So you’re planning a trip to Disneyland? I’m so STOKED for you! Beyond excited! I’m so excited there isn’t even a word to describe it! Now that you’ve decided to go to Disneyland, there are so many questions. Where to stay? How long to stay? Visit other attractions? Where to eat? Why is it so expensive? How can I save money?  I’ve done it all from 1/2 a day to a week to lavish or budget. So, I’m here to help you break it down!

For this particular post I’m going to talk about cost of entry to Disneyland.  I’ve seen the prices rise significantly over the past 3 years alone and it’s kind of staggering.  Now, before you get angry, you have to understand that Disneyland IS NOT Disney World.  It is a much smaller resort area only spanning about 160 Acres while Disney World is….wait for it…27,443 ACRES.  Now that it’s put into perspective, annually Disneyworld welcomes over 52 million people and Disneyland welcomes about 22 million. Disneyland is about 0.6% the size of Disneyworld yet it welcomes just under 50% of the same amount of people as Disneyworld.  Don’t believe me? Disneyland has had to close its gates due to capacity and overcrowding a fair amount over the past few years and there is no signs of it slowing down.  Disneyland is an amazing place and I can understand why so many people come to this magical place!  That being said, Disneyland has a serious overcrowding issue and to make crowds more manageable the only way is to figure out how to thin those crowds, and since people are willing (and will probably always be willing) to shell out the money to visit the happiest place on earth, it just makes good business sense.

I practically live in LA. Yes, it’s out of hotel rooms and suitcases BUT, I’m always there whether with family, friends, or solo.  I decided 2 years ago that I would invest in an Annual Pass for Disneyland.  It gave me something to do and honestly I’ve never looked back.  Until this year, I’ve taken pause to actually think about the feasibility of keeping my annual pass. So, this is helping me as much as it’s helping you.

When I first got my annual pass in 2013, I only paid around $650 for a Premium Passport.  The highest tier of passports available at the time, there were some excellent perks. No blackout dates, it included parking, 20% discount on merchandise, 15% discount on food, and a slew of other discounts. Fast forward to 2015 and the my Premium Passport is not available anymore, although I renewed a month before it magically disappeared.  When I renewed in September (and boy am I glad I did) it was $779. In October 2015 Disneyland rolled out 2 NEW passports and discontinued my tier of passport (fear not they are honoring it until it expires). Let’s review the Passport tiers shall we?

Disneyland Annual Passport Tiers (as of November 2015):

Please keep in mind that these passports are NON TRANSFERABLE and you cannot give it to your little sister or your boyfriend to use to gain entry.  They take ALL your information when you buy and also take your picture which shows up on their little computers at the turnstiles.

Also keep in mind that these passports are on a rolling year and not a calendar year. Your pass will be effective and expire on the same date. No prorating!

• Disney Deluxe Passport — $599
  • 50 blackout dates including major holidays
  • Parkhopper
  • No Parking (unless you are already a pass holder with the parking option added on)
  • No Disney Photopass digital downloads
  • 10% discount on food and merchandise
• Disney Signature Passport — $849
  • 15 blackout dates
  • Parkhopper
  • Parking included
  • Unlimited Disney Photopass digital downloads
  • 15% discount on food
  • 20% discount on merchandise
• Disney Signature Plus Passport — $1049
  • No blackout dates
  • Parkhopper
  • Parking included
  • Unlimited Disney Photopass digital downloads
  • 15% discount on food
  • 20% discount on merchandise
• Other Passes available for southern california residents

So basically, the more you pay, the more you get included in the pass.  Now that you know your options for Annual Passports, I’m also going to include ticket prices.

Disneyland Ticket Prices —  Parkhopper (as of November 2015):

You can get a ticket that lets you visit Disneyland and/or California Adventure between 1-5 days. Keep in mind that these tickets are Non-transferable, they take your picture and make you sign the tickets. Also, you must use all your days within 13 days of first gate entry or you lose whatever remaining days you had left.  This ALSO means that you don’t have to visit the park consecutively! I’m going to assume that you will be hopping back and forth between the parks to catch different shows and avoid crowds when possible.

• 1 Day Parkhopper — $155
• 2 Day Parkhopper — $225
• 3 Day Parkhopper — $275
• 4 Day Parkhopper — $300
• 5 Day Parkhopper — $315

These tickets do not include Parking and have no discounts on dining or merchandise.  BUT, if you purchase a 3-Day Parkhopper or higher you will get ONE Magic Morning, early entry into Disneyland. More about Magic Morning HERE.

