Disney is the Happiest Place on Earth, if you believe the Disney site. Family memories that last a lifetime are created every day at Disney Parks. Disneyland Annual Passes can be a great way to create your own precious Disney memories, but do you know which passes offer the best value?
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Types of Tickets
The main ticketing options can be grouped as follows:
- Annual passes
- Single day or multi day tickets
- Visit one park or multiple parks / park hopper tickets
- Special packages: transport, accommodation, special events etc.
The following prices are valid as of February 2018. They change on a regular basis so it is best to check the current prices and benefits before purchasing your Disney theme park tickets. Children under 3 are free in all Disney Parks listed below.
Parks and Tickets
Walt Disney World Resort, FL
- Includes 2 x Disney Water Parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and Disney’s Oak Trails Golf Course
Annual Passes
- Disney Platinum Pass Plus (Ages 3+) $949 + tax
- Disney Platinum Pass (Ages 3+) $849 + tax
- Water Parks Annual Pass (Ages 3+) $130 + tax
Multi Day Tickets
- 10 day ticket Parkhopper option (Ages 10+) $520 + tax
- 10 day ticket Parkhopper option (Ages 3-9) $500 + tax
Special Packages
- Special Event Tickets like Disney After Hours (Ages 3+)
- A variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
Dollar for Dollar, you would need to visit Disney World Resorts frequently to make the Annual Pass worthwhile. The Annual Pass includes $169 unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads, and discounts up to 20% on dining and merchandise. Even factoring this in the multi-pass is probably the best value if you plan on less than 20 trips to DWR within a year.
The Water Parks Annual Pass on the other hand is outstanding value, because multi-day tickets are not available. Single day tickets cost $63 per day for ages 3-9, so if you plan on spending more than 2 days at WP an annual pass is the best option.
Disneyland Resort, CA
- Includes Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure Park
Annual Passes
- Disney Signature Plus Passport (Ages 3+) $1,149 + tax
- Disney Signature Passport (Ages 3+) $999 + tax
- Deluxe Passport (Ages 3+) $729 + tax
Multi Day Tickets
- 5-Day Ticket with Parkhopper, PhotoPass & FASTPASS (Ages 10+) $370 + tax
- 5-Day Ticket with Parkhopper, PhotoPass & FASTPASS (Ages 3+) $351 + tax
Special Packages
- Special Event Tickets like Disney After Dark
- A variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
If you plan to visit Disney World Resorts at least 10 times in a year you should seriously consider the entry level Disney Deluxe Annual Pass. The Annual Pass includes unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads and FASTPASS, which cost $50 on the 5 day ticket. Also included is discounts up to 10% on dining and merchandise.
Disneyland Resort Paris
- Includes Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park
Annual Passes
- Discovery Annual Pass (Ages 3+) €136 for 150 days validity
- Magic Flex Annual Pass (Ages 3+) €189 for 300 days validity
- Magic Plus Annual Pass (Ages 3+) €249 for 350 days validity
- Infinite Annual Pass (Ages 3+) €399 for 365 days validity
Multi Day Tickets
- 4 day ticket with admission to 1 park per day (Ages 12+) €226
- 4 day ticket with admission to 1 park per day (Ages 3-11) €180
Special Packages
- Dinner Show Tickets like Buffalo Bills Dinner Show
- A large variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
The Discover Annual Pass is actually cheaper than a regular 4 day pass. So if you plan to visit Disneyland Resorts Paris more than 3 times in a single year you should definitely consider purchasing an Annual Pass. Annual Passes are excellent value in Paris.
The Annual Pass options are quite complex using a 4 tier ticketing system. You would then need to carefully consider each option to see which is the best fit for you.
