by Tinker Belle Diva
I purchased my first Disneyland Annual Pass in 2005. It was a Deluxe Annual Pass (AP) and the purchase price was around $300 for the year. That year I was taking two trips of 3- and 5-day durations and saved money by purchasing the AP. I have used both Park Hoppers and APs in the years since, doing calculations on the number of trips and the discounts to determine what is best for my family.
Last year I wrote an article about the 2018 price increase, so this latest price increase on January 6th, 2019, has me looking at this again. Since I am out-of-state, I am only comparing the Deluxe, Signature and Signature Plus passes. For those of you that live in Southern California, you have one other option (Southern California Select), and being a local changes just about everything since you could visit dozens of time in a month. If you are lucky enough to be that person, an AP is definitely the way to go. Note that MaxPass increased from $10 to $15/day and parking also increased from $20 to $25/day. Not sure if you need MaxPass? Then read my article here on When You Should Buy MaxPass at Disneyland.
All APs are Park Hoppers, but the additional perks and discounts do vary based on the type of pass purchased. As of January 6th, 2019, the choices and prices for non-Southern California resident APs are:
| Ticket Option | Ticket Price | Additional Perks/Information |
| Deluxe | $799 ($70 increase from 2018) | · 10% off select dining
· 10% off select merchandise · Blockout dates for weekends and holidays. New in 2019, blackouts at Disneyland Park June-August. · No parking included · Add MaxPass for $100/year ($25 increase from 2018) |
| Signature | $1149 ($150 increase from 2018) | · 15% off select dining
· 20% off select merchandise · Blockout dates for late December and early January · Parking included · Add MaxPass for $100/year ($25 increase from 2018) |
| Signature Plus | $1399 ($250 increase from 2018) | · 15% off select dining
· 20% off select merchandise · No blockout dates · Parking included · MaxPass included |
Within each of the AP Ticket Options, the perks and blockout dates vary widely and may be more or less appropriate for your family. The biggest change for 2019 is that the Deluxe AP is only valid for Disney California Adventure Park from June 21-August 16, meaning you cannot visit Disneyland Park for nearly 2 months. In addition to blockout dates, how often do you drive and need to park at the Disneyland Resort? Or do you stay at a hotel within walking distance and don’t need parking? Are you enjoying the benefits of MaxPass and want that every day of your vacation? Do you have children in school and only vacation during weekends and holidays? Let’s say you do only vacation on holiday weekends and would therefore select either the Signature or Signature Plus pass. The discounts are the same, and you can add MaxPass to the Signature pass for an additional $100. As the difference between the two passes if you add MaxPass is $150, leaving the only difference being the blockout dates for Signature during the winter holiday season. If you plan to vacation between December 21 to January 4, the Signature Plus would be the best choice in this scenario. Remember that APs do not include a Magic Morning, but Park Hoppers include one.
Do you travel only during the holidays? That will impact which ticket is right for you.
Here are the Park Hopper prices as of January 6th and the number of times you would need to make a trip under each ticket option to make it the cost equivalent of purchasing an AP. This is the ticket price only and doesn’t include discounts or other perks. While there are options for discounted tickets through 3rd Party providers, like AAA, or severely discounted tickets, like Military, I am doing a comparison of only the retail ticket prices directly from Disney. Keep in mind that you would need to add days to your trip if you have those discount options available to you to create your trip equivalent.
