Disneyland Ticket Discounts, Deals & Coupons
LAST UPDATE: 12/3/24
Disneyland tickets cost more every year, but you can still find Disneyland ticket discounts if you know where to look. MouseSavers.com has covered Disneyland for more than 20 years, and we list every reliable Disneyland ticket discount, coupon or deal available. There are Disneyland ticket discounts anyone can use as well as special discounts for Southern California residents, US military members and others. Read on for more!
Special note: A theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit. Before buying tickets, check the theme park reservation calendar to make sure you can get into the parks you want to visit, then buy your tickets and link them to your Disney account, then go back to the park reservation calendar to lock in your park reservations. If your plans change, you can change your park reservations later, assuming there’s availability at the park you want to switch to. Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
This page is about ticket discounts for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. If that’s not where you’re planning a trip, perhaps you want our page about discounts on tickets to Walt Disney World in Florida. Or you may want information and tips for the Disney parks in other countries.
Any prices listed on this page are subject to change at any time.
- If you are visiting this page for the first time, we highly recommend that you first read our Advice, Tips and Tricks for Disneyland (California) Tickets page, which contains important tips that could save you money and help you avoid scams.
- For comparison purposes, you may want to check the regular prices of all Disneyland (California) tickets and annual passes.
Sources for Disneyland (California) Ticket Discounts
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- Discount Tickets from Undercover Tourist
- One-Day Ticket Discounts
- Disneyland Kids’ Special Ticket Offer
- Disneyland US Disney+ Subscriber Holiday Ticket Offer
- New!Southern California Resident Ticket Discounts
- Military & Civil Service Ticket Discounts
- Corporate, Government & Other Membership Discounts
- AAA Ticket Discounts
- Disneyland Area Supermarket Ticket Discounts
- Teacher Ticket Discounts
- College Student Ticket Discounts
- Credit Union Member Ticket Discounts
- Canadian Resident Ticket Discounts
- Online Travel Agencies
- Discounts on Magic Key Passes or Annual Passes
Other Disneyland (California) Ticket Information Pages
Disneyland Ticket Discounts From Undercover Tourist
Undercover Tourist, a great ticket vendor we’ve recommended for many years, offers significant discounts on Disneyland tickets and tickets for other California and Florida attractions. We really like Undercover Tourist because they constantly strive to have both the best prices and best customer service in the business. That’s a tall order, but we have years of experience and feedback from our readers that tells us they really deliver!
Also, Undercover Tourist has straight-to-the-gate tickets for Disneyland! No more waiting in line at a ticket booth to get your actual tickets on the first day of your vacation. Now you just print the tickets at home and take them right to the turnstile. The gate attendant will scan your paper tickets and hand you card-size tickets to use for the rest of the trip. It only takes a few seconds and you’re on your way to Space Mountain. You can also put the tickets on your phone and save paper (works on most iPhone and Android devices).
You can use Undercover Tourist’s ticket calendar to see if there are theme park reservations available before you purchase tickets.
Undercover Tourist Disneyland tickets are refundable! This is a huge benefit — even Disney doesn’t offer refunds on tickets! There is a 5% restocking fee, so most of the time it’s better to change the tickets rather than refund them, but for those cases when you really won’t be able to use the tickets at all, it’s great to know you can get 95% of your ticket cost back. To be eligible for refund, your tickets must be unused and unchanged. Check Undercover Tourist for the full terms and conditions.
Exclusive Discounts for MouseSavers Newsletter Subscribers
Undercover Tourist offers its best prices to subscribers to the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter and Hot Deals announcements! By using the exclusive link located in every monthly MouseSavers Newsletter, you always get a special extra discount on every multi-day Disneyland ticket (and most other attraction tickets)! In addition, Undercover Tourist puts a handful of individual tickets on sale every month, and those tickets are offered only to Hot Deals subscribers! (It’s a different set of tickets every month, and can include any combination of Disneyland, Walt Disney World and/or other California or Florida attractions.) The MouseSavers Newsletter and the Hot Deals emails also contain exclusive hotel and other discounts not found anywhere else. Remember, it’s completely FREE.
