All annual passes for Disneyland are being canceled effective immediately, the resort announced Thursday.
Passholders haven’t been able to utilize those passes for the past 10 months due to the theme parks remaining closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who didn’t allow their passes to simply expire, Disney will be processing prorated refunds.
In a statement, Disneyland president Ken Potrock hinted that the successor to the existing AP program may offer different benefits.
“We want to thank our Annual Passholders for their understanding during this closure period,” Potrock said. “Due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations around the reopening of our California theme parks, we will be issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current program. We are currently developing new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans.”
Annual passholders who had active passes when Disneyland closed in March 2020 will still have access to AP discounts at Downtown Disney and Disney California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street until a replacement program is put in place.
Theme Park Insider, which was part of an invitation-only press event with Potrock ahead of the announcement, reported that Disneyland was facing a “logistical nightmare” whenever it reopened with reduced capacity, thanks to the large number of Disneyland passholders.
Potrock told the website that the resort intends to have a replacement program ready by the time the state of California allows theme parks to reopen. That is likely months away, thanks to the COVID-19 surge in the state that has exhausted hospital capacity, and stringent reopening guidelines released last fall by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
More Theme Park News:
Disney World hotel guests are losing perks, but travel agents don’t expect off-site exodus
5 biggest new theme park attractions coming to Orlando and Tampa in 2021
REVIEW: Holiday In The Park Drive-Thru Experience at Six Flags Great America