SoCal Annual Pass Advice

[3894]

So, a daughter and her husband are moving to San Diego for a job. Money will be tight and yet ... and yet... the DLR is so very close.

I'm thinking about buying them Annual Passes. Ideally, I use Disney cc points for this but it's not necessary.

Tell me what I should know. Thanks.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

The one bummer is you can't buy the parking pass anymore unless you get the premium pass, otherwise it's a great idea.

[Alex]

I'd consider waiting until they're reasonably settled before getting a SoCal pass.

San Diego is far enough away that I'd say it generally rules out the quick run over to the park to just hang for 1-2 hours, get a ride, then go home again.

If work will mostly rule out the weekdays then you're essentially buying them a Sunday pass as all Saturdays are blacked out on the SoCal pass.

Further, Sundays are all blacked out as well from the last weekend in June to late August and again during the Christmas rush.

So you're buying a one-day/week pass for a destination that is still, under the best conditions a 3-hour round trip drive from home (and depending on where in San Diego they end up living). And, they may be different from me, but I know in the first year+ of living somewhere new I'm going to far prefer to spend my precious weekend time checking out the closer environs than making repeated trips to Disneyland.

That'd be my first question: Realistically are they going to get much use of the pass, or would it be more enjoyable to get them a two-day pass they can use on any weekend of their choosing and then when they're all settled in and bored with Balboa Park and getting hammered and sleeping on the beach in TJ (or making regular trips to Ikea to fill the condo with plastic furniture) then consider gifting them with a pass.

[katiesue]

We're in San Diego. I"m 90 miles from Toy Story parking so it takes generally about an hour and twenty minutes or so on the weekends. We do it all the time but you can hit traffic. And going on a weeknight you will hit traffic so add at least an hour.

We do premium for the parking and for Saturdays. Saturdays for us are the easiest times to go. Currently only premium have parking so that's another thing to consider if they're going to go often.

Passes for the zoo/safari park are much cheaper and closer. Not Disneyland of course but more local.