- Sign up today for the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter and optional FREE Hot Deals emails! The main newsletter comes out on the 15th of each month (or the next business day) and the Hot Deals announcement with the special Undercover Tourist sale prices comes out on the final Monday of each month (or the next business day). We do not send out the private links separately from the newsletters, so please plan ahead.
One-Day Ticket Discounts
One-day Disneyland tickets and Disney California Adventure tickets are almost never discounted. The exceptions are all for advance purchase only:
- Disneyland tickets sold through universities (for students)
- Disneyland tickets for school teachers
- Disneyland tickets offered to employees by large corporations and government agencies in Southern California
- Military discounts on tickets through base MWR offices
- Limited-time offers, when available, from major-brand hotels (require one-night or more hotel stay)
Disneyland Kids’ Special Ticket Offer
For a limited time, Disneyland is offering specially priced 1-day, 2-day and 3-day Child (age 3-9) tickets to visit one park per day (either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure). You can add Park Hopper and/or Lighting Lane Multi Pass to these tickets. Tickets are valid January 7 through March 20, 2025.*
Ticket options for this special offer are:
- 1-Day, 1-Park Per Day Disneyland Child ticket (age 3-9) for $50
- 2-Day, 1-Park Per Day Disneyland Adult ticket (age 3-9) for $100
- 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day Disneyland Child ticket (age 3-9) for $150
A theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit and is subject to availability. Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
There are a limited number of theme park reservations available for the Disneyland Kids’ Special Offer Tickets. Park reservations may be available for regular theme park tickets even though park reservations for these special tickets are fully reserved. If you purchase these tickets, we recommended making making your theme park reservations as early as possible.
*Multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use or on March 20, 2025, whichever comes first. You may purchase up to 10 tickets per day. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice.
- Disneyland Kids’ Special Ticket Offer tickets will be available at a discount through Undercover Tourist, or directly from Disney at the regular price.
Disneyland US Disney+ Subscriber Holiday Ticket Offer
For a limited time, US Disney+ subscribers can purchase specially priced 3-day tickets to visit one park per day (either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure). You can add Park Hopper and/or Lighting Lane Multi Pass. Tickets are valid November 18 through December 27, 2024.*
- Get a 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day Disneyland ticket (age 3+) for $330.
A theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit and is subject to availability. Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
Valid Disney+ subscription required. There are a limited number of theme park reservations available for the Disneyland US Disney+ Subscriber Holiday Tickets. Park reservations may be available for regular theme park tickets even though park reservations for these special tickets are fully reserved. If you purchase these tickets, we recommended making making your theme park reservations as early as possible.
*Tickets expire 13 days after first use or December 27, 2024, whichever comes first. You may purchase up to 5 tickets per person per day. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice.
- Disneyland US Disney+ Subscriber Holiday Tickets are available directly from Disney.
Disneyland Ticket Discounts for Southern California Residents
Most Disneyland ticket discounts for residents are for people living in Southern California zip codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California zip codes 21000-22999. Photo ID and proof of residency is required at the time of purchase and may be required at the time of admission as well.
New!Disneyland Ticket Discounts for Southern California Residents
For a limited time, Southern California residents can purchase special 3-day tickets (for ages 3 and up) to visit one park per day (either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure) and add Park Hopper and/or Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Tickets are valid January 1 through May 15, 2025 and may be used on three consecutive days or three separate days within that time period.*
Tickets options for this special offer are:
- 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day ticket for $199 (age 3+)
- 3-Day, 1-Park Per Day ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $295 (age 3+)
- 3-Day Park Hopper ticket for $289 (age 3+)
- 3-Day Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $385 (age 3+)
Proof of residency is required. A theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit and is subject to availability. There are a limited number of theme park reservations available for the Southern California Resident Special Offer Tickets. Park reservations may be available for regular theme park tickets even though park reservations for these special tickets are fully reserved. If you purchase these tickets, we recommended making making your theme park reservations as early as possible.
Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
*Valid only for Southern California residents within ZIP codes 90000-93599; proof of residency is required for purchase and admission. Tickets expire May 15, 2025. Eligible residents may purchase 5 tickets per person per day with valid ID. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice.
