each time to experience the park with them.
We were going to become Unviersal passholders this year for HP and because Disney didn’t offer payment plans. Now we will gladly and happily becomes Disney pass holders and not Universal. Good job Disney, it’s about time!!!
Yeah, ‘cuz you don’t want to miss all that new Disney content…oh, wait, they haven’t really spent anything in a few years, except to rehash that electrical parade.
Folks, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Disney (like all smart companies) does things because it makes more profit. Until now, this idea was not something they needed to do. With the economy and Harry Potter cutting into their business, they’ve had to add things like 4 days for $99 (which is much better than an annual pass for value) and this annual pass payment plan.
Disney is in process of a major expansion at the Magic Kingdom. Along with the Electrical Parade, they’ve added new fireworks, new Hall of Presidents, and new stage shows just at the Magic Kingdom. THere’s also new shows at the Hollywood Studios, and their new attraction, Toy Story Mania. Epcot has an ever changing Food and Wine Festival & Flower and Garden Festival. There’s always something new somewhere at Walt Disney World.
And how you figure 4 days/$99.00 is a better value than an entire year for $370 is beyond me. Try doing the math….
BECAUSE…we bought the 4 day pass and it was hard to use it in the four months we had it. You just can’t afford to go to WDW every weekend. The food cost is ridiculous and the crowds get annoying. Besides, the cost of gas to get there and then park and walk….I would rather go to Sea World and watch the Killer Whales (literally).
folks pay to eat at the food and whine fests, so they bring in cash there.
Toy Story is a few years old now After 30 years of any non-expansion, Disney could have saved enough to do it anyways.
Duh, isn’t that why most businesses do things. They have never pretended to be a non profit organization.
Wow. This is cool. We were passholders for several years until Disney raised the prices so high that it put being a passholder out of our reach. We just could not do a lump sum payment that big.
I am a 2nd yr passholder because of the birthday and the give a day promo. Next yr, without that promo, I’d probably skip a pass and stick with Busch Gardens. Now I might renew again, although maybe the seasonal weekday instead of the plain seasonal I have…
Now they need lower the price to be competitive. I have passes for Universal/Islands of Adventure as well as Sea World/Busch Gardens.
I can go to all 4 non-Disney parkes for less than Disney’s pass and I won’t find my line wait times as long.
Why should they be more competitive, i.e. cheaper?
If you don’t stand in the same long lines at the non-Disney parks its because they are less popular and they have to lower prices to get you to come.
Disney still packs them in with the prices they have now so why should they be cheaper?
Add the price of all 4 of your non disney passes and compare them to the price of a Disney pass, and you’ll see the Disney pass is still a better value.
You wont see the prices going down. Nice thought though.
Yeah, you’ll pay less money at other theme parks.
But you won’t be at Disney. So why bother trying to make the comparison?
Had to stop being an annual pass holder because I could not afford the $1000 at one shot. Just bought Universal passes, though, because we miss being able to head out to the attractions for a few hours at will. Probably will get Disney passes now, too so we can get OUT of the house… Good move
We were not able to pay the Seasonal Passes back in 2008-2009, after 4 years in a row of having them, and we became Sea World pass holders for this very option. Now, let’s get back into the Disney Parks since it makes it workable into our budget.
Good job Disney. About time!!
What has been helpful for me to be able to purchase two annual passes at once is saving $27 every two weeks and putting it aside so that when it’s time to renew, I don’t have to worry about how I am supposed to dig up the cost to purchase 2 passes…I already have the money saved.
I’m not trying to say I’m better than anyone, I’ve just found that budgeting has helped me out in being able to afford things that I maybe wouldn’t be able to afford if I had to purchase it all at once.
Great point Bobby – people could learn from the conccept of budgeting, especially those that have had passes multiple years. Disney had to creat a plan for the non-planners (like the other companies did) – sad, really.
Here here!!
This is GREAT we will upgrade from the weekday pass to a full annual pass when available. For the 4 of us regular premium tickets are over $2,000 up front.
Great..now everyone can go into more credit card debt paying off Disney passes!
Smart people would have it come out of their debit account so they don’t go in to debt.
As with any purchase, if you cant afford it, dont buy it.
This is great…but, this mean longer lines in Disney. They are going to have to create son new atractions to expand the park…It’s really to crowded –9omin to get on a ride.
They are expanding. The Magic Kingdom is under it’s largest expansion ever!
Wow, you must work for Disney. Can you try to suck up any more?
Stop replying here, it’s getting disgusting.
You’re a clown.
have been a pass holder since the park opened i am a chatter member
i think the payment plan is LONG over due !!!!
i think this will let a lot more people get year round passes
thankyou
Well this is better but still does not help me. Must be nice people can fork out even $79.00 a month payments. when they get it down to $40.00 for a two park pass for residents, let me know..Some of us have to work for a living..
Actually it’s not $79 a month… that would be insane. You pay $79 up front then split the remainder over the next 11 months.
So lets say the pass you want is $400. You pay $79 up front, and pay the rest of the $321 over the next 11 months, meaning $29 a month. VERY affordable.
