Becoming a Disneyland Annual Passholder can be a great way of saving money on tickets for the theme parks. If you are going to be visiting Disneyland for more than 2 days per year then always have a look and see if an Annual Pass is going to save you money.

Not only will an Annual Pass save you money on entrance tickets to Disneyland but there are some additional benefits including discounts on resort hotels,restaurants and merchandise.

Also think about whether these additional savings may make it worth buying an Annual Pass for just one member of your party. Sometimes the savings on hotels,food and shopping can make this worth your while.

An Annual Pass may make sense if you are visiting Disneyland for more than 2 days in a year. Not only can it save you on entrance tickets but there are a number of other benefits. These include discounts on Disneyland resort hotels, shopping and restaurants.

There are 4 different types of Annual Pass available:

Premium Annual Pass

Deluxe Annual Pass

Southern California Annual Pass

Southern California Select

Basically the difference are the amount of 'blockout' days there are on each pass, the discounts available on restaurants and shopping, and whether parking is automatically included

The Premium Pass has no blockout dates and includes a pass to the Disneyland parking structure.

Here is a summary of the prices and amount of blockout dates for each Annual Pass

If you have an An Annual Pass but are visiting Disneyland on a blackout day you can buy a discounted ticket. These Blackout Day tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the Disneyland Resort Main Entrance ticket windows.

You must have your Annual Pass with you to purchase a Blackout Day Ticket.

One little known thing about Disneyland Annual Passes is that blackout days do not apply on the day that you purchase your Pass. So if you plan to visit Disneyland and the first day that you want to visit is on a blackout day then you can purchase your restricted pass but still be able to visit the park on that day.

There are 2 options of annual pass for Southern California Residents. You must show proof of residency of living within these zip codes - 9000-93599.

Southern California Disneyland Annual Pass

This is $174 plus tax. It is valid for 215 days of the year.

Southern California Disneyland Select Annual Pass

This is valid for 170 days of the year and is $134 plus tax.

There is a monthly installment option for both of the Southern California Passholder options. You pay for the price of a single Disneyland ticket upfront and then the rest in 12 equal monthly installments. There is no finance charge for this option - so it it a good option to spread out the cost.

There are some ways to get a discount on your Disneyland Annual Pass. 

If you are a Disney Vacation Club member then you are entitled to a $20 discount on any Annual Pass for Disneyland.

Costco in selected Southern and Northern California locations has a an offer. You can buy a voucher  which is valid to exchange for a Deluxe Annual Pass up to 31st October 2009. They are offering a voucher for a Deluxe Annual Pass for the gate price of $269 but this is available with a free $50 Disney gift card. To check that your local Costco is offering this you should call your local store.

Bengal BBQ

Blue Bayou

Blue Ribbon Bakery

Cafe Orleans

Carnation Cafe

Clarabelle's Frozen

Daisy's Diner

Enchanted Cottage

French Market

Golden Horseshoe

Hungry Bear Restaurant

Little Red Wagon

Plaza Inn

Pluto's Dog House

Rancho del Zocalo

Redd Rockett's Pizza Port

Refreshment Corner

River Belle Terrace

Stage Door Cafe

Tomorrowland Terrace

Village Haus

Discounts at 15% for Premium Passholders and 10% for all other Passholders. Discounts are valid on all days.

An Annual Passholder Discount is available at all of these California Adventure park restaurants.

Ariel's Grotto

Wieners

Baker's Field Bakery

Bountiful Valley Farmers Market

CocinaCucamonga Mexican Grill

Pacific Wharf Cafe

Pizza Oom Mow Mow

Studio Catering Truck

Pilots' Grill

Wine Country Trattoria

Another very valuable discount available to Annual Passholders is the Disneyland resort hotel discounts. These discounts and promotions are limited but I have found that in 2009 they have been offering pretty deep discounts on the resort hotels. This can sometimes make it worth buying an annual pass - you will save the cost of the ticket in savings you can make on the Disneyland hotels.

Croc's Bits and Bites1

Disney's PCH Grill

Goofy's Kitchen

Hearthstone Lounge 

Hook's Pointe

Lost Bar (food only)

Steakhouse

Storytellers Cafe

Surfside Lounge (food only)

Top Brass

White Water Snacks

Wine Cellar (food only)

You may know that everyone can get in free to Disneyland in 2009 on the day of their birthday. All you have to do is to register at How Will You Celebrate?

But what if you are an Annual Passholder? Well Disneyland has some special benefits for you. If your birthday falls on a day when your Pass is valid then you can choose:

If your Annual Passport is not blocked out and is valid for admission on your birthday in 2009, you can choose one of these birthday treats:

A birthday fun card which is equivalent to the value of a 1 Day 1 Park Disneyland ticket. You can use this for select merchandise,Disney Photo Pass and certain tours.

A 1 Day 1 Park ticket to use any time before your next birthday.

A special Fast Pass for select attractions

If you visit on a block out day then you will get a free 1 Day Disneyland admission ticket.

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