Credit: Michele Bergami, UnsplashAfter what feels like months of bad news for one Disney Park’s Annual Pass program, there’s finally some good news for Passholders!
Disney’s Annual Pass programs have been a bit of a mess in recent years. When the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Disney Parks discontinued sales of Annual Passes. This pause continued once the Parks reopened, with Tokyo Disney Resort still yet to restore its Annual Pass program.
Related: Disney Blocks Former Annual Passholders From Park Area
Meanwhile, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort culled their existing offerings to replace Annual Passes with new systems. Magic Keys took over from the existing Disneyland Annual Pass, and the Disney Incredi-Pass became the new gold standard at Walt Disney World.
Over at Disneyland Paris, Annual Passes continued to be available to new Passholders – at least until March. Earlier this year, Disney suspended the sale of Annual Passes at Disneyland Paris with the intention of also introducing a new system.
This new system – Disneyland Pass – was unveiled on July 19, 2023, to very little enthusiasm from Disneyland Paris regulars. Old perks such as Extra Magic Hours have been eradicated for all Passholders except Gold Tier, while Infinity Parking, discounted Disney Hotel room rates, a VIP park entrance, and free bag storage are all a thing of the past.
However, Disney has finally shared information on some new perks on their way for Annual Passholders. According to DLP Report, soon, Annual Passholders will be able to enjoy exclusive meet and greets at Pop-Up Surprises – a new space designated only for APs where they can also purchase special merchandise. The characters available at Pop-Up Surprises will apparently be rare characters who seldom meet Guests at Disneyland Paris.
The new Disneyland Pass exclusive space at Disneyland Park will be called “Pop-Up Surprises”. It will feature special meet and greets for holders only (to book via the portal), merchandise sales and more. Here’s the branding: pic.twitter.com/DQJzWBLl7K
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) August 11, 2023
Related: Disney World Exploits Annual Passholders With “Ridiculous” Charge
This won’t be a permanent offering in the Park. Instead, Disneyland Paris Passholders will have the opportunity to sign up for a visit to Pop-Up Surprises a few times a year. Pop-Up Surprises will also be available to Legacy Annual Passholders (AKA those who still have validity left on their Passes purchased prior to the discontinuation of the old system).
While it definitely doesn’t make up for all the perks lost on the transition to Disneyland Pass, it’s still good to hear that Disney is adding incentives to shell out the money for a pass, not just stripping them away and increasing the price. Disneyland Paris received some criticism for the high prices of its new Pass system, with the highest tier – Gold Tier – setting Guests back €699 a year.
Do you think an Annual Pass for Disneyland or Disney World is still worth the money? Let us know in the comments!