- Discounted Southern California Resident Tickets can be purchased through Undercover Tourist or directly from Disney at the regular price.
Southern California Annual Pass
Southern California residents qualify for a reduced-price Disneyland Annual Pass. See the Disneyland Ticket Prices page for details.
Military & Civil Service Ticket Discounts
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Military Salute Disneyland Tickets
Military Salute Tickets for Visits 1/1/25 – 12/27/25
Active or retired US military personnel may purchase up to a maximum of six 3-Day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets or 4-Day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets, to be used by themselves, family members (including spouse) or friends. Tickets may be used on non-consecutive days. The tickets expire and may not be used after 12/27/25.
Tickets options for this special offer are:
- 3-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket for $295
- 3-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $391
- 4-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket for $349
- 4-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $477
A theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit and is subject to availability. Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
Tickets must be purchased by December 23, 2025.
Military Salute Tickets for Visits 1/2/24 – 12/13/24
Active or retired US military personnel may purchase up to a maximum of six 3-Day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets or 4-Day Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets, to be used by themselves, family members (including spouse) or friends. Tickets may be used on non-consecutive days. The tickets expire and may not be used after 12/13/24.
Tickets options for this special offer are:
- 3-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket for $269
- 3-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $359
- 4-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket for $315
- 4-day Disneyland Military Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $435
Tickets must be purchased by December 10, 2024.
Please note: Valid admission and a theme park reservation is required for the first park you visit. Park hopping is available from 11:00 am until park closing; read more about how Park Hopper currently works.
How to Get Military Salute Tickets
Tickets for use 1/1/25 – 12/27/25 went on sale on 11/14/24.
Military Salute Tickets must be purchased in person, with military ID by the eligible member or their spouse. The tickets can be purchased at participating US military sales outlets (MWR/ITT office) on a military base.
Rules for Military Salute Tickets
These tickets are for active or retired members of the US military, including the National Guard, Reservists, the US Coast Guard, the US Space Force with a valid military ID card. It also includes the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Dept of Defense (CIA, FBI, Secret Service) and Coalition Forces are not included.
The military ID will be checked when the tickets are activated. Once the tickets are activated the group can split up.
More details are available on the 2024 Disneyland’s Military Salute ticket offer page.
Where to Ask Questions About Military Salute Tickets
If you have questions about this promotion, please don’t send them to us. All the information we have is listed above. If you need more info, here are some good resources:
- Call your local base MWR/ITT directly and ask them.
- Military Disney Tips has a very long FAQ on these tickets.
Ongoing Military/DoD Disneyland Ticket Discounts
Active duty and retired military, DOD civilian employees and their dependents qualify for Disneyland ticket discounts. Military personnel can purchase these tickets for themselves or to give to friends or family to use without them. There is no limit to the number of tickets they can purchase.
For more information about these tickets, we recommend reading the Military Disney Tips’ information about the ongoing Military Disney ticket discount and the differences between these tickets and the Military Salute ticket offer.
- Discounted military tickets are available through your local base MWR/ITT office. The prices and the exact tickets that are available will vary from base to base.
- Civil Service employees of certain branches of government (such as NASA) can purchase discounted tickets at their exchange shops at the same rates as military. Typically the tickets must be ordered and will take a couple of weeks to arrive. While the employee must purchase the tickets, reportedly anyone can use them. Thanks to Melissa for the info.
Corporate, Government & Other Membership Discounts
Employees of large companies, major government agencies, or large membership groups like unions or professional organizations (typically those with 200-plus employees or members) may qualify to purchase discount Disneyland tickets, regardless of whether the company has any direct relationship with Disney. Tickets are offered through private websites operated by various ticket suppliers that service large organizations. A password is required to access those sites. Check with your company or organization’s benefits department to find out whether your company participates and how to get the password.
If you work for a company that is a major corporate sponsor at Disneyland (i.e. the company’s logo is on a major attraction), or has a significant business relationship with Disney, you might qualify for significant discounts on tickets. Check with your Human Resources department for additional info.
