The Disneyland Resort has made a decision about its annual pass program that is sure to break several hearts – the program is cancelled for the foreseeable future. Disneyland annual passholders are sure to be filled with questions as the original Magic Kingdom announced the end of the annual pass program today. When Disneyland is allowed to reopen in the yellow tier their park capacity will be limited to 25% due to the restrictions from California. Due to the number of passholders it was determined that they wouldn’t be able to continue the annual pass program as constructed before the shutdown last March. Below is the official statement from Disney via Twitter:
The silver lining in this news is that they are developing a new membership program that will give “choice, flexibility, and value for (their) biggest fans.” Below is the email that Disneyland sent out to its Annual Passholders about the AP Program being discontinued:
Dear Annual Passholder,
For nearly four decades, our Annual Passport program has been an important part of connecting with some of our most valued guests. We are incredibly honored and grateful for that legacy, and the memories and magical moments you have helped us create over the years.
It’s because you’ve played such an important part in the history of the Disneyland Resort that I personally wanted to share this news with you. In the next several days, we will begin the process of issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current Annual Passport program due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations and expected restrictions around the reopening of our theme parks.
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.
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. We also encourage you to stay connected with the Disneyland Annual Passholders Facebook page as we plan to continue our Annual Passport communication and digital content with more special opportunities to come, until new membership offerings are announced.
A pro rata refund will be issued for your Passport, if you are entitled to one. We are committed to processing refunds as diligently and as quickly as possible. A separate confirmation email will be sent once any applicable pro rata refund has been processed. Please visit Disneyland.com/PassportRefund for more information.
While I have not had the chance to engage with many of you since assuming my Disneyland role in May of last year, I do want to thank you for your understanding during this challenging and unprecedented time. We are incredibly optimistic about our bright future – and look forward to you being part of it.
Again, thank you for your loyalty over the years and your continued support.
Ken Potrock, President Disneyland Resort