Fans are shocked at the NEW Disneyland Paris Annual Pass. Is it worth it? Here’s the cost of every alternative explained

This is not a rumour – after months and months of speculation, and a halt on new sales since March 2023, the Disneyland Paris annual pass is finally back! It is now called the Disneyland Pass. But there has been a massive shakeup, with many upset fans signing a petition against the latest changes. So, the question on everyone’s lips is, Is the new Disneyland Paris annual pass worth it? 

Let’s dive into what pass holder privileges remain, how much the price has increased, and work out if the new Disneyland Pass will save you money. I will also share a detailed comparison of the costs of using the new Disneyland Paris annual pass vs buying a package from Disney.  

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Tell me everything about the new Disneyland Pass!

(And, especially, how is it different to the old Disneyland Paris Annual pass?)

Before you weigh specific holiday costs, you might have a few questions about the new Disneyland Pass.

So let’s first talk about how to get the Disneyland Pass, when to get it, and what the price is.

Who can buy the new Disneyland Pass / Disneyland Annual Pass? How can I buy it?

At this time, the new Disneyland Pass is available not only to the current pass holders but to everyone!

When was the new Disneyland Paris annual pass made available? 

On the 11th of July 2023, Disneyland Paris notified current pass holders by email that they were rolling out their new programme.

In the email, Disneyland Paris outlined the features of the new ‘Disneyland Pass.’ The Disneyland Pass would be available to purchase from 19th July 2023, but at that time only by current pass holders. In other words, if you have the Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus or Infinity pass, you were offered the opportunity to renew it for the new Disneyland Pass from July 19th.

But that has changed as of August 2023 – now anyone can by an annual pass (while stocks last).

Should I replace my (old) Disneyland Paris annual pass before it runs out?

Firstly, if you have the Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus or Infinity pass, you don’t need to rush out and change it right away.

Disney has said that your current pass is still valid until it expires. When it expires, you can renew a Disneyland Pass online one month before it expires up to one month after it expires. You should receive a personalised email closer to the time of your expiration date with full instructions. (Note: I did not receive my renewal email until 1 day before it expired)

I highly recommend keeping your ‘old’ annual pass until it runs out as it contains more benefits than the new pass, and Disney are still honouring many of them especially magic hour and extra shop/restaurant discounts.

If you do wish to exchange your current pass for the new Disneyland Pass, you are invited to do so after July 19th 2023.

It is understood that you will cancel your current pass and receive a pro-rata credit applied to the price of your new one, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Where do I buy a Disneyland Pass? / How do I renew my Disneyland Paris Annual Pass?

There are currently 2 ways to buy a Disneyland Pass or renew a Disneyland Paris Annual Pass:

1.  By calling Disneyland Paris on +44 (0)3448 008 898 (National call rates apply, cost may vary according to network).
2. In person with the Annual Pass team at Disneyland Paris – main park (note: this has changed from Walt Disney Studios).

The Annual Pass desks are open 12pm to 5pm.

The Annual Pass cast members you need to see are in the old ticket sales areas (right before you get to the point where you have to present your tickets for the park).

Tip #1: Leave yourself a bit of time to do your Annual Pass. I arrived at 11:45am (before it had opened) and still waited around 45 minutes.

Tip #2: If you are planning to pay by direct debit before sure to bring ID and your bank IBAN and SWIFT codes. See below about making monthly payments.

What perks do I get with the Disneyland Annual Pass and the Disneyland Pass? 

Perhaps the biggest point of contention with current pass holders over the new Disneyland Pass is that Disney has removed almost all of the benefits associated with the previous pass.

10 Infinity Passholder benefits that have been REMOVED

1. The dedicated annual passholder entrance
2. Priority parking
3. Discount tickets for family and friends that were available at the gate have changed to very limited availability and must be booked online now (You can do this in the Annual Pass portal)
4. The dedicated phone line for discount on Disney Hotels has been removed. You can now only get a hotel-only booking through the Disneyland Paris app
5. Free luggage storage
6. Free stroller and wheelchair rental
7. Free dog kennel
8. Day tickets are no longer discounted (previously -20%)
9. Discount on merchandise is reduced from 20% to 15%
10. Extra Magic Time (removed for Bronze and Silver Passes)

Benefits that remain the same are free parking for all passholders, annual Photopass+ discount for Bronze passholders (PhotoPass+ included for Silver and Gold and Extra Magic Time remains for Gold Passes).

