diff --git a/src/js/component.js b/src/js/component.js
index f96ee75e04..2fc4dfed34 100644
--- a/src/js/component.js
+++ b/src/js/component.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Component {
     this.options_ = mergeOptions({}, this.options_);
 
     // Updated options with supplied options
-    options = this.options(options);
+    options = this.options_ = mergeOptions(this.options_, options);
 
     // Get ID from options or options element if one is supplied
     this.id_ = options.id || (options.el && options.el.id);
@@ -186,6 +186,8 @@ class Component {
    * @return {Object}     A NEW object of this.options_ and obj merged
    */
   options(obj) {
+    log.warn('this.options() has been deprecated and will be moved to the constructor in 6.0');
+
     if (!obj) {
       return this.options_;
     }
@@ -468,7 +470,8 @@ class Component {
 
     if (children) {
       // `this` is `parent`
-      let parentOptions = this.options();
+      let parentOptions = this.options_;
+
       let handleAdd = (name, opts) => {
         // Allow options for children to be set at the parent options
         // e.g. videojs(id, { controlBar: false });
@@ -483,6 +486,10 @@ class Component {
           return;
         }
 
+        // We also want to pass the original player options to each component as well so they don't need to
+        // reach back into the player for options later.
+        opts.playerOptions = this.options_.playerOptions;
+
         // Create and add the child component.
         // Add a direct reference to the child by name on the parent instance.
         // If two of the same component are used, different names should be supplied
diff --git a/src/js/control-bar/playback-rate-menu/playback-rate-menu-button.js b/src/js/control-bar/playback-rate-menu/playback-rate-menu-button.js
index 22ff038d3c..76a0fde6d3 100644
--- a/src/js/control-bar/playback-rate-menu/playback-rate-menu-button.js
+++ b/src/js/control-bar/playback-rate-menu/playback-rate-menu-button.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class PlaybackRateMenuButton extends MenuButton {
   // Menu creation
   createMenu() {
     let menu = new Menu(this.player());
-    let rates = this.player().options()['playbackRates'];
+    let rates = this.playbackRates();
 
     if (rates) {
       for (let i = rates.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
@@ -64,10 +64,11 @@ class PlaybackRateMenuButton extends MenuButton {
   handleClick() {
     // select next rate option
     let currentRate = this.player().playbackRate();
-    let rates = this.player().options()['playbackRates'];
+    let rates = this.playbackRates();
+
     // this will select first one if the last one currently selected
     let newRate = rates[0];
-    for (let i = 0; i <rates.length ; i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < rates.length ; i++) {
       if (rates[i] > currentRate) {
         newRate = rates[i];
         break;
@@ -76,11 +77,15 @@ class PlaybackRateMenuButton extends MenuButton {
     this.player().playbackRate(newRate);
   }
 
+  playbackRates() {
+    return this.options_['playbackRates'] || (this.options_.playerOptions && this.options_.playerOptions['playbackRates']);
+  }
+
   playbackRateSupported() {
     return this.player().tech
       && this.player().tech['featuresPlaybackRate']
-      && this.player().options()['playbackRates']
-      && this.player().options()['playbackRates'].length > 0
+      && this.playbackRates()
+      && this.playbackRates().length > 0
     ;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/js/menu/menu-button.js b/src/js/menu/menu-button.js
index f19d999641..f12396e060 100644
--- a/src/js/menu/menu-button.js
+++ b/src/js/menu/menu-button.js
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ class MenuButton extends Button {
     var menu = new Menu(this.player_);
 
     // Add a title list item to the top
-    if (this.options().title) {
+    if (this.options_.title) {
       menu.contentEl().appendChild(Dom.createEl('li', {
         className: 'vjs-menu-title',
-        innerHTML: toTitleCase(this.options().title),
+        innerHTML: toTitleCase(this.options_.title),
         tabIndex: -1
       }));
     }
diff --git a/src/js/menu/menu.js b/src/js/menu/menu.js
index 40b313dff3..6852351d19 100644
--- a/src/js/menu/menu.js
+++ b/src/js/menu/menu.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Menu extends Component {
   }
 
   createEl() {
-    let contentElType = this.options().contentElType || 'ul';
+    let contentElType = this.options_.contentElType || 'ul';
     this.contentEl_ = Dom.createEl(contentElType, {
       className: 'vjs-menu-content'
     });
diff --git a/src/js/player.js b/src/js/player.js
index 927b0295ef..7c8075c3b8 100644
--- a/src/js/player.js
+++ b/src/js/player.js
@@ -142,15 +142,24 @@ class Player extends Component {
 
     this.el_ = this.createEl();
 
