The limited-time Walt Disney World Annual Passholder lounge has opened in The Land Pavilion at EPCOT as part of V.I.PASSHOLDER Days. It is located adjacent to the Living with the Land attraction.
Annual Passholder Lounge
A purple mural featuring Spaceship Earth, Figment, and the Annual Passholder logo is on a wall in The Land, perfect for photo ops.
There are free Figment stickers. They have the same design as the new Annual Passholder Figment magnet, which is also available at EPCOT.
There are also free M&M’s and Zarg Nuts, a nod towards fans of Guardians of the Galaxy. Drax the Destroyer snacks on this interstellar treat at the beginning of the Cosmic Rewind attraction over in World Discovery. While all Annual Passholders are welcome in the lounge, they are currently not allowing them to bring in friends or family members who are not Annual Passholders.
There are also self-serve water stations.
The tables have decals with familiar art of Orange Bird, Mickey, Minnie, and Figment.
This artwork has all been featured on previous Annual Passholder magnets.
There are charging stations for your phone and other electronics.
The Annual Passholder lounge will be available at Sunshine Seasons through June 30, from park open to close each day.
The following Passholder-exclusive treats are also available for purchase at Sunshine Seasons during V.I.PASSHOLDER Days:
- A Spark of Grape Shake
Grape, guava, passionfruit, orange and lime - Raspberry “Lemonade” Tart
Shortbread tart filled with lemon mousse, raspberry jam and raspberry mousse
Stay tuned for our reviews of these special snacks.
Walt Disney World Annual Pass Program
Walt Disney World Annual Passes were sold continuously from September 1982 until March 2020. Since then, the price had increased dramatically, multiple tiers were introduced with various blackout dates and benefits to match. At times, the resort even encouraged guests to become Passholders through advertising at the parks, around Central Florida, and through benefits like discounts on merchandise and food.
Of course, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that all changed. While Walt Disney World did not go the route of Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort by canceling every Annual Pass and issuing refunds, nor did they resume sales immediately as the Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai resorts did upon reopening. Passes remained valid and renewable after the COVID-19 closure concluded in July 2020, although new sales were halted almost immediately upon reopening. At the time, Disney assured guests it was a “temporary” measure due to capacity restrictions at Walt Disney World.
In August 2021, Walt Disney World announced an overhaul of their pass system, replacing the four tiers introduced in 2015 with a more confusing character-based system. New passes then went on sale in September 2021, and remained on sale for nearly three months before being suspended in late November. The two middle tiers were briefly on sale last June for a single day before halting again. All four Walt Disney World Annual Passes went on sale again this year.
Beginning in April 2023, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can visit the theme parks after 2:00 p.m. on most days without a park pass reservation. This perk does not include Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays, when a reservation will still be required.
Beginning next year, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will no longer need park pass reservations for select “good-to-go” dates.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.