New benefits added for Annual Passholders:

1. Pop-up experiences. Starting from September 2023, you have the chance to meet an exclusive character (currently Tinkerbell or Oswald Rabbit) in the old AP centre in the main park (the big building outside the Castle Theatre Stage). TIP: You must register for this pop-up experience and spaces are limited. Visit your Annual Passholder benefits page to book your place, but note that the number of reservations is extremely limited.
2. Disney are promising 4 annual passholder events throughout the year. So far we have seen September 29th themed as a ‘Villains Extravaganza,’ November 30th for ‘Christmas Night,’ and March 22nd as ‘Treasure Night.’ Tickets are strictly limited. You are allowed to bring one guest with each Annual Passholder ticket purchased. From experience let me tell you that it’s very glitchy to book these party tickets, so bring plenty of patience and maybe book a few hours off work.
3. And finally, for the first time at Disneyland Paris, annual passes will be going digital. From 19th of July 2023, you can access your annual pass in the Disneyland Paris app.

Below you can see at a glance the key differences between the Infinity Pass and Disneyland Pass Gold:

What is the price of the new Disneyland Pass (previously Disneyland Annual Pass)? What is the difference between the 3 passes?

From July 19th, the price of the Gold Disneyland Pass will be €699. This is an increase of €200 over the Infinity pass, or €274.85 more factoring in the previous 15% discount at renewal. It will allow 365 days of potential visits to the parks (subject to a 3-day reservation rule), free parking, Extra Magic Time and Photopass+. 

The Silver Disneyland Pass is €499, with 300 days a year available and free parking. 10% is the discount for shops and restaurants. There is also no Magic Time or Photopass+.

The Bronze Disneyland Pass is €289 with 170 days a year available. It includes parking, but there is no shop or restaurant discount, Extra Magic Time or Photopass+. Be aware that you can only reserve 1 day at the parks with a new pass. After you spend a day in the parks, you can then try to reserve for the next day (or any day after that).

Can I make monthly payments for the new Disneyland Pass? 

You can make monthly payments for the new Disneyland Pass. The costs are:

• Gold Pass: €149 payment plus €50/month
• Silver Pass: €125 payment plus €34/month
• Bronze Pass: €91 payment plus €18/month

If you choose to renew with monthly payments, you need a bank account in a SEPA country (check with your bank if it will authorise direct debits from France). Bank charges may apply outside the EU.

You can arrange this at the ticket counters by the Walt Disney Studios Entrance. You must have:

• The bill payer’s ID (bill payer must be present)
• Bank account details (bank must be in SEPA and accept Euro debits called SEPE Direct Debit Core – SDD Core. If unsure, check with your bank)
• ID for all members wishing to renew, except minors

How can I pay for the new Disneyland Pass? 

You can make monthly payments in person or online as outlined above. Arrange this through the Disneyland Paris website or at the ticket counters by the Disneyland Paris (main park) Entrance.

Alternatively, you can pay in full online, at the ticket counters by the Walt Disney Studios entrance or by phoning Disneyland Paris, 03448 008 898.

How soon can I use my Disneyland Paris annual pass? How does the reservation policy work?

Actually using your annual pass for Disneyland Paris can be a bit confusing, so I’ve written a complete post about how to to get Disneyland Paris park reservations.

READ NEXT: Everything you need to know about park reservations and Disneyland Paris annual pass.

Cost comparison for the new Disneyland Pass VS Booking a package with Disney VS Staying offsite 

Now that you know the logistics of the Disneyland Pass, let’s talk numbers. Is this new annual pass for Disneyland Paris going to save you money?

The short answer is that it depends.

I’ve crunched the numbers on all the options of using a Disneyland Annual Pass versus paying separately or as a package. The results might surprise you.

*What we have to assume for this price comparison*

It’s not possible to weigh up everyone’s unique situation when determining the precise cost-savings on a Disneyland Paris trip. Costs are variable and very personalised.

So, for this exercise to work, we need to make some general assumptions. Then you can adjust the outcome and also do your own comparison if your situation is very different.

For this Disneyland Paris annual pass cost comparison, we are going to assume:

