Disneyland Paris Launches New “Disneyland Pass” Annual Ticket Program
After a recent statement suggesting a re-evaluation of the former Annual Pass system at the resort, Disneyland Paris has just revealed their brand-new ticketing program, entitled the Disneyland Pass.
Announced just this morning, this new program looks to be a complete overhaul to the resort’s former pass system, with not just the pass’s name, but also benefits, drawbacks, and — you guessed it — prices set to be changed up.
We’ve studied these changes in full, and outlined below everything you need to know about this unique new Disneyland Pass program. Keep reading to learn all about the new ticket options available, as well as a comparison to the former Annual Pass system guests were used to…
What is the Disneyland Pass?
Formerly known as the Disneyland Paris Annual Pass, the Disneyland Pass is the newly-announced program for repeat ticketholders at the Disneyland Paris resort.
Back at the end of March this year, Disneyland Paris declared they would be suspending sales of Annual Passes to guests, later reporting that a “new product range based on valuable feedback” would be announced shortly after. Enter, the Disneyland Pass.
What are the New Disneyland Pass Levels?
There are three different Disneyland Passes available in the new range, each with different levels of pricing and perks. These are:
- Bronze Pass — which offers unlimited access to both parks for 170 days per year, and free parking across the resort, costing €289.
- Silver Pass — for unlimited access to both parks for 300 days per year, free parking, a 10% discount across Disneyland Paris shops and restaurants, and 10% off the Disney Annual PhotoPass+, costing €499.
- Gold Pass — unlimited access to both parks every day of the year, free parking, 15% discount in shops and restaurants, “free” Disney Annual PhotoPass+, and access to park Extra Magic Time, for €699.
What Else is Going On?
Another significant update is that Disneyland Pass members will now use their pass directly via the Disneyland Paris mobile app, without the need for a physical card to be carried.
It has also been confirmed that Pass Member-exclusive events and experiences are set to make a return from September 29th. Sales will begin at the end of August, with four “new and exclusive events” set to be scheduled per year.
How Does This Differ from the Former Annual Pass Program?
Formerly, before sales were suspended back in March, the Disneyland Paris Annual Pass system offered four different passes available to guests — known as the Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus, and Infinity.
We’ve added a photo to show what each of these pass types offered guests, but the main takeaway here is that there are now fewer passes available, with considerably fewer perks available with each one.
For instance, none of the three new Disneyland Passes offer guests a discount on stays at the Disney Hotels, nor do they permit discounted ticket offers or “Privilege Tickets” for passholders to bring along friends and family members.
Other than this, the other perks — such as parking, store and restaurant discounts, and access to Extra Magic Time — are all still applicable, albeit in lesser amounts and variable across the different pass levels.
What are People Saying?
As Disney had announced that this new program had been built “based on the valuable feedback our Passholder have given,” it was strongly assumed that the changes would work in guests’ favor.
However, based on comments given on the official Disneyland Pass by Disneyland Paris (English) Facebook page, this new system is far from being well-received.
Many guests are calling out the company for cutting guests’ benefits, despite claiming it was done in their favor. The official announcement itself even claimed
“You are one of our most loyal guests, and we are grateful for that. We’ve listened to your feedback and taken into consideration your main expectations as we develop a new programme that provides you with our signature Disney Guest experience”
Unfortunately, it’s not looking like guests agree.
For instance, let’s compare the highest level of Disneyland Pass — the Gold Pass — with the former highest Annual Pass option — the Infinity.
The two are similar in that they both permit guests 365-day unlimited park access, free parking, access to Extra Magic Time, and the PhotoPass+. However, the discounts across stores have been cut by 5% for the new pass, and the discounts on hotels and additional park tickets cut completely. To reiterate, this is for the highest level of ticket available.
Furthermore, the continued use of the existing park reservation system (in which ticket holders must pre-register their attendance in the parks) is also causing upset among passholders. After all, despite holding “unlimited” access to the parks, they must still pre-register to attend.
To add even more upset, these reservations are still subject to a limit in place, meaning only three reservations can be held simultaneously. To put that another way, passholders can only plan three days in the park at a time.
What If I Have a Current Annual Pass?
If you already hold a Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus, or Infinity ticket from the former Annual Pass range, you can continue to use it as before, benefits included, until it expires.
When it expires, you may have the option to buy one of the new Disneyland Passes.
If guests really want to switch to a valid Annual Pass for a new Disneyland Pass, this is possible also, and you can find more information on how to do this here.
How Do I Buy a Disneyland Pass?
The Disneyland Pass system is set to launch on July 19th, 2023. At present, only current Annual Passholders are eligible to make a purchase from this range. This can be done online, or by visiting the ticket office located at the entrance to the Walt Disney Studios Park.
If you are not a current passholder, you will not be able to become one at this time.
It is also important to note that a “limited quantity” of Disneyland Passes will be available, therefore it is “possible that one or more types of pass may become unavailable during certain periods of time.” Plus, it has been confirmed that the former Annual Pass renewal special offer will not be applicable to the Disneyland Pass.
In Summary
As you can see, there is a lot to take in when it comes to this new Disneyland Pass system. Although there are many similarities between this new program and the old Annual Passes, there has been an undeniable drop in the amounts of perks offered to passholders.
Furthermore, it’s saddening to see this news be so poorly received, especially as Disney claims the updates have been made based on guest feedback.
As always, be sure to stay tuned to MickeyBlog for any updates from Disneyland Paris, regarding the Disneyland Pass system, and more.
Featured Image Credit: Disneyland Paris