Disneyland Annual Pass Info & Tips
This post breaks down the confusing world of Disneyland Annual Passes to help you determine if an AP is for you, and if so, which one. It also covers some of the benefits of having an Annual Pass, and ways to make the most of those benefits.
Worth noting up front is that a Disneyland Annual Pass is probably not for most people who live outside Southern California. Even if you’re the type who has a Walt Disney World Annual Pass while living in Indiana, since typical visiting patterns are different for Disneyland, the percentage of out of state visitors to Disneyland who will need an Annual Pass is pretty small. Basically, it’s those people who will make a few trips to Disneyland per year, or who already have Walt Disney World Annual Passes.
With that said, a Disneyland Annual Pass is one of only three things Southern Californians need to survive (the others being In-N-Out Burger and Rainbows flip flops). Also, possibly water–but hopefully not, since there isn’t much of that stuff to go around.
Wondering if an Annual Pass is right for you? Let’s crunch the numbers and take a look at the benefits…
Which Annual Pass?
Currently, Disneyland has 4 tiers of Annual Passes available for ‘new’ purchase. The SoCal Select Annual Pass for $299, the Deluxe for $549, the Premium for $779, and the Premier for $1,099. Disney Vacation Club members can save $20 on the Deluxe and Premium Annual Passes.
Given its price, the Southern California Select Annual Pass is probably the most appealing of these passes. It has a significant number of blockout days, but is still valid for 170 days. These blockout days include every Saturday and Sunday, plus the busier times of year like summer and the weeks around holidays. If you live in Southern California (proof of residency is required), have a casual interest in visiting Disneyland more than 3-4 days spread throughout the year, and don’t mind not being able to go on weekends or other popular times, this is the pass for you. (Note that if you used to get this pass and then buy the cheap blockout day tickets, those tickets are no longer available, so that’s not a viable strategy.)
I don’t have any way of proving this, but I’d hazard a guess that this is Disneyland’s most popular Annual Pass by a wide margin. Disneyland is a Southern California institution, but most locals aren’t as passionate about it as those who read Disney blogs. It’s a ‘go a few random days per year’ or ‘drop the kids off as an alternative to the mall or movies on a Friday night’ type of thing. If Disneyland simply represents an entertainment alternative that you enjoy but don’t “need” to go all the time, this is probably the option for you. Its cost–even without parking being included–makes it alluring.
Of course, with that comes trade-offs. If the best times for you to visit Disneyland are when your kids are out of school, virtually the only time you’ll be able to go is at night on school days. For many people, that’s impractical, meaning that even though the pass costs less, it doesn’t offer actual value. After all, if you can’t use it much, what’s the point?
Next up is the Deluxe. Before jumping to the Premier Pass, the Deluxe is the Disneyland AP we had, but I think it’s going to have limited appeal. This pass is valid 315 days per year, nearly double the SoCal Select AP, but also nearly double the cost. Besides the blockout dates, the big issue with this pass is that parking isn’t included. At $17 to park per visit, it takes 14 visits in a year for parking alone to consume the difference in cost between the Deluxe and Premium APs. Who this pass will probably most appeal to is guests, like us, who were visiting Disneyland a few times a year from out of state and would be staying at a nearby hotel, hence no need for the parking.
If you’re willing to spend this much on an Annual Pass, there’s probably a decent chance that you will use it 14 times per year, effectively justifying the leap to the Premium Annual Pass (unless you carpool, in which case you could get away with one person in your group having the Premium). There’s also the difference in discounts offered between the Deluxe and Premium Annual Passes. The Deluxe and SoCal Select receive 10% off food and merchandise. The Premium and Premier receive 15% off food and 20% off merchandise. Those 5% and 10% differences can add up quickly if you visit a lot and spend money while in the parks.
This leaves the Premium Annual Pass is a practical alternative to the Deluxe, albeit at a hefty $779 price tag. This pass has no blockout dates, and includes the aforementioned parking and higher discount rates. This pass is probably only an option for those with money to spare, or who are more than casual Disneyland fans. Not necessarily just those “hardcore” fans, but the type of people who go fairly regularly, be it for a weekly Sunday date night, regular trips in the summer to break the kids away from the latest episode of SpongeBob, or what have you.
With the SoCal Select and Premium Annual Passes occupying opposite ends of the spectrum, there is a gap in the middle for those who are casual about Disneyland, not able to go only on weeknights, but also not wanting to shell out $550+ for one of the higher tiers of Annual Passes. With Disneyland retooling the Annual Pass program as of late and eliminating the standard Southern California Annual Pass (except for renewals), it seems that this is entirely by design. Disney likely wants these people “in the middle” to purchase regular tickets. If this describes you, check out our Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets post for ways to save on those.