• That you are travelling from afar and wish to stay at a hotel. These hotel cost comparisons won’t suit you if you are doing a day trip from Paris.
• That you are considering a Disneyland Pass (annual pass) only for its cost benefits and not for any pop-up experiences (ie Annual Pass Parties) that are only available to pass holders
• For our survey, the Disneyland hotel you choose is a value hotel. If we’re comparing costs, let’s start with the cheapest option. For this reason, we’re looking at Disney Hotel Cheyenne. It is within an 18-minute walk of the park.
• The off-site hotel for comparison is the Adagio Serris Val d’Europe. It has a pool and is within a 22-minute walk of the park. These prices only reflect cancellable bookings without breakfast, as this is similar to the conditions of a Disney hotel.
• We will compare costs based on taking 4 trips across the calendar year to cover the main festivals at Disneyland Paris. These will be the cheapest times to visit, with the visit usually in mid-week. The dates I’ve picked are early October, mid-November, mid-March and June. This covers Halloween, Christmas, Spring and Summer. (Take note of these blackout dates for Bronze Pass and Silver Pass. Gold Pass has no blackout dates.)
• Let’s weigh the costs of 1-night trips (for the ultra-budget 2-day visits) and 2-night trips (for a more relaxing 3-day experience). If you’re not sure, check out How Many Days do I Need at Disneyland Paris.
• Included in all prices is the Disney Photopass+, so that all costs are evenly compared.
• In the interests of fairness, we will also be getting park hopper tickets as that’s what’s offered in the Disney package and for passes.

Without further ado, this is what a year costs (4 trips in total) for hotel and tickets for Disneyland Paris – 1 person travelling.

Not interested in the details? SKIP TO THE FINAL RESULTS

OPTION 1: Disneyland Paris package direct from Disney

Hotel Cheyenne with park hopper tickets and Photopass+

This is the price given all our assumptions above for one person to stay at the Hotel Cheyenne 4 times during the year:

RANKING: 3/5. Booking a package with Disney is the most common way to visit Disneyland Paris. It is convenient and booking directly with Disney makes it attractive to first-time visitors.

The surprising result is that if you are planning on doing 1-night trips, booking a package with Disney is cheaper than booking separately and getting an annual pass.

However, it is a more expensive option for 2-night trips, so let’s also look at the other options available.

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OPTION 2: Disney hotel + separate park tickets 

Hotel Cheyenne on BOOKING.COM with park hopper tickets from attractiontickets.com and Photopass+ from Disney

Booking Hotel Cheyenne privately via Booking.com, adding tickets from attractiontickets.com and purchasing the Photopass+ from Disney will cost this much for a single person doing 4 trips a year:

RANKING: 1/5. This is the worst value option for most people as cheaper options are available even as a Disney package. But it’s always worth checking before your trip in case of any special offers or promotions at the time you are travelling.

OPTION 3: Offsite hotel + separate tickets 

Adagio Serris on BOOKING.COM with park hopper tickets from attractiontickets.com and Photopass+ from Disney

Booking an offsite hotel and buying Disneyland park tickets and Photopass+ separately will cost:

RANKING: 4/5. Staying at an offsite hotel and buying Disneyland Paris tickets is somewhere in the middle of the cheapest and most expensive. But it does have its extra perks which puts my ranking at 4/5.

For 1-night trips, this option can be £389 cheaper than a Disney package. It is also cheaper than a silver or gold pass combination. However, it is also a whopping £557 more expensive than a Gold Pass.

A big advantage of buying your tickets separately means you are not relying on the limited Disney Pass reservation system; you are guaranteed entry if you buy dated tickets.

However, if you are considering a Bronze or Silver Pass, then it would be better to do that over this separate ticket option as the savings are significantly more. Unfortunately, you will lose Extra Magic Time (unless you get the Gold Pass, but that will obviously cost more).

OPTION 4: Disney Hotel with Annual Pass 

Hotel Cheyenne on BOOKING.COM with Annual Pass including Photopass+ from Disney 

There are three tiers of the new Disneyland Paris Annual Pass: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Combine this with a Disney Hotel and these are the costs for a year of visits:

RANKING: 3/5. Staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel with a Bronze/Silver/Gold Pass is the most difficult option to rank. The true value will depend on how much you desire to stay in Disney vs cost. And it depends on how much you plan to spend on food and merchandise to utilise that discount. All things considered, I put this at a 3 out of 5 given the following benefits and drawbacks.

The main disadvantage is cost with the Gold Pass being £183 more expensive than a Disney package. However, the Silver Pass is nearly the same price, while the Bronze Pass is £170 cheaper. Compared to staying offsite, you are paying up to £725-795 more for being in a Disney hotel (roughly £100/night).

OPTION 5: Offsite Hotel with Annual Pass 

Adagio Serris with Annual Pass and Photopass+ from Disney

Booking an offsite hotel with your annual pass has traditionally been the least expensive option; let’s take a look to see how the current program measures up.

RANKING: 4/5. Booking offsite and buying the Disneyland Pass is the cheapest option, potentially saving you up to £895 with the Bronze Pass. However, if you are a morning person, you may want to splash out on the Gold Pass to secure Extra Magic Time in the parks.

In terms of cost, that makes this option the best on my list.

