My family lives in Orange County and as parents to a four-year-old, we love the idea of Disneyland being a quick 20-minute drive away from home. During the first two year of being a parent, we made it a point to visit Disneyland once or twice a year. We visited during all seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter at one point and we learned many things along the way. One thing was certain, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure proved to be a source of entertainment for everyone in our family, so we figured why not try a Disney annual pass? As a family that includes two working parents, I value activities that can be squeezed in between work and require little effort and planning.
Making the Decision
Truth be told, this decision is not for the faint of heart. It’s definitely an investment. We learned early on that we would not be visiting Disneyland in the summer months as we experienced a massive heat wave during our annual trip. This is no fun with a toddler, let me tell you. We also had participated in the Oogie Boogie Bash the first year it re-opened after the pandemic and so we began to gain interest in the holiday decor and seasonal celebrations that the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure offered.
During this time, we realized that annual passes were only available for purchase during certain times of the year. By the time we knew we wanted to purchase a pass, Disney decided to cease sales of their annual passes. During this time my husband and I used our time to research which type of pass we would be purchasing. At the time there were four options for annual passes all ranging in price. You can always view the options at Disneyland Resort, but for our family we decided on the Imagine Key. About 6 months later-my husband and I learned that the lower tiered passes became available for purchase, and we did not hesitate to move forward.
Imagine Key
We chose this pass as our schedules were very flexible with our, at the time, toddler. No school schedule to worry about and we really did not mind summer blackout dates. We ultimately wanted to be able to still visit the park 1-2 full days out of the year and have the added flexibility of visiting mid-week for a quick adventure. We really envisioned ourselves being able to do some evening dining, shopping and of course riding some of the attractions. Those three previous-mentioned reasons alone highlight the benefits that helped us make our decision. With our annual passes we carved out one-on-one time with our daughter and planned either daddy/daughter or mommy/daughter dates. It really tailored a benefit for each family member. One that everyone would be able to enjoy!
Additional Things to Consider
If you are like us, you likely have found yourself weighing the pros and cons to making such a purchase. I’m going to give you list of realistic things to consider that may help you in making that decision.
- Parking Costs – These vary based on where you plan to park. But you should consider the additional cost if not included with your annual pass.
- How many days do you plan to visit per year? Do you want full days or mini-visits?
- Plan for food/dining costs. There are times where we dine out before visiting the parks, eat away from the parks or pack a small meal. It really depends on our schedule and time we plan to visit at the park. You will want to indulge in small treats here and there so just be aware of those additional costs.
- You will want to dine at the various restaurants at some point, account for those extra costs.
- We don’t purchase the Genie plus option, so we plan attraction rides based on our available time and desires.
We are almost one year in, and I definitely plan on renewing, maybe even upgrading, our annual passes. We’ve had so much fun going on our trips that have helped build beautiful family memories.
xoxo,
The Sun Queen
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