Disneyland’s Weak & Missing Deals Despite Early Entry Ending & Summer Slowdown
It’s already been an odd and interesting year for discounts. Disney just released another new resort deal for May through September 2026, for a total of four different hotel deals and one ticket discount for Disneyland and California Adventure. However, the bigger story is the massive missing deal and relatively modest resort discounts, despite Early Entry ending and a looming summer slowdown.
Let’s start with the $50 Kids’ Summer Ticket Deal, which is the marquee special offer that Disney announced earlier this year. For visits from May 22 through September 7, 2026, children ages 3 to 9 can visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for $50 per day. One to 3-Day Park Hopper tickets are available, and you can add-on Lightning Lane Multi-Pass directly to the tickets.
These tickets are now available for purchase, and while you can buy directly from Disneyland, this deal is also available via Get Away Today with even greater savings. Currently, their prices are $47 to $49 per day depending on duration, and they are refundable in case something comes up.
Tickets valid for use beginning May 22, 2026 and are subject to reservation availability. These multi-day tickets expire 13 days after the first day of use or on September 7, 2026, whichever occurs first. Tickets may be used on nonconsecutive days, but note that they do have a fuse.
Like other ticket deals, this Kids’ Summer Ticket Offer uses a separate “pool” of park reservations, and those are often more limited in availability than regular tickets. Reservations may be difficult to get for any particular date, especially as the ticket expiration date approaches.
As evidenced by the 2026 California resident ticket deal, booking reservations immediately is highly recommended. That incredibly aggressive discount had to be ended early due to limited reservation availability as of late March for all remaining dates (through May 21, 2026).
The $50 Kids’ Summer Ticket is another shockingly good deal, amounting to a discount of as much as $150 to $369 off multi-day tickets. That latter number is not a typo–you can save as much as $369 off a 3-day ticket.
This deal has consistently been the best pricing on Disneyland tickets each of the last several years. And it’s even better in 2026 than it was in 2024 or 2025 thanks to the free Park Hopper upgrade. Of course, it only applies to children’s tickets and is for the summer, but still.
This is an exceptional deal if it works for your family. And it’s valid for the longest stretch of time when kids are out of school, so even out of state tourists should be able to more easily plan around the deal in 2026. No further analysis is necessary. Suffice to say, this $50 Kids’ Summer Ticket is not the “weak” discount mentioned in the title. It’s also not new–this was released months ago.
Before we do get to the new weak deal, let’s stay on the topic of tickets and discuss what’s missing. That would be a summer and early fall ticket discount, either for California residents or the general public.
As noted above, the current California resident deal ended early because it was too good. Disneyland sold so many of those tickets that the parks were running into issues with reservation availability; the deal was quietly discontinued on April 2nd as a result.
These tickets expire on May 21, 2026, and will result in the next week being bonkers as people race to use remaining days. After enduring chaotic crowds the last couple of weeks, we’re taking a “break” from Disneyland until after Memorial Day. (Okay, not really a break by normal standards, but we’re normally there once per week.)
Regardless of currently colossal crowds, recent precedent would’ve suggested that Disneyland would have released a new ticket deal by now with a start date sometime between May 22, 2026 and June 8, 2026. That’s because there’s likely to be a huge drop-off in attendance once the deal ends and guests have to pay sticker price for adult tickets.
For reference, last year’s winter and spring deal was similar to this year, albeit less aggressive and not open to all Californians. It also overlapped with the $50 Kids’ Ticket Deal, which was early in the year so it didn’t coincide with the 70th Anniversary. That deal ended the day before the celebration started, on May 15th.
The Summer 2025 ticket deal started the very next day (May 16th), which was the 70th Anniversary kickoff. It offered all guests a 4-day, 1-park per day ticket for $100 per day ($400 total) or a 3-day, 1-park per day ticket for $120 per day ($360 total), valid May 16 through August 14, 2025. This deal was announced March 2nd and went on sale March 11, 2025. There was also a ‘fully-loaded’ Costco ticket deal for summer that was incredibly popular.
Assuming a comparable timeframe, the announcement of a standard summer ticket deal is roughly two months late. Maybe just shy of two months, since this year’s deal runs about a week longer. Either way, pretty late based on that precedent.
Now in fairness, last year’s discount was announced earlier than previous years, and the historical release record for the summer deals is much less consistent than the winter and spring special offers.
On the other hand, Disney’s clear pattern–on both coasts–is to release discounts earlier, not later, than previous years. The lack of an announcement with the current deal being ‘dead’ (for new purchases) for over a month is conspicuous. And there appears to be no replacement on the horizon with the previous deal expiring in only a week.
In our view, the most likely explanation for this is that Disneyland is in ‘wait and see’ mode to assess sales of the $50 Kids’ Summer Ticket Deal and release the next special offer accordingly. And frankly, for good reason.
