By selecting the payment option, Guests will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied. For example, a Guest purchasing a Southern California Select Annual Passport for $134 would pay $69 at the time of purchase – with the remaining balance of $65 spread out over the next 12 months.
I think this a fantastic idea that’s way overdue and I sincerely hope that it provides the necessary results to warrant a trial here in the east with Walt Disney World as well. Frankly, I’d honestly be really surprised if it didn’t show success, considering that the Busch and Universal parks in our area all already offer payment plans of one kind or another. Running similar assumptions for WDW, one might expect to pay about $75 for that first visit, then split another $175 or so over 12 months for the rest of the pass, thus creating a Florida Resident Seasonal Passholder rate of merely $14.58 / month – four parks for less than fifteen bucks a month!
And even looking to existing passholders as an incentive to buy up to a more expensive level, a full-blown Florida Resident Annual Pass without restrictions would cost $25.41 / month after that first day, which would then not only include parking but also admission on Christmas if one so desired! While it may be tough to come up with the extra $150 to upgrade upon renewal of a seasonal, the monthly rate would sure be a whole lot easier to stomach…
So buy up, So. Cal. residents – give the Mouse a reason to try annual pass payments over in Florida, too!