Walt Disney World has revealed particulars about a number of the new perks and freebies throughout V.I.PASSHOLDER Days, together with a return of the fan-favorite lounge at EPCOT, reductions, and extra. This covers the whole lot we all know to this point, plus some hypothesis, and ideas on the lounge transferring to Morocco from Sunshine Seasons.
For starters, V.I.PASSHOLDER Days (or VIP Passholder Days, if you wish to sound it out and take away the yelling) is a limited-time providing only for Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World Resort. It’s the corporate’s method of claiming ‘thanks’ for being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder!
V.I.Passholder Days will happen between Might 1 and June 26, 2024 at Walt Disney World. The in-park focus of the ‘occasion’ seems to be at EPCOT to this point, however like final yr, there’ll in all probability even be choices at Animal Kingdom. APs will have the ability to reap the benefits of unique perks and reductions all through the parks and resorts in the course of the month-long appreciation occasion. Let’s dig into the main points, beginning with reductions…
The primary low cost that Walt Disney World has introduced for V.I.Passholder Days is 20% off choose types at DisneyStore.com from Might 5 to 24, 2024. That has a laundry listing of exclusions, most notably theme park tickets and reward playing cards, in addition to just about any brand-new collaboration (e.g. LEGO) with Disney.
Past that, particulars about different in-park reductions for 2024 have NOT been revealed. Final yr throughout V.I.PASSHOLDER Days, the low cost at choose Disney-owned and operated merchandise areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort briefly elevated from 20% to 30%.
Additionally final yr, Annual Passholders may take pleasure in a rise from 10% to twenty% on reductions for meals and nonalcoholic drinks at choose areas all through Walt Disney World Resort. This 20% low cost utilized to the common worth of meals and nonalcoholic drinks, excluding relevant tax and gratuity.
Annual Passholders additionally obtained 20% off at choose Outside Kitchens when utilizing a cashless type of cost throughout final yr’s V.I.PASSHOLDER Days. It stays to be seen which reductions are provided in 2024, however our guess is a repeat of all three, with the final solely being provided in the course of the tail finish of Flower & Backyard, and never in the course of the summer time competition…if there’s a summer time competition.
The large growth for the 2024 V.I.Passholder Days is the lounge transferring to Morocco!
Final yr, this lounge was positioned in Sunshine Seasons and was actually simply the facet seating space of Sunshine Seasons, roped off for APs. This space usually sits empty outdoors of peak dates, however was jam-packed throughout final yr’s V.I.PASSHOLDER Days. It did provide up mild refreshments, however was nothing particular. I went there as soon as and didn’t trouble once more.
That was fairly the frustration for us. Previous to the situation being introduced as Sunshine Seasons, we had hoped it could be a revival of the Florida Blue Lounge in Morocco. That may’ve been superior. The Florida Blue Lounge has been provided for the previous couple of EPCOT Meals & Wine Festivals, and is implausible. (It was initially in Norway earlier than Akershus reopened.)
Nicely, we’re belatedly getting our want! Walt Disney World has introduced the free AP lounge will likely be inside Restaurant Marrakesh within the Morocco Pavilion. From Might 1 till June 18, 2024, Passholders can chill out and recharge within the unique AP lounge at EPCOT.
Unwind with complimentary snacks and water from midday till 8pm day by day. Plus, take pleasure in charging stations to your cellular units. However that’s not all! Get your cameras prepared for shock visits from particular Disney characters.
The free AP lounge is topic to availability on a first-come, first-served foundation. Every Annual Passholder have to be current and present their legitimate AP card, linked MagicBand, MagicBand+ or Disney MagicMobile move, in addition to a legitimate government-issued photograph ID to be eligible to enter the VIP Passholder lounge at EPCOT.
If you happen to’re unfamiliar with the situation of this lounge, it’s deep within the Morocco pavilion down a dead-end hall–this space is simply dwelling to Restaurant Marrakesh.
Pre-closure, Restaurant Marrakesh was not significantly well-liked. This was probably partially resulting from its extra unique delicacies, however location performed an even bigger function. Attributable to that, there was routinely a Forged Member within the entrance courtyard of Morocco beaconing company again, exhibiting menus and touting the (underrated) restaurant.
Even after the third celebration working participant exited the Morocco pavilion and turned over operations to Disney, the restaurant has remained closed since March 2020. Once more, unsurprising. There’s undoubtedly sufficient demand to justify opening Restaurant Marrakesh at this level, however there are nonetheless staffing shortages…particularly for face characters. However the way forward for Restaurant Agrabah is a unique story for a unique day!
