How to Save Money on a Disneyland Annual Pass

The Disneyland annual pass allows its holder to visit Disneyland up to 365 days a year as well as enjoy free parking and discounts at restaurants and hotels. The full price for an annual pass is $365, a dollar a day for year---not a bad price for a year of Disney fun--but it may be a little high for some budgets. Fortunately, there are a number of simple ways to save money on a Disney annual pass if certain criteria is met or you are willing to do a little extra bargain hunting.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Get a discounted annual Disney pass

Things You’ll Need:

ID Proof of Southern California residency DVC membership
ID
Proof of Southern California residency
DVC membership

Step 1

By far, the best deal going on Disney annual passes is the Southern California Annual Passport, available only to residents of southern California with zip codes 90000 to 93599. Residents of southern California within this zip code range can get an annual pass for as little as $144. This discounted pass does not include parking and has some blackout dates, but overall, it is a great deal at more than half off the annual pass price.

Step 2

Join the DVC. The DVC or Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare program that gives members options to stay at about a dozen different Disney resorts nationwide. Members of the DVC are eligible for $20 off annual Disney passports for their entire family.

Step 3

Go on your birthday. Everyone knows that you get in free on your birthday, but it is little known that you can also apply that savings to an annual pass. Just subtract the cost of a day pass from the total annual pass cost you are interested in purchasing.

Step 4

Ask Craig. Many people on craigslist sell annual Disney passes for heavily discounted rates. However, just like everything else you buy online, you should be wary of scams and fraudulent passes. Make sure you do not send money to anyone without verification of the validity of the pass.

Step 5

Upgrade your day or three-day pass. This option may or may not save you money, but if you got a day pass or a three-day pass as a gift you can upgrade it to an annual pass by paying the difference in price as long as it has never been used. If you can find someone you know with unused Disneyland tickets you can use them to get yourself an inexpensive annual pass.

Tips & Warnings

Always beware of fake passes and scams when buying from an unauthorized vendor.

Article Written By Vincent Madrone

Based in San Francisco, Vincent Madrone is a professional freelance travel writer and voiceover artist. He has written extensively for online and print publications, including USA Today Travel Tips, A to Z World Travel and Viva Travel Guides. Madrone also writes health-related articles for various online publications.

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