Finally, and almost mentioned here as an afterthought, the Premier Annual Pass breaks the $1,000 barrier, and is not something that many guests will need. This pass is so expensive because it combines the highest tier of Annual Passes for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Since this pass is only for the most “hardcore” Disney fans, let’s start with the assumption that you’d otherwise be getting the Disneyland or Walt Disney World Premium Annual Pass. If that’s the case, and it’s also true that you’ll be spending 3+ days per year at the other coast’s parks, it’s likely worthwhile for you to get the Premier. This is basically the calling card of the uber Disney nerd, and we still encounter Cast Members who have never seen these when we use them at the parks.
Discounts
The main Annual Passholder discounts are on dining and merchandise. In terms of merchandise, the SoCal Select and Deluxe Annual Passes offer 10% discounts, while the Premium and Premier Annual Passes give 20% discounts.
Dining is another big one, especially if you eat at Disneyland Resort on a fairly regular basis. The SoCal Select Annual Pass and Deluxe Annual Pass offer 10% discounts on dining, while the Premium and Premier APs provide 15% discounts. These discounts are valid at counter and table service restaurants in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, but not at outdoor vending carts or any small spots that doesn’t quite qualify as a restaurant.
If you’re addicted to Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port like every patriotic American, you know the savings on dining can be clutch. That 15% discount is essentially $1 off every slice of pizza there, and if you consume the recommended daily allowance of pizza, that’s a savings of like $8 per day! 😉
There are other discounts available on Guided Tours (usually 20%), at Downtown Disney (usually 10%), and at hotels–both the official Disneyland hotels and a variety of off-site hotels. The hotel discounts vary widely.
These discounts are something to really consider if you’re on the fence about regular tickets versus an Annual Pass. They add up if you visit often and eat or purchase souvenirs or stay in hotels nearby. If you are on the fence and have family members who will regularly accompany you, it’s probably worth it for one person in your party to purchase the Annual Pass to take advantage of those discounts. To illustrate, let’s say you’re part of a family of 4 wanting to visit Disneyland around 5 Saturdays spread throughout the year (meaning one day tickets). When looking at ticket prices alone, it does not make sense to get the Deluxe. However, if you’ll be spending $150 on food and merchandise per visit, the discounts push you over the top and make one Annual Pass worthwhile. Your mileage may vary on this, but it’s something to consider.
Special Events
There are a wide variety of special events exclusive to Annual Passholders. These range from the regularly scheduled Annual Passholder parties (usually APs are eligible for one right before their pass expires; think of it as a way for Disneyland to encourage renewal) to events celebrating attraction anniversaries to preview nights for upcoming entertainment.
Most recently, we attended a party for the 20th Anniversary of Indiana Jones Adventure, which included a presentation by Tony Baxter, Indy themed streetmosphere entertainment, and a slate of attractions operating, all after the park closed to regular day guests. With the Disneyland 60th Anniversary starting soon, it’s widely expected that there will be AP preview nights for the new parade, fireworks, and World of Color. In the past, there have been exclusive shows at the Golden Horseshoe and other offerings for Limited Time Magic and more.
As far as these special events go, there really is no set formula for what Disneyland does. Milestone attraction anniversaries and new attraction openings are the most obvious ones, but there have been other, random events. These are entirely sporadic and having an AP doesn’t guarantee admission–you have to register for the event on the Annual Passholder site, which requires hearing about it before the events fill up.
For whatever reason, Disneyland does not email Annual Passholders about this with any consistency (same goes for physical mailings…it seems like whenever they send something, 50% of APs are chosen at random to receive it), so the best way to keep up on announcements and the event schedule is to Like the Disneyland AP Facebook page or Follow @DisneylandAP on Twitter.
I wouldn’t recommend that anyone purchase an Annual Pass specifically for the special events, but if you are able to take advantage of one or more, they end up being a really nice, value-added perk.
Wednesdays with Walt
Finally, Wednesdays with Walt is a weekly screening of various television specials hosted by Walt Disney in the Main Street Opera House. You can find a full schedule here.
It might seem like this is a seemingly minor thing to devote an entire heading, especially since it properly fits into ‘Special Events’ above, but honestly, the rest of this post is simply a pretext for this section. It just seemed an entire article devoted to Wednesdays with Walt might be excessive.
