The theme parks at Disneyland Resort have been closed since March of 2020. Some analysts previously predicted that Disneyland’s theme parks wouldn’t reopen until the summer of this year.

But, with the stay-at-home order still in place in Southern California (where Disneyland is located), when exactly Disneyland’s theme parks will be able to reopen is unclear. Due to continued uncertainty and expected restrictions for reopening Disneyland, Disney recently announced that they will be sunsetting their current Annual Passport program. Some Annual Passport holders are set to receive refunds due to this cancellation, but how much of a refund will they get and who is eligible? The information Disney has shared is VERY complicated. So, we’re breaking it down here for you!

Keep in mind, this article contains our understanding of the situation based on what Disney has shared at the moment on their website. If we receive any information that contradicts our understanding or Disneyland provides more details, we’ll be sure to update this post or otherwise provide you with the information.

Before we dive in, we do want to note that Disney says the pro rata refund for each Passport will depend on a LOT of factors. Also, pro rata refunds for any additional features attached to the Passport — like Parking — will be included in the Passport pro rata refund amount. According to theme park reporter Carly Wisel’s Instagram stories, these extras may also include MaxPass.

Okay. Let’s DIVE IN!

Valid, ACTIVATED Passports — General Rule

First, we’ll tackle the general rule refunds for valid, activated passports. There are, however, some exceptions to this general rule that we’ll discuss below.

Okay, for the general rule — if the total amount you’ve paid toward your Annual Passport (minus any refunds already given) EXCEEDS the “usable value” of the Passport, then that excess amount is what you’ll get as a refund. WHAT? Yeah, give us a second to unpack that.

First, let’s discuss what Disney is considering to be the “usable value” of a pass. Basically, total sales price of your pass / the number of days that pass was supposed to be valid for x the number of days you could have used that pass to get into any park before the parks closed on March 14th, 2020 =  “usable value.”

To see if you’re eligible for a refund, you’ll need to look at the amount you paid for your pass – any applicable refunds that have already been issued. If that amount is GREATER than the “usable value” of your pass, then you should be eligible for a refund. If that amount is LESS than the “usable value” of your pass, then you will not receive a refund.

If you are eligible for a refund, how much will you get? Well, it’ll essentially be the amount you paid for your pass – any applicable refund – your pass’ “usable value.”

Exception #1 — Passports Renewed During Theme Park Closure — PAID IN FULL

Okay, now to the exceptions. There are different rules that apply if you RENEWED your pass during the theme park closure period.

So what’s the exception? Depends if you paid in full at the time of purchase or not. First, let’s tackle what happens if you paid in full. If you renewed your Annual Pass during the theme park closure and you paid in full, the TOTAL sales price paid will be refunded to you.

Additionally, for the previous pass you had that expired during the theme park closure period, if the total amount you paid for that previous Passport (minus any refunds already given) > the “usable value” of that previous passport, you’ll also get that excess amount refunded to you. BUT “usable value” is calculated a bit differently in this case.

In this case, usable value equals the sales price of the expired Passport or the renewed Passport (whichever is greater) / total number of days you should have been able to access the parks under that expired Passport x the number of days the expired Passport could have actually been used to visit a park per its terms prior to the closures on March 14, 2020.

If you’re eligible for a refund, your refund should be the amount paid for the expired Passport – any refunds already given – its “usable value.”

Exception #2 — Passports Renewed During Theme Park Closure — MONTHLY PAYMENT PROGRAM

Okay, but what if you renewed during the closures and you chose the monthly payment program? According to Disney, if you renewed your pass during the theme park closures under the monthly payment program, the monthly payment contract will be canceled and “no monies will be owed under such contract.”

Additionally, for that previous Passport you had that expired during the theme park closure period, you MIGHT get a refund. You’re only eligible if (and this will sound familiar to you now) the total amount you paid for that expired Passport (minus any refunds already given) > the “usable value” for the expired passport.

The usable value here is calculated similar the situation above. You take the total sales price of the expired Passport OR the renewed Passport (whichever is greater) / the total number of days you should have been able to visit the parks under that pass x the number of days the expired Passport actually could have been used to visit any park per its terms prior to closures on March 14th.

If you’re eligible for a refund, your refund should be the amount paid for the expired Passport – any refunds already given – its “usable value.”

Unactivated Passport

What if you bought a pass but didn’t activate it as of March 14, 2020? P.S. “activating” a Passport is defined as using it for park admission.

Paid in Full

If you purchased your Passport on or after January 1st, 2019, AND it wasn’t yet activated as of March 14th, 2020, AND you paid in full at the time of purchase, then the total sales price will be refunded to you.

If you otherwise fit in that boat but you bought your pass prior to January 1st, 2019, you’ll need to contact Annual Passholder Member Services (714-781-7277) to confirm information with them before a refund can be processed.

Monthly Payment Program

If you purchased your Passport on or after January 1st, 2019, AND you didn’t activate it as of March 14th, 2020, AND it was purchased under the monthly payment program, then the total amount that you’ve paid toward the Passport sales price will be refunded to you. Again, if you basically fall in this category except you purchased your pass prior to January 1st, 2019, contact Annual Passholder Member Services (714-781-7277).

Premier Passports

What about Premier Passport holders? These are ticket holders with access to both Disney World and Disneyland theme parks. If the total amount you’ve paid toward the Premier Passport (minus any refunds given) > its “usable value,” that excess amount will be refunded to you. 

Usable value here is defined as the total sales price of the Premier Passport / the total number of days you should have been able to access any theme park under the pass x by the number of days that it actually could have been used to visit any park per its terms prior to the closures on March 14th, 2020.

It sounds like “any park” would include Disney World theme parks, not just Disneyland theme parks, since Premier Passport holders can access both. Reporter Carly Wisel recently said she’s working on confirmation as to whether that includes both. We’ll keep an eye out for more details on that.

Keep in mind, if you have a Premier Passport, it’ll only remain active for Walt Disney World theme park access through March 31st, 2021. After that, Premier Passholders will need to renew into Walt Disney World Resort Annual Passes through April 30th if they want to continue to access the Disney World theme parks. 

WOWZERS. That’s a lot to take in. Again, our article is based on our understanding of the situation. But, if you want to know exactly what refund you’re entitled to, contact Disney to get the details as they apply to you.

Method of Payment/Refund

There are also rules online about how the refunds will be processed if you bought your Annual Passport with a credit card vs. other methods.

Credit Card

If you used a credit card to purchase your Disneyland Annual Pass (even if you used it in combination with other methods) and you paid in full, the applicable refund will go to the credit card used. If you used a credit card and you’re under the monthly payment program, any applicable refund will go to the most recent credit card used for payment. If the refund can’t go to that credit card, a check will be made and sent to the billing address provided at the time of sale/renewal.

Other Payment Method

If you used a different payment method than a credit card, the refund (if any) will be sent to you by check and mailed to the billing address provided at the time of sale/renewal of the Passport.

Will you get a refund? How much will it be for? Some of the things you can use to calculate it are here and on Disney’s website, but there are still quite a few questions to be answered. We’ll definitely keep an eye out for more updates and let you know what we find.

Click here to see more about the discontinuation of the current Disneyland Annual Passholder program.

Are you a Disneyland Annual Passholder? Let us know in the comments.