Disney canceling its Annual Pass program has been a little bit of a bummer for those who previously indulged in the benefits of the passes. While right now Disney has a different program in place -- and will announce another soon -- there have been changes to the way people use the parks. Now, one exclusive spot for Legacy Passholders will be closing too.
Back in January, Disneyland had cancelled its annual passes program. However, in the interim, Disneyland created a program called the Disneyland Resort Legacy Passholder program which was set to exist for a period of time while the theme park worked out a new option. Like the original Annual Pass, those who were ushered into the Legacy Passholder program got discounts on merch and other special opportunities. One of these benefits was access to the Alfresco Tasting Terrace, but soon that will no longer be an option.
After reopening in May, it seems that Alfresco Tasting Terrace will be one of the casualties of the pandemic in the California Adventure theme park. I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise as at one point Disneyland had included script on the Disney Dining website noting that it would only be “for a limited time” that Legacy Passholders would be able to hold a spot.
Alfresco Tasting Terrace will be available to our Legacy Passholders and their Guests (for a total of 6 Guests per reservation) for a limited time.
Inside the Magic was the first to report the news of the special dining spots closing, noting the establishment will be shutting its doors to Legacy Passholders on August 16. So, if you’ll be in the parks before then perhaps you’ll be able to still give it a whirl.
Given this is an attraction that many may not have even known existed, perhaps it’s not the worst bad news to ever grace this website, but it the sign of ever-changing times at the theme park, particularly following the shutdown last year. Disneyland has made myriad changes to dining and riding in the parks. Fastpass+ is no longer an option, either, as Disney theme parks look to move forward in other ways. Another example of change? The restaurant Carthay Circle reopened in July, but the menu was pricier than it had been in the past.
The Annual Passholder stuff, of course, is among the biggest changes. Disneyland announced back in June that program would be replaced by a new program, but the company was vague at the time about what that would entail, simply noting the program “will reflect the behavior of our superfans.” This month, Disney theme parks sent an email to Legacy Passholders notifying them that the wait is nearly over and letting them know that a Magic Key program will be the official replacement. Since the announcement is expected soon, this dining change could be tied into the impending changes in some way as well. We'll have to wait and see. An announcement is expected later on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the changes for Passholders aren’t the only changes in the parks, as both Disneyland and Disney World have had to make changes based on health guidelines and more, and sometimes with little warning. The changes in the parks are still developing, and we’ll keep you posted along the way.