+    // We also want to pass the original player options to each component and plugin
+    // as well so they don't need to reach back into the player for options later.
+    // We also need to do another copy of this.options_ so we don't end up with
+    // an infinite loop.
+    let playerOptionsCopy = mergeOptions({}, this.options_);
+
     // Load plugins
     if (options['plugins']) {
       let plugins = options['plugins'];
 
       Object.getOwnPropertyNames(plugins).forEach(function(name){
+        plugins[name].playerOptions = playerOptionsCopy;
         this[name](plugins[name]);
       }, this);
     }
 
+    this.options_.playerOptions = playerOptionsCopy;
+
     this.initChildren();
 
     // Set isAudio based on whether or not an audio tag was used
@@ -1554,7 +1563,7 @@ class Player extends Component {
     } else {
       // We need to wrap this in a timeout to give folks a chance to add error event handlers
       this.setTimeout( function() {
-        this.error({ code: 4, message: this.localize(this.options()['notSupportedMessage']) });
+        this.error({ code: 4, message: this.localize(this.options_['notSupportedMessage']) });
       }, 0);
 
       // we could not find an appropriate tech, but let's still notify the delegate that this is it
@@ -1917,7 +1926,7 @@ class Player extends Component {
         // Clear any existing inactivity timeout to start the timer over
         this.clearTimeout(inactivityTimeout);
 
-        var timeout = this.options()['inactivityTimeout'];
+        var timeout = this.options_['inactivityTimeout'];
         if (timeout > 0) {
           // In <timeout> milliseconds, if no more activity has occurred the
           // user will be considered inactive
@@ -2117,7 +2126,7 @@ class Player extends Component {
   }
 
   toJSON() {
-    let options = mergeOptions(this.options());
+    let options = mergeOptions(this.options_);
     let tracks = options.tracks;
 
     options.tracks = [];
diff --git a/src/js/slider/slider.js b/src/js/slider/slider.js
index 55674d1c1b..ed11873f12 100644
--- a/src/js/slider/slider.js
+++ b/src/js/slider/slider.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class Slider extends Component {
     this.handle = this.getChild(this.options_['handleName']);
 
     // Set a horizontal or vertical class on the slider depending on the slider type
-    this.vertical(!!this.options()['vertical']);
+    this.vertical(!!this.options_['vertical']);
 
     this.on('mousedown', this.handleMouseDown);
     this.on('touchstart', this.handleMouseDown);
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Slider extends Component {
     let boxH = el.offsetHeight;
     let handle = this.handle;
 
-    if (this.options()['vertical']) {
+    if (this.options_['vertical']) {
       let boxY = box.top;
 
       let pageY;
diff --git a/src/js/tech/flash.js b/src/js/tech/flash.js
index bc37206f3a..7a2c4025e8 100644
--- a/src/js/tech/flash.js
+++ b/src/js/tech/flash.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class Flash extends Tech {
   }
 
   createEl() {
-    let options = this.options();
+    let options = this.options_;
 
     // Generate ID for swf object
     let objId = options.techId;
diff --git a/src/js/tech/loader.js b/src/js/tech/loader.js
index 0e808f2af3..e0c7aa59d2 100644
--- a/src/js/tech/loader.js
+++ b/src/js/tech/loader.js
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ class MediaLoader extends Component {
 
     // If there are no sources when the player is initialized,
     // load the first supported playback technology.
-    if (!player.options_['sources'] || player.options_['sources'].length === 0) {
-      for (let i=0, j=player.options_['techOrder']; i<j.length; i++) {
+
+    if (!options.playerOptions['sources'] || options.playerOptions['sources'].length === 0) {
+      for (let i=0, j=options.playerOptions['techOrder']; i<j.length; i++) {
         let techName = toTitleCase(j[i]);
         let tech = Component.getComponent(techName);
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ class MediaLoader extends Component {
       // // Then load the best source.
       // // A few assumptions here:
       // //   All playback technologies respect preload false.
-      player.src(player.options_['sources']);
+      player.src(options.playerOptions['sources']);
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/js/tracks/text-track-display.js b/src/js/tracks/text-track-display.js
index deba42bf5e..74cb7465bc 100644
--- a/src/js/tracks/text-track-display.js
+++ b/src/js/tracks/text-track-display.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ class TextTrackDisplay extends Component {
 
       player.on('fullscreenchange', Fