Last Updated: 22nd November 2019
The Disneyland Paris Annual Passes can seem like a bit of a minefield to English speakers; the vast majority of documentation is in French, and the scant English documentation doesn’t seem to go into much detail regarding what is actually required / included. Hopefully we can help you acquire a pass, make use of all the features, and get notified of all the news and events the pass allows you to enjoy!
What Do You Get?
Disneyland Paris expanded their annual pass range in 2017, adding in the more expensive Infinity Pass. The range is actually well explained on the official English pass page, but lets expand on some of the top tier items that aren’t so clear…
Use of the Privilege Car Park – This will allow you to park closer to the parks with some minor restrictions; cars/bikes only and “subject to availability”. This seems to be referred to as the “Disney Carpark+” on the updated website, which is a €45 fee, probably where the “availability” clause comes in.
Annual PhotoPass+ – This is available on the Magic Flex and Magic Plus tier as a chargeable add-on, and on Infinity for free. PhotoPass+ is much like a normal PhotoPass in that you can get digital copies of your ride pictures, and also photos with characters that have a professional photographer with them. The PhotoPass costs €75 to buy over the counter in the park, so you are looking at a €20, €26 or €75 saving depending on the level. The PhotoPasses are well understood so really its up to you to decide if you find value in this service.
Reserved Entrance to Disney Parks – I’ll be honest this took a little longer for us to work out than it should have. Each park has a dedicated entrance for Magic Plus and Infinity Pass holders, which is located to the left of the main entrances; just look for the signs. Usually the cast members have the gate coned off to stop everyone trying to use it. On a busy park day, this might be a bit of a lifesaver!
Extra Magic Time – Magic Plus and Infinity annual pass holders are able to use the Extra Magic Time that are already offered to people who stay in the Disney Hotels. As this is included with the pass, you could take advantage of staying away from the park but still benefit from the quieter hours; especially useful for the rides that get very busy and don’t have Fast Pass options (It’s a Small World, with a long queue!)
Free use of Strollers, Guest Storage, Wheelchairs, and Kennels – This is a great feature, and whilst we have only used the guest storage I can see the others being extremely useful. Free guest storage allows you to store up to three large items free of charge, which would usually cost €10 an item. This can be done from Guest Services on the right side of the Disneyland Park entrance, and saves having to go back to the hotel to pick up bags if you’re leaving from the main train station!
Non-alcoholic aperitif in restaurants – Another Magic Plus and Infinity perk is a free drink at the start of your Disneyland Restaurant meal. As simple as it sounds, you show your card to the waiter and you’ll get a non-alcoholic cocktail of the day for free.
VIP seating for selected shows – An Infinity only perk, this is extremely useful feature! This will allow access to a VIP area for viewing the illuminations, parades, and outdoor shows in Disneyland Studios. Until recently, these spaces could only be booked on a dedicated phone line no earlier than 15 days before the show date and no later than 24 hours before. The ticket then needed to be collected at City Hall. They have recently introduced a website booking though which makes this a lot simpler! The 15 days to 24 hours before rule still applies, except now you just have to show the booking confirmation and your annual pass to get entry to the VIP area. Places are limited to around 200 people per show, but you can see how many spaces are left and cancel a space if your plans change.
Dedicated Concierge Service – A dedicated concierge line for Infinity Pass members, replacing the hotel concierge at Disney Hotels, so essentially helping booking restaurants and other events on site, but they also act as the booking line for Disney Hotel trips and so on. Service can be variable with this number, as proven with the 2019 Thomas Cook collapse, in which staff were drafted away from the Infinity Concierge line to assist with the large influx of customers.
Disney Hotels Price Per Room – This is where the real savings can roll in! Depending on the level of your pass you’ll be able to book rooms at a discounted rate. Of course a pinch of salt is needed with these quoted figures (much in the same way as airlines have “Fly for £19” deals). To get access to these Room Only deals you need to call which is mildly inconvenient if your travel dates are flexible and you just want to price up the cheapest dates! With the Infinity Pass you can get rooms for an “example price” of €108 a night, which for an onsite Disney hotel is a pretty good deal.
So Is Magic Plus / Infinity Worth It?
This is one of the most common questions I see in the UK communities, and there is a few way to look at it. Where is the value for you personally? Here is a few ways you can look at it:
Stroller Hire – One of the biggest changes in 2019 was the removal of free stroller hire from the Magic Plus tier of pass. For families not having to worry about transporting a stroller or buggy it was a gift, but the strollers that are for hire are known as not being the best and have a tendency to be “borrowed” when left outside a ride.
Shop Discounts – If you’re a big spender in the park shops then the extra 10% off could soon add up and make the pass pay for it itself. This was the biggest draw for our Infinity Passes, and over the course of 3 days we racked up around €100 in savings purchasing early Christmas presents and toys.
Discounted Hotel Rooms – Another very visible saving is discounted room bookings, Magic Flex onward gets you access to the €130 “example price” rooms with Infinity giving access to €108 rooms, again “subject to availability”. Booking at the cheap times with the pass could save you a serious sum of cash and could outright pay for the pass in a single booking.
VIP Access – If you’re a Disney nut, and getting access to the best views and locations is in your best interest, then Infinity might be for you. While I don’t think this is a major selling point on its own, in combination with the other offers its the cherry on the top.
Blackout Days – One of the big selling points of the Infinity Pass is that there are no blackout days. Each level up of the annual pass has slightly fewer blackout days meaning you can enjoy the park all year round. Depending on when you want to go to the park, this could be the deal breaker for you; the entire month of August is blacked out for Discovery annual pass holders!
The €150 Question
At the time of writing, the Infinity pass is €449, meaning it’s €150 more than the Magic Plus annual pass. This isn’t a small amount of change, so is the Infinity pass worth it? Ultimately, only you can answer that as where you see value won’t be the same as the next person. As we regularly make purchases from the shops, that €150 difference can be pretty easily saved, but that won’t be the same for everyone.
What We Recommend
Our biased view of which annual pass you should get can be summed up in three bullet points:
- Discounted hotels, reasonable access to the park check out the Magic Flex.
- Food and drink discounts, Magic Hours access, and pass holder events access, check Magic Plus.
- VIP access, no black out days, and the best discounts available are your thing, Infinity all the way.
What Did You Do?
We’d be interested in knowing what you did, which pass did you go for and why, or why did you pass on the pass? Post a comment below!
