Finally got season passes to Disneyland

[Edge]

After years of college, making a low amount of money (the wonders of starting out in PR) and waiting, the wife and I finally got season passes to Disneyland.

Activated them this weekend and got to enjoy the little fringe benefits of discounts, etc.

Just nice to know we can go whenever we please. Looking to set a new record this year (we're already planning a February weekend out there).

Now if we can just find a way to dine at Club 33 =P

Closest I am likely to get is the lobby on the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour.

[Pluto Region1]

You bought the premium passes so you can go 365 days a year but you live in Las Vegas?

[Escapay]

I have an annual pass for Walt Disney World and only use it in the summers.

Of course, annual pass = castmember ID

Best part is, I'm contractually obliged to work a minimum of 3 days a year, and the pass is good the entire year regardless.

Escapay

[xxhplinkxx]

I have an annual pass for Walt Disney World and only use it in the summers.

I have one too! We should all meet at Disney and have a UD at Disney party day!

>_>

[Escapay]

I have an annual pass for Walt Disney World and only use it in the summers.

I have one too! We should all meet at Disney and have a UD at Disney party day!

>_>

Wear your dreads and you'll be easier to find in the park! It'll be easy to find me in the summer. Just look for an Asian castmember in Magic Kingdom (or if I'm lucky, Disney-MGM Studios this summer) and make sure his name is Albert (or if I'm in the mood for it, Jacob or Ivan).

Of course, it would be funnier if I went up to random guys with Captain Jack dreadlocks and said "Hey, are you xxhplinkxx?" (how does one pronounce that anyway?)

Escapay

[tomngo422]

my pass is ending this weeek

it was such a great deal...totally worth it!!!

gotta renew it sooon

[xxhplinkxx]

Of course, it would be funnier if I went up to random guys with Captain Jack dreadlocks and said "Hey, are you xxhplinkxx?" (how does one pronounce that anyway?)

Escapay

haha, yea that would be funny, but we do live in a pretty modern world and Im sure we could just tell eachother on here, or on the phone, a time and place to meet.

And my username isnt one word! >_<

the x's on the ends are just there to look pretty. the hp stands for harry potter (shutup! Ive had this name for everything since 7th grade so excuse me!!) and link is for Link from Zelda.

Anywho, I live 30 minutes away from the parks, so Im down to hang out on weekends if I have time cause I'll be starting school at the end of the month, but if Im free I think it'd rock to hang out there.

[Pluto Region1]

Edge hasn't come back in, but the point I was getting at is he lives pretty far and there are tiered passes. If he's bought the one that allows him to go 365 days a year that is about $360 and since he lives way over in Las Vegas Nevada - how could it be worth it? I would think he would be better off buying the 2nd one down or even the 3rd one down since I doubt he can drive here from Vegas that many times to make it worth it to have access all year long.

As for meeting in person - if anyone is here in California and is interested in meeting up, I listen to many of the podcasts available on the Disney Podcast Network (Aaron's podcast is on it) and they are planning a meet-up for Disney fans at Disneyland on April 28th-29th. This would be a great opportunity for any UDers to meet if they are local to California. See this thread for info on the upcoming event:

http://www.disneypodcastnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=2953

[Loomis]

You folks are certainly lucky to live close enough to a Disney park to warrant multiple trips a year. I'm green!

As for meeting in person - if anyone is here in California and is interested in meeting up, I listen to many of the podcasts available on the Disney Podcast Network (Aaron's podcast is on it) and they are planning a meet-up for Disney fans at Disneyland on April 28th-29th. This would be a great opportunity for any UDers to meet if they are local to California. See this thread for info on the upcoming event:

http://www.disneypodcastnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=2953

I'd really like to meet some of you folks at a Disney park. It would be fun. I'm in the US in late April/May next year, so I hope to be able to get some contact with some of you then...If there is a second annual DPN meet, count me in

[Big Disney Fan]

You got season passes? Lucky you! I wish I had season passes! We could be the best of friends.

[Edge]

Edge hasn't come back in, but the point I was getting at is he lives pretty far and there are tiered passes. If he's bought the one that allows him to go 365 days a year that is about $360 and since he lives way over in Las Vegas Nevada - how could it be worth it? I would think he would be better off buying the 2nd one down or even the 3rd one down since I doubt he can drive here from Vegas that many times to make it worth it to have access all year long.

As for meeting in person - if anyone is here in California and is interested in meeting up, I listen to many of the podcasts available on the Disney Podcast Network (Aaron's podcast is on it) and they are planning a meet-up for Disney fans at Disneyland on April 28th-29th. This would be a great opportunity for any UDers to meet if they are local to California. See this thread for info on the upcoming event:

http://www.disneypodcastnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=2953

Sorry about that, work has been crazy.

