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

Yeah this is what concerns me with the flex :/ I kind of want to drop down to it since it’s cheaper but seeing how DL reservations are hard at times worries me.
I need to renew in less than two weeks and I’m also seriously considering downgrading to flex. It would save me a lot since I’m currently paying for two signature passes. But the reservation process is such a worry.
 
I need to renew in less than two weeks and I’m also seriously considering downgrading to flex. It would save me a lot since I’m currently paying for two signature passes. But the reservation process is such a worry.

Don't forget the parking. You go to the parks pretty regularly. Since you usually take your son, I assume the other signature pass is his and you can use the parking benefit whenever he is with you. Take into account when his pass expires though and what you plan to do then. If you are going to downgrade his pass at that time, then you will pay $25 parking each visit. If this is just for a short period of time, no biggie, you will still come out ahead, but if it's for example a half a year and you visit the park every week, then you've pretty much put up with the reservation process for the flex for a year for no financial benefit.
 
Don't forget the parking. You go to the parks pretty regularly. Since you usually take your son, I assume the other signature pass is his and you can use the parking benefit whenever he is with you. Take into account when his pass expires though and what you plan to do then. If you are going to downgrade his pass at that time, then you will pay $25 parking each visit. If this is just for a short period of time, no biggie, you will still come out ahead, but if it's for example a half a year and you visit the park every week, then you've pretty much put up with the reservation process for the flex for a year for no financial benefit.

When downgrading/renewing from Sig/Sig+ it is possible to add parking on.
 


Question regarding potential of getting summer midweek reservations 2 day in advance. We are planning a trip 2nd week of June Tuesday-Saturday. We would book reservations for Tuesday and Wednesday 30 days in advance and after our visit Tuesday try to book Thursday and do the same for Friday after our visit on Wednesday..... I'm guessing no chance for Saturday so we will just go home or do something else... Any thoughts would be appreciated.
No one really knows because it wasn’t an issue last summer, but the Flex was pretty new at that point (and last summer was kind of empty in general). This will be the first summer where the Flex is fully in play in what should be a “normal” summer.

Now that it’s been around for almost a year, way more people have had an opportunity to buy it, especially those renewing their APs (as you see many people contemplating here with upcoming renewals!)

We’re considering keeping me at Signature and renewing my daughter and husband at Flex... but I’m not sure what we’ll actually decide when the time comes. We have until the end of May before her renewal comes up, so I’m watching how the pass plays out in the meantime.
 
Question regarding potential of getting summer midweek reservations 2 day in advance. We are planning a trip 2nd week of June Tuesday-Saturday. We would book reservations for Tuesday and Wednesday 30 days in advance and after our visit Tuesday try to book Thursday and do the same for Friday after our visit on Wednesday..... I'm guessing no chance for Saturday so we will just go home or do something else... Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Here is another option to consider. Since Saturdays have historically been the hardest to book for the FP (albeit with very limited summer data as OP pointed out since last summer had far fewer FP holders, and the crowds were low due to SWGE opening), you might consider booking Tuesday and Saturday at 30 days out. There is some risk here, but again historically, week days other than holiday times have been easy (easier) to get than Saturdays. If you did this, then you would book Wednesday as soon as you go in Tuesday (though this timing did not hold true for us in January, and some others have had similar experiences of not being able to book right away, so consider if that will stress you out too much if it happens), book Thursday after you enter on Wednesday and so forth. This would guarantee you getting in on the most difficult day (Saturday) but has some risk that you might have an unexpected and unwanted non-park day in the middle of your trip if something isn’t available to book in real time. Just a thought.
 
Don't forget the parking. You go to the parks pretty regularly. Since you usually take your son, I assume the other signature pass is his and you can use the parking benefit whenever he is with you. Take into account when his pass expires though and what you plan to do then. If you are going to downgrade his pass at that time, then you will pay $25 parking each visit. If this is just for a short period of time, no biggie, you will still come out ahead, but if it's for example a half a year and you visit the park every week, then you've pretty much put up with the reservation process for the flex for a year for no financial benefit.
Yes as mentioned when I go to renew there is an option to add the parking for $250. We go about twice a month so I definitely need the parking.
 


We’re considering keeping me at Signature and renewing my daughter and husband at Flex... but I’m not sure what we’ll actually decide when the time comes. We have until the end of May before her renewal comes up, so I’m watching how the pass plays out in the meantime.
I would love to know your thought process on this. I’m considering that scenario too. Do you ever go alone? I rarely do but sometimes I go with my baby only. It’s about $300 more for me to keep Signature.
 
I would love to know your thought process on this. I’m considering that scenario too. Do you ever go alone? I rarely do but sometimes I go with my baby only. It’s about $300 more for me to keep Signature.
I'd want to keep mine for parking and discounts - I know you can add parking to the Flex, but we also spend enough $ there that between that and the discounts, we may as well keep one Signature. I occasionally go with friends, or I meet friends at DTD and pop into the parks after, solo - I definitely go the most of the three members of my family, and I'm more likely to go last minute during the evening with a friend, so the reservations might hurt me there.

A few years ago, when I still worked, my husband and I were Deluxe and our daughter was a Signature! We figured whoever went and needed parking/discounts would always take her, so she had the best pass.

