Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can now enjoy an exclusive lounge experience in the former Restaurant Marrakesh restaurant. The lounge will be available for a limited time as part of the V.I.Passholder Summer Days activation at Walt Disney World. Other offerings during V.I.Passholder Summer Days include a complimentary Maleficent magnet, increased dining discounts at select restaurants, and more.
EPCOT Annual Passholder Lounge
The EPCOT Annual Passholder lounge will be available for a limited time, now through July 13th. The lounge is open daily, from 11am to 7pm, and it offers a space for Annual Passholders to relax and recharge during their day at EPCOT. Note that the lounge is exclusive to Annual Passholders – no guests are allowed inside.
Highlights of the lounge include:
- Chill out in an air-conditioned area
- Enjoy complimentary snacks and water
- Charge mobile devices
- Pick up a complimentary Passholder button
- Capture the fun with special Disney PhotoPass offerings
We recently made it out to EPCOT to rope drop the Passholder lounge and take a look around! There was no signage at the front of the pavilion letting Annual Passholders know about the offering. Restaurant Marrakesh is located at the back of the pavilion.
Cast Members came outside about 10-15 minutes before the lounge opened, and a line quickly formed. The lounge space can accommodate a couple hundred guests at a time, so the line moved pretty well. In the past, Annual Passholder lounges have had wait times, but you should be ok to stroll up during a weekday. The weekends will certainly get busy.
Inside, the room is split in two, with seating areas on either side of a central corridor. Before we take a look at the seating, here’s the central area that contains a PhotoPass photographer with digital Magic Shots available, as well as a distribution area for water, tea, and snacks.
The photo op area contained a character in years past, but Disney has opted for digital Magic Shots instead of an actual character this time around. Should keep costs lower for Disney given that the lounge is free for Annual Passholders.
The only physical prop was a magic lamp that guests could hold as part of the digital Magic Shot.
In terms of snacks, Disney had a seemingly unlimited supply of trEAT4u dried fruit and Stacy’s Pita Chips. For beverages, water and Moroccan mint tea were available.
Here’s a look at the seating options, which included a good variety of standard tables and chairs, as well as some pillows and the like that would probably be nice for a longer lounging session.
Guests are also able to charge their phones for free here thanks to a locker charging system. I remember seeing these scattered around Walt Disney World years and years ago. They were sort of a flash in the pan once portable chargers became more widespread, but there always seems to be a charging locker whenever Restaurant Marrakesh opens as a lounge.
Charging was free, and each locker came with a cable for Lightning connections, USB-C connections, and what appeared to be USB Micro-B.
Upon entering the lounge, Annual Passholders are given a mini button.
Important Information
- Lounge is subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis.
- To enter EPCOT, Passholders must have valid admission and a theme park reservation for EPCOT (or may visit after 2:00 PM or on a good-to-go day without a theme park reservation, subject to blockout dates). Theme park reservations are limited and are subject to availability.
- All offerings, dates, hours of operation and locations are subject to availability, change, closure or cancellation without notice.
- Each Passholder must be present and show their valid Annual Pass card, linked MagicBand, MagicBand+ or Disney MagicMobile pass, and a government-issued photo ID to be eligible to enter the Passholder Lounge.
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