Actually it's not that far away really. It takes me a shade over 3 hours to go from my driveway to walking into Disneyland. Because there's so much desert and open freeway, the actual time isn't nearly as bad as you'd think. For example, just to get to work and back within Las Vegas takes me an hour and a half each day.

The nice thing about Vegas is that it's kind of centrally located. It's 3 hours to Disneyland, 3 hours to Zion National PArk, 3 hours to Lake Havesu and if I want to hop on a plan I can be anywhere from San Francisco to Phoenix in under an hour.

As for tickets, I ended up going to Disneyland/California Adventure 4 or 5 times last year. Each time it was a two-day park hopper. The grand total on that was probably close to $500 or $600 for tickets. For $349 I can go whenever I want, for as many days as I want, etc.

I've already gone once so far and assuming I do my minimal routine of once in the summer and once for the Holiday Celebrations, the tickets right there already pay for themselves. But usually what ends up happening is friends, family, etc. want to take trips so now my ticket is already paid for.

Going one ticket down blacks out Saturday's during peak season for me, so essentially from March-September I'd never be able to go on a Saturday (which if I'm coming from Vegas really doesn't do me a lot of good).

Essentially for the price of three trips (which is probably the minimum I'd go anyone) I get the ability to squeeze an extra half day on a trip, pick up and go whenever I want and I get 10-15% off on merchandise/dining. For example this trip alone we bought a print of the Blue Bayou and the discount saved us somewhere in the ballpark of $30, with meals we probably saved another $25 so right off the top we saved more than $50 on normal expenses we'd have on our trip.

But getting back to the original point, we're always going against traffic (when Californians are coming to Vegas we're leaving and when they are heading home we are coming back from Cali) and the drive is really a lot easier than you'd think. Essentially I travel all of an hour and a half-two hours more than someone living in say San Diego or San Bernadino because of the way traffic works.

[Pluto Region1]

I'd really like to meet some of you folks at a Disney park. It would be fun. I'm in the US in late April/May next year, so I hope to be able to get some contact with some of you then...If there is a second annual DPN meet, count me in

Provided I still have my annual pass next year (and I'm not blocked out), I will be glad to meet you! I think we should have a stickey thread for meet-ups at DL or WDW, if that would help people be able to announce a trip and have a better chance of getting fellow UD'ers to meet them. But I don't know how many UDers actually live within driving distance of either park. That would make an interesting poll. Has anyone ever done such a poll at UD?

Actually it's not that far away really. It takes me a shade over 3 hours to go from my driveway to walking into Disneyland. Because there's so much desert and open freeway, the actual time isn't nearly as bad as you'd think. For example, just to get to work and back within Las Vegas takes me an hour and a half each day.

As for tickets, I ended up going to Disneyland/California Adventure 4 or 5 times last year. Each time it was a two-day park hopper. The grand total on that was probably close to $500 or $600 for tickets. For $349 I can go whenever I want, for as many days as I want, etc.

I had a brain malfunction - I was thinking of the drive-time between Los Angeles and Mammoth - its 5 hours to Mammoth! Sorry. Wow, I had no idea what those parkhoppers can cost and when you put it terms of coming 3 times a year (at least) and paying for the parkhoppers, yes, you are saving a lot by buying the premium annual pass.

Going one ticket down blacks out Saturday's during peak season for me, so essentially from March-September I'd never be able to go on a Saturday (which if I'm coming from Vegas really doesn't do me a lot of good). Essentially for the price of three trips (which is probably the minimum I'd go anyone) I get the ability to squeeze an extra half day on a trip, pick up and go whenever I want and I get 10-15% off on merchandise/dining. For example this trip alone we bought a print of the Blue Bayou and the discount saved us somewhere in the ballpark of $30, with meals we probably saved another $25 so right off the top we saved more than $50 on normal expenses we'd have on our trip.

Ok, I see. You are right, the extra cost is more than made up for you in the discounts (food/merchandise). Plus with the premium pass, you get free parking. Parking is $10 every time you come, so just in parking, if you came 3 times, you'd save yourself $30.

My sister and brother (and their spouses) both have the premium passes and are at the park all the time. When I asked them why they didn't buy the cheaper pass, they said it was because they did not like basically being told they couldn't come this or that day.... (they both live about 20 mins from the park) so they paid the extra money for the premium passes. considering how often they are there, they probably come out ahead on the food discounts and the parking fee.

[Edge]

Yeah the Premium pass is really for those who are big fans of the park (my wife and I both are).

The ironic thing is that I'm not really a theme park person, I wouldn't do this for anything other than a Disney park.

For me it came down to the Saturday's. If it were a day here or there that's one thing, but there is a good 4 or 5 month span when Saturday's are off limits.

Considering I can't really afford to live in So. Cal, this is a nice compromise for me.