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Discounts on Disneyland Tickets & PassesLAST UPDATE: 1/16/12 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN REDThere are many discount offers for Disneyland tickets and passes every day of the year. Even with a discount, you're probably going to have to pay 80%-95% of full price in most cases. Still, if you're buying multi-day passes for a couple or a family, that can amount to a chunk of money! Prices and blackout dates listed on this page are subject to change at any time.
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Important Things to Know About Disneyland TicketsIn addition to discounts, there are things you should know about Disneyland tickets. You may save yourself some time, money and/or aggravation by reading the tips below. Jump to:
Where NOT to Buy Disneyland TicketsThere are lots of legitimate ways to get discounted Disneyland tickets. Unfortunately, there are also some ways to get ripped off. Never buy partially used passes. For instance, someone may claim they bought a 4-day ticket and ended up using only 2 days of it, so they are reselling the remaining 2 days. Sounds good, right? The trouble is, there is absolutely no way to tell whether the pass does, in fact, have the number of days remaining that the seller claims, until you get to the gate and see if it works. If it doesn't, Disney will not be sympathetic, because Disney tickets are nontransferable. That means they can legally be used only by the original purchaser. It is a very bad idea to buy Disney passes on eBay or Craigslist. Unfortunately both of these online resources are extremely popular with con artists. Recently scammers have even taken to presenting fake "invoices" or "receipts" that seem to be from legitimate businesses that supposedly sold them the tickets. They always have some sad story about buying nonrefundable tickets, and now they can't go, and they just want to get some of their money back. But the passes they sell you are partially or completely used up, or were never valid to begin with. Tickets can look perfectly new and real, yet be worthless. For example, they may be selling real Disney ticket stock shoplifted from supermarkets or other stores, but since the tickets were never paid for, they have not been validated and have zero value. There is no way to find out if the tickets you buy from a stranger (or even "a friend of a friend") are any good in advance of your trip. You are very likely to arrive at the gate and find out you have invalid passes. Here is a news story, another story and yet another story about this type of scam. Websites that seem to be offering super low prices on Disney tickets are almost guaranteed to be scams. There are legitimate, authorized Disney ticket brokers, but they don't have a lot of profit margin once they pay Disney. There is no way a ticket dealer can offer new, authentic Disney tickets at extremely low prices without losing money. Scam sites may outright rip you off (charge you for tickets you never receive), or even worse, they may just be harvesting your personal information and credit card number so they can sell that information to criminals. Some signs of a scam ticket site:
Lost TicketsTake VERY good care of your tickets, because Disneyland WILL NOT replace lost tickets. It doesn't matter if you have your receipt, a photocopy of the tickets, or whatever. They just won't do it. (They will replace Annual Passes for a fee, but that's the only exception.) A Disneyland Cast Member told Sue Pisaturo of Small World Vacations that many, many people lose their tickets by putting them in lanyards (ID card holders hung around the neck). The ID card holder portion is usually made to snap off, and frequently lanyards also have a "breakaway" feature for safety purposes. Unfortunately, these features can easily result in lost tickets. I've lost my ticket this way myself! It's better to keep your tickets in your wallet or a deep pocket. Upgrading TicketsYou can apply the value of an unused ticket or pass, or even a partially used one with days left on it, toward the purchase of a higher-priced pass, as long as you do it before your pass expires. For instance, if you buy a 3-Day Park Hopper and then decide on the third day of use that you'd rather have an Annual Pass, you can apply the value of the Park Hopper toward the Annual Pass. Discounted passes will be credited at the actual rates you paid (that info is encoded on the ticket). To upgrade a ticket, go to any Guest Services window. ExpirationUnlike tickets and passes at Walt Disney World, all multi-day passes at Disneyland expire 13 days after the first day you start using them. (Unless you use them up first. Naturally a 3-Day Park Hopper is "expired" once you've used all three days, even if 13 days haven't passed yet!) Old Disneyland passes that were issued in the days before expiration dates applied can still be used. Their original value is too low to be worth applying to a new pass, though. Just use them for admission (Guest Services will trade them for passes that will work at the gates) -- or if they're old enough, they might be worth more as collectibles! Blackout DatesIf you buy a restricted Annual Pass (such as the Southern California Annual Passport, which has many "blackout dates"), but you plan to start your trip on one of the blackout dates, the blackout will not apply on the day you purchase the pass. So if you go to Disneyland on a Saturday and buy an Annual Pass that is normally not valid on Saturdays, you will still be able to use it that day at both parks. Using Walt Disney World Tickets at DisneylandInteresting, unpublished fact: you can use any unexpired, leftover days on a Walt Disney World ticket at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure! Present the Disney World ticket at the front gate on arrival -- they will take it somewhere, deduct a day from it, and give you a one-day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket. You can repeat this day