Tokyo Disney Resort
- Includes Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea
Annual Passes
- 2-Park Annual Passport (Ages 12+) ¥93,000
- 2-Park Annual Passport (Ages 4-11) ¥60,000
- Senior 2-Park Annual Passport (Ages 65+) ¥79,000
Multi Day Tickets
- 4-Day Magic Passport (Ages 18+) ¥22,400
- 4-Day Magic Passport (Ages 12-17) ¥19,400
- Junior 4-Day Magic Passport (Ages 4-11) ¥14,400
Special Packages
- A variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
If you plan to visit one of the Tokyo Disney parks more than 16 times in a single year you should consider purchasing an Annual Pass. Annual Passes are quite expensive in Tokyo, however Disney is almost a way of life for many people in Japan so it’s easy to see many people getting good value from the Annual Pass.
When we visited Tokyo Disney Parks were were surprised to learn that the FASTPASS entry was included in our ticket cost. You can read more about that by clicking HERE.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
- Includes Hong Kong Disneyland Park
Annual Passes
- Platinum Magic Access Pass HK$3,491 (Age 11+), HK$2,485 (Age 3-11, student 12-25), HK$890 (Age 65+) for 365 days validity
- Gold Magic Access Pass HK$1,999 (Age 11+), HK$1,409 (Age 3-11, student 12-25), HK$525 (Age 65+) for 340 days validity
- Platinum Magic Access Pass HK$1,238 (Age 11+), HK$880 (Age 3-11, student 12-25), HK$316 (Age 65+) for 220 days validity
Multi Day Tickets
- 2-Day Play and Shop (Ages 12-64) HK$689, includes $30 merchandise voucher
- 2-Day Play and Shop (Ages 3-11) HK$508, includes $30 merchandise voucher
Special Packages
- Special Experiences such as the Disney Spectacular Tour
- A variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
If you plan to visit Hong Kong Disneyland Resort more than 3 times in a single year you should definitely purchase Hong Kong Disneyland Annual Pass(es). Especially if you are flexible with your dates. Compared to USA, Hong Kong Disneyland Park tickets are great value.
Great news if you’re a senior in Hong Kong – you can get an annual pass for about $40 US per year!
Shanghai Disney Resort
- Includes Shanghai Disneyland
Annual Passes
You are fresh out of luck in Shanghai because annual passes are not available.
Multi Day Tickets
- 2 day ticket (Standard over 1.4 m) ¥900 CNY
- 2 day ticket (Standard under 1.4 m) ¥680 CNY
- Seniors 2 day ticket (Age 65+) ¥680 CNY
Special Packages
- A variety of special tickets and tours available on GetYourGuide.com
Recommendation
Although Annual Passes are not available, entrance prices are moderate so don’t be too concerned.
Shanghai #Disney Resort not only links #FastPasses with tickets, but also requires visitors to take an ID photo. pic.twitter.com/JgUX7f5Q6N
— ShanghaiEye (@ShanghaiEye) June 23, 2017
Which Passes are the Best Value?
Daily Tickets
Here’s a comparison of the ticket costs based on XE.com exchange rates on 13-Feb-2018. The below list shows the cheapest at the top, the most expensive at the bottom. Surprisingly there is not a huge variation in the daily ticket prices, but park tickets from Hong Kong are a clear winner.
Annual Passes
The below list shows the best value at the top, the worst value at the bottom. Note the column “Number of visits to make an AP worthwhile“. This column estimates how many visits it would take to make an Annual Pass cheaper than multi-day tickets.
Overall there is a massive variation in the Annual Pass costs. Here are the 3 best value Annual Passes:
- Florida Water Parks represents the most outstanding value of all parks.
- Paris is surprisingly good value in second place, if you can afford to be flexible with your days.
- Hong Kong is in third place, and is great for overall Disney value.
Note that the prices do not include extra costs associated with booking fees. Also there will be various added bonuses made possible with the variety of ticket inclusions, such as discounted good neighbor hotels, dining and merchandise. Parking fees may also be a major consideration on some passes.
Should You Get an Disneyland Annual Pass?
If you plan on going to the Disney Park a lot, consider buying an Annual Pass. A lot means 3 or 4 times outside of USA, and 10-20 visits in the USA. Annual Pass tickets generally go up in cost every year. There is no guarantee that they will be around forever, and in fact Disney has already phased out many types of Annual Pass Tickets. Best to get them while you can.
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