My controversial opinion is that the winter and spring deal was too good. Admittedly, it’s “easy” for me to say this as a Magic Keymaster who pre-pays for my family’s annual admission, and is thus ‘incentivized’ to desire bad deals for everyone else. The worse the ticket deals, the lower attendance among non-AP locals and eligible tourists.
However, I’m also a firm believer that Disneyland should be as accessible as possible. The “as possible” asterisk is that there should be a balance, and the guest experience needs to be preserved from crushing crowds. If it’s too busy, satisfaction suffers and it’s a waste of money and time for all involved. But we’re straying from the point.
It’s my understanding that Disneyland was blown away by the response to the first 2026 ticket deal, and I’d hazard a guess that they want to avoid a repeat of the crowds and chaos this summer. Accordingly, they’re likely holding off on the next ticket deal for as long as possible, wanting to assess bookings and sales of those $50 Kids’ Summer Tickets to see where the next ticket deal should be priced and who should be eligible.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that there is not another ticket deal coming. That Disneyland is going to overcorrect, and the $50 Kids Summer Ticket Deal is it. I highly doubt that. Even with the start of the 70th Anniversary last year, mid-May through late September was a noticeably less busy stretch than January through mid-May. We fully expect a repeat of that this year, regardless of future discounts.
This year, Disneyland has nothing up its sleeve between now and Halloween. The 70th is limping along into its finale, and I guess there’s technically Kids Rule Summer and Disney Celebrates America, but ask 100 random guests what those two campaigns are and you’re going to get 99 confused looks. Even if no ticket discount is currently planned, that’ll change in a hurry once May 22, 2026 rolls around and crowds drop off a cliff.
Our assumption is that a summer ticket deal is announced fairly soon, and that it ends up being on par with last year’s discount. That would make sense given that the 70th is fizzling out and the $50 Kids’ Ticket Deal is already there to entice guests with young children. (One key difference might be making the discount available only to Californians, as opposed to the general public–I wouldn’t make any bold predictions on that in either direction.)
If there is a comparable ticket deal, this summer is likely to be busier than last summer despite the lack of new offerings. One clear and decisive lesson we’ve learned from the last couple of years is that pricing is the bigger driver of crowds than anything else.
Saving $150 to $369 on each kids’ ticket is simply too good of a deal to pass up for many families, and that’ll be doubly true if many can take advantage by pairing that with a ticket deal for adults.
With the kids’ deal shifting to Summer 2026 when school is out of session, it’ll be even more accessible to out of state tourists. Even so, it’s highly unlikely that this summer will be busier than the last several months. Disney will almost assuredly course correct to some degree, with a ticket deal for adults that’s materially worse than the winter and spring offer.
What happens with crowds really depends on the caliber of future deals. Once more special offers are released (or it’s clear they aren’t coming), we’ll update our 2026 Disneyland Crowd Calendars and list of the 10 Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Disneyland in 2026 & 2027 accordingly.
The missing ticket deal is the main event, but we also want to bring a new hotel discount to your attention…
Save Up to 15% on Select Stays at a Disneyland Resort Hotel
Save up to 15% on select room types, Sunday through Thursday nights, at a Disneyland Resort hotel, May 22 through September 7, 2026.
Throughout Summer 2026, enjoy savings on both Standard and Premium room types at these Disneyland Resort hotels:
- Save up to 15%Â at:
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Disneyland Hotel
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
- Save up to 10%Â at:
- Pixar Place Hotel
Book now. Travel must be completed by September 8, 2026.
In addition to this, there are a few more previously-released hotel discounts that have identical travel dates, but offer superior savings so long as you meet their parameters. Here’s a recap of those…
Save Up to 25% on Select Stays
Save up to 25% on select rooms types of 4 or more nights at a Disneyland Resort hotel, from May 22 through September 7, 2026. Subject to availability and restrictions.
This summer, stay 4 nights or more—weekdays or weekends—and enjoy savings on both Standard and Premium room types at these magical Disneyland Resort hotels:
Save up to 25%
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Disneyland Hotel
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
Save up to 15% at:
- Pixar Place Hotel
Travel must be completed by September 8, 2026.
Disney Visa Cardmembers: Up to 25% Off DLR Hotels
This summer, save on Sunday through Thursday night stays from May 22 through September 7, 2026.
- Save up to 25% on premium rooms
- Save up to 20% on standard rooms
This offer is valid at these Disneyland Resort hotels:
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Disneyland Hotel
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
- Pixar Place Hotel
Book now through August 25, 2026. Travel must be completed by September 8, 2026.
Magic Key APs: Save Up to 20% on DLR Hotels
Save up to 20% on select stays at a Disneyland Resort hotel, Sunday to Thursday nights from May 22 through September 7, 2026.