| Ticket Option | Adult Ticket Price | Price/day | Trip Equivalent with Deluxe AP ($799) | Trip Equivalent with Signature AP ($1149) | Trip Equivalent with Signature Plus AP ($1399) |
| 1 day Park Hopper Value Dates | $154 ($7 increase from 2018) | $154 | 6 individual 1 day trips | 8 individual 1 day trips | 9 individual 1 day trips |
| 1 day Park Hopper Regular Dates | $179 ($12 increase from 2018) | $179 | 5 individual 1 day trips | 7 individual 1 day trips | 8 individual 1 day trips |
| 1 day Park Hopper Peak Dates | $199 ($14 increase from 2018) | $199 | 4 individual 1 day trips | 6 individual 1 day trips | 7 individual 1 day trips |
| 2 day Park Hopper | $280 ($20 increase from 2018) | $140 | 3 individual 2 day trips | 5 individual 2 day trips | 5 individual 2 day trips |
| 3 day Park Hopper (includes Magic Morning) | $355 ($25 increase from 2018) | $118.33 | 3 individual 3 day trips | 4 individual 3 day trips | 4 individual 3 day trips |
| 4 day Park Hopper (includes Magic Morning) | $380 ($25 increase from 2018) | $95 | 3 individual 4 day trips | 3 individual 4 day trips | 4 individual 4 day trips |
| 5 day Park Hopper (includes Magic Morning) | $395 ($25 increase from 2018) | $79 | 2 individual 5 day trips | 3 individual 5 days trips | 4 individual 5 day trips |
None of the Park Hopper tickets include blackout dates, so your decision on what to buy may also be driven by your vacation dates. Be sure to check the blockout calendar on the Disneyland website for the dates when the Deluxe and Signature APs cannot be used. Remember too that you can buy discounted tickets for children 3-9, while you will need to pay full price for anyone 3 or older when you purchase an AP. In addition, Disneyland is running a promotion on 1-park per day and Park Hoppers from January 7 to May 23, 2018 with blockout dates from April 14-22. Traveling during these dates will save you around $100 per ticket compared to the regular Park Hopper prices shown in the table above.
Since the math from the table above doesn’t include discounts or perks or a combination of trips over a different number of days, we can look at a couple of scenarios to see what might be the right choice. I am not including tax in the meal or merchandise prices.
Scenario 1 – A family of two adults will be taking two trips, one a 3-day and one a 4-day trip. They typically spent $75/day on meals and $25/day on merchandise. They do not need theme park parking, and they will want MaxPass for each day of their trip ($15/day/person).
| Cost with Park Hoppers | Cost with Deluxe | Cost with Signature | Cost with Signature Plus | |
| Ticket Price | $1470 | $1598 | $2298 | $2798 |
| Meal Price | $525 | $472.50 | $446.25 | $446.25 |
| Merchandise Price | $175 | $157.50 | $140 | $140 |
| MaxPass | $210 | $200 | $200 | Included |
| Vacation Total | $2380 | $2428 | $3084.25 | $3384.25 |
While the total for the Park Hoppers vs the Deluxe is only $48 apart, this family should look at the blockout dates for the Deluxe to confirm they fit with their vacation dates. If so, I would recommend upgrading to the Deluxe AP because if their schedule allows, they could have a partial day in the Park on the day they arrive and/or leave. However, if the Deluxe is not available for their dates or they do not have time on the arrival/departure dates to go into the Park, they should choose the Park Hoppers.
Scenario 2 – A family of four (all 10 and older) will be taking three trips, one a 2-day, one a 3-day and one a 4-day trip. They typically spent $150/day on meals and $45/day on merchandise. They do need theme park parking ($25/day), and they will want MaxPass for 8 days of the 9 of their trip.
| Cost with Park Hoppers | Cost with Deluxe | Cost with Signature | Cost with Signature Plus | |
| Ticket Price | $4060 | $3196 | $4596 | $5596 |
| Meal Price | $1350 | $1215 | $1147.50 | $1147.50 |
| Merchandise Price | $405 | $364.50 | $324 | $324 |
| MaxPass | $480 | $400 | $400 | Included |
| Parking | $225 | $225 | Included | Included |
| Vacation Total | $6520 | $5400.50 | $6467.50 | $7067.50 |
This family should look at the blockout dates for the Deluxe as this option since it is nearly $1100 less expensive than the Signature AP and Park Hoppers. However, if the vacations are planned over holiday weekends or during the summer when the Deluxe is blocked at Disneyland, they will need to purchase the Signature AP as it is less expensive than Park Hoppers. They should choose the Signature Plus AP only if their vacation is during the winter holiday blockout for the Signature AP.
There are a few more considerations that might influence your decision. Do you stay on the Disney property resorts and would an AP discount be available during your vacation? Do you take tours or attend special events that have an AP discount? Do you shop or eat at the stores in Downtown Disney that have an AP discount?
Are you traveling with children? Compare the price for Park Hoppers for the 3-9 age group to the cost of the AP. You may find that only the adults need APs.
Once you have estimated the number of trips, the duration of each of those trips, your food/merchandise spend, parking needs, and desire for MaxPass, you will be able to make the decision that financially fits your needs. Enjoy your vacation! I would be happy to answer any questions you have about which one may be right for you. Just ask in the comment section!
Need help planning your Disney vacation? Patricia at All 4 Dream Travel is here to help! Contact her today for a quote.
