Disneyland annual passes

Disneyland Just Dealt a Blow to Its Most Frequent Visitors

Back in 2006, when I was a mere 20 years old, I remember walking through my local mall when I saw that the Disney Store was selling Annual Passes for Disneyland. By this point, my family and I were visiting the parks once a year or so, but each time was as exciting as the last for me. With the no blackout date pass costing just $360 back then, I ultimately decided to get a pass for myself and began taking ill-advised solo there-and-back trips to the resort from Arizona every few months. Cut to 2020 and the price of a similar no blackout date Annual Passport to Disneyland cost more than $1,000 per year — yet the parks were as busy as ever. Well, that was until mid-March when Disneyland, like many other businesses, was forced to close. As that extended closure now stretches into the new year, Disneyland has now announced that they will not only be refunding current passholders but also “sunsetting” their Annual Passport program altogether.

To the uninitiated, Walt Disney World and Disneyland may seem strikingly similar, but their business models are actually quite different. While Walt Disney World is the most visited theme park destination in the world and relies heavily on both domestic and international tourism, the Disneyland Resort has traditionally catered more to locals. Sure, Walt’s original park gets its fair share of tourists as well, but it’s the sizeable Annual Pass population that keeps the parks packed year-round. In fact, some of the busiest days aren’t those in the height of summer or around the holidays but, instead, those when passholders can return to the park after long periods of blackouts on the lower-tier passes.

Of course, even for those not in Southern California, it only took a few visits a year for a mid-tier Annual Passport to pay for itself considering that a one-day Park Hopper ticket costing as much as $200 (depending on the time of your visit since the resort utilizes a demand-based pricing calendar). Thus, this change in plans could deal a blow to families who counted on their Annual Passes to help them cut some of the costs for SoCal vacations. That’s because, in addition to admission, your Annual Passport also entitled you to discounts on select food and merchandise items. Sure, it didn’t exactly make the Disney Parks “affordable,” but it was often better than paying retail for frequent visitors.

Although the Annual Passport program as we know it is coming to an end, Disneyland did say that they will be introducing some sort of membership in the future. However, details on this are sparse at this time. Meanwhile, despite Walt Disney World currently pausing the sale of new passes due to the pandemic and capacity restriction, hopefully it will continue to offer Annual Passports to Florida Residents, Disney Vacation Club members, and others soon.

I realize that this news probably doesn’t impact many of you but, trust me, this is a huge deal in the Disney fandom. Presumably, it could also make an impact on Disney’s stock price as it will be interesting to see how Disneyland’s attendance figures perform after this upheaval (when they’re able to safely reopen, of course). On that note, I’d also watch out for changes to theme park ticket pricing upon reopening as well. With all that, if it weren’t already clear that your next visit to Disneyland would look a bit different than your last, now we know it will change even more than we previously realized.

Author
Founder ~ Moneyat30
Kyle is a freelance writer - including being the head writer for Fioney.com. He also serves as editorial director for the Disney fan site LaughingPlace.com and the founder of Money@30.com. In 2015, Kyle and his wife Bekah moved from Los Angeles to Springfield MO in pursuit of greater financial freedom. Together, the pair enjoy travel, coffee, and spending time with their dog Rigby. Additionally, as of 2023, they become first-time homeowners.
Other Articles by Kyle Burbank
Walmart+ bag with goods, Paramount+ tablet, and Burger King bag and Whopper
Why I'm Excited for Walmart+ Week Happening Later This Month
To very loosely paraphrase a famed Dos Equis ad campaign, I don't always use Walmart+, but when I do, I enjoy it. For context, my Walmart+ membership is thanks to my Amex Platinum Card, which covers the monthly cost. While I enjoy the Scan & Go feature it offers and appreciate the complimentary Paramount+ subscription,...
entrance to Deta SkyClub ATL
Travel Tuesday: Delta's Newest Sky Club in Atlanta Has Arrived
Delta has debuted its latest Sky Club location at its hometown hub — which also happens to be the busiest airport in the world: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta. This week, the airline shared a first look at its new Concourse D lounge. While this is now the eighth Sky Club at ATL, there were previously nine, with...
vacationers with a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Famed Chase Sapphire Preferred 100k Offer Has Returned
For credit card enthusiasts, while ongoing perks and rewards are great, it's the welcome bonuses that are really exciting. In particular, when a low or no annual fee card features an offer that crosses into six figures, people talk. On that note, one of the most often discussed deals in recent years was a 100,000-point...

Leave a Reply

Featured Articles
Why I'm Excited for Walmart+ Week Happening Later This Month
To very loosely paraphrase a famed Dos Equis ad campaign, I don't always use Walmart+, but when I do, I enjoy it. For context, my Walmart+ membership is thanks to my Amex Platinum Card, which covers the monthly cost. While I enjoy the Scan & Go feature it offers and appreciate the complimentary Paramount+ subscription,...
Travel Tuesday: Delta's Newest Sky Club in Atlanta Has Arrived
Delta has debuted its latest Sky Club location at its hometown hub — which also happens to be the busiest airport in the world: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta. This week, the airline shared a first look at its new Concourse D lounge. While this is now the eighth Sky Club at ATL, there were previously nine, with...
The Famed Chase Sapphire Preferred 100k Offer Has Returned
For credit card enthusiasts, while ongoing perks and rewards are great, it's the welcome bonuses that are really exciting. In particular, when a low or no annual fee card features an offer that crosses into six figures, people talk. On that note, one of the most often discussed deals in recent years was a 100,000-point...
Should I Have a Business Credit Card? This Offer is Tempting Me
For as much as my credit card collection has grown over the years, one arena that I have yet to expand into is business credit cards. Of course, that makes sense seeing as their products are built for small business owners and aren't available to regular consumers. However, as a freelance writer, I technically am...