My family has a VIP Main Entrance pass (or lifetime pass)

WEDYENSID

WEDYENSID

Member
muddyrivers said:
I don't know why everyone's dumping on the OP so much. If you don't think it's true and don't want to believe it, don't post and move on. As @CaptainAmerica said though, the OP's grandmother's land being sold to Disney sounds very plausible as a reason to be issued such a pass. And depending on how the agreement was written, while the ticket itself may not be transferrable, Disney may be in a position where they are required to issue a pass to the descendants of the grandmother. Who knows?

I like to think it's true and it sounds logical to me so I'm here to find out more about what the OP has to say. Please post more and looking forward to seeing the pictures this weekend!
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Actually, I knew a guy (Carl, who is deceased) that purchased a building that Disney used to own (may have been on Hyperion, can't really remember?) - When they were doing some demo/renovation on his building, he found some original artwork on the wall (was covered up by something) that they gave to Disney for a similar free pass type of deal. Also, we have a customer that comes in our California store, that claims the same story about having free passes to get into Disney because one of his relatives sold some property that became part of the Disneyland Park parking lot...
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Lifetime passes exist. My uncle has one and can enter the domestic and some of the international parks as he pleases (excluding blackouts), as well as sign up to three guests in.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
WEDYENSID said:
I received the following from OP, not sure why only I see it?
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Was it in the email for your account? That's the letter icon which is for 'private' user to user DMs (direct mail) or PMs (private mail/message).

1623942377094.png
 
rreading

rreading

Well-Known Member
muddyrivers said:
I don't know why everyone's dumping on the OP so much. If you don't think it's true and don't want to believe it, don't post and move on. As @CaptainAmerica said though, the OP's grandmother's land being sold to Disney sounds very plausible as a reason to be issued such a pass. And depending on how the agreement was written, while the ticket itself may not be transferrable, Disney may be in a position where they are required to issue a pass to the descendants of the grandmother. Who knows?

I like to think it's true and it sounds logical to me so I'm here to find out more about what the OP has to say. Please post more and looking forward to seeing the pictures this weekend!
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I don't find it impossible nor even really implausible...but logistically, can tickets be printed at the turnstiles? I've never seen the capacity for that there (just at the ticket windows). So that seems to me fishy - but I may just be ignorant about it
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
durangojim said:
I don’t know if the OP’s story is true or not but didn’t one family that owned land at DL sell and their home became an office at DL and the son wind up becoming a senior VP eventually at Disney? OP’s story seems unlikely but we shouldn’t dump on him since he’s just trying to share something cool.

here’s some info: https://dizbuff.com/dominguez-palm-disneyland/
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Ron Dominguez was a rather publicized person and essentially getting free reign of Disneyland seems like the sort of thing that would have been mentioned. The guy who was first in line on July 18 received a lifetime pass and that has been publicized over the years.

It’s not really told because it’s scope, scale and complexity are absolutely dwarfed by the efforts to acquire land in Florida, but the Disneyland land was also acquired anonymously for the same reasons. The major land owners who sold to Disney are also known, because again, this was lived and worked land and not slices of swamp sold off through the mail in speculation bubbles.

Disney also owns the land that became Disneyland. The only land they do not own is underneath the Paradise Pier hotel and that is another known transaction from the 90s. There are no ongoing deals for the land acquired in the early 1950s. Disneyland isn’t sitting on leased land. Owning the land that became Disneyland was important to getting Cerritos Ave abandoned by the city.

nickys said:
Must admit I’m perplexed why a lifetime pass dating back to the opening of DL would be extended to DLP and Hong Kong. WDW is more understandable.
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It’s not unusual for a complimentary admission to just be for all Disney operated parks and include new ones when they open.
 
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WEDYENSID

WEDYENSID

Member
MisterPenguin said:
Was it in the email for your account? That's the letter icon which is for 'private' user to user DMs (direct mail) or PMs (private mail/message).

View attachment 564349
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You were correct, I just looked again - it is under that icon. I was alerted to it by the alerts/bell icon. Obviously I don't use this site much, but have been following it for 20 years --- but only signed up 6 years ago...

BTW, I enjoy following your trackers, and I always enjoy your replies - You seem very kind, level headed and courteous to most all on this site (unlike many others who aren't, and who should probably step away from the keyboard more often, or maybe forever) :)
 
Kamikaze

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
muddyrivers said:
I don't know why everyone's dumping on the OP so much. If you don't think it's true and don't want to believe it, don't post and move on. As @CaptainAmerica said though, the OP's grandmother's land being sold to Disney sounds very plausible as a reason to be issued such a pass. And depending on how the agreement was written, while the ticket itself may not be transferrable, Disney may be in a position where they are required to issue a pass to the descendants of the grandmother. Who knows?

