Hi Jaynee,
Welcome back! I love to see that you are doing your resEARch! You are exactly right that there are
multiple options for joining the Annual Passholder family. The Disney Platinum Plus Pass and the Disney Platinum Pass are the two options available to ALL Guests, and the major difference between those two is that the "Plus" portion allows entrance to the Disney water parks, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course. There are no blackout dates for either of those options.
For Guests who are Disney Vacation Club members or Florida residents, there's a whole new world out there when it comes to Annual Passholder options. The Disney Gold Pass is available to both Disney Vacation Club Members and Florida Residents, includes admission only to the four theme parks, and does have some blackout dates. The Disney Silver Pass is similar to the Disney Gold Pass except that it has additional blackout dates, including the peak summer season. That one is only available to Florida residents.
If you're looking at Annual Passholder options and are not a Disney Vacation Club member or Florida resident, I'd encourage you to consider whether you'd like access to the water parks and other fun options. The price difference between the Disney Platinum and the Disney Platinum Plus Passes is currently $100, so considering that a one-day pass to a water park for an adult is $65, it can be a pretty great deal to upgrade to the Disney Platinum Plus Pass if you think you'd visit the water parks a few times during the year. All of the other benefits, including standard theme park parking, complimentary MagicBands, Disney PhotoPass downloads, discounts, and perks are the same.
Thanks for visiting us again, Jaynee, and I hope that I've helped you as you're deciding what's best for your family!
Missy