Okay now let’s do some math! BTW I should let you know that I hate math and I really do kind of suck at it, so, google (and my husband) to the rescue!

How many visits would it take on an annual pass before you break even?

Single Trips:
Let’s say you’re like me and you frequent Anaheim often and have some days free to visit the park. Assuming you will be driving to disneyland parking is $18 PER DAY, these numbers also reflect parking for ONE DAY.  With or without parking the numbers come out fairly close.

• Deluxe:
  • 4 Park hopping visits OR
  • 6 Single park visits
• Signature:
  • 6 Park hopping visits OR
  • 9 Single park visits
• Signature Plus
  • 7 Park hopping visits OR
  • 11 Single park visits

Multi Day Trips:

3 days:

• Deluxe:
  • 2 Park hopping visits (6 days total) OR
  • 3 Single park visits (9 days total)
• Signature:
  • 3 Park hopping visits (9 days total) OR
  • 4 single park visits (12 days total)
• Signature Plus:
  • 4 Park hopping visits (12 days total) OR
  • 5 Single park visits (15 days total)

Maybe you’re staying 5 days:

• Deluxe:
  • 2 Park hopping visits OR 2 Single Visits (10 days total)
• Signature:
  • 3 Park hopping visits OR 3 Single Visits (15 days total)
• Signature Plus:
  • 3 Park hopping visits (15 days total) OR
  • 4 Single park visits (20 days total)

Let’s break it down further and say you are definitely going to park hop, how much would each day cost? Assuming you would be able to visit Disneyland on all available days to you.

• Deluxe: $1.90 per day — 315 days
• Signature: $2.43 per day — 350 days
• Signature Plus: $2.87 per day — 365 days
• 3-Day Parkhopper: $91.67 per day – — 3 days
• 5-Day Parkhopper: $63 per day — 5 days

Even if you went 30 days out of the year:

• Deluxe:$19.97 per day
• Signature:$28.30 per day
• Signature Plus:$35 per day

Alright now let’s use that price per day scenario and also include $40 for 3 meals and snacks, $69.95 for photo pass, $18 for parking, and $30 for a T-shirt all for ONE DAY, just for kicks.

• Deluxe: $1.90 entry, $18.00 parking, $0.00 photo pass, $36 meals and snacks, and $27 T-shirt = $82.90
• Signature: $2.43 entry, $0.00 parking, $0.00 photo pass, $34 meals and snacks, and $24 T-shirt = $60.43
• Signature Plus: $2.87 entry, $0.00 parking, $0.00 photo pass, $34 meals and snacks, and $24 T-shirt = $60.87
• 3-Day: $91.67 entry, $18.00 parking, $23.32 photo pass, $40.00 meals, and $30.00 T-shirt = $202.99
• 5-Day: $63.00 entry, $18.00 parking, 13.99 photo pass (divided over 5 days), $40.00 meals, and $30 T-shirt = $164.99

It’s inevitable that you will end up buying something from the parks, whether is bottled water, a pretzel, a keychain, or a train set. The savings really start to add up when you take into consideration the discount you get with the annual passports.

5-Day Parkhopper VS. Signature Plus = $104.12 savings // roughly a 65% Saving per day!

How can you afford an annual pass?

• If you are a CALIFORNIA not only southern but ALL of California you can qualify for financing and can pay monthly. In order to qualify you will need proof of residency.
• Don’t live in California? Save your money! If you break it down month to month over 12 months:
  • Deluxe: $49.92 a month
  • Signature: $70.75 a month
  • Signature Plus:$87.42 a month

Who should get an annual pass?

This is aimed at you Hawai’i families — If you will be going to Disneyland at least twice in a 365 day period, get an annual pass! Odds are you’ll be going for at least 3 days right?

Deluxe Passport $599 VS. $550 for (2) 3-day park hopper passes for one person! Not to mention you will save 10% on dining and merchandise.

Signature Passport $849 VS. $727.96 for (2) 3-day park hopper passes for one person, parking for 6 days, and photo pass.

Even if you can’t afford to have all of you get an annual pass, if just ONE person gets the annual pass you will still be able to save money on food, photos, and merchandise. Oh and discounts on hotel stays to make those trips just a little bit cheaper! Hope this helps you just a little bit! If you have any questions or ideas for future Disneyland inspired posts, make sure to comment down below!

*This post is not sponsored by Disney. I am just trying to save you the most money and get the best experience at my favorite place on EARTH! The pricing reflected in this post is as of November 2015.