On a recent outing to the Magic Kingdom, my wife and I found ourselves virtually alone in a group of 12 in that we were the only couple to not own Disney annual passes.
Some of these people lived nearby, while some lived in the Bay Area (NorCal), yet they all attended the park enough to feel that owning a pass was of some value (in contrast, my last visit to the park was 9 years ago though I find myself in SoCal fairly regularly). I was shocked, because, though I know some more than others, I wasn’t aware that any of them were such big fans of the park.
I also couldn’t help but wonder, from a statistical point-of-view, how anamolous this was–surely not everybody in the LA area can be annual pass holders, but maybe there are many more than I would suspect.
So, my poll is this for all Dopers who live within, say, 50 miles of the park: Do you have an annual Disney pass?
(I should also note that, of these 5 other couples, all were out of college–mid 20s to early 30s–and only one couple had kids, so this wasn’t about showing their kids a good time; this was a prime recreation destination for themselves.)
I know you said SoCal Dopers, but I thought I’d tell you why we have annual passes. We’re in Sacramento, but we go to Disneyland for a week every Thanksgiving and for long weekends 2-3 other times during the year. We have one son, but Suburban Plankton and I try to make it down there at least once a year just the two of us.
The Premium annual pass is $279, if you enter the parks 10 times in a year, you’re only paying $27.90/day and nothing for parking which is now $10. A pretty good deal seeing as it’s like $45 for a single day/single park pass. With a Premium pass you can save 10%-15% at most restaurants and all the shops. If you stay at the Disney Hotels you also can get great room discounts and premium seating at restaurants.
What I think it boils down to is, there are people like us who are Disney People and people who aren’t. If you’re a Disney person, it’s worth it to have the pass.
First off, i’m a big Disneyland fan. I Love it there! I actually get giddy when I walk in the park!
But, I dont have an annual pass. And honestly, Ive never thought about getting one.
I dont really go all that often. I live a little farther than 50 miles, but I suppose if I had said pass, I might just go more. My parents and younger siblings, who all live farther away than I do, have passes. HHhhmmmm…
I used to for a few years back in high school. Two of my firends had them as well. One lived just down the freeway from DLand - we could climb onto his roof and watch the fireworks. I knew the place like the back of my hand, and we’d go on weekends or sometimes just for a few hours in the evenings when the lines got thin and the day cooled off. Eventually we realized that we’d done everything so many times and had stopped feeling any kind of ambience other than masses of people shuffling around between us and where we wanted to go.
I’ve tried every drinking fountain at Disneyland, and the only passable one is next to the It’s A Small World ride. So I don’t go to Disneyland anymore.
I think Rhiannon8404 has it exactly right. For me, I like Disneyland, and I can understand why some people get really into it, but I’m not a Disney person. I don’t know too many people who I would call “Disney people” but for some reason it seems like in particular couples–whether with kids or not–are more likely to be Disney people.
I have lived in LA for 5 years, about 30 miles from Disneyland (according to yahoo maps). I do not have a Disneyland Pass and I can’t really imagine getting one, because I really don’t go down there all that often.
I have been to Disneyland 5 times in my life. First time with my parents. I grew up in Portland, OR, and we didn’t travel much when I was a kid, so the trip was a a really big deal and I still remember it fondly. In fact, I remember thinking that the people who lived near Disneyland were incredibly lucky because they got to go there all the time.
Once right after I graduated from college, and I was visiting LA after driving cross country. That time I noticed a lot of shops in the park. When I was a kid all I really cared about were the rides.
Once when my girlfriend at the time worked at the park.
Once when I was working at a law firm and the law firm took a bunch of summer associates there.
Once in the past two years when my brother was visiting. We didn’t go into the park, though, we went to downtown Disneyland and walked around and played video games.
Again, I like the place and all, but I don’t have any plans to go there in the near future and can’t really imagine getting an annual pass.
I have 2 kids, 8 and 4, and they love Disneyland. We live about a 45 minute drive (in non-rush-hour-type traffic) away, and we do not have a pass. We go once or twice a year at most. I don’t want it to lose it’s magic, and having passes would make it feel like an obligation to go there to get our money’s worth. We do have passes to Universal Studios, because it’s a 10 minute drive, there’s no magic to lose, and the kids like it almost as much as they like Disneyland.
I used to have one when I anticipated niece/nephew visiting in two different trips. So it worked out well for me then.
But now I don’t go as often. I wait until they have the 2 parks for 1 ticket offer for Southern California and go then. Then don’t want you to use both parts on the same day, but you can.
22 miles from Disneyland, been in Southern California for 30+ years now.
Don’t have an annual pass, sorry. I was considering getting one, but my wife nixed the idea, since we don’t go often enough (about once a year, so far) to justify it.
I’m about 20 miles or so from Disneyland, and nope, no annual pass here. I’m one of those darkly jaded with Disney folks.
I do go about once a year, though. Hubby’s school goes there for their big end of the year field trip, and I always accompany. This yearly event is more than enough Disneyland for me. Always pleasureable, but never desirable.
We do have memberships (akin to annual pass) to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, San Diego Zoo, and California Science Center. Those are amusement parks more of our liking. (We’re going to Body Worlds tomorrow…I don’t suppose they’ll be selling cadaver-shaped balloons or suckers…)
Not S.CA bu less than 50 miles from Dollywood and Splash Country near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
My wife and I have been to Dollwood twice with visitors with children. We have never bouth a two day pass let alone a season pass.
I have better things to do than spend time driving up and back and seeing the same old same oh over and over.
A season pass is for flatland touristors with a bunch of kids that want to ride the rides again and again. The season pass being cheaper or nearly so than two two-day passes.
Well, I guess I’ll be the exception and admit that I don’t have a Disney annual pass because I can’t stand Disneyland. Hate everything about it, from the long lines to ride stupid rides, to the outrageously overpriced food, to the screaming children and the crowds in general. I can think of very few worse ways to spend a day, let alone multiple days throught an entire year. No thanks.