I love Wednesdays with Walt not just because it provides a rare look at restored footage from the Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color television shows, but because it exists in the first place. Annual Passholders in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have complained about feeling marginalized or like Disney doesn’t care about them, instead wanting the big-spending once in a lifetime or infrequent visitors.
Things like Wednesdays with Walt demonstrate that there are people in the Company who care about Annual Passholders and the legacy of Walt Disney. Even with 3 showings per week, Wednesdays with Walt is reaching a small audience, but despite that, there is a passionate group of Cast Members dedicated to putting it on. With this offering, there seem to be no ulterior motives besides giving back to Annual Passholders and keeping alive the vision and history of Walt Disney. I sincerely applaud that, and it makes me feel appreciated at bit more as an AP. It’s something minor, but it’s one of those things that makes me confident Disney cares about more than just selling Olaf plushes.
I know most people who read this are not Disneyland locals, and this isn’t the sort of thing to plan a trip around, but if it alerts even a few of you to this great event who otherwise might be unaware of it, I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something. The schedule for Wednesdays with Walt is pretty stacked from now until the end of July, so if you get a chance, make plans to drop in for one of the showings!
Whether you’re a SoCal native or an out-of-state vacationer going for the first time, check out our Disneyland Resort resources: how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, whether you should stay off-site or on-site in a Disney hotel, where to dine at Disneyland & Disney California Adventure, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts…
Do you have an Annual Pass? Which tier makes the most sense for you? Any other Disneyland AP tips? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I currently have a SoCal Select AP so I’m blocked on Sundays, and the summer months.
If I were to upgrade in the middle of my yearly membership, would they just up the price PRORATED? or will I lose out by doing so?
Also, I think this has been answered, but: When my SoCal Select AP expires could I renew to a SoCal AP? or is SoCal AP only allowed to be renewed by current members?
First of all I want to say I have become obsessed with your blogs, they are full of so much useful information. We are planning our 1st trip to Disney World in January for 12 days? I didn’t start my dining planning until about 150 days out, and that was quite by accident! Who knew how important that was? We have deluxe passes for DL and are attending a AP appreciation party on 8/1/15 we are also upgrading our passes to the premier pass to include both WDW and DL. We are not staying on disney property so between the free parking and discounts it just makes sense for us. Plus it gives us a reason to plan another trip within the year? Looking forward to reading the rest of your blogs!
I just love this blog! I have the Southern California pass, and I go as often as I can. These tips and tricks are great, even for people like me. I’d love to see more of these tips and tricks about Disneyland in the future 🙂
Should have checked the info on Wednesdays with Walt first as it seems that perk will be finished before our first trip as stated above, oh well, this was a great read with lots of other great tips!
I’m from Canada and purchased a premium annual pass online just before the price increase as I have two trips planned this year, one in October for 6 or 7 days and one at Christmas time for 4 days. Our passes are not activated until the first time we use them, but have to be used before the end of the year. We had to buy those passes because we needed no blackout days but think our food and merchandise discounts will add to the value. We also plan on going back at least once in 2016 and might take advantage of the discounts at the Disneyland hotels that trip. This year we are staying off site at a good neighbour hotel. Thanks for these tips, I will take advantage of Wednesday’s with Walt when I am there!
I think you’re underestimating the number of AP holders in NorCal, I myself am surprised at how many people I start chatting up about Disneyland and then learn they are AP holders…even met a club 33 member, needless to say I’m trying to become good friends with him. Our NorCal family of 4 bought deluxe passes and they’ve worked out great. I should point out that we shamelessly miss work/school for Sun-Wed DLR trips and we hate going during busy times. We hit up the parades and fireworks on Sunday night and do rides and character meets on Monday and Tuesday. I will get 1 Premier pass next year because I think the souvenir and dining discounts would be worth it, we do at least 1 character meal and one meal at Carthay Circle each trip. I wonder if I can still upgrade my pass and a prorated upgrade charge?
I have the So Cal pass (the one that is only available for renewals at this time) and think it is really the best value. That is probably why they stopped selling new ones because they were so popular. All Saturday’s and holiday’s are blocked out along with late June, July, first part of August and between Christmas and New Years. I wouldn’t want to go during those times anyway. It is perfect for me and is still relatively cheap coming in at under $400 with the renewal discount.
All the special events really are the jewel of the AP program. Living in OC I get to take advantage quite a bit.