Honestly, we'll probably all just end up staying Signature... my husband will just decide he doesn't want to be constricted and will say things like, "I work long hours precisely so we can afford things like this, remember how annoying Blackout Days were?" and we'll just keep it as it is... but for two passes, it's enough $ to at least do the research and consider it!
 
Hope this is the right spot to ask this...I will be a first time AP’er when I upgrade my tix in about 10 days. Are there any little perks I’m missing other than AP popcorn bucket purchase and obvious dining/store discount? Magnet, etc That I need to remember to get? Hope that makes sense.
 
I would love to know your thought process on this. I’m considering that scenario too. Do you ever go alone? I rarely do but sometimes I go with my baby only. It’s about $300 more for me to keep Signature.
As someone who gave up our Signatures for Flex, I recommend keeping Signatures unless you are going only weekdays primarily. Even then, I'd keep one Signature if you usually buy food or merchandise. Between parking and the discounts, I should have kept mine Signature. I'm at the second time where I haven't been able to get the reservation that I wanted. Granted, I don't remember to book 30 days out, but this last time was about 25 days out and I missed out on DL.
Hope this is the right spot to ask this...I will be a first time AP’er when I upgrade my tix in about 10 days. Are there any little perks I’m missing other than AP popcorn bucket purchase and obvious dining/store discount? Magnet, etc That I need to remember to get? Hope that makes sense.
They may mail you a magnet. I can't remember how long it takes to get that. For some reason, I usually get one but my families member don't, even the ones who have a different address. There will be some AP special events throughout the year. You need to check the website to see those. Usually, you get a button or something like that at one of the other events (Food and Wine, etc). There are some AP only merchandise for sale throughout the parks. They have AP on them, so they are easy to spot. Although, one time I bought a DIsney cats Dooney and Bourke purse and it didn't say AP on it, but I was told only people with an AP could buy it.
 
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Granted, I don't remember to book 60 days out, but this last time was about 40 days out and I missed out on DL.
Thanks for the insight on moving from Signature to Flex. Question about the above, though... reservations open 30 days out, right? So when you checked at 40, maybe you missed them because they weren’t up yet? Or did they change to 60?

I much prefer 30 to 60 because we usually “look ahead” in our lives about a month at a time, so I feel like that would be helpful amount of time... if it’s 60, that would change things.
 
Thanks for the insight on moving from Signature to Flex. Question about the above, though... reservations open 30 days out, right? So when you checked at 40, maybe you missed them because they weren’t up yet? Or did they change to 60?

I much prefer 30 to 60 because we usually “look ahead” in our lives about a month at a time, so I feel like that would be helpful amount of time... if it’s 60, that would change things.

It's 30 days out.
 
I'd want to keep mine for parking and discounts - I know you can add parking to the Flex, but we also spend enough $ there that between that and the discounts, we may as well keep one Signature. I occasionally go with friends, or I meet friends at DTD and pop into the parks after, solo - I definitely go the most of the three members of my family, and I'm more likely to go last minute during the evening with a friend, so the reservations might hurt me there.

A few years ago, when I still worked, my husband and I were Deluxe and our daughter was a Signature! We figured whoever went and needed parking/discounts would always take her, so she had the best pass.

Honestly, we'll probably all just end up staying Signature... my husband will just decide he doesn't want to be constricted and will say things like, "I work long hours precisely so we can afford things like this, remember how annoying Blackout Days were?" and we'll just keep it as it is... but for two passes, it's enough $ to at least do the research and consider it!
Thank you for sharing. I am still torn. Six more days to decide. Wish my husband was as understand about my Disney addiction as yours because that definitely plays a part.
 
As someone who gave up our Signatures for Flex, I recommend keeping Signatures unless you are going only weekdays primarily. Even then, I'd keep one Signature if you usually buy food or merchandise. Between parking and the discounts, I should have kept mine Signature. I'm at the second time where I haven't been able to get the reservation that I wanted. Granted, I don't remember to book 30 days out, but this last time was about 25 days out and I missed out on DL.
I am curious, was it a Saturday that you couldn’t reserve?
We primarily go on weekdays now because I’m no longer working full time. However that will change in August when my son starts kindergarten and we will need to go more on weekends (I’ll still go with the baby only during the week though).
Dropping down to Flex (with a parking add-on to my Flex) will save us $850 for the year, no small sum. I don’t buy a ton of merch (maybe $50 a month?). We do eat a good amount of food in the parks but I feel like it’s no where near enough to need to keep Sig for an extra 10% off on merch and and extra 5% on food.
 
Just to make sure I have this right. This next Friday/Saturday, March 6th or 7th, I’d like to upgrade my 5 day park hopper to a flex pass. If I do it on Saturday mid day (which is now blocked out) I can’t get back in correct? Has anyone seen Sunday’s recently blocked out? Also, how late is the ticket booth outside the park open until? Thank you!
 
Just to make sure I have this right. This next Friday/Saturday, March 6th or 7th, I’d like to upgrade my 5 day park hopper to a flex pass. If I do it on Saturday mid day (which is now blocked out) I can’t get back in correct? Has anyone seen Sunday’s recently blocked out? Also, how late is the ticket booth outside the park open until? Thank you!
Correct you won’t be able to get back in if you can’t get a same-day reservation (unless the CM gives you a block out pass, which is pixie dust and not typical). I think they stay open one hour after park closing, but I’m not 100% sure on that.
 

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