Hello there, Deanne! Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question.
I can't think of a better gift for Christmas than a
Walt Disney World Annual Pass. I've been a passholder for several years now and absolutely love it! Some of my favorite perks include discounts on dining and merchandise, the use of the memory maker for the entire year and complimentary parking at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. Plus, being able to visit the Walt Disney World Theme Parks pretty much whenever I'd like throughout the year is pretty amazing in and of itself!
Deanne, when you purchase a Walt Disney World annual pass it does not become activated until the first time you actually go to the Walt Disney World theme parks. So you'd absolutely be able to purchase one around Christmastime and then not use it until April. Then, your pass would expire one year after the first usage date so you'd have until the next April to enjoy the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. When it's time to renew, you can do that 60 days prior or up to 30 days after the expiration date. I wanted to mention that, right now, the Annual Pass program does look a little different than it did before. Guests that are Annual Passholders still do need to make
park pass reservations to visit the Walt Disney World Theme Parks so it is a little bit harder to go at the drop of a hat. Visiting the theme parks, even as an Annual Passholder does take a little bit more planning than it did before.
As you know, the sale of new Annual Passes has been temporarily suspended. We have not yet received word as to when the sale of new Annual Passes will resume. When that announcement is made, we will be able to see it and all of the details over on the
Disney Parks Blog so be sure to keep an eye out over there. I personally don't think you will have to wait too much longer to purchase a new Annual Pass, Deanne. I've been hearing a lot of unofficial chatter that they may come back toward the end of the summer, which is really exciting.
I have my fingers crossed that you'll be able to join the Walt Disney World Annual Pass family very soon. If you have any other questions about the Annual Pass program or anything else, please feel free to
come back and ask me. I'm happy to help.
Have a magical day!