Save up to 20%Â at:
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Disneyland Hotel
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
- Pixar Place Hotel
Book now through August 25, 2026. Travel must be completed by September 8, 2026.
Back when Early Entry ended, we speculated that Disneyland might bring the perk back down the road if its removal was reflected in guest complaints, decreased satisfaction scores, and (most importantly) declining occupancy numbers.
We speculated further that occupancy projections were likely down for 2026, and Disney’s “solution” to that was cutting costs. Early Entry incurred large labor expenses for a small pool of guests, making it an obvious cut.
The only problem, as we saw it, was that it had the potential to worsen occupancy by a greater degree than the money it saves. If the backlash we’ve seen–and number of guests who have said they are “done” staying on-site at Disneyland–is any indication, this was (or is) a big risk.
It’s now our understanding that these concerns have been proven wrong; unfortunately, Disney has been seemingly vindicated by the decision to eliminate Early Entry.
What we’ve heard is that the combination of limited hotel inventory, higher average nightly rates, and a larger pool of price insensitive guests results in the Early Entry perk (or lack thereof) not being make or break. The change has apparently not moved the needle on occupancy, which is still incredibly high.
There undoubtedly were fans and ‘power users’ who booked on-site hotels for the sake of Early Entry (we heard from many of them!), but there were more than enough affluent guests to take their place who wouldn’t take advantage of Early Entry (or wouldn’t be dissuaded by its absence), and would just as soon purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
Given our previous commentary, this obviously isn’t the “outcome” we would’ve liked, but it also makes sense given the overarching trends we’ve seen with Disney’s success in pivoting more upmarket and finding less resistance for its premium product offerings.
Even though I can’t independently verify this via Disney’s financials (since Walt Disney World and Disneyland occupancy numbers are lumped together, and the former is obviously the larger driver of those stats given its room count), the above discounts seem to offer corroboration.
There are four different special offers for summer, but they’re not hot by historical standards. Disneyland actually offered better deals last summer, while Early Entry was a thing and the 70th Anniversary had just started. If the end of Early Entry were adversely affecting bookings, we’d absolutely be seeing that via superior special offers on the hotels.
On a positive note, we’ve done regular rope drop three times in the last two weeks while staying off-site (or driving up from home) and it has been a better experience for us without Early Entry. We’re not keen to cheer on cost-cuts or the removal of a perk, but in this case, it has worked out to our advantage.
Otherwise, not much commentary to add about the hotel discounts for May through September 2026. The majority of deal hunters aren’t going to have too much interest in staying on-site at Disneyland. It’s fundamentally different than Walt Disney World, and the recent loss of Early Entry makes it even more difficult to justify the premium pricing (even at a discount).
What I will say is that, if it’s a once in a lifetime trip, special occasion or money is no object, we’d highly recommend going with Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. It’s typically the most expensive of the trio, but it’s also the most “worth it” from our perspective.
The Grand Californian is a true luxury resort and thematic gem–think of it as the best parts of Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian, combined in a single hotel. It’s far and away our #1 hotel at DLR, and if money were no object, it’s where we’d always stay at Disneyland.
If you’re going to book a Disney-owned hotel, we recommend requesting a fee-free Disneyland vacation price quote from Be Our Guest Vacations.
Those Authorized Disney Vacation Planners will do the work for you and take the stress out of planning, finding the best available dates, making recommendations with plans, booking dining reservations, and monitoring your reservation for better discounts (it’s not going to get better than this).
For a more thorough comparison between Disneyland Resort’s hotels, see Disneyland Hotel vs. Grand Californian or Pixar Place Hotel vs. Disneyland Hotel.
There are also a ton of great off-site hotels that are within walking distance to the parks and cost much less money than the three Hotels of Disneyland Resort. As you can see in our Disneyland Area Hotel Rankings & Reviews in 2026, several of these rank higher than the on-site hotels.
If you’re looking to book a third party hotel, we recommend booking a discounted hotel + ticket vacation package via Get Away Today. In addition to the package discount, some hotels have ‘Extra Night Free’ promos. Save an extra $10 by using code TOURIST at checkout (valid on 2-night and longer stays). Click here to check out the package discounts available.
For a limited time, guests can receive an extra $20 off per ticket when booking two or more 3-day or longer Disneyland tickets with a qualifying 3-night hotel stay through Get Away Today. The $20 off is automatically applied to each ticket, and is stackable with the Adults at Kids’ Prices and ‘Extra Night Free’ promos. This flash sale is only available through May 15, 2026.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the missing summer ticket deal? Expect one to still be released at the last minute? Are you taking advantage of the 2026 Kids’ Summer Special Ticket Offer at Disneyland? Thoughts on discounts on the Hotels at Disneyland Resort? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
