How to Use a Disneyland Annual Pass

Determine whether an annual pass is right for you. There are four types of passes that offer different levels of privileges, starting with how often you can enter the parks for free.

The Southern California Select pass, which is offered to residents who can show proof that they live in ZIP codes 90000 through 93599, allows access to the parks 175 days a year for $144. The Southern California pass, also offered only to residents within those select ZIP codes, provides access for 220 days a year and costs $194. The Deluxe pass doesn't require proof of Southern California residence. It can be purchased for $289, and allows access to the parks for 315 days a year. The Premium pass gives holders unlimited access to the parks 365 days a year. It costs $429 and has no residency requirement.

An easy way to determine which, if any, pass is right for you is to calculate how many days you'd have to visit the resort before the pass paid for itself, based on the current price of admission to both parks. For example, a one-day adult Park Hopper ticket currently costs $97. Therefore, a Premium annual passholder would have to visit the park more than four times before the pass paid off.

Compare the other privileges that come with the different passes, aside from block-out dates. For example, all annual passes offer discounts on hotels, access to the annual passholder section of the Disneyland website and discounts at restaurants inside Downtown Disney, Disneyland and California Adventure. In addition to this, Deluxe and Premium passholders receive discounts on guided tours of the park. Premium passholders also receive free parking, as well as discounts on select retailers within the two parks and Downtown Disney.

Visit the parks any day that you are not blocked out. This means that Premium passholders can visit the park anytime, while all other passholders will have to check the block-out date calendar on the Disneyland website to confirm their admission. Block-out dates are strategically chosen based on the park's most crowded days. Many passholders like to visit the parks when they're not likely to be crowded, such as midweek days during the fall, early winter and early spring.

Present your pass to the parking attendant if you have upgraded it to include parking. Premium passes include parking; for other passes, it costs $79 to add parking. Once it's added your pass will feature a large "P."

Present your annual pass to the entrance attendant, who will scan it and hand you brochures on the seasonal happenings at Disneyland and California Adventure.

Insert your annual pass into the Fast Pass ticket machine on select rides if you want to bypass the line. The Fast Pass machine will print out a ticket that allows you to return to the ride between certain hours, at which time you will be put in a special, shorter line. Be sure to retrieve your annual pass before leaving the Fast Pass machine.

Use your pass when you purchase food, merchandise or even hotel rooms at select establishments within the Disneyland Resort. The discounts are typically 15 percent if you're a Premium passholder or 10 percent for all other passholder levels. A list of participating establishments can be found by visiting Disney's annual passholder website.

Attend special events and enjoy discounted events with your annual pass when you register your email address and annual pass card number at the Disney's annual passholder website. You will receive a quarterly annual passholder magazine, as well as news and information on special events, such as Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party or a sneak preview of a new ride before it's unveiled to the public.