Yeah, that pass is absolutely a great value. That you still have the ability to go on Sunday is key, so you’re not limited to *just* weekdays like the SoCal Select, which can be really constraining for some people.
I know the ticket booths say “Currently Not Available” next to the SoCal Pass, but I don’t ever see it coming back. I suspect within a year or two, it’ll be gone for renewals, too. Hope I’m wrong.
Thanks for this article! I’m about to renew my AP(my first year having one was everything I dreamed it would be!) and decided I’m going to upgrade from Deluxe to Premium. It helps to be a NorCal resident too, even though I can’t go as much as SoCal I still have the monthly payment option which helps significantly and I can still go semi-frequently.
I liked the Deluxe Pass, but seeing my dad and stepmom with the uber nice discounts and not having any blockout days was too tempting, so will see if I notice a huge difference. 😀
Was the Disneyland Annual Passholder event crowded? I just signed up for one next week ( lucky me) but concerned that only a few rides are open. We live near Disneyland but had the Premier pass as we traveled to WDW last year.😀
I went to the last one in February and crowds weren’t too bad and almost everything was open. If you can stick it out until later in the evening, it is even better. We loved the emptiness in the parks when walking around, haven’t experienced that in years!
I also went to the one in February and the crowds weren’t bad at all. Most of the lines for the rides were short. However, the character lines were really long because they brought out characters that are rarely out anymore. It was really nice going when it wasn’t crowded. I’m hoping that my passholder friends will want to go again on their anniversaries!
I applaud the Rainbow reference; they’re my footwear of choice, even for park touring. And Wednesdays with Walt (and other AP events, but especially that one) make me so *envious* of you DLanders. Smiling through gritted teeth on this side of the screen. 😉
I really don’t know why Wednesdays with Walt hasn’t received more attention within the fan community. I think people assume it’s simply watching TV shows that they could see on DVD or YouTube, but many of these have been newly restored for the screenings and look absolutely stunning on the big screen. I’ve seen some of the episodes on DVD, and there’s honestly no comparison.
Not to rub it in your face even further…but those who can take advantage of the event definitely should! 🙂
Have you guys moved out here now?
Anyway, the Premium pass is great with the discounts. You can also have one member get a Premium for the parking and discounts and the rest of the family get lesser passes.
Altho the Premier Pass is a great deal, we have always had a problem or two with it. Seems like WDW and DL dont talk to each other much.
Great blog. See ya on Facebook. Darrold.
Have you been to the Rainbow outlet in San Clemente? Not too far and great deals. I got some “reject” flip flops there a few years ago for 10 bucks!
Also, remember the AP is good to get in on the day you buy it regardless of the type. My friends buy their deluxe passes each New Years Eve so they can use that night. If you want to get around the blockout days for a long trip you can also buy the multiday ticket then upgrade to the pass on your last day. I know people that do that every summer.
Yeah, we live pretty close to San Clemente and I went there recently. The deals actually weren’t that good, presumably because this is their prime season for selling sandals to tourists. I plan to head back after summer ends to see if there are better deals.
Great tip about entering on the day you purchase regardless of whether it’s a blockout date. We did this one year and I thought they might have eliminated it when they got rid of the blockout day tickets, but I can’t find any info indicating that’s the case, so I assume it’s still possible!
My wife and I get the Premier Passport so we can go between DL & WDW on the same card.
Yeah it’s expensive but we generally go over 100 times a year…
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/premier-passport/
My fiancé are I are visiting DLR for the first time this October and we are going for 4 days in the park. We are already WDW passholders and not sure if it would be worth it for us to upgrade to the premium passport or if we should just buy 2 4-day park hoppers for Disneyland. We don’t plan on taking more than one trip to DLR in the year since flights are so expensive. Do you think it would be worth it to at least purchase one passport for our 4-day trip to Disneyland? We do plan on staying on property.
If you’re staying on property, one Premier will definitely be worth it for the hotel discount alone.
Ha! Love the RAINBOWS reference! So true! You guys acclimated quickly!
Hah…we’ve been coming out here for a while so I was aware of them a while ago. Got my first pair in 2010, actually!
Bumped up to the Premier last November because we are Florida locals and had a hell of a time with the cast members. They have no clue about magicbands(why should they?) and the fact that we don’t get issued passes anymore just bands. We stayed for 7 days and that would have run about $460 but seeing as we already have WDW premium passes we just had to pay the difference, which was about $550 so $100 more than daily passes. Thanks to that we are now going back in the summer!! So it’s all about what works for you. It does seem insane that a DLR premium AP is $780 for 2 parks and the WDW premium is $780 for 4 parks, 2 water parks, DisneyQuest and golfing. Not sure how that is fair haha. The Premier will certainly save you money if you are going to both coasts in one year, now if only tables in wonderland worked in DLR.
