So Cal Pass

Can you still get a So Cal pass if you do not currently have one? Yes. Can you get a So Cal pass immediately? No. If you do not currently have a So Cal pass, you will need to purchase a different level of Annual Pass. However, after a year if you renew the pass you may select any level, including So Cal. Note that once the pass expires you will be locked out of the So Cal level until you reach the renewal status again.

In addition, I have heard that it may be possible to upgrade from a So Cal Select to a So Cal pass. This is not advertised anywhere and I have not done it, but I have read reports of Disneyland allowing passholders to do this. You will not be able to upgrade on your first visit, so if you want to try this you'll need to purchase a So Cal Select pass, visit once, then upgrade on a later visit. If you do this, be prepared to upgrade to Deluxe or above if you visit on a day that would be blocked out by So Cal Select and you are denied an upgrade to So Cal.

Thank you SO much! I had no idea about this...

Disneyland is a bit vague about it because they want to keep So Cal pass numbers as low as possible. That and Premium were the two levels causing issues, so by capping the numbers on one and discontinuing the other (with the closest equivalent way more expensive) they're hoping things will start to change and the resort won't be seeing capacity crowds on a regular basis. I don't know how true these numbers are, but I've heard the resort tends to get close to 90,000 visitors on many weekends when they'd ideally like to have 60,000-70,000 on their peak days.

One other thing about the passes: Would you be paying all at once or paying monthly? If you do monthly payments, it is beneficial to know in advance which pass will be the best option as the upgrade fee must be paid as one sum at the time of upgrade. However, if you're just buying the pass outright you might want to start at the cheapest option and upgrade later when you know there is a need for it. Ever since I've been buying my own pass and not getting one with my family, I've always just purchased a So Cal Select pass to start and upgraded throughout the year if the need for a So Cal or Deluxe arose (I've never gone above Deluxe because I don't visit often enough). I'm honestly surprised more people who don't do monthly payments don't use this strategy, as I've had friends who would just purchase Premium and then find themselves being forced to visit just to justify the cost of their pass.

I always pay at once for my passes. I think what I'll do is buy a So Cal pass tonight, visit tomorrow, and upgrade it to a So Cal next time I visit. Once again, thanks so much for your help.

Assuming you mean buy a So Cal Select, that sounds like a good plan. If you can't afford to or definitely want to avoid going to a Deluxe, I would suggest you plan your upgrade visit for a day So Cal Select is valid so that you can still get in if they won't let you upgrade to So Cal. Have fun tomorrow and I'm glad I was able to help.

I just realized something- even though the So Cal pass is no longer present on the Disneyland website, will this strategy still work?

The website only lists passes that are currently available for purchase. The So Cal pass is still listed, but it states unavailable for purchase. You will need to do the upgrade either in person or through the AP website you can register for once you get your pass processed. Again, I'm not 100% sure you'll be able to upgrade to a So Cal pass until it is time to renew, but purchasing a So Cal Select and upgrading in person is probably the most likely method to produce a successful result.

Hey so I ended up buying a So Cal Select but when I asked them if I can upgrade it to a So Cal pass, they said I can't.

It is definitely possible that the rules changed at the time of the most recent increase, but I'm pretty sure I've seen reports from earlier this year that people were able to go from So Cal Select to So Cal. You may want to ask again next time you visit, and if you can't do it you can either keep the So Cal Select or upgrade to a Deluxe. I talked to a friend who works at the resort and he confirmed that if you renew you can definitely switch to the So Cal at that time regardless of your previous pass level but he wasn't sure if upgrading into it was permitted during the year. Of course, Disney could easily change the rules again before this time next year.