Your Disneyland Pass on your phone: how the digital pass works

The digital pass is just your Disneyland Pass in paperless form: a QR code linked to your Disney account that you pull up in the Disneyland Paris app and show at the entrance, no card required. You don’t need to carry the physical pass around anymore, since your phone does the job day to day. That one QR code covers several things: getting into the parks at the turnstiles, using your discounts at store and restaurant registers and, depending on your pass, getting into the parking lot.

Parking works the same way: scan your code at a self-service machine or hand your phone to the Cast Member in the booth.

It has been available since July 19, 2023, when the Disneyland Pass lineup launched. Good news if you hold an older pass: it works for the previous pass types as well (Discovery, Magic Flex, Magic Plus, and Infinity).

Keep in mind the code is stored in your Disney account rather than on the device itself. In the app, go to the Account tab and then My Annual Passes to see it, or simply look at the home screen, where it’s displayed too.

One thing to clarify up front: I’m talking about the pass itself here, not the whole app. For the complete guide to the app (reservations, services, map), head over to my guide to the Disneyland Paris app. Booking your visit dates is another matter entirely, which I cover in booking your visit dates. And for everything about the Disneyland Pass as a whole, I recommend the complete Disneyland Pass guide.

At the entrance, you simply scan your pass’s QR code at the turnstile reader, right from the app. As I said earlier, you may be asked for photo ID, so bring it with you.

Your pass can be shown on two phones. Since it’s attached to your Disney account (and not to any specific device), logging in to that same account on a second phone is all it takes to see your QR code there too. That’s handy, for instance, when my partner and I each want to show a pass without depending on a single phone.

Just note that this doesn’t let two people in with one pass: each pass is still tied to one person’s name.

Switching phones doesn’t mean losing your pass. It’s stored in your account, not on the device, so you only need to install the app on the new phone and sign in to your Disney account again to find it. You don’t have to link anything again.

Don’t confuse this with the choice between going fully digital and getting a physical card, which you make at renewal time: I cover that in renewing or switching your Disneyland Pass. Here, I’m talking about day-to-day use once you have your pass.

On paper, it sounds tempting: take a screenshot of your QR code so it’s always handy. The catch is that it doesn’t work. The QR code disappears the moment you try to capture it, a deliberate security feature. Whatever screenshot you end up with won’t get you through the turnstile.

So the only way in is the live code, opened in the app with your account signed in. Before heading to the turnstile, make sure you’ve got your phone, an up-to-date copy of the app, and a working internet connection.

That’s also why battery matters so much (see the previous section): there’s no backup screenshot to fall back on, and only the open app counts at the entrance.

The digital pass works perfectly well on its own. The QR code in the app gets you through the turnstiles and unlocks your discounts, just like a card would. So there’s nothing extra you’re required to ask for: your phone handles it day to day.

If you’d rather keep something physical, the plastic card is still available. It’s free, and you simply ask for it at a ticket booth at the park entrance, no hassle involved.

I can see two good reasons to get one even with the digital pass. Some people just like having something to hold and tuck into a wallet. More importantly, it’s a welcome backup the day your phone lets you down (dead battery, cracked screen, the app acting up). Having the card in your bag means you’ll get in no matter what.

Digital and card aren’t an either-or choice: you can easily use the QR code day to day and keep the card in reserve. The choice between the two really comes up when you renew, and I go into it in renewing or switching your Disneyland Pass.

Pulling up your QR code to get in and booking your visit dates both happen in the same place (the app or the website), but they’re two separate steps. One gets you through the turnstiles on the day itself, the other secures your spot when a reservation is required. For everything about that second step, see booking your visit dates.