Additionally, employees of companies that have a business relationship with Disney sometimes qualify for deep ticket discounts. Reportedly employees of Chase (which offers Disney Visa cards), Kellogg’s (which does a lot of cross-promotions with Disney) and ADT (installs alarms for Disney) get ticket discounts, for instance. Check with your Human Resources department for additional info.
Some of these membership discounts can be significant, but others are no better (or even worse) than Disneyland ticket discounts available to the general public, so be sure to compare the final price (with any service fees and/or shipping) to the price from Undercover Tourist.
AAA Ticket Discounts
The American Automobile Association is subdivided into regions, with each region having a different independent affiliated club. Each regional club offers different attraction tickets. Some offer discount Disneyland tickets; some don’t. Some don’t have discounts, but offer a free bonus of some kind with the order, and if that bonus has value to you, that can be worth considering. Usually you’ll find that clubs on the West coast and driving distance from Disneyland are the most likely to offer discount Disneyland tickets. For the very latest information, you should always call your local club or check their web site to see what they offer. Obviously, you will need to be a member of AAA to get these discounts, but in many cases, a club in one region will allow members in other regions to take advantage of their discounts. It never hurts to ask!
- Automobile Club of Southern California offices sells advance purchase multi-day discount Disneyland tickets. Members of other AAA clubs can use this discount, but you must purchase your Disneyland tickets in person at an Auto Club branch. If you will have a car while in Anaheim, the closest AAA office is at 420 N Euclid Street, about 4 miles from Disneyland. Phone number is (714) 774-2392. Thanks to pho lishus and Dan L for info.
- Some Central and Northern California AAA offices and neighboring states’ AAA offices (i.e. Arizona and Oregon) sell advance purchase multi-day Disneyland tickets (usually only Park Hoppers). They may or may not be discounted. Be sure to call your local AAA office in advance to check prices and make sure they have the Disneyland tickets you want in stock. Sometimes they allow members of other clubs to buy tickets, but usually in person, not online. Sometimes a free parking pass is included with the purchase of multi-day tickets.
- Last we checked, the Washington State AAA offices offer Disneyland tickets at regular price, but include a free parking pass with every multi-day Disneyland ticket. For some situations this might be a better deal than getting a discount on the tickets. But price it out both ways to be sure.
Disneyland Area Supermarket Ticket Discounts
Some supermarkets such as Safeway, Albertson’s and Ralph’s (primarily in California and neighboring states) may carry promotional advance purchase discount Disneyland tickets. These are typically just the Southern California resident tickets offered at the same price you’d pay at the Disneyland ticket booths, but sometimes you can either get a little extra discount, or you can use their club card to get some kind of bonus, like a discount on gas or a future grocery discount. You may need to show an ID with a Southern California zip code in order to purchase the tickets.
Disneyland Ticket Discounts for Teachers
If you are a teacher in the US or Canada, be sure to check with your teachers’ union for possible discount Disneyland tickets. These discounts can come and go as Disney evaluates their various corporate and affinity discounts. Just because they had one last year doesn’t mean it’ll still be there this year (and vice-versa).
Some of these teacher union discounts can be significant, but others are no better (or even worse) than Disneyland ticket discounts available to the general public, so be sure to compare the final price (with any service fees and/or shipping) to the price from Undercover Tourist.
- Members of the California Teachers Association sometimes qualify for great Disneyland ticket discounts. 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 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.) Disneyland 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.”
- MouseSavers.com reader Heather O reports, “the PSEA (Pennsylvania State Education Association) also offers significant Disneyland ticket discounts…. I found that I could save $25-30 on most multi-day tickets!”
Disneyland Ticket Discounts for College Students
Many universities in Southern California offer Disneyland tickets and Disney California Adventure tickets at a small discount for their students. If you are a college student, check with your Student Union. You’ll typically only save around $1 on 1-day Disneyland tickets and $6 on 2-day tickets, but this is one of the very few ways to get a deal on 1-day tickets.
Credit Union Member Ticket Discounts
Some California credit unions may offer discount Disneyland tickets to their members. These deals are getting fewer and further between as Disney has been slowly reducing the number of deals it offers to corporate and group clients. Still, if you belong to a credit union in California, be sure to inquire about this.
