For out-of-state Disney World travelers who are not DVC members, the only Annual Pass option is the Incredi-Pass, which is $1,549 before tax. That’s a whole lot of money, even for frequent Disney World goers who know just how pricey a trip to The Most Magical Place On Earth can be.

With two upcoming trips this year and a combined 16 days — and maybe more, once plans are finalized — on WDW property, we thought finally springing for the Annual Pass would be worth it. But no matter how we crunched the numbers, comparing a realistic Disney vacation to the cost of the Incredi-Pass always came out in favor of “don’t buy it.”

So why did we ignore the calculator and buy it anyway? Read on to find out.

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Planning Is Super Easy

The biggest draw to the Incredi-Pass was how easy it makes the rest of vacation planning. With no blockout dates, we can use it whenever we want, so we don’t have to plan a Disney trip around Annual Pass availability.

Plus, being able to park-hop anywhere after 2 p.m. means we don’t have to (a) stay at one park all day long or (b) decide which park we’ll want to visit each vacation day far in advance.

We never buy Park Hopper tickets because the cost is so much higher than a single-park ticket, so knowing we can go to and from whatever parks we want, thanks to the Incredi-Pass, is a huge perk.

While you still have to make reservations for the parks you’ll be in prior to 2 p.m., that won’t be your one-and-only option that day. (For you fellow late-arrivers out there, you may not use that reservation at all, so it’s just a technicality.)

✨ Park-hopping is easier with the Monorail. Read our article What Are the Different Disney Monorail Options? to learn more about getting around Walt Disney World.

We’ll Go To the Parks Way More

As mentioned earlier, comparing the tickets we’d normally buy for our two vacations comes out to less money than the Incredi-Pass does — if you break it down by the same number of park days, that is.

For each trip, we’d pay for 4 park days, which is approximately $600 per person per trip or $1,200 per person for both trips. That’s a few hundred dollars less than the cost of the Incredi-Pass.

Even when you factor in free parking and discounts on dining and shopping, it still comes out less to pay for the tickets rather than get the Annual Pass.

Here’s the thing, though: With the Annual Pass, we’re going to be in the parks far more than if we paid for tickets. So while we could pay less overall, knowing we’ll take total advantage of the Annual Pass by spending more time in the parks makes the extra cost worth it.

Theme Park Parking Is Free

If you have a car on-property during your Disney for couples vacation, you’ll pay $30 for parking each theme park day. With the Incredi-Pass, you get free parking.

While you already get free parking at Disney resorts and Disney Springs as a non-Passholder, you have to pay whenever you drive to one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. Paying for parking each park day can really add up over a vacation.

✨ Your next read: How Much Is Parking at Disney World?

Everything We Love To Do Is Discounted

Practically all of the sit-down restaurants and shops we love have perks for Annual Passholders, who can save 10% to 20% off their purchase. The stores that everyone heads to on a Disney vacation are included, like the Emporium and Main Street Confectionery in Magic Kingdom, Creations in Epcot, and World of Disney at Disney Springs.

Many of our favorite restaurants are on the Passholder Discounts list too, including:

• Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort
• Biergarten Restaurant in Epcot
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs
• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom
• Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort

✨ Want to plan a special date night at Disney World? Check out this article: How To Have a Progressive Dinner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Without Making Reservations

Those Resort Savings Are Incredible

The last thing we expected to do after planning two Disney trips (and a Disney cruise) and buying the Incredi-Pass was to book another Disney World vacation. The discounts you can get on Disney resort rooms with the Annual Pass are fantastic, though, and it’s hard to pass up 40% off.

Under $200 a night for a room at Coronado Springs? Yes please!

5 Disney Packing List Items You Need for Your Next Vacation

Going on a Disney World trip soon? Yippee! Make sure to pack these 5 essentials — they’ll make your vacay (and recovery from parks days) much easier.

Epsom Salts

At the end of a long park day, when you’ve been on your feet for 12+ hours, there’s nothing better than soothing your aches with an Epsom salt bath. If you don’t have a tub big enough to soak in, you can at least submerge your feet and ankles for 15 minutes.

Get a 3-pound bag for under $4 here.

Inexpensive Sunglasses

Sunglasses are not an item I spend a lot of money on, especially when I’m bringing them on a Disney vacation. Between drops, scratches and the risk of losing them on a ride, about $20 is my limit.

Luckily, the cost-effective Feisedy brand on Amazon has a ton of styles to choose from, so you can order a few pairs to go with all your outfits.

Here’s the pair I have.

Hydrating Lip Masks

Being out in the sun all day can dry out your lips fast, especially if you forget to use lip balm with SPF in it. These lip masks are all that work for me when I’m extra chapped. Pop one on for 5 minutes once you’re back in you’re hotel room, then rub in the extra balm afterward.

See them here.

Face-Blotting Paper

No matter how much of a breeze you feel when you first step off a Disney bus or out of your car in the parking lot, you’re going to be hot and sweaty within minutes. Staying cool is a chore in Orlando’s insufferable heat (we have tips here), but these oil-blotting papers will at least keep your face sheen-free.

Get a pack here.

Electrolyte Tablets

It’s important to stay hydrated during your Disney vacation. Between salty foods, endless walking, and extreme heat and humidity, you need even more water — and electrolytes — than usual.

These hydration tablets from Nuun aren’t overly sweet, like Gatorade and similar sports drinks can be, and there are a lot of flavors to choose from. One or two a day in a bottle of water should be enough to help with cramps and keep dehydration headaches at bay.

Select your flavor here.

✨ You may also like this article: 3 Types of Water Bottles to Bring Into Disney Parks

Final Thoughts About Getting the Incredi-Pass

Getting the Incredi-Pass is definitely not a budget-friendly option for penny-pinching Disney vacationers. We’ve had all kinds of trips to Disney World — short ones where we’ve stayed at an All-Star hotel, the least expensive of the bunch, and longer trips where we’ve paid extra for nicer on-property resorts.

There are absolute benefits to going to Disney World on a slim budget. And there are also upsides to overpaying for the sake of convenience and knowing you can have the exact type of Disney vacation you want because nothing’s getting in your way.

✨ Want to make your Disney vacation feel — you know — like a vacation? Read our article Take the Pressure Off: You Don’t Need To Do EVERYTHING During Your Couples Disney World Trip.

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