Getting a Disneyland Paris Annual Pass
 |
| Our Annual Passports! |
On our first trip to Disneyland Paris, we noticed that the majority of the visitors had purchased tickets prior to visiting the park. In fact, we had some difficulties locating the ticket office as it was tucked far away at the end of the entrance gates.
To be honest, it was an impromptu trip and I did not do any prior research on the various ticket types. Back at our familiar Tokyo Disney Resort (TDR), there are 3 ways of purchasing a ticket: (1) advance purchase at one of the authorised travel agencies/ hotels; (2) online; or (3) at the ticket gates. The prices for any of these options are similar. And unless you are staying at the Disney hotels (or have a relevant Disney Vacation Package), you will not be able to buy a ticket that allows you to enter both parks (Disneyland and DisneySea) on the same 1st day. Selected overseas travel agencies (e.g. JTB in Singapore) sell park tickets with a validity period but without a fixed date. This means that you can have the flexibility to change the date of visit (without notifying anyone or making any payment) even until the very last minute. Otherwise, there are no clear advantages to make advance purchase of the park tickets.
At Disneyland Paris however, there are a myriad of tickets with different prices and options. Naturally, advance purchases online give you the maximum cost savings.
There are 4 categories of tickets, namely MINI, MAGIC, SUPER MAGIC, and MAGIC FLEX (in accordance to price). For each category, there are two options: one park only or two parks. The only tickets available at the ticket gates are MAGIC FLEX. Sometimes, they are special offers for the park tickets which makes things even more confusing. For example, there is the summer offer till 28 Sep 2016 where you can get a MINI, MAGIC, or SUPER MAGIC ticket that allows you to enter both parks at the usual price for one.
Confusing enough yet? Perhaps the table below will help to clarify:
Confusing enough yet? Perhaps the table below will help to clarify:
| Tickets | 1 Day 1 Park | 1 Day 2 Parks |
|---|---|---|
| MINI |
€47
|
€62
|
| MAGIC |
€59
|
€74
|
| SUPER MAGIC |
€69
| €84 |
| MAGIC FLEX |
€75
|
€90
|
Prices per Adult obtained from official website valid till 31 Jan 2017.
MAGIC FLEX tickets are the only tickets you can purchase at the ticket gates.
MAGIC FLEX tickets are the only tickets you can purchase at the ticket gates.
Of course, i didn't know all these on my first visit, and was shocked that the ticket
prices indicated on the bill board was some €90? In
comparison, the most "pocket-friendly" annual pass available was
only €135 and it allows you to enter both parks on the same day!
On closer inspection, there are 85 blackout days for the cheapest Annual Passport Classic. The day when we visited the park happened to be one of those days. It is hardly surprising that most of these blackout days fall on the weekends. (The validity periods can be found here.) This option also doesn't
provide complimentary parking (which is €20 per
entry).
The next upgrade of annual pass would be €179 for the Annual Passport Fantasy, with complimentary parking and Extra Magic Hours, but still a blackout of 45 days. At this point, I should probably mention that the Extra Magic Hours meant that you can start enjoying Disneyland Park up to 2 hours before the official opening hours (not applicable to Walt Disney Studios).
It wasn't as
though we were fanatic, but with the man's schedule being hectic and
unpredictable, we thought it is safer to choose the Annual Passport Dream which has no blackout so
that we could literally go any time we wanted. And that, ate into our wallets
by an additional €44. *horrors* To make the deal slightly sweeter, you get an additional perk of 20% off purchases at the shops (as compared to only 10% for the other passports). Accordingly, you will also get invitation to special events (though we have not received any yet), and get some miscellaneous discounts which the other two passports doesn't provide.
A quick summary for the annual passports below:
A quick summary for the annual passports below:
| Price & Benefits | Classic | Fantasy | Dream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €135 | €179 |
€223
|
Total number of days available for visit in a year
|
280
|
320
|
365
|
Discounts at shops in Disneyland Paris
|
10%
|
10%
|
20%
|
Discounts at restaurants in Disneyland Paris,
Hotels and Disney Village
|
10%
|
||
Complimentary parking at Disneyland (*)
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Extra Magic Hours
(Enjoy 2 hours before park opening)
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Discounts for Hotels
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Additional
Discount
|
Discounts for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Golf Disneyland, The Disney Store in France, free non-alcoholic drink at restaurants in Disneyland Paris (table service only), discounts at PanoraMagique, cinema at Disney Village and Aquarium Sea Life etc
|
Partial
|
Partial
|
All
|
Discounts for daily park tickets for friends
|
No
|
10%
|
20%
|
Prices listed per adult. Information obtained from official website.
(*) Complimentary parking available for Classic Passport holder by making additional one time payment of €30
(*) Complimentary parking available for Classic Passport holder by making additional one time payment of €30
Therefore, if you are visiting Disneyland Paris for 2 times or more, and unless you are visiting only on days with MINI or MAGIC prices, it is probably worthwhile to apply for an annual pass.
To buy one, you just have to approach the ticket office (where they also sell the daily tickets) with your passports. On the day of purchase, we only had our driving licenses with us which they would not accept. Eventually, they allowed us to proceed when we showed them a photo of our passports. You will then receive a paper ticket that will allow you to enter the park. Thereafter, you will need to go to the Annual Passport Office inside Disneyland Park to register and get the real plastic card. We were there about 10am park opening time and the whole process took only about 10 mins. Do note that the parking charges on the same day before the purchase of the annual pass cannot be refunded.
To buy one, you just have to approach the ticket office (where they also sell the daily tickets) with your passports. On the day of purchase, we only had our driving licenses with us which they would not accept. Eventually, they allowed us to proceed when we showed them a photo of our passports. You will then receive a paper ticket that will allow you to enter the park. Thereafter, you will need to go to the Annual Passport Office inside Disneyland Park to register and get the real plastic card. We were there about 10am park opening time and the whole process took only about 10 mins. Do note that the parking charges on the same day before the purchase of the annual pass cannot be refunded.
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