Disneyland Passes. Which one is right for you?

I was chatting with a good friend yesterday about annual passes. He is looking to buy passes for his family and was asking for my opinion. Which pass should I get? I say it depends on your financial situation, how often are you planning on heading to the parks and location.

I have had the Premium Pass for over a decade. It works for my family for a number of reasons. We live about a 20 minute drive from the park, we have quite a few family members that live outside the area and like to come down to Disneyland during the holidays, we are big Disney Geeks, we hate crowds and we love the freedom it provides of visiting any day of the year without restrictions.

Here is the scoop on the Premium Annual Passport:

  • 365 consecutive days of admission to both theme parks.
  • 10% merchandise discount at select locations throughout the Disneyland® Resort
  • Exclusive benefits at select Downtown Disney® District locations
  • Free annual parking pass for the Mickey & Friends parking structure. ($79 value)
  • 10-15% dining discount at select Disneyland® Resort restaurants
  • Special rates at Disneyland Resort Hotels

The Premium Passes are very expensive. The pass is $429, however you can use the payment plan option, guests will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket – $72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied.

If you don’t want to splurge on the Premium, then I highly recommend the Deluxe Annual Passport. Most of my friends and family have this pass.

Here is the scoop on the Deluxe Annual Passport:

  • 315 days of admission. Most Holidays and some peak season Saturdays are blocked out.
  • 10% dining discount at select Disneyland Resort Restaurants
  • Special Rates at Disneyland Resort Hotels
  • Parking is NOT included- $79 for parking.

The Deluxe Annual Passport is a little pricey at $289 . However, it does offer many admission days and if you plan on using your pass frequently, it could be your best option. As with the Premium Pass, you can use the payment plan option and you will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket -$72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied.

The other two options are more affordable options but have many blackout dates.

Here is the scoop on the Southern California Annual Passport:

  • 227 days of admission. Most of these days are off peak season. All Holidays and Saturdays are blocked out.
  • 10% dining discount at select Disneyland Resort Restaurants
  • Special Rates at the Disneyland Resort Hotels
  • Parking is not included -$79 for parking pass
  • This pass differs from the Southern California Select in that Sundays are allowed

The pass is $194, and as with the other passes you can use the payment plan option. You will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket – $72-upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied.

The least expensive of the passes is the Southern California Select Annual Pass:

  • 176 days of admission. This is a weekday pass only! All Holidays, weekends and most peak times at the park are blocked off.
  • 10% Dining discount at select Disneyland Resort restaurants
  • Special Rates at the Disneyland Park Hotels
  • Parking Pass is not included

The pass is $144 and as with the other passes you can use the payment plan option. You will pay for the cost of a 1-Day, 1-Park ticket-$72- upon purchase and will pay the remaining amount over the next 12 months, with no finance charges applied.

My friend decided to purchase the Deluxe Annual Passport since he wants to bring his kiddos down on Saturdays. I want to hear from you. What pass do you have? Do you love it? Do you use it often?

Fantasmic Dragon is here and he is AMAZING!




I had the opportunity to catch Fantasmic and the much anticipated new dragon this weekend. Let me just say this- He is absolutely amazing! The crowd went wild with excitement as the dragon made his grand appearance and he did not disappoint. The new dragon who was originally set to appear in the summer nightastic shows has had some pretty major technical difficulties. He is absolutely worth the wait. The addition of the dragon takes Fantasmic to a new dragon. I wanted to include my pictures of the dragon and a video courtesy of the Disneyland Resort.

Catching the Dragon is a great reason to head to Disneyland. You will not be disappointed!

Disney Sunday- A little bit of Pixie Dust- Guest Blog

This week’s installment of Disney Sunday comes from Katie, from the fun blog OCMomactivities. She is a Disney Fanatic like me and had some great tips on your next visit to Disneyland or Disney’s California Adventure.

She writes…

One of the things I love most about Disneyland is the amount of layers of magic the Imagineers work to create. It leaves people wondering if all things are intentional or just plain coincidence. I’m sure it’s intentional, but I love to think it is coincidence with a sprinkle of pixie dust magic! Pay close attention to everything and explore, but in the meantime here are a few of my favorite elements that are often missed by first time visitors (or sometimes even regulars) to the parks:

Did you know that Disneyland and California Adventure are home to a number of resident cats? If you look closely you can see the little cat houses while riding the Disneyland Railroad after going past the Hungry Bear. We’ve been greeted by several of the cats as we sat on the bottom level of the Hungry Bear in the back corner. I’ve been told there is also a cat house behind the train that Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream is in and on the right as you head towards Soarin’ over California. The cats are reported by castmembers to have Disney themed names. I think it’s safe to say that the cats are there to cut down on rodent problems. Those sure are lucky cats that get to call Disneyland and California Adventure home!

Did you know that if you eat something at one of the restaurants at the Disney theme parks, that you can ask for the recipe and they will bring it to you? How cool is that! There are some great salad dressings at the Pizza Port and some great sandwiches over in New Orleans Square. Imagine bringing a dish to a pot luck and being able to call it “Pizza Port Salad” or “New Orleans Square Po Boy Sandwiches”, talk about a conversation starter!

Have you ever noticed the hidden Mickey Mouse on the face of the golf ball that comes flying at you in Soarin’ Over California? I bet once you do, you’ll never – not see it again!

Have you ever wondered what the room is above the Fire Station on Main Street in Disneyland? Walt Disney had an apartment built for himself above the Fire Station for him to stay in. There is even a private veranda for him to wander where he could quietly see guests wandering the park. The apartment is exactly the same as the way he left it years ago (cleaned and refurbished!). A light is left on for him in the front window and hasn’t gone out since he passed away. So the next time you pass by, take a minute to remember Walt and all that he built.

Did you know that all of the plants in Tomorrowland are edible? Well, in theory they are, but the actual ones planted aren’t meant to be actually eaten! But I have personally seen rosemary bushes, chili pepper plants, cabbage plants, lettuce plants, bell pepper plans among others as we wait in the lines.

Did you know that you can get a “Death Certificate” at the Haunted Mansion? I didn’t know this one until recently. Be aware that not all the castmembers working the ride will know what you are talking about, so you many have to ask a couple of different ones, but ask as you are entering the buggies and one will be waiting for you at the end of the ride. That’s pretty funny.

And last but not least, my personal favorite… Are you in on the Goat Trick on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? If you’ve done the trick right, you know it. If not, it’s actually pretty simple. The next time you’re on the ride ask for the back rows (rows 11- 15 are ideal). On the second climb up (the one with the turtles and snakes on the left), position yourself at a right looking angle so you are looking out the right side of the train comfortably. As you begin to crest the hill, notice the billy goat on the right hand side in the center of the curve. Stare at the goat and DON’T STOP until you literally can’t look anymore. You’ll find yourself dizzy and disoriented and it makes the rest of the ride just a bit more fun. If you didn’t get it right, ride the ride again because it’s just plain fun!

Katie is a working mother of two active boys and lives in South Orange County. She’s made it her passion to fill her children’s lives with fun adventures . She chronicles their adventures at OCMomActivities.com in hopes of inspiring other parents to do the same.