by day until the Disney World ticket is used up. They will not give you a multi-day ticket all at once, even if you have multiple days left on your Disney World ticket. Also, MouseSavers.com reader Danny P notes that any Disneyland ticket obtained from exchanging a Walt Disney World ticket must be used on the same day it was exchanged. This policy has been in effect at least since I started this site (2001), and the information was last reconfirmed by a MouseSavers.com reader in July 2011. Don't even bother calling Disneyland to ask about this -- the people answering the phone have no idea and they will tell you they don't take Disney World tickets. Disneyland tickets are NOT accepted at Walt Disney World, and Annual Passes are only good at the park where they were purchased (Walt Disney World Annual Passes are NOT good at Disneyland, and vice versa). However, there is now a Premier Passport that is good at both locations. One-Day Ticket DiscountsOne-day tickets to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are seldom discounted. The exceptions are all for advance purchase only:
Advance Purchase Park Hopper Ticket DiscountsThere are no advance purchase savings on 1-Day or 2-Day tickets if you buy directly from Disney. You can save a little on advance purchase 2-Day Park Hoppers through aRes (see below). You can't buy the discounted advance purchase tickets mentioned below at Disneyland! They are only available in advance. Jump to:
Discounted 2-Day to 6-Day Advance Purchase Tickets for First Use by December 31, 2012 aRes Travel is an extremely reliable, authorized Disney ticket vendor I've been recommending for years. aRes offers discounted 2-Day Park Hopper Tickets and 3-Day to 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus Tickets (Bonus Tickets include one Magic Morning entry during your stay).
You can't buy the discounted Park Hopper tickets mentioned above at Disneyland! They are only available in advance. Park Hopper Tickets are valid for admittance to both Disneyland Resort theme parks, including visits to both parks on the same day. 3-Day and longer Bonus Tickets include one Magic Morning admission for early entry into selected attractions at Disneyland Park before the park opens to the public on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. First use on the tickets must take place by 12/31/12 and they expires 13 days after first use or 1/13/13, whichever comes first. aRes makes ordering easy: you can order online or call and speak with an actual person at (800) 680-0977. Order at least 2 days in advance. You print your ticket receipt at home and present the receipt at the park ticket booths, where they give you the actual tickets. There is a $2 per ticket convenience fee. You can also buy the tickets above directly from Disney (at higher prices) through Disneyland.com or by calling (714) 781-4565. Other Places to Buy Advance Purchase Park Hopper TicketsDisney Store Some California Disney Stores have the same tickets and prices as disneyland.com. Be sure to call your local Disney Store in advance to make sure they have the tickets you want in stock. AAA
Thanks to Dan C for info. Safeway Some Safeway stores (primarily in Northern California and neighboring states) sell select Disneyland Park Hopper tickets at the regular advance purchase price. They also may carry promotional advance purchase tickets. Travel Agents Disney Specialist travel agents can add advance purchase tickets when making a reservation at an official Disney resort, and some agents will sell you the tickets independent of a reservation (a shipping charge may apply). Prices will be the same as disneyland.com. Advance Purchase Non-Hopper TicketsYou can't buy the discounted advance purchase tickets mentioned below at Disneyland! They are only available in advance. If you don't care about "hopping" between the two parks on the same day, Disneyland.com also offers advance purchase 1-Park Per Day Bonus Tickets, valid for first use by December 31, 2012.
Entertainment Book Discounts on Multi-Day TicketsIf you purchase an Entertainment Book, you can access a private website that offers discounts on Disneyland multi-day tickets (for Southern California residents and non-residents) as well as Select and regular Annual Passports for Southern California residents. The initially displayed prices look very tempting, but unfortunately the "taxes" (puzzling because there is no tax on amusement park tickets in California) and "fees" that are added during the ordering process are really high. However, even with the "taxes and fees" added, there are some good deals to be found, particularly for Southern California residents. Tickets ordered on this site must be picked up at the Disneyland ticket windows. To access the private site, register your Entertainment Book online, then log in and click on the "Events & Attractions" tab. Thanks to Cherie S for info. Last Minute Ticket DiscountsYou can get slightly discounted Disneyland tickets at the Disneyland Welcome Center in the Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort, located at 2085 S. Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802. They may not carry the full array of tickets, and they do not sell 1-day tickets. Call (714) 383-7052 for the latest ticket prices and availability. Their prices do not beat advance purchase tickets at Disneyland.com or aRes Travel. However, if you didn't get around to ordering tickets ahead of time, the Disneyland Welcome Center offers better ticket prices than are available at the park gate. Thanks to Darkbeer for info and Cesco G for updates! Southern California CityPassPlanning a "grand tour" of Southern California? Here's a great option: the Southern California CityPass, which includes a 3-Day Hopper admission to Disneyland plus one-day admission to three other major attractions. The Southern California CityPass includes Universal Hollywood, SeaWorld San Diego and San Diego Zoo OR San Diego Wild Animal Park. By purchasing this combined ticket, you save