A new type of annual pass for Walt Disney World, the Theme Park Select Pass, is now available for Florida residents who are willing to forego visiting certain Disney parks during busier days of the week.
The price of the new pass is $439, the same as the park’s current Silver Pass. The key difference is while the Silver Pass blocks out big chunks of Disney World’s busy seasons — such as spring break, Christmas and New Year’s holidays and nearly two months of the summer — the new pass will block out specific parks at Disney World rather than the entire resort.
“This pass gives you the chance to enjoy at least 325 days of access at select theme parks, and at least 175 days of access to all 4 theme parks throughout the year,” Disney said in its news release. “Plus, from time to time, we will assess and may lift blackout dates to provide additional access.”
While the blackout dates for specific parks are subject to change (being provided up to 13 months in advance on the Disney World site), for now, the pass won’t allow access to the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays throughout the year or to Epcot on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during that park’s popular Food and Wine Festival.
This is the first time a Disney World annual pass has offered park-specific blackout dates, but the move was telegraphed by a change to passes at the Disneyland Resort in California announced in June. Passholders for that resort — which draws more locals than out-of-town vacation guests compared to Disney World — will be blocked out of Disneyland Park for more days starting June 2019 when the West Coast version of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens. They will, however, be able to visit the neighboring Disney California Adventure on those dates.
Along with the Theme Park Select Pass, Florida residents can buy pay for additional access to Disney World parks for the rest of the summer blackout dates. For an additional $89, residents with existing Weekday Select or Silver passes (as well as the new Theme Park Select Pass) can get access to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom through Aug. 9.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios isn’t included, as the park is seeing bigger crowds for the recently opened Toy Story Land.
This will just be the beginning of ticket changes for annual passholders and other guests to Walt Disney World. The company said earlier this year it plans on introducing seasonal pricing to multiday Disney World tickets in the near future.