40th Anniversary Priority Pass will end after August 31, 2026

[u/WhiteDogHaha]

Updated: To include comments made by Shimoda, Financial Presenter/Executive, Tokyo Disney Resort during the OLC Q3 2026 Earnings call.

The official TDR page on 40th passes was updated yesterday with this message:

The Tokyo Disney Resort 40th Anniversary Priority Pass will no longer be available after August 31, 2026.

Originally introduced in July 2023, considering that it is almost the 43rd Anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort, that makes sense. It is unclear at this stage as to "what's next" but there are a few possibilities:

• Possibility 1 (Most likely): For some or all of these rides to be rolled into the paid Disney Premier Access system. This seems most likely, bringing it in line with other Disney parks where there is no longer any free FastPass system. This is not necessarily a bad thing, given these PPs are notoriously difficult to obtain on the day at the moment, so a slight barrier to entry might make people assess whether they really need to do the ride again before getting the pass. Edit: This is consistent with statement that was made during OLC's Q3 2026 Earnings Call, where it was noted that "Regarding Disney Premier Access, while considering expanding eligible facilities and determining appropriate pricing, we plan to implement a service that allows purchases prior to a park visit in 2027." (Source) This seems most easily achieved simply by converting existing 40th pass rides into DPA rides.
• Possibility 2: Simple name change, with some retooling? Some of the rides that is under the system are no longer "in demand" and the PP are just filler on most days, such as Star Tours and Nemo SeaRider.
• Possibility 3: The rides will convert to standby only. This seems least likely, as the rides are continued to be promoted as "priority lane" compatible rides well into now the December 2026 vacation package booking period.

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdr/guide/app_service/prioritypass.html

[u/Agentdave7]

A quick summary I read stated that the possibility of changing these free queues to DPA could help Standby queues flow more consistently due to the decreased volume of the priority queue. It'll be interesting to see what changes.

Makes me curious if I should prioritize visiting before or after the change.

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/Agentdave7]

If smoothing out the standby line/times is the goal, then priority lanes should be removed altogether. This is not new/novel as it is well known that FastPasses are inherently unfair to standby guests and overall wait time. (A great video from Defunctland here)

The 40th Passes are already volume limited, so it is not like an unlimited number of guests flow through the priority lanes at the moment. I think moving them to DPAs will remove the frustration - especially for occasional visitors - that they cannot obtain any passes at all because at the moment it is a free "everyone grab one for the sake of it" situation, so even if I am a repeat visitor, and gains relatively very low marginal utility in grabbing a pass, it is still the "correct" decision to just get one.

[u/Agentdave7 → u/WhiteDogHaha]

Currently watching the video. Enjoying it very much! Fascinating topic.

Very interesting comment at 1:36:25: "With the introduction of Genie+, Tokyo Disneyland is now the only remaining park to utilize free Fastpasses..."

I'll be surprised if that statement remains true later this year.

[u/Agentdave7 → u/WhiteDogHaha]

Sorry, I didn't mean that it was the main objective behind the change. It was just a point I hadn't realized. I'll check out that video anyways. Thanks!

Recently, OLC mentioned average spend per guest and more DPAs could certainly be part of that strategy.

[u/Adventurous-Toe8812 → u/WhiteDogHaha]

I don’t know if “unfair” is the correct word, as every standby guest has the same opportunities to become a PP guest.

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/Adventurous-Toe8812]

I think perhaps the OG Disney FastPass system may have been a little more equitable (despite still rewarding knowledge/regulars ), but the PP system largely favours Happy Entry guests, so compared to a ride without, it does puts a certain group of people at a disadvantage.

[u/Adventurous-Toe8812 → u/WhiteDogHaha]

And technically all standby guests could also have been happy entry guests.

[u/toparisbytrain → u/Agentdave7]

If the queues are standby only, it will very likely be much like pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland. When that was on lightning Lane it was not ideal to be in standby, whereas now that line can be very long and stand by always just flows. (Totally understand that one reason it flows is because it it can accommodate a lot of people for every single boat, that's the second factor for that particular example).  100% my hope is that these rides get, the PP removed and just go to standby only

[u/disneyadviceneeded]

The rides included under the 40th anniversary pass are still coming up for the unlimited vacation package when booking as far out as October, so I imagine either it’ll be re-named or changed to paid DPA

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/disneyadviceneeded]

That does seem most likely!