a substantial amount vs. buying each ticket separately. Click here for more information on the Southern California CityPass. Annual Passport Deals & DiscountsIt may be more cost-effective to buy an Disneyland Annual Passport if you will be in the parks for more than a few days during the year. Be sure to include an Annual Pass in your calculations when deciding on the best pass to buy. When purchasing tickets for a family, group or couple that will visit Disneyland together, it is often worthwhile to buy ONE Premium Annual Passport for someone in the party. That's because in addition to the admission, a Premium Annual Passport includes parking, many Disneyland Resort restaurant and shopping discounts and discounts at the Disneyland resort hotels. Just have the Premium Annual Passholder use the discounts and parking privileges for everyone's benefit. (Most restaurant discounts are good for the entire party -- a few have limits.) Disneyland Annual Passports can be purchased at the gate or online. You will be given a voucher that also serves as your first day's admission. You take the voucher into Disneyland, get your photo taken and exchange the voucher for the activated passport. If you are purchasing an Annual Passport that has blackout dates, be sure to read the hint above so that you can maximize your use of the pass at the time of purchase. Annual Passport Deals
Southern California Resident DiscountsMost promotions for Southern California residents are available for Southern Californians residing within zip codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within zip codes 21000-22999. Photo ID is required at the time of purchase and may be required at the time of admission as well. Jump to:
Current So Cal Disneyland Ticket Offers
Southern California Annual PassportSouthern California residents qualify for reduced-price Annual Passes. See the Disneyland Ticket Prices page for details. DVC Member DiscountThe Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a Disney-operated timeshare program with properties at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Vero Beach, Hilton Head Island, and coming in Fall 2012, Hawaii.
Teacher DiscountsMembers of the California Teachers Association sometimes qualify for a great price on Disneyland tickets. To check on what's available right now, either visit the benefits website or call TSA/First Financial Credit Union at (800) 537-8491. Thanks to Diane E for the info! MouseSavers.com reader Barbara W reports, "First Financial Credit Union may extend this discount to members of other Teachers Associations through their toll-free phone line. (The rep I spoke to had no problem with my parents' membership in a Canadian Association.) These tickets must be shipped to a residential address in the US only." Another reader reports that they would not allow a teacher from outside California to order. So "your mileage may vary." College Student DiscountsMany universities in Southern California offer one-day, one-park Disneyland and Disney California Adventure tickets at major discounts for their students. If you are a college student, check with your Student Union. Y.E.S. (Youth Education Series) ProgramDisney Y.E.S. programs are special educational programs offered in the Disneyland Resort theme parks on selected dates to students in 1st through 12th grade. Y.E.S. is a wonderful educational program, but it also has an added benefit: discounted tickets. You can get 1-Day/1-Park and 2-Day/1-Park Tickets, or 1-Day to 5-Day Park Hopper Tickets in conjunction with the program. Normally the Y.E.S. programs are available only to groups of 15 kids or more, but at times Disney offers "individual enrollment" that does not require you to be part of a group. However, if the "individual enrollment" events don't fill up, they may be cancelled. To learn more about individual enrollment, click here. Youth Group DiscountsIf you will be taking a group of 10 or more kids (between ages 3 and 18) to Disneyland, be sure to call the Youth Group Sales department at (800) 232-7980 to see what discounts may apply, or visit disneyyouth.com for more info. Qualifying Southern California youth groups can buy significantly discounted tickets through the site above, by fax or by phone. Thanks to Don R and Charles F for info. Corporate and Government Agency DiscountsMany large corporations (typically those with 200-plus employees) and certain government agencies in Southern California offer Disneyland and Disney California Adventure tickets at discounted rates for their employees. Tickets are offered through private websites operated by various ticket suppliers such as Wild at Work, which exclusively service corporate employees. A password is required to access those sites. Ask your Human Resources department whether your company participates and how to get the password. Military Discounts
In addition to the special offer above, there are ongoing military discounts on Disneyland admission, so if you need more tickets than you are able to get through the special offer, check with your base MWR/ITT for info. Hilton HHonorsYou can exchange Hilton HHonors points for select Disneyland passes. Click here to read about this award (choose country, then Gift Cards & Certificates/Entertainment). Click here to read more about HHonors. Canadian Disneyland Tickets
Australia/New Zealand Disneyland TicketsAussies and Kiwis can purchase a Disneyland ticket that is not sold at the parks: a 14-Day Disney Vacation Pass, which is basically a 14-Day Disneyland Park Hopper ticket. This ticket is only sold in Australia and New Zealand, through travel agents. Back to top MouseSavers.com® is not an official site of The Walt Disney Company or of Universal Studios. Content of MouseSavers.com is © MouseSavers, Inc. 2001-2012. Website content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of MouseSavers, Inc. Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions of Use - Marketing Disclosure |
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