Disney Has Not Resumed Annual Pass Sales
On Tuesday morning, June 28th, the official Walt Disney World website suffered a technical glitch that wreaked havoc on cast members.
In today’s update, I’ll explain what happened and why it doesn’t impact you.
Oops
Word spread like wildfire on social media Tuesday. Attentive Disney fans noticed that two Walt Disney World annual passes were on sale again.
Many of the would-be customers quickly added the annual passes to their carts and tried unsuccessfully to complete the transactions.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the transactions were completed, although I suppose it’s possible that a few went through. Disney’s tech seems to be one giant system of competing glitches.
However, the bigger story here is that it shouldn’t have happened at all. Disney never intended for annual pass sales to return on Tuesday.
Simply stated, Disney made a massive mistake. For roughly 30 minutes, the Pirate Pass ($699) and Sorcerer Pass ($899) were available.
Yes, the Sorcerer Pass is the one available to DVC members. If you were lucky enough to buy one on Tuesday, you’re my hero!
Once Disney recognized the mistake, it immediately shut down purchases again.
As several news sites have noted, annual passes remain unavailable for out-of-state guests.
So, as far as screwups go, this was a bad one. Unfortunately, if you heard that annual passes were available once more, that was technically true but entirely accidental.
Park Returns
Disney should have had an excellent week if not for this snafu. We’ve had several return engagements like Harmony Barber Shop at Magic Kingdom.
In a couple of months, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will also return to Main Street, U.S.A. In fact, it’ll reopen at Disneyland AND Magic Kingdom on August 25th.
Meanwhile, Minnie Vans are officially back in service across Walt Disney World. It’s the most stylish ride in Orlando!
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a massive inflatable Baymax is greeting guests outside the entrance gates.
Okay, he’s not really greeting inasmuch as standing there and looking fluffy. It’s still phenomenal, though. I’m a Baymax superfan.
Across the country at Disneyland Resort, park officials have rewarded official hotel guests with more amenities.
As of August 8th, Early Theme Park Entry arrives at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Qualifying guests can enter the parks 30 minutes early, a massive competitive advantage at Disneyland.
Disneyland will also bring back hotel package delivery. So you can have anything you buy at the parks delivered to the hotel the following day.
Walt Disney World hasn’t brought back this amenity yet, and it’s killing me.
Also, Oogie Boogie Bash tickets are now on sale for annual passholders. Everyone else can start acquiring admission tomorrow.
Disney also christened its newest cruise ship, the Disney Wish. You can watch a video of the livestream here:
I’ve got friends on board the ship right now, and they sound like they’re in awe of the place. For frequent Disney cruise guests, that’s high praise. It’s apparently more than worth the wait.
Other Disney News
We’ve got two other stories to discuss. One impacts you much more than the other.
Yes, for those of you who haven’t heard, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has earned a unanimous vote of approval from the Board of Directors.
Photo Courtesy of DisneyTouristBlog.com
Chapek is finalizing a contract extension that will carry his contract through February 2026.
While nothing is ever set in stone until pen meets paper, Chapek appears likely to run Disney for several more years.
On the plus side, Shanghai Disneyland will have reopened by the time you read this. The park had closed in March due to another COVID-19 outbreak.
With Shanghai’s return, all six Disney theme parks worldwide are operational again.
Let’s hope everything stays that way for a long time to come. We’ve all had enough of that constant opening/closing nonsense, right?
Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.
Comments