You Disney bashers make no sense. Please move to another site and disrupt someone else’s fun. You complain about how long the lines are at Disney and then in the next breath, you want them to lower ticket prices. That will surely make the lines smaller. Go to Universal or Sea World and have no line wait. Why? Cause they don’t have the stuff people want like Disney. If they did, their lines would be long too. Disney has the best rides, parks, transportation etc because the charge a little more. I’d rather pay a little more and have nice then to pay less and have junk. I’m from PA and am a season ticket holder and spend a lot of money coming down to Disney. But it’s worth every penny. If it wasn’t…. I wouldn’t do it. Thank you Disney for all you do…
I like all the parks – some more than others. You seem to only like Disney and wish to bash the other parks? (e.g. “have junk”) I like to compare Disney to their competition…and they have found they need to create pricing incentives to maintain their overall profitability (pay 4 days, get 7…4 for $99…give a day, get a day…etc.)
James. Actually I didn’t mean “they” had junk, I meant if Disney would charge less they may not be able to afford the high standards they have and things may go downhill at Disney World I will admit that I did sound a little “bashing” of the other parks but was not intentional.
Yes, Thank you Jeff C ! I was so excited to see this option now available – and it’s such a downer to read all these Disney bashing whiners.
We could care less if they ever changed anything at Disney. Yes, of course it’s a business, and we support it wholeheartedly!
the down side,,,Disney spreads payments over 12 months,,,Universal over 11 The better deal to me is Universal
Money is money. They should have done this sooner.
Financing for entertainment or spending money for what you don’t need or have. Great plan if you are an idiot. Good luck retiring. Look forward to sitting under a tree at Lake Eola and singing small world and remember all that money you wasted at Disney.
Don’t people realize there is a real ocean 45 minutes away?
Don’t you realize that there are things at Disney that aren’t at the ocean?
Love the postings – very entertaining!! LOL!!!!
I have a family of four. We purchased the disney payment plan premium annual pass for each member today. It was 84 down each and the first monthly payment comes tomorrow of 36 so around 120 startup then 36 after per month per person.Compare that to 2,080.oo lump sum up front for annual passes for family of four.Thats steep to some working class families.Read below why I thought it was a good option for my specific family.
This pass entitles us to no blackout date like some of the other Annual pass options, free parking which is 14.oo for each park normally, unlimited 365 day access and unlimited park and waterpark hopping.
Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood studios, Epcot, Disneyquest interactive theme park/arcade, both waterparks ,Disneys Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are all included! There is a 20 percent discount on merchandise at some stores in the parks and 10-20 discounts on food and drinks at some of the parks and downtown disney . There is 15 percent off backstage tours at Magic Kingdom and Epcot,Fort Wilderness and Animal Kingdom backstage safari. There is 50 percent discount on Disney Fantasia mini golf, and 50 percent discount to Disneys winter summerland mini golf for passholder and up to three guests. There is 10 percent discount to bass nitro fishing. There is 10 percent off guided bass fishing ,15 percent marina boat rentals, 30 percent off Disney golf for passholders and up to three guests.free entrance to espn world of sports events ,Disney resort discounts up to 42 percent,25.00 off Tables in Wonderland membership, 20 percent off Alamo car rental,10 off select Disney spa treatments, 2.00 off Pleasure island Amc movie tickets, and much more.
This was an appreciated and affordable option for a family who loves Disney and other outings. Consider which pass is the affordable option that meets your needs, desires to go,frequency you can go and take those into consideration. If your not into theme parks, dont buy it.If you only want to go to Waterparks or Epcot then buy a specific pass for that.
The only problem that I have is this option is not available to renew your annual pass. I hope that they extend this offer to their customers that already have passes.
Hooray-Finally!!!! Just went online & got my tickets. Been waiting for this FOREVER!! Prices are rasonable with no hidden fees!
This is great! Great for Florida residents!
How about a lay-a-way plan for other states so they can pay monthly leading up to a family vacation?
I’m in Texas and would gladly move back to Florida just specifically for this option!! I love Disney and I would love to be able to get a year of passes for my family and when and if I move back I can now do it without worrying about the costs of the tickets..
For the bashers: go some place us while the rest of us enjoy the fact that we can be able to go to any of the parks and have fun!!
For those of you that don’t understand interest. If you use your credit card…you pay interest. Unless you have a magical card or a really really nice bank or pay if off monthly in some cases.
I realize this is a good thing that Disney is offering, but when it comes to any purchase you can just save the monthly amount before purchasing and then purchase the pass in one lump sum. I guess people don’t have the dedication to save the amount monthly as opposed to paying on a monthly basis.
It is so funny to see the anti-disney posts replied to and defended by the disney-plants. I wish that the post showed the IP address or the location like some do, it would be funny to see Lake Buena Vista show up so often. Disney must have a whole little army of minions defending their “honor”. They should spend less on defending their public image and do more to improve it…
I don’t believe that the people defending Disney are plants, I believe that they are genuine people who happen to like Disney and really like what Disney announced for Florida residents.