I like to think it's true and it sounds logical to me so I'm here to find out more about what the OP has to say. Please post more and looking forward to seeing the pictures this weekend!
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Because the land that Disneyland was built on was owned by the Dominguez family, the most well known of which is Ron, who just very recently died (and worked for Disney for almost 40 years).

d23.com

Ron Dominguez - D23

Former executive VP of Walt Disney Attractions, Ron Dominguez is a “native Disneylander.”
d23.com d23.com

If OP was related to Ron Dominguez or was a member of the Dominguez family, his 'grandmother' would have nothing to do with getting a Gold Pass. I'm sure Ron's family has a Gold Pass because he's both a Disney Legend and was DL VP, but as far as I know there was no such agreement with the family before Ron worked for Disney. As the linked article says, he didn't know Walt was using his old house as living quarters and offices, which he would have seen if they had Golden Passes and had been in the park. But he started there as a seasonal worker.

Basically for OPs story to be true, he/she would have to be one of these people: Sheryl Ralston, Steve Dominguez, and Ronald K. Dominguez Jr, four grandchildren Joby Ralston, Tim Ralston, Chase Dominguez and Reid Dominguez. Great-Grandson Brooks. Ron had a brother, Paul, who had two daughters; Jonnie Jean Hofer, who resides in Iowa, and Melanie Harner, who was raised by the Dominguez family in California.
 
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lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Kamikaze said:
Because the land that Disneyland was built on was owned by the Dominguez family, the most well known of which is Ron, who just very recently died (and worked for Disney for almost 40 years).

d23.com

Ron Dominguez - D23

Former executive VP of Walt Disney Attractions, Ron Dominguez is a “native Disneylander.”
d23.com d23.com

If OP was related to Ron Dominguez or was a member of the Dominguez family, his 'grandmother' would have nothing to do with getting a Gold Pass. I'm sure Ron's family has a Gold Pass because he's both a Disney Legend and was DL VP, but as far as I know there was no such agreement with the family before Ron worked for Disney. As the linked article says, he didn't know Walt was using his old house as living quarters and offices, which he would have seen if they had Golden Passes and had been in the park. But he started there as a seasonal worker.

Basically for OPs story to be true, he/she would have to be one of these people: Sheryl Ralston, Steve Dominguez, and Ronald K. Dominguez Jr, four grandchildren Joby Ralston, Tim Ralston, Chase Dominguez and Reid Dominguez. Great-Grandson Brooks. Ron had a brother, Paul, who had two daughters; Jonnie Jean Hofer, who resides in Iowa, and Melanie Harner, who was raised by the Dominguez family in California.
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The Dominguez family is not the only family that sold land that became Disneyland. They’re just the most well known.
 
Jon Good

Jon Good

Member
I worked at WDW for 19 years and when I retired I have a main gate pass for life, it allows myself and 3 guests to go in with me. There are block out dates where I cannot go like during the holidays. I wouldn't want to go then since the crowds are higher. The pass does not cover the water parks. It is good for Disneyland and Paris also. My pass is unlimited so I can go any day of the year except for block outs. They also send extra free tickets also that have an expiration date, however they did not send out free extra tickets last year. I usually get them around July and November.
 
Doberge

Doberge

True Bayou Magic
Premium Member
MisterPenguin said:
So..

Even though Walt was buying the land secretly through third parties, one of those third parties told your grandmother -- secretly -- that it was for a Disneyland park in Orlando, and that they gave her -- and a bunch of other land owners -- a promise to not only lifetime free attendance at the park in Orlando but also to every other future Disney park in the world, and that this boon is transferable to descendants until the end of time.

And throughout all those secret land purchases by people who did not present themselves as agents of Walt Disney, they still promised as part of the contract these perpetual VIP passes and the secret didn't get out until announced by Walt.
​
"Ma'am, I'd like to buy your land and promise you free attendance to Disney parks forever to you and your descendants."​
​
"So, Walt Disney is buying the land?"​
​
"Um... no, we're just land speculators. We have no connection to Walt Disney!!"​

Is that what you're going with?
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OP did say Anaheim and not Orlando. Anaheim homes were moved, etc so it's very plausible Disney was upfront with landowners and threw in some extra stuff on top as a thank you. Orlando was different as you were getting at, but not applicable to this OP.
 
D

Disney1727

New Member
Original Poster
After emailing a few people I can confirm its called a red VIP pass and not a gold pass. I am also still required to make reservations at WDW but not Disneyland
 

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