Walt Disney World Cast Members having no clue how to deal with the Premier AP is a pretty common occurrence. I spent about 3 hours at City Hall one day dealing with it.
Haha never thought of it that way cause I just use my band when I’m at WDW.
Yes, finding information or an informed CM for Premier is really hard. I have had a WDW AP for several years, and am considering a 6-7 day trip to DL this year so I’m running the numbers on upgrading to a Premier pass.
A couple of questions I hope you might know the answer to:
Does the cost of upgrading vary depending on where you are in your AP cycle? For instance if I’m 9 months into my WDW AP, is there a smaller cost to the Premier upgrade? If it costs the same all year, seems like I should always renew the WDW AP early, then move to Premier so I have 12 months to run on it.
Second question is, what happens the next year if I only want to renew the WDW AP? Do I lose the AP renewal discount because I’m downgrading from Premier to regular?
And if anyone has a secret to finding CMs who know the answers to knotty Premier pass questions like these, please pass it along!
-Nope, the Premier Pass is *not* prorated. This means that if your WDW AP expires on June 10 and you upgrade to the Premier on June 9, the Premier expires June 10. Kind of crazy, if you ask me. I have heard of some Walt Disney World CMs mistakenly prorating it, but the instances of this are few and far between.
-I have no personal experience with this one, but it’s my understanding that you cannot renew a different level of pass from the Premier. You might want to check with other sources on this one, though. I’m not even close to 100% certain.
Article couldn’t be more timely. We are going for a week (Sun-Sat) and are struggling with what to do. We were hoping for a very leisurely trip spending a portion of each of the seven days in the park but since you can only get a 5-day pass or AP we aren’t sure what to do. The Sat we are there is blocked for Deluxe and premium is way to costly of a jump for one more day in the park. I wish there was a better option for out of towners that want a longer stay.
Yeah, unfortunately a 5 day plus a 2 day ticket is probably your best option.
My family is now on our third time in 5 years buying 1 premium and 4 deluxe. We drive/fly down 2-5 times a year from Washington state. The parking and discounts more than make up for the cost of one premium. This year we are also planning a trip to WDW and found it $50 cheaper for me to upgrade my premium to premier than to get a 7 day hopper/water ticket. But cost way more to upgrade the deluxe’s so they are just getting a regular ticket. But having just 1 premium and the rest deluxe is perfect for us. I just have to buy everything everywhere.
Yeah, plus pulling out that golden AP makes you feel pretty cool. Sorta like having the Golden Ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! 😉
Ya its always been a dream to own one. Even if it was a little bit more to have it I would upgrade to premier. But having some discounts while at WDW will make it even better!
I think sometimes even the premium even makes sense (i had a premium when it was 649). we were going twice that year. once 4 day in Jan and for 6 days/5 nights in December (when i returned from deployment) and staying onsite at the DL hotel both times. rack rate was 409 for the december trip i think. we got 1/3 off rack rate. i used 2 3 day military hoppers (twice) for my sister who was visiting and had my AP (which i upgraded form the deluxe so i wouldn’t be blocked out). when you factor blackout dates plus the discounts into the mix it made more sense for me to upgrade than to use military tickets for the black out dates.
We have Deluxe APs, and I really feel you didn’t give them enough credit. This is the second time we’ve purchased them. They’re a great deal if you plan to take a trip to Disneyland each year. We activated them last June and were able to go on a 1-day anniversary trip and a week long extended family trip in June as well as a short visit for both the Halloween and Christmas festivities. Now we’re planning our final 4.5 day trip. We won’t be renewing, but we would consider purchasing Deluxe APs again in the future. Generally only Saturday’s are blocked, so if you’re taking a week long vacation you can make this work. Even at $549 it’s a good deal for two trips. The cost of two 3-day park hoppers is $550. So if you only went once each year within your window you’d save $1 just on admission (not to mention the price of the 3-day ticket would go up before your next trip). Add to that that you could go for more than 3 days of course, you could go again if travel plans allowed, and you get discounts on food equal to more than the sales tax. You mentioned parking, but if you’re traveling (we live 5 hours away) you’re probably staying in a hotel, so parking may be a non-issue. Again, I feel the Deluxe AP is a great value for annual visitors, even if they can only make one weekly trip a year.