However, it loses 1/2-star because Disney will only allow you to book 3 dates at a time with your Bronze/Silver/Gold Pass. This makes future trips slightly uncertain until you’ve completed your current trip. Make sure you have a flexible hotel cancellation policy so that you can move your dates if you need to closer to the time.

TIP: Book refundable offsite hotels as early as you can.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS 

FREEBIE: Want a copy of this Annual Pass price comparison sheet? It’s free in The Castle Vault!

All Options Ranked

Is the Disneyland Pass worth it? Should you buy a Disneyland Paris annual pass to save money? In summary, this how the results were ranked from least value to best value:

• Disney hotel + separate park tickets – RANKING: 1/5 (*WORST value overall) Cost: 4 x 1-night trips = £1611 OR 4 x 2-night trips = £2592

• Disneyland Paris package direct from Disney – RANKING: 3/5 (*Best value for 1 night at Disney because of cost and convenience) Cost: 4 x 1-night trips = £1294 OR 4 x 2-night trips = £2200

• Disney Hotel with Annual Pass – RANKING: 3/5 (*Best value for 2 nights at Disney with Bronze Pass) Cost: 4 x 1-night trips – Bronze Annual Pass £1291 / 4 x 1-night trips – Silver £1472 / 4 x 1-night trips – Gold £1644 OR 4 x 2-night trips – Bronze £2030 / 4 x 2-night trips – Silver £2211 / 4 x 2-night trips – Gold £2383

• Offsite hotel + separate tickets – RANKING: 4/5 (*Best value for ease and flexibility) Cost: 4 x 1-night trips = £905 OR 4 x 2-night trips = £1597

• Offsite Hotel with Annual Pass – RANKING: 4.5/5 (*BEST value for offsite & overall) Cost: 4 trips x 1-night – Bronze Annual Pass = £757 / 4 trips x 1-night – Silver Annual Pass = £938 / 4 trips x 1-night – Gold Annual Pass = £1040 OR 4 trips x 2-nights – Bronze = £1305 / 4 trips x 2-nights – Silver = £1486 / 4 trips x 2-nights – Gold = £1588

Conclusion: According to this cost survey, getting a Disneyland Paris annual pass can save you money.

If you are planning on spending 8 to 12 days a year at Disneyland Paris, then the Disney Pass (or Disneyland Paris annual pass) can provide significant savings over booking a Disney package or booking hotel and tickets separately. But not always! Read on for more details.

Cheapest and most expensive options for booking DIsneyland Paris

The overall cheapest combination is staying at an offsite hotel with a Bronze Pass for only £757 (four 1-night trips) or £1305 (four 2-night trips). *Be aware of the limitations: no Extra Magic Time and you can only reserve 3 days at the Disney Parks at a time. A Gold Pass will still have park reservation limitations, but you will get Extra Magic Time for £1040 (four 1-night trips) or £1588 (four 2-night trips).

The overall best value combination for those that prefer to stay at Disney with Extra Magic Time and no reservation system on 2-night trips, is booking the Disney hotel separately with the Bronze Disney Pass. This costs only £2030 (for four 2-night trips), saving you up to £170 over buying a package. *Be aware there are severe date limitations with the Bronze pass, and this would only suit off-peak visitors.

The overall least attractive options are booking offsite hotels with tickets separately or booking a Disney hotel and tickets separately. These will almost always be the most expensive combinations, unless promotions are running at the time of your travelling (always double-check). Also, buying the Gold Pass and booking a Disney hotel separately is a worse option than booking a Disney package directly.

In fact, the most surprising option is booking with Disney directly. If you are doing 1-night trips, it will likely be cheaper to get a Disney direct package than to buy an annual pass. And of course you get flexibility and convenience of not having to worry about park reservations.

And if you’re wondering, what will I do this year? The best choice for me this year is sadly trading in my longtime Infinity Pass for a Disneyland Paris Bronze pass. As a Disney blogger, I go to the parks several times a year and I enjoy the off-peak seasons. For me, it works out to be best value to stay offsite most of the time, with some Disney on-site hotels sprinkled in.

Do you agree with these conclusions? Let me know in the comments. What we consider to be ‘best value’ is a personal view, and I’d love to hear yours!

READ NEXT… If you enjoyed this, you should definitely check out:

• Want to know all the MUST-DOs? Get the 1-day guide to Disneyland Paris main park
• 3 popular myths about your spending money at Disneyland Paris
• My expert advice on how many days you really need for Disneyland Paris

Pin to save and read later: 9 biggest changes to the Disneyland Annual Pass in Disneyland Paris