Flex Pass Superthread: Disneyland Resort Introduces New Annual Passport that Combines Value and Flexibility

[StarlitNight05]

Making "Reservations" has a side benefit: It puts an activity on your schedule that you are less likely to move.

I've held Flex Pass Reservations for this coming Friday since the 30-day window opened. Yesterday I received an invitation to help a friend on an errand that I would have normally accepted ... but this time? "Sorry, I already have plans on that date." Ah, a bright upside to booking Reservations.

True! There is always a bright side!

 

[Deirdres]

I thought I read somewhere that there is a $20 discount on the Flex Pass but I don't see that specific pass listed on the DVC member benefits website. Has anyone successfully received the discount? Can you still do monthly payments if you take advantage of the discount?

I received the DVC $20 off per flex pass back in June. They gave it to my DH and self (both members) and my DD16. Percentage wise it is small, but I'll take the $60. We did it at the ticket both when we upgraded our 2 day passes.

 

[JohnR5101]

I've read through most of this VERY long thread and have not seen my question. Here it is. We had Signature passes for one year back in 2017. Did not go in 2018. We are planning a fall 2020 visit and I'm contemplating getting the Flexpass for just myself for the discount benefits (we will have 5 people on the trip).
Anyway, my question is do they still use your original plastic pass and just re-activate it? I think that's what would have happened if I continued to renew it. But now that it has lapsed for more than a year will the same plastic still be able to be re-activated?
I am hoping that it would prevent waiting at the ticket booth for a new piece of plastic.

 

[tnkrbell13]

Is it new that we can only make a Flex pass reservation 30 days out now? I’ve looked at that calendar about 100 times and have never seen the dates shaded out or read that info.

 

[bwvBound]

I received the DVC $20 off per flex pass back in June. They gave it to my DH and self (both members) and my DD16. Percentage wise it is small, but I'll take the $60. We did it at the ticket both when we upgraded our 2 day passes.

Good for you and your family! We purchased our Flex APs in June, as well, and were not offered the DVC discount. (Yes, we are blue card holders.). Disney is nothing if not inconsistent, eh?

 

[pharmama]

Is it new that we can only make a Flex pass reservation 30 days out now? I’ve looked at that calendar about 100 times and have never seen the dates shaded out or read that info.

No. This has always been the case for the Flex Pass- 30 day window for booking. They did change how it appears on the calendar so the 30 days is more apparent.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Anyway, my question is do they still use your original plastic pass and just re-activate it? I think that's what would have happened if I continued to renew it. But now that it has lapsed for more than a year will the same plastic still be able to be re-activated?

They have always reused my old pass, even if it expired and I changed AP levels. I assume they are still doing it that way, but it's been about a year since I did that.

 

[DizneyMommy]

I just downgraded our Deluxe AP’s to Flex not a week ago, after carefully stalking the schedule for months. The first date we tried to reserve was gone within seconds, or Disney put a block on it. We always go Veteran’s Day weekend and Saturday was already full the minute it became available. I’ve seen sometimes dates open back up so I’m going to keep checking but man that sucks. :-(

 

[Mcky36]

I just downgraded our Deluxe AP’s to Flex not a week ago, after carefully stalking the schedule for months. The first date we tried to reserve was gone within seconds, or Disney put a block on it. We always go Veteran’s Day weekend and Saturday was already full the minute it became available. I’ve seen sometimes dates open back up so I’m going to keep checking but man that sucks. :-(

I noticed that they blocked it right away too. I was refreshing right at 7am that morning and got a reservation for 11/9 but it was blocked very shortly after. I was worried that it would be busy due to the official holiday season starting. You can still book CA Adventure for that day and keep checking to see if they unblock Disneyland. If you search for "both parks" it is blocked, but CA Adventure is available if you search it by itself.

 

[Jperiod]

When I was cancelling my reservations for this weekend, I noticed disneyland was blocked saturday, but open sunday, whereas CA adventure was open saturday, but blocked sunday. Seems like disney blocked them like that to coincide with their magic morning, you think? Maybe it's the same case with veteran's.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

When I was cancelling my reservations for this weekend, I noticed disneyland was blocked saturday, but open sunday, whereas CA adventure was open saturday, but blocked sunday. Seems like disney blocked them like that to coincide with their magic morning, you think? Maybe it's the same case with veteran's.

More than likely, the blocked Sunday at CA Adventure for this weekend is because of Flex Passholders that are attending the Halloween party also reserved CA for the day, not because of Magic Morning. CA Adventure isn’t currently blocked for any days on Veteran’s Day weekend. I just made a reservation for both parks on that Sunday. I agree with the PP above that said it is probably because it is the first weekend of the holiday season in the parks. They were able to get a reservation for the 9th so it must have been open for a short period of time. I am sure we will see that day open and close for reservations several times as that weekend gets closer.

