Disneyland Resort Annual Passes to be discontinued

After nearly four decades, the Annual Pass program at Disneyland Resort is coming to an end effective immediately, per an announcement from park president Ken Potrock.

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In the letter sent to Annual Passholders, Potrock shares that over the next few days, refunds will begin to go out to those with eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passes and the current Annual Passport program will be “sunsetting” as a result of the “continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations and expected restrictions around the reopening” of Disneyland Resort.

As for future pass options for the parks, Potrock says that Disney plans to “use this time while we remain closed to develop new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value.” More information on these new membership options will be shared once available, with current Passholders to hear about them first.

Universal Studios Hollywood announced a similar change in 2015, with their re-imagined AP offerings lacking free parking and including blockout dates; it is possible that future Disneyland membership options could include these kinds of stipulations. Tokyo Disney Resort also has an Annual Pass program akin to this, with blockout dates that apply.

Annual Passholders who have active passes as of March 14, 2020 will still be able to receive their discounts, based on their pass type, on merchandise, food, and beverages at select Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street locations; this will be the case until new membership offerings are announced.

As an added perk, starting Jan. 18 and running through Feb. 25, 2021, these Passholders will get a 30% discount on select merchandise at select locations in Downtown Disney and on Buena Vista Street, Monday through Thursday. You can learn more at Disneyland.com/APSpecialOffers.

A pro rata refund will be issued to Passholders who are entitled to one, with Disney aiming to process them as soon as possible. A separate confirmation email will be sent out once a refund has been processed. The Premiere Passport, which allows for guests to be Passholders to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, will also be discontinued and holders of this pass will receive an applicable refund for Disneyland.

This change will not affect Walt Disney World Annual Passholders in any way, and the Walt Disney World Annual Pass program will continue to operate as normal.

To learn more about getting a refund for your Disneyland Resort Annual Passport, visit Disneyland.com/PassportRefund. You can read the full letter from Potrock to Disneyland Annual Passholders below:

Dear Annual Passholder,

For nearly four decades, our Annual Passport program has been an important part of connecting with some of our most valued Guests. We are incredibly honored and grateful for that legacy, and the memories and magical moments you have helped us create over the years.

It’s because you’ve played such an important part in the history of the Disneyland Resort that I personally wanted to share this news with you. In the next several days, we will begin the process of issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current Annual Passport program due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations and expected restrictions around the reopening of our theme parks.

I know that sunsetting the Annual Passport program will be disappointing to many of our Passholders who are just as anxious as we are to reopen our gates and welcome Guests back when the time is right. But we are also very excited about what’s ahead. We plan to use this time while we remain closed to develop new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans. Once we have more information to share about future membership offerings, our Passholders will be the first to hear from us as we embark on this next chapter.

Annual Passholders who held active Passports as of March 14, 2020 will continue to receive applicable discounts, based on their Passport type, on merchandise and food & beverages at select Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street locations, until new membership offerings are announced. As an added benefit, starting January 18 through February 25, 2021, these Passholders will receive a 30% discount on select merchandise at select locations in Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street, Monday through Thursday. For more details, visit Disneyland.com/APSpecialOffers. We also encourage you to stay connected with the Disneyland Annual Passholders Facebook page as we plan to continue our Annual Passport communication and digital content with more special opportunities to come, until new membership offerings are announced.

A pro rata refund will be issued for your Passport, if you are entitled to one. We are committed to processing refunds as diligently and as quickly as possible. A separate confirmation email will be sent once any applicable pro rata refund has been processed. Please visit Disneyland.com/PassportRefund for more information.

While I have not had the chance to engage with many of you since assuming my Disneyland role in May of last year, I do want to thank you for your understanding during this challenging and unprecedented time. We are incredibly optimistic about our bright future – and look forward to you being part of it.

Again, thank you for your loyalty over the years and your continued support.

Ken Potrock
President Disneyland Resort

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