Disneyland Annual Passholder Concerns: What APs Can Do Now

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Update: As of January 14, 2021, Disneyland has ended the Annual Passport program for the time being. For the latest information, click here,

If you are a Disneyland Resort Annual Passholder, you likely miss the Disney theme parks more than ever before.

Disneyland Bubble
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During this unprecedented time when we don’t yet know a reopening date for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, it’s important to keep in mind some of the things we do know for sure. So, to help answer Disneyland AP questions, we’ve put together a guide of everything Annual Passholders should know at the moment, during this time of uncertainty.

Read More: Reopening Guidelines for California Theme Parks

What Can Annual Passholders Do Right Now?

If you are a Disneyland Annual Passholder, you may be wondering what exactly you can do right now when it comes to your Annual Passport. Can you ask for an extension on your AP, or was your AP already extended? Can you still cancel your AP? Do you need to take any action at all? We have the answers.

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Credit: Disney

Related: Will Disney World Bring Back Annual Passes in 2021?

Note that the same information that was shared in the month after the parks closed still applies today. But, in case you forgot or you haven’t yet taken action, here is a quick list of what you need to know about the validity of your pass:

  • Annual Passholders who have paid in full will receive an automatic extension of your AP expiration date unless you called to receive a refund. You still have time to request a refund, if you have now decided that you want one.
  • Annual Passholders on the monthly payment will have their APs expire on their regular expiration date unless you called to request your payments to be postponed. In that case, your AP expiration date will be extended. You still have time to request this option, if you have now decided that you want your pass extended.
  • Payments are currently paused, which means that Annual Passholders on the monthly payment plan who have since decided they want to pay off their passes completely will have to wait until further notice in order to do so.
  • Note that if you have any concerns about your Disneyland Resort Annual Pass, you are encouraged to call Member Services at (714) 781-4567.
Disneyland AP
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Related: Disney Continues to Issue Annual Pass Refunds

We reached out to Disneyland officials to ask if there are any changes related to Annual Passports. Based on what we heard from Disney Public Relations, we can confirm that the following information from the Disneyland Resort official website is accurate and up-to-date:

If you are an Annual Passholder who has paid in full:
All active Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders who have paid for their Passports in full will automatically have their Passport expiration date extended due to the theme park closures to provide additional access opportunities at the end of the Passport term. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s Passport account prior to the reopening of the theme parks.

As an alternative, and in lieu of an extension of their Passports, Passholders who have paid in full may choose to receive a partial refund for the theme park closure period. To request this alternative option, we ask that you contact Annual Passport Member Services at (714) 781-4567. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries. 

If you are an Annual Passholder on the monthly payment plan:
On April 5, 2020, we automatically stopped and will waive monthly payments due while the theme parks are closed. We will also retroactively refund payments made between March 14 through April 4, 2020. Payments will resume on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment dates once the parks reopen. Please note, Passport expiration dates will not be extended and Passports will expire upon their originally scheduled expiration dates. 

As an alternative, Guests who are paying for Disneyland Resort Annual Passports using our monthly payment program may choose to have their monthly payments postponed starting with payments due April 5 through the park closure period, and then resumed on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment date once the parks reopen. Postponed payments will be collected in the months following the end of the Passholder’s currently scheduled payment term. The Passport expiration date will be extended due to the theme park closures to provide additional access opportunities at the end of the Passport term. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s Passport account prior to the reopening of the theme parks. To request this alternative option, we ask that you contact Annual Passport Member Services at (714) 781-4567. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries. 

Our Annual Passholders are some of our most loyal Guests, and we stand ready to help during this incredibly uncertain time. If you have any questions, please contact Annual Passholder Member Services at (714) 781-4567.

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Credit: Disney

Read More: Would a ‘DIsneyland Bubble’ Help Reopen the Theme Parks Sooner?

We reached out to Disney to ask if there have been any changes to the process by which AP extensions are being granted to Annual Passholders. Disney officials confirm that if any Annual Passholders have individual concerns or issues regarding the validity of their Annual Passport, the extension of their Annual Passport, or anything else related to their AP status, they should call the support line at (714) 781-4567. Calling Annual Passport Member Services is the most efficient way for an Annual Passholder to have their individual questions answered.

“Our Annual Passholders are some of our most loyal and valued guests, and as we navigate this unprecedented time together, our goal is to provide them with choices and flexibility,” a Disneyland official shared.

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What About the New Reservation System?

What’s going on with the new Disneyland Resort reservation system? Will it function identically to the Disney Park Pass system in place at Walt Disney World? Or will it be adapted to fit the high population of Annual Passholders at DLR?

In a previous article, we shared that Disneyland Resort officials confirmed that the Disney Park Pass reservation system will be in place when Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park reopen. You can read all about that here. 

Disney California Adventure
Credit: Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland

Below is everything Disneyland Resort has released when it comes to the new reservation system coming to the southern California Disney Parks in the future:

Park Reservations: Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited to comply with governmental requirements and promote physical distancing, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all Guests, including Annual Passholders, to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. Theme park reservations will be subject to availability. More details about this new reservation system will be available soon.

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WDW Disney Park Pass. Credit: Disney

Annual Passholder Concerns with Park Reservations

Because Disneyland Resort has such a high population of Annual Passholders, many APs have expressed their concerns with the reservation system. Some have shared that they would prefer a different option for their AP extensions, even going as far as starting a petition in an attempt to get Disney’s attention. 

Although concerns surrounding a new park reservation system are valid — especially with all of the Annual Passholders awaiting more news regarding how the reservation system will work — it’s important to keep one thing in mind.

We do not yet know how the Disneyland Resort park reservation system will work for Annual Passholders. 

park pass availability
Screenshot via Disney World website

We have seen how the Disney Park Pass system has been implemented at Walt Disney World Resort. But, when it comes to Disneyland — with its robust Annual Passholder program and different Guest demographic — the specifics of the reservation system are still unknown to the public. We do not yet know certain pass levels will get more access to theme park reservations, how many slots will be allotted to APs vs. ticket holders vs. hotel Guests, or even at what capacity Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will reopen (though guidelines suggest 25%).

So when it comes to concerns about the reservation system, we suggest APs wait until more information is revealed. Disneyland Resort has reiterated how much they value Annual Passholders. And when the theme park reopening date is announced and the specific details of the Disneyland Resort theme park reservation system are officially revealed, chances are most of our questions pertaining to Annual Passports will be answered.

AP Discounts Still Apply

Keep in mind that if your Annual Pass has expired during this time, your AP discount is still valid at Downtown Disney. So, if you are an AP who is local to southern California or you’re planning to head to Downtown Disney anytime before the theme parks reopen, you’re in luck. You can still use your Annual Passport to receive a discount at any of the eligible locations in Downtown Disney District.

Read More: Should Disneyland Offer Big AP Discounts When the Parks Reopen?

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We have continued to update this article since it was originally published so that it includes the most recent information for Disneyland Annual Passholders. We will update Inside the Magic with the latest information for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders as soon as it’s released.

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