Disney Ends Disneyland Annual Pass Program As Park Remains Closed

Disney is officially ending its annual theme park pass holder program due to “continuing uncertainty over the [COVID-19] pandemic and expected limits and restrictions around the reopening of our theme parks. “

Disney broke the news in an email to annual pass holders and on Twitter. IGN employees holding an annual pass also received the email. Disney said it will start processing refunds to Disneyland Resort annual passport holders and suspend the entire program indefinitely.

Disney’s Annual Pass Holder Program is the theme park’s version of a year-round membership popular with California residents and Disney die-hards. Depending on the level you purchase, the pass allows holders to visit both Disneyland parks year-round, with some exceptions. It also offers cardholders certain discounts on Disney products.

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Those with an Annual Pass as of March 14, 2020 will still receive discounts on merchandise, food, and drink at select downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street stores. From January 18 to February 25, 2021, pass holders will receive a 30% discount on select merchandise at the same locations.

“I know that dropping the annual passport program will be disappointing for many of our pass holders, who are just as eager as we are to reopen our doors and welcome guests when the time comes,” said the Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock in a statement.

Disney says it’s spending the interim between now and resuming the annual pass program to develop new membership programs.

The change does not appear to affect annual pass holders to Disney World, Disney’s largest resort in Florida, only the Disneyland Resort in California.

Among Disney theme parks, Disneyland has apparently been hit the hardest due to California’s tighter restrictions on businesses and large-scale crowd management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disneyland plans to lay off around 32,000 employees by the end of the first half of fiscal 2021.

Potrock has previously had harsh words for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to restrict theme park openings in the state, alleging Newsom is subjecting theme parks to ‘arbitrary guidelines he knows impractical and that keep us to a very different standard from other reopened businesses and state-run facilities. “

California, particularly Los Angeles County (Disneyland is located in Anaheim, Orange County), is one of the largest hotbeds of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States. According to NBC News’ COVID-19 tracker, California has seen nearly 3 million cases and more than 31,000 deaths.

Disneyland also recently opened a “super” COVID-19 vaccination site, with plans to vaccinate around 7,000 people a day, according to CNN.
Joseph Knoop is a Writer / Producer / Ziffkateer for IGN.