Disneyland Tickets Discounts for Canadian Residents
- Select Disneyland tickets are sold at Flight Centre locations in Canada, in Canadian dollars. Frequently you’ll find lower prices here than direct from Disney.
- Select Disneyland tickets are sold at some CAA offices. (We strongly recommend calling ahead to find out whether the location near you is offering tickets.) The price of Disneyland tickets purchased in Canada is adjusted periodically to conform to the current exchange rate, so at times it may be possible to time a purchase to benefit from a sudden change in the exchange rate. (Tickets purchased in Canada may be intended only for Canadians and there is a slight chance you might be asked for ID, so US citizens who live near the border should keep this in mind.)
- Readers report that Canadians can redeem Air Miles for select Disneyland tickets. See the Air Miles site for details. Thanks to Dawn N for info.
Online Travel Agencies
Most of the time, the big Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline, etc. sell Disneyland tickets at full price. Every once in a while, one of them will offer a special deal on one or two Disneyland tickets as a come-on, to get people to come to their site and hopefully book other things. The Disneyland tickets available on sale can change from day to day (or hour to hour), but it can be worth checking these sites to see if they have a deal on the specific ticket you want. Read our caveats below before purchasing. If you’re only going to save a few dollars, we think you’re better off with Undercover Tourist. If the OTA is offering some kind of super-deep loss-leader Disneyland ticket deal that’s going to save you a bunch, and you are comfortable with the various issues we mention, you may want to take that deal.
Important notes for buying tickets from OTAs:
- Read the terms and conditions carefully. We’ve seen things like a disclaimer saying they don’t guarantee that your tickets will be valid and will let you into the park (!!!).
- Make sure you compare the final price, with any tax, fees or shipping, to other sources like Undercover Tourist. A deal that looks great at first glance may not be once miscellaneous fees get tacked on.
- Check and recheck your information before hitting the purchase button, especially your email address. They will email you the e-tickets and if you make a mistake with your email address it won’t go to the right place. That’s not the end of the world; you can call them and they can find your order by name and resend it, but OTAs have notoriously bad customer service.
- Do not take the add-ons or upsells offered, especially any kind of “buyer protection” insurance. If they offer you a special limited time deal on something else like a rental car or hotel, be skeptical, and research carefully whether it’s a good deal. The main reason the OTAs offer these kinds of special discount Disneyland tickets is in the hope that they can also sell you something with a better profit margin, so chances are good that any other thing they offer you will be full price (or sometimes even above full price!).
- Stick to the big agencies you’ve heard of, that advertise widely and have a decent reputation. If you hear about a great deal from a company you’ve never heard of, we advise staying away. There are lots of scammers and fly-by-night sellers offering Disneyland tickets out there and it’s hard to tell the real vendors from the scammers. Even a vendor that’s not a scammer may not have a reliable supply of tickets because they’re not an authorized dealer and don’t have an actual contract with Disney. They’re buying tickets under the table from another travel seller, and if their supply dries up unexpectedly while your order is being processed it might be a serious hassle. We have seen this exact situation more than once, and the people who got left holding the bag were not happy.
Discounts on Magic Key Passes or Annual Passes
Disneyland’s annual passes are called “Magic Key Passes. Magic Key Passholders need to get a theme park reservation for each day they want to visit. Read more about this system in our Disneyland Ticket Tips & Tricks page.
It can be more cost-effective to buy a Disneyland Magic Key Pass than regular tickets if you will be in the parks for multiple visits in one year (or one visit of more than 5 days). Be sure to include an Magic Key Pass in your calculations when deciding on the best tickets to buy, and be sure to check the blackout dates to make sure you don’t buy a more expensive pass than you need (and, of course, that you buy a pass that will cover the dates you want to go).
Even if you’re only visiting once, for 5 days or less, it might be worthwhile to buy ONE Magic Key Pass for someone in the party. That’s because in addition to the admission, any Magic Key Pass comes with many Disneyland Resort restaurant and shopping discounts and discounts at the Disneyland resort hotels. The Dream Key has higher discounts (20% on merchandise and 15% on food, versus 10% for both with the other passes), as well as FREE parking, but you’ll need to buy a lot of stuff and/or park many times to justify the extra expense. Just have the Passholder use the discounts (and parking privileges if any) for everyone’s benefit. (Most restaurant discounts are good for the entire party — a few have limits.)