I’m very excited for Annual Passholders to go inside Restaurant Marrakesh, many for the very first time, and uncover this lovely house. Whereas we’ve been publicizing the Florida Blue Lounge for the final a number of years, many by no means went, assuming it was just for Florida Blue Members. It wasn’t, however there have been a variety of miscommunications about that.
Restaurant Marrakesh largely maintains its opening day look with ornate design and gorgeous particulars. Morocco is a rustic of “timeless wonders” with historic mosques, synagogues, souks, church buildings, and kasbahs the place the artwork and structure have been designed and refined over centuries.
The setting is really transportive, feeling worlds away from a recent theme park in Florida. From tile work to the tea dispensers to the ceilings and (particularly) the sunshine fixtures, Restaurant Marrakesh is an opulent exemplar of outdated world Morocco–and old-fashioned Imagineering aesthetic sensibilities.
My solely concern is crowds. I went to the Florida Blue Lounge a number of occasions throughout final yr’s EPCOT Meals & Wine Pageant. Throughout the first two months, it was comparatively uncrowded. Busier than the earlier yr, which was busier than the yr earlier than that, however nonetheless a nice expertise with loads of empty tables.
The previous couple of occasions I went in November, it was a madhouse. Granted, these have been on busier days, nevertheless it had undoubtedly felt like phrase had gotten out. And that was with out Walt Disney World ever posting concerning the lounge. The one method individuals knew it existed was by way of blogs like this one, and even with our clarification, many readers nonetheless thought it was just for Florida Blue Members. We additionally overheard conversations with Forged Members on the entrance primarily saying that was the case. (Once more, it wasn’t! All you wanted was the visitor move, which might be obtained simply.)
This may have higher consciousness and it’ll be in a cooler location than final yr’s AP lounge in Sunshine Seasons, so it stands to cause that extra Annual Passholders will search out the lounge this yr. As such, we’d count on a line to enter–particularly in the course of the first week of V.I.PASSHOLDER Days, all weekends, after work/college, and different busier dates. Our advice could be going as near midday as attainable, or in direction of the top of the night. Even when there’s a line, it’ll be value some quantity of ready simply to see inside this actually cool restaurant!
Past the free AP lounge and DisneyStore low cost, no different specifics have been shared. Based mostly on the preliminary tease, we already know that there’s going to be one other free magnet. Final yr’s character was Figment–it wouldn’t be a shock to see Disney “play the hits” with a brand new Figment design. Different potentialities are characters from the summer time advertising blitz–Mirabel, Bruno, Tiana, Louis, Simba, Timon/Pumba, and so on. My hope is that they go along with Pawpaw the Bobcat, a legend already.
There’ll in all probability be new PhotoPass photograph ops, which was the case final yr. Perhaps just a few different, largely inconsequential, choices that would fall beneath the “and extra” umbrella. Issues like unique menu gadgets obtainable for buy and different random pop-ups at Disney Springs or maybe within the parks.
Tiana’s Bayou Journey previews is one other risk throughout V.I.PASSHOLDER Days. I’m skeptical of this one. Not that it’ll occur–I feel that it’ll. However moderately, that it’ll be tied into V.I.PASSHOLDER Days. Affiliation previews for Tiana’s Bayou Journey are more likely to be extra restricted in dates than previous previews, which means fewer APs will probably have the ability to attend. Most likely not so savvy to market one thing for all APs, however then solely <5% can take part resulting from capability constraints. Guess we will see!
In the end, V.I.Passholder Days is an attention-grabbing initiative for enhancing attendance at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom throughout shoulder season and summer time, attempting to win again alienated ex-Annual Passholders, and extra. After just a few years of Walt Disney World having the ability to ‘get away’ with just about something and nonetheless see report visitor spending and insatiable demand, customers now seem to as soon as once more have extra leverage.
This must be an attention-grabbing saga to observe, and it’s virtually sure that we haven’t seen the top of Walt Disney World’s efforts to woo again former followers and pull “levers” to incentivize extra demand and visitor spending, particularly if Might and June 2024 show to be as sluggish as the identical months final yr. V.I.PASSHOLDER Days must be nice for Annual Passholders, particularly for individuals who by no means bought the possibility to dine at Restaurant Marrakesh (we’re excited so that you can see inside!).
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be profiting from V.I.PASSHOLDER Days from Might 1 by June 26, 2024? Are you an Annual Passholder? Ideas on the V.I.PASSHOLDER Days, or the newest merchandise and resort reductions? Will you be profiting from any of this? If you happen to cancelled your Walt Disney World AP, have any of the latest modifications made you revisit that call? Hopeful that extra perks, reductions, and so on. are on the horizon as pent-up demand exhausts itself and there’s a slowdown at Walt Disney World? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