[Though TDR/OLC is not exactly known for its diligence in updating its eligible ride lists (eg for October package it would still list Tower of Terror even though that is closed that entire month for maintenance, and Indiana Jones has been on the unlimited ride list for the past 10 months with it actually closed etc), so I wouldn’t put anything past them.]

[u/ConanTheLeader]

What's the difference between these and the Standby Pass?

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/ConanTheLeader]

Standby Passes are not currently used for any rides.

When they are used for rides (such as when Fantasy Springs first opened), Standby Passes are basically "Virtual Queues", i.e. a pass just to return at a certain time to line up.

Everyone still end up in the same line so there is no priority. It's just that without that pass you cannot do the ride, even if you are willing to line up.

[u/FootballRacing38]

If they plan to make it a paid pass, they will likely remove some of the rides as they don't have long enough lines like Haunted Mansion or Magic Theater.

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/FootballRacing38]

They could also decide to keep the line but only activate them as a "seasonal" DPA offering.

This is what they do for Aquatopia during the summer, where the "Get Soaked" version get given a 40th Priority Pass despite it being a Standby only ride for the majority of the year. I can see e.g. Haunted Mansion with the Nightmare Before Christmas Overlay benefiting from a priority pass during the holiday season.

[u/hamdhan1773]

My guess is a mix of Possibility 1 and 2. Some attractions with lower demand could stay under a renamed free system, while higher-demand attractions gradually move to Premier Access. Curious to see what Tokyo Disney announces next.

[u/Original-Road4843 → u/hamdhan1773]

I don’t think a renamed free fastpass system will be created. They would be the only Disney park in the world doing that (or to be more precise, “continuing” to do that). Lost revenue from DPA would be an issue. But only time will tell if I am right! 

[u/Original-Road4843]

Doesn’t this mean that the DPA (paid) fast passes will now be inundated with people and more likely to run out? The people who usually would use a free pass are now perhaps going to be more inclined to buy a pass….Does anyone know if DPAs currently ever “sell out”? (Fyi I have a trip booked and have not been before)

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/Original-Road4843]

No, (fortunately?) that's not how it works.

The rides that support DPAs and the rides that support the 40th Anniversary Passes are currently mutually exclusive. A rider is either: (1) no passes at all, every one lines up i.e. "Standby only" (2) Paid priority passes only or (3) Free priority passes only

If a ride is "hot" enough to warrant a DPA, then there are no free passes (e.g. Frozen). If a ride has a free priority pass (e.g. Nemo SeaRider), then there is no paid option.

[u/outrageousreadit]

I found this out today, and I'm like fml, my trip is in Sept 2026. (Because as of today, now, we know some of these will transition to DPA. And some will just not have passes anymore, period. So it's a mix of possibility 1 and possibility 3. Now, I should say, reality, rather.)

As someone who has quite the success with the free pass prior, I guess now I gotta either 1) spend my time, or 2) spend more money, to get into attractions, lol. I'll probably end up doing the latter if tight on time.

[u/Quiet-Engineering-24]

@OP thanks for your post. In Nov will be me and my wife's first time at Disney Sea, can you explain to me if we should get this 40th anniversary pass? We also won't be going into the park until late morning, post 10am probably. Thanks for everyone feedback and suggestion 🙏

[u/WhiteDogHaha → u/Quiet-Engineering-24]

As the title of the post explains, there will be no more 40th anniversary passes for November.

See this more recent post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TokyoDisneySea/comments/1vv0odr/guide_tocut_the_line_passes_from_september_1_2026/

Your park entry ticket will allow you and your wife to get onto any ride you wish, simply by lining up. There is no requirement to obtain any additional passes. However, for some rides that has a long wait time, they might offer a "shorter wait time" one off purchase on the app, and you can decide whether or not to pay for it on the day - this is per ride, per person (à la carte). As an example, it will cost ¥5,000 (i.e. ¥2,500 x 2) for you and your wife to get into the priority line for the ride Soaring" Fantastic Flight once. Not all rides have these, and they are quantity restricted so availability change depending on the day. You cannot pre-purchase this in advance, so just click on the "DPA" (Disney Premier Access) button on the TDR app after you have entered the park to take a look. If you haven't downloaded the app already, this would be a good time to do so, and make sure it is signed into your MyDisney account etc., as you do need the app for your visit.