 

[midnight star]

I just downgraded our Deluxe AP’s to Flex not a week ago, after carefully stalking the schedule for months. The first date we tried to reserve was gone within seconds, or Disney put a block on it. We always go Veteran’s Day weekend and Saturday was already full the minute it became available. I’ve seen sometimes dates open back up so I’m going to keep checking but man that sucks. :-(

I wonder if they noticed how busy the weekends are now and are blocking them?I'm still a little confused on how the park-specific blockouts work for this pass.

 

[abent]

I have a trip planned for December 7-12, and am trying to consider purchasing the flex pass....knowing the 7th & 8th are needing reservations. Is it worth the risk? Or should I just upgrade after the 2 days are passed? Is that even possible? I know I will want to return sometime next year, and can be very flexible on the return dates...just not this trip as plane tickets are already purchased.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I wonder if they noticed how busy the weekends are now and are blocking them?I'm still a little confused on how the park-specific blockouts work for this pass.

Someone posted that they got a DL reservation for it, so it’s not blocked, but they probably didn’t offer a ton of reservation spots and I’m not surprised that a holiday weekend that kicks off Christmas would go fast!

The only true “blockouts” for the Flex are the weeks around Christmas, so it seems that they have to offer at least some reservations for all other days, but they could just offer 500 slots or something tiny, you know?

I will be interested to see if this day has reservations come and go as fluidly as the October Saturdays have gone.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I have a trip planned for December 7-12, and am trying to consider purchasing the flex pass....knowing the 7th & 8th are needing reservations. Is it worth the risk? Or should I just upgrade after the 2 days are passed? Is that even possible? I know I will want to return sometime next year, and can be very flexible on the return dates...just not this trip as plane tickets are already purchased.

I’d just upgrade at the end of the 8th, personally. Then there’s no stress.

 

[MinnieMama09]

We leave this Friday...can’t wait! First time using our Flex passes, trying to decide if it would be worth it to add Maxpass considering how crazy the crowds have been this past week! If we decide to add for the whole year, do we pay the $100 each pass at the ticket booth? We are on the monthly payment plan for our passes now that we are SoCal residents, but it’s probably not an option to call and add on now to our monthly before we go? Or should we just play it by ear and add on $15 per day? We are just there full days Saturday and Sunday, 1/2 day Monday.

 

[DizneyMommy]

We leave this Friday...can’t wait! First time using our Flex passes, trying to decide if it would be worth it to add Maxpass considering how crazy the crowds have been this past week! If we decide to add for the whole year, do we pay the $100 each pass at the ticket booth? We are on the monthly payment plan for our passes now that we are SoCal residents, but it’s probably not an option to call and add on now to our monthly before we go? Or should we just play it by ear and add on $15 per day? We are just there full days Saturday and Sunday, 1/2 day Monday.

You cannot add on to a monthly contract, and I’m not sure you can even add it on without having to pay the full balance of the pass too. The monthly payment system isn’t exactly flexible.

 

[ten6mom]

I've read through most of this VERY long thread and have not seen my question. Here it is. We had Signature passes for one year back in 2017. Did not go in 2018. We are planning a fall 2020 visit and I'm contemplating getting the Flexpass for just myself for the discount benefits (we will have 5 people on the trip).
Anyway, my question is do they still use your original plastic pass and just re-activate it? I think that's what would have happened if I continued to renew it. But now that it has lapsed for more than a year will the same plastic still be able to be re-activated?
I am hoping that it would prevent waiting at the ticket booth for a new piece of plastic.

They have always reused my old pass, even if it expired and I changed AP levels. I assume they are still doing it that way, but it's been about a year since I did that.

I had an "old" AP that expired in June. I was just there this week and took my old pass with me when I upgraded my PH to the Signature and they did re-use the same plastic card.

And to add to some of the data points about upgrading: I had originally purchased a 3 day PH with MP from UCT. They applied a full $400 toward my AP, which was nice since I only paid $372.95 for it!

 

[JohnR5101]

We leave this Friday...can’t wait! First time using our Flex passes, trying to decide if it would be worth it to add Maxpass considering how crazy the crowds have been this past week! If we decide to add for the whole year, do we pay the $100 each pass at the ticket booth?

A couple years ago we had Signature passes on the monthly payment plan. So I added Max pass for the year ($75 at that time) at the ticket booth the first day we got there. So you can do it that way and it has nothing to do with your payment plan.

 

[JohnR5101]

Question about hotel discounts that are available when you have the Flexpass. Can anyone tell me the approximate discount (%) from the listed room rates? I was just on the official web site and checked on the rates for Disneyland hotel for 9/13/2020 - 9/17/2020. Its an average rate of $498/night. What would it be with annual pass discount? That may factor into the decision to get a pass.