Cut Disney World Costs in Half with the Incredi-Pass: Real Savings Strategy

Cut Disney World Costs in Half with the Incredi-Pass Strategy

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Did you know that the average Disney family vacation costs over $5,000? What if I told you there’s a way to cut that cost in half while enjoying more Disney magic?

If you’re an out-of-state Disney fan considering the Disney Annual Pass, you might be wondering is the Disney Incredi Pass worth it?  As an avid points enthusiast, I’m sharing how we’re turning the  Disney Incredi Pass into a great deal by strategically using credit card points, Disney gift cards, and well-timed trips. With some planning, we’re unlocking magical savings while experiencing the best of Disney World.

What Is the Disney World Incredi-Pass and Who Can Buy It?

Walt Disney World Resort offers four Disney World annual pass types: the Disney Incredi-Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass, Disney Pirate Pass, and Disney Pixie Dust Pass. However, The Disney Incredi-Pass is Walt Disney World’s only annual pass available to out-of-state residents (or non-Disney Vacation Club members). Priced at $1,449 (plus tax), it might seem steep upfront, but with thoughtful planning, the benefits far outweigh the cost.

Incredi-Pass Benefits for Frequent Disney Visitors

Key Benefits of the Incredi-Pass:

• Free Parking: Save $30 per day at Walt Disney World Theme parks.

• Dining Discounts: 10% off at select locations, including character dining.

• Merchandise Discounts: 20% off at select Disney shops and Disney Springs.

• Park Hopper Included: Visit multiple parks in a day.

• Photopass Add-On: Unlimited Disney photopass downloads for $99/year.

• Sports Option Add-On: Includes access to Disney Water Parks and golf courses (Note Disney currently has only one water park open at a time).

• Special Events Discounts: Discounts on enchanting extras and special events

• No Blockout Dates: Access the parks any day they’re open.

Disney World passholders do need park reservations for admittance with any Disney season pass except for select dates which are deemed Good-To-Go Days. An advance park reservation can easily be made on the My Disney Experience App.

Breaking Down the Incredi-Pass Value for a Family

Planning multiple trips to Disney World can be a dream come true—but it’s also an investment. We’ve planned four trips over two years to maximize the value of the Incredi-Pass. Here’s how the numbers break down for our family of three (one adult, an 11-year-old, and a 9-year-old, based on current pricing). Let’s break down how this works for us:

• Cost of individual tickets: $11,789.39 (7-day Park Hopper Plus tickets for 4 trips, including taxes and parking).

• Cost of the Incredi-Pass: $5,265.26 (with the Sports Option for all 3 passes).

That is over $6,500 in ticket and parking costs! Additional savings are to be had when you include 10% off dining as an annual pass holder.

See the details of our savings below. We’re assuming 7-day Park Hopper Plus tickets, including taxes and purchased directly from Disney World’s website at regular ticket prices.

That’s quite a hefty price tag for tickets alone!

The Value of the Incredi Pass

Now let’s compare that to the cost of a Disney Incredi-Pass. For the three of us, a season pass with the sports option costs $5,265.26—less than half the price of individual tickets over the same timeframe. Each trip to Disney World for 7 days of in the park fun will cost us $1,316. Regular park tickets (plus parking) for the cheapest time we are going would have cost us $2,710. The value of an Walt Disney World Annual passes will vary based on the number of days you plan to spend at Disney in the coming year.

Additional Disney World Savings

We’re maximizing our savings by driving to Disney World for each trip and staying off-property using travel reward points. This means our only major expenses for these trips will be: Additionally, we make sure to plan our meals carefully and take advantage of any free activities at the parks. By using our travel reward points wisely, we can further maximize credit card rewards for travel and reduce our overall expenses. Overall, this strategy allows us to enjoy more trips to Disney World without compromising our budget.

1. Park tickets (covered by the Incredi-Pass)

2. On-site spending (like food, souvenirs, etc.) Additional annual pass discounts such as food and merchandise discounts further the value of the annual pass. A season pass discount at a character dinner at 1900 Park Fare for the 3 of us, will save us $18.

By cutting costs on lodging and travel, we’re making these magical experiences more affordable while still enjoying everything Disney has to offer.

Why the Incredi-Pass is Worth It

For families planning multiple Disney trips, the Incredi-Pass can be a game-changer. In our case, it saves us over $6,500 in ticket and parking fees across four trips, while giving us the flexibility to visit the parks as much as we want within a year.

How to Pay for an Annual Pass Using Points and Gift Cards

To soften the cost of the pass, we’re leveraging Disney gift cards purchased at supermarkets using our Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy and Amex Hilton Surpass credit cards. Here’s how it works:

• Supermarket Purchases: Both cards offer bonus points for purchases at U.S. supermarkets, including gift cards. Every week at the supermarket, I buy Disney gift cards to save up for the season passes.

• Points for Hotels: The points we earn buying the gift cards go straight into our Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors accounts, which we’ll use to book off-property hotels near Disney for free or at a significant discount.

• TopCashBack: You can buy Disney Gift cards to pay for your Incredi-pass at TopCashBack and earn 5.67% cash back ($85 cash back on the cost of an Incredi-Pass). You can also earn cash back in the form of Disney gift cards on your everyday purhases.

By stacking these rewards, we’re essentially paying for part of our Disney vacations with the perks we get from regular spending on groceries.