Having to give up my Disney pass, after years of having one, was difficult. However, not as much as I initially thought. 

Disneyland had started to lose its magic for me when I was in my 20s because I had gone so much over the years. When I did visit, it was either with friends who insisted on doing specific things and getting certain seats for parades or shows. Or it was going with my mom, which was always a fun visit. She liked to do a lot of the little things my friends brushed off.

I believe it was my friends at the time that had really began to ruin the experience. It became 90% what they wanted to do and maybe I got the 10%. I allowed myself to be dragged along with them and it didn’t feel worth the fight to get something I wanted out of the trip. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed going with them, but the magic lost its touch for me.

When it came time to renew my pass, I was having financial struggles at the time, so I had to make a decision. In about 2018 or 2019, I gave up my pass. The only part about having one that I missed, was not being able to go with my mom all the time to the special events they have around the holidays, like the holiday food festival in California Adventure.

It was only recently in the last year that I was starting to miss being able to take a day and go to Disneyland for a break from real life, but renewing my pass is still not a viable option for myself. I started to miss the magic you experience in the parks.

Fast forward to today. My husband (3 years married at the time of this posting) and I took advantage of a deal that Costco was offering. A 3-day park hopper with lightning lane included and a $30 dining card with each ticket. It cost about $900 total and it was worth every penny.

I’ll be breaking down our days in the next article from seeing the new changes, tasting different dietary friendly foods (I developed a gluten sensitivity), and how I saw Disneyland from a new perspective. A little teaser, I was enthralled with all the new areas that were still under construction the last time I was there and was impressed when trying out some of their allergy friendly foods.

Until next time, safe exploring everyone!