The Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks, which have been closed for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are ending their annual pass program as we know it.
The popular multi-level ticket system, which has changed the culture of the two Anaheim theme parks to become a daily, weekly or monthly hangout for many Southern Californians, is being helped. Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, told reporters on Thursday that the annual pass program will eventually be replaced with new membership offers.
Potrock offered no timeline for the future offerings, citing the unpredictability of the current environment. The increase in coronavirus cases affecting Southern California prevents theme parks from knowing when they will reopen or what restrictions they will face once they do.
With the termination of the annual pass program – refunds will be automatically given to those who paid last March days after the parks closed – Disney looks forward to working at a lower, only booking capacity if California reopens the parks.
But the move strikes the most dedicated and loyal fans of the parks with uncertainty. Although Disney does not release attendance figures, the annual fitting program has long hung on to seven figures. Fans who wanted and expected a ‘Disneyland solution’ now face the prospect of no longer giving priority when the park reopens, and holding their breath to see what the rethought membership program will look like.
There is not expected to be a replacement for the annual pass program until the pandemic is enough to welcome Disneyland Resort to welcome guests at or near the level of coronavirus attendance. Potrock said he believes in the long run that this move will be a “silver lining” of the pandemic for Disney, an opportunity to form a program that better fits the still unknown financial reality of many of Disneyland’s fans. , while it may also have more flexible levels for those who do not necessarily consider themselves regular parks.
“A good part of this is creating different ways people can access the park,” Potrock says. ‘If we want to come every day, do we have a program they can use to do that? If they want to come mid-week, do we have a program they can use to do that? ‘
The change will not affect the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, but visitors who have a passport, which gives access to parks on both coasts, must lose their benefits in California and receive refunds if applicable.
Those who had a year card that was active after the park closed on March 14 last year will still receive discounts on food and beverages in the foreseeable future. Hoping to encourage current passers-by to continue visiting the Downtown Disney restaurant and shopping area adjacent to the Anaheim Parks, they will also be offering 30% off goods at certain stores on Mondays through Thursdays until February 25 this year. allowed.
Thursday’s move reflects that of Toyko Disneyland, run by Oriental Land Co., which ended its annual pass program in October.
For much of 2020, Disneyland executives, along with California’s other theme park operators, put government Gavin Newsom under pressure to reopen the parks. But in the fall, Newsom issued guidelines linking the reopening of the parks to the infection rates and the number of cases of coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants in the provinces where the parks live, as well as a benchmark for equities. Disney fired or toppled more than 100,000 workers last year, and in some cases they blamed California’s safety rules.
The reopening of Disneyland is likely to be over in a few months. The timing depends in part on the residents’ ability to take precautions that slow down the spread of the coronavirus and the speed of the spread of vaccines. Many of the vaccinations take place in one of Disneyland’s parking lots, which was inaugurated this week as the first super-vaccination site in Orange County.
Disneyland has been tinkering with its annual fitting program for the past few years in an effort to find a balance between demand and attendance.
In 2019, for example, the resort added a $ 599 Flex Pass that booked access on days with lower capacity and at other times. Year passes specifically for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure were as high as $ 1,399 for the Signature Plus level, allowing access to parks every day of the year.