Hello, Yomaira. Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. I've been an
Annual Passholder for several years now and absolutely love it. The perks like free parking at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks, complimentary Memory Maker throughout the year and discounts on food, stay and merchandise really makes the program worth the money it costs to join.
Before the shutdown last spring you absolutely could have purchased tickets and then applied them toward the price of an Annual Pass. However, since the reopening of Walt Disney World last year, the sale of new Annual Passes has been currently suspended. As of now, there have been no announcements made as to when the sale of new Annual Passes may resume. When that announcement does come, you'll be able to find all of the details on the Disney Parks Blog. I don't think the program is going anywhere though because Guests with current Annual Passes that are about to expire are being able to renew. Also, Guests that chose the option to be refunded for their Annual Pass instead of taking the extension on the expiration date last year are eligible on a case-by-case basis to purchase a new Annual Pass. Guests that have also turned the age of 3 since the reopening of Walt Disney World and now need valid theme park admission that have a parent with a valid Annual Pass are also able to purchase a new Annual Pass. As you can see, there are several groups of people who are currently able to purchase Annual Passes and I have to think that they will be opening up the sale of them to the general public pretty soon.
Until then, you have two options for tickets to visit Walt Disney World. You can purchase a
standard theme park ticket which allows you to enter one park per day. The other option is a standard theme park ticket with the
park hopper option which allows you to enter multiple Walt Disney World Theme Parks in one day. Once you've purchased your tickets, you'll need to link them to your MyDisneyExperience account so you can make a park pass reservation. The park pass reservation system is newer, starting back when the parks reopened and is a way to control the number of people visiting each park since the capacity restrictions are still lower than normal. It's basically a virtual placeholder in line and reserves your spot at the parks each day. You'll need to make sure you have a
park pass reservation made for each day you'd like to visit the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. If you end up going with the standard theme park tickets with the park hopper option, you do still need to make a park pass reservation for the first theme park you wish to visit each day. To "activate" your park hopper feature, you must scan in and enter the Walt Disney World Theme Park that you made your park pass reservations for first before continuing on to other theme parks. Park hopping hours are currently from 2:00 p.m. until each park closes and you do not need to make additional park pass reservations each day to hop.
Yomaira, I hope the sale of new Annual Passes resumes before your vacation in October. It really is a great program and I know you will enjoy a year of magic when you are able to join the family. Keep checking back because a lot can change between now and then. If you have any other questions before your trip, please feel free to come back and
ask me. I'm here to help!