One Year With a Disney Pass

One year ago I made the financial decision to buy a Disney Annual Pass. In the next 2 weeks, it will be gone and I will not be going to Disney for quite a while. As many of us know, going to Disneyland is an extremely expensive trip that some may never do while others go once a week. I made the decision to get one because my 3 closest friends had one and we decided it would be a good way to spend some weekends together and use it as an escape from the hardships of college. So there we were- my room of 4 now all had Disneyland Annual Passes.

I personally got the Socal Pass which meant I could not go on any Saturday and I was subject to a lot of block out dates but that was fine because most of the time when I wanted to go, I was able to. At the time, in 2017, I payed $469 for my pass without tax. Although this was a lot of money, I decided it was really a good deal because a day pass is $97. This means going 5 times in the year would more than make up for the price. The issue with my logic at that time was that if I didn’t get a pass would I really have gone 5 times to make up that same amount of money. The answer I have more recently decided on, was no. There is no way that without a Disneyland Annual Pass I would have visited enough to make up for my original Annual Pass price.

Don’t get me wrong, I really did love having a pass and I made a lot of memories that I will never forget. The main key to remember here is how much the pass costs and how much will you probably spend each time you go. I almost always ended up buying lunch and dinner in the parks which can total $35+. That’s a problem for me because not only would I go to Disney as often as I did this past year but I also would not spend that much money on 2 meals in a single day if I weren’t at a Disney Park.

There are so many perks that come along with being a Disney Annual Passholder. Some are small like getting a AP button to wear around on certain days, getting a 15% discount on most purchases in the parks, and being able to stop by the park for a short period of time and not feeling guilty about it. The pass I held was the best deal for me as a college student who does not live in LA unless school is in session. My days were blocked on all Saturdays, but I was in the clear, for the most part, on other week days. It was blocked out during all major holidays. June and July meant I had no chance of going. December meant I could maybe go four days in the entire month. This made sense for me though. During June and July I live in Northern California and which means going down to Disney is unrealistic. I am also a college student, so trying to plan a Disney trip in December is almost laughable with the idea of finals coming up. 

I do go with several different friends. The HC Cal Lutheran Chapter went twice together, I went countless times with my roommates, and I went a couple times with my boyfriend. These memories I hold with so many different people are beyond important to me. I really do think the pass was worth it for me. I honestly did not have the money for it at the time but with the payment plan, I did it. Now here we are, I am 2 weeks away from it disappearing forever and as of now, I will not be renewing for this upcoming year. The most unfortunate part is that the pass I had is no longer available unless I renew before it expires.

For all college students that want to decide if its worth it, you need to take in your financial situation first and truly look at all the Annual Passport option available while you are contemplating it. It is worth it? You will have so much fun, but if your friends don’t have a pass, who will you go with? Of course you can go by yourself but is that realistic for you? Find what works for you! Sophomore year of college me found the Annual Pass worth it, but junior year me has her focus on other priorities.

• Disneyland