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Credit: DisneyIf you are a Disneyland AP, chances are you heard the major news yesterday: Disney has canceled the Disneyland Resort Annual Passport program, and all eligible Disneyland APs will be refunded.
There is some good news. It’s true that Disneyland APs are grieving the loss of their Annual Passports, we don’t know when Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will reopen, and we don’t know when the Disneyland Annual Pass will come back in the future. However, there are some things to look forward to. Here is some optimism for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders who may be having trouble finding the good amid yesterday’s news.
Related: Will You Get a Disneyland AP Refund? Questions Answered!
“New membership offerings” are on the horizon
Although it is disappointing for Disneyland Passholders to find out that their Annual Passes are being canceled and (if eligible) refunded, we do have something to look forward to: “new membership offerings.”
Related Walt Disney World News: Will Disney World Bring Back Annual Passes in 2021?
In his letter to APs yesterday, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock stated the following regarding the Annual Pass program at the Disneyland theme park destination:
“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.”
Right now, we do not know what those “new membership offerings” are, but the confirmation that there will be memberships of some kind is certainly something to be optimistic about.
Many Disneyland fans suspect that they will be Annual Passes much like the Disneyland Flex Pass, an Annual Passport that was introduced in 2019. The Flex Pass required Passholders to make a reservation (on busy days) in order to enter the parks. It only had two weeks of blackout dates, but was priced at a mid-tier level and didn’t limit how many times you could enter the park — the only catch was you could only have two reservations at a time. So, there are some fans and former APs who think that a few limited Disneyland memberships, such as different levels of a Flex Passport, may be introduced in the future. You can read more about the Flex pass here.Â
Again, specifics of these “new membership offerings” have not yet been revealed, so we continue to look forward to learning more information. Disneyland President Potrock has indicated that there will be membership offerings in the future, and Passholders will be the first to learn about them.
Discounts can still be applied
Another piece of good news we learned yesterday: Disneyland AP discounts can still be applied at the Downtown Disney District and, by extension, Buena Vista Street.
Here’s what Disney had to say:
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.
This means that until those “new membership offerings” are announced, your AP discount can still be applied on Disneyland Resort property (or the areas of the Disney Park property that are open at the time of your visit, such as the currently open Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street). Additionally, for a limited time, Disneyland is offering even bigger discounts!
Money-Saving Info: Disneyland Passholders Get Huge Discounts as Program Is Suspended
If you were planning to go to Downtown Disney anytime soon, don’t fret. You can still use your AP discount until Disney says otherwise.
Disneyland aims to reopen in 2021
As Disney shared yesterday, there is a “continued uncertainty of the pandemic” and “limitations and expected restrictions around the reopening” of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks. However, many are holding out hope that the Southern California Disney Parks — the Happiest Place on Earth — can and will reopen in 2021.
If they are permitted to do so — and, therefore, if the pandemic the world is facing has subsided, especially given vaccine distribution progress — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure aim to reopen this year in 2021. This was indicated by the 2021 plans for the Disney Parks announced by D23 just a few weeks ago. Disney said that we should expect to experience Snow White’s Enchanted Wish and Avengers Campus in 2021 if Disneyland and Disney California Adventure reopen this year.
Read More Magic: Disney Confirms What’s Coming to Parks in 2021
2020 taught us that nothing is guaranteed, but it doesn’t sound as though Disney is giving up hope for the future. As President Potrock shared, “We are incredibly optimistic about our bright future – and look forward to you being part of it.”
Are you a Disneyland Resort Annual Passholder affected by the news of yesterday’s cancellations? Are you still optimistic for the year ahead? Let us know in the comments.