There is a lot of confusion when it comes to renewing an Annual Pass, especially if it’s the first time. I thought I’d address some of the issues here.
At Walt Disney World, you can renew your Annual Pass up to 60 days before it expires, and 30 days after. There is a discount for renewing. Your expiration date will stay the same, just one year later. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use it for 11 months, the expiration date won’t change.
If you’re a Florida Resident and pay on a payment plan, your monthly rate will go up, even with the discount. Too many people forget that the original pass required a down payment. The renewal doesn’t. That’s absorbed into the cost of the pass. If you renew early, you will be charged from the date you signed the new contract. That means you could be charged twice in a month.
Another reminder for Florida Residents. If you decide to change your Annual Pass level when you renew, you’ll still be under the old level until the original pass expires. For example, if you have a Pixie Dust Pass and renew to Sorcerer Pass 60 days out, you don’t have 60 extra days of going on weekends. You’re still considered a Pixie Passholder until the end of your first contract.
If you renew your Annual Pass early, you’ll see two sets of Park Reservations online and in the My Disney Experience App. This isn’t a mistake. One set is for your current pass, and the second set is for the new pass. Check which set you’re using when you go to make a reservation.
Where should you renew? Many people like to renew in person, in case there are questions. Head to Guest Relations at the theme parks, or the Disney Ticket Center at Disney Springs. You can also call 407-560-PASS (407-560-7277) to renew. Calling will not work if you want the Florida Resident Payment Plan. You can also renew online, which is what I usually do. Use a computer, not the My Disney Experience App. That tends to be glitchy.
This isn’t related to renewals, but it needs to be mentioned. Can you cancel an Annual Pass for hardship? Probably not. If you haven’t used the pass, Disney might look at it case by case. If the pass has been used, you won’t be able to cancel, even if there’s illness or death. You can try, but don’t be upset when you’re turned down. An Annual Pass is a contract. If you bought a three day ticket but only used one day, would Disney refund the rest? Of course not. That’s the same way we need to think of Annual Passes.
One final note, and it’s an important one. Walt Disney World Annual Passes do not automatically renew. Many of the area theme parks have automatic renewals, but Disney doesn’t. You should receive at least one email ahead of time, but don’t count on it. If you want to renew, check the date on your ticket. It will also tell you in the My Disney Experience App when passes are up for renewal. Look under “My Tickets & Passes”. It will say there which, if any, passes are up for renewal.