Southern California Residents are eligible to buy the very cheapest pass — the Imagine Key Pass. This pass is a bargain at $499, but it does have the most blackout days – for the most part it’s a Monday-Thursday off-season pass. It does have discounts on merchandise and food, just like the more expensive passes. To be considered a “Southern California” resident, you need to live in a zip code between 90000-93599. See the Disneyland Ticket Prices page for details.
Occasionally, Disneyland Annual Passholders can purchase discounted park tickets for friends and family. When this happens, we list any offers below.
How to Buy a Disneyland Annual Pass
You can buy your pass in person at any Disneyland ticket booth. If you have never had a Magic Key Pass before, you’ll have to get a photo taken by a PhotoPass photographer, which will be associated with the pass.
You can also buy a Disneyland Magic Key Pass from Disney in advance online or by phone at (714) 781-INFO (4636). If you buy in advance, you will receive a code that you can scan into the Disneyland app on your phone. The start date of your pass will be the first day you enter a park (or the first day you use the FREE or discounted parking, if your pass includes either of those features). On your first trip, you’ll be advised to go get your photo taken, and if you don’t get a photo taken, they’ll eventually refuse to let you use your pass until you get it done.
In the past, many supermarkets in Southern California would sell “gift card” style vouchers for Disneyland Magic Key Passes at full price. We think it’s likely that will continue, but it doesn’t save you any money, and it’s not really any more convenient than buying the pass online. Either way, you’ll need to get the pass linked to your Disneyland account, and then use the Disneyland app to actually show your pass to enter the park and get discounts.
If you live in California (not just Southern California, anywhere in California), you can put a down payment on a Magic Key Pass and pay the rest in monthly installments. There’s no extra charge, so it’s basically an interest-free loan from Disney. You need to give Disney a credit card that will be charged every month automatically. You need to make sure you keep a valid credit card on your account for the whole year (you can swap cards or update expiration dates in your Disneyland account online). If any monthly payment doesn’t go through, your Magic Key Pass will be immediately deactivated until you make the missed payment.
Disney really wants you to use your phone to store and show your annual pass. If you don’t have a smartphone that can use the Disneyland app, or just prefer to have a physical card, you can get one for $20 at a ticket booth or guest services location.
Generally we don’t see much point in buying an annual pass in advance, except if you know the prices are about to go up and you want to lock in the current price. If you buy a Magic Key Pass, you can hold off on activating it for a year. If you go a whole year without activating your Magic Key Pass, it will expire and at that point will only be good to trade it toward a new Magic Key Pass. Note that you will need to remember that you have an expired, unused pass registered to your account, and specifically ask a cast member to apply it towards a new pass purchase; it will not show up in your Disneyland account.
You can renew a Magic Key Pass up to 30 days prior to its expiration date. When you renew, you can change to any higher or lower-tier pass that you qualify for. Unlike at Walt Disney World, there is no “grace period” after the expiration date to renew. If you forget to renew on time and go past the expiration date, you can no longer renew your annual pass, and will need to buy a new one. And if new passes are not being sold, you will need to wait until new passes go on sale, if they ever do.
Obviously if there’s no renewal discount, there’s usually no real point to renewing; just let the old one expire and buy a new one when you are ready to go back to the parks (if new ones are available – see below). If Disney does bring back the renewal discount, make sure to consider your future plans carefully before renewing. If the renewal discount is, say, 10%, there’s no real savings to renewal unless you plan to visit the parks within the next 10% of a year (37 days). With a 20% discount, it’s not worth renewing unless you plan to be back within 20% of a year (73 days), and so forth. If your plans for your next visit are further out than that, just let your current pass expire and buy a new one when you come back.
If Disney is allowing renewals but not new purchases, which it has done occasionally, then that’s a different issue – if you don’t renew a pass you lose it and can’t get another until new pass sales open again.