Disneyland infuriates passholders as charges continue while park shut for coronavirus

Disneyland is closed during the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s not stopping monthly charges for its annual passholders.

Disneyland posted the announcement on its website.

“Annual Passholders on the monthly payment program will remain on the current payment schedule and continue to make their scheduled payments,” the website said.

Disneyland will extend the passes’ expiration date, and members will not be charged for that extra period of time, the website said. But many people don’t have jobs due to closures brought on by the coronavirus, making it more difficult to pay.

“It’s a very scary and uncertain time that we are all in right now and the fact that one of the largest companies in the world isn’t offering to help its loyal customers is absolutely appalling,” Alison Raposa, a Disneyland passholder from Irvine, told The San Bernardino Sun in an email. “I have been on the phone with different companies all week trying to see what options they can offer to help in this situation and so far all of them have been sympathetic and have offered some sort of relief. Disney is the only one who hasn’t.”

Raposa pays $74 a month for her family’s annual passes, The Sun reported. She is unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Sun.

Disneyland’s website lists the least expensive pass, the Disney Flex Passport, at $649 yearly, or $54 a month. The most inclusive annual pass, the Disney Signature Plus Passport, costs $1,449 a year, or $120.75 a month.

Many passholders took to Twitter to express their frustration with Disney. But the fine print states that Disneyland can’t be held liable during park closures, The Sun reported.

Disney closed both Disneyland and Disney World in March, CNN reported. That has the company also hurting financially, potentially costing Disney about $3.4 billion in revenue loss, according to the Orange County Register.

Research firm MoffettNathanson compiled an analysis depicting the financial impact Disney faces, the OC Register reported.

“Putting it all together, despite the fall in Disney’s stock price to date, we think the combination of COVID-19 impacts and an ensuing recession will cause unprecedented pain here,” according to the report cited by the Register.

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Disneyland infuriates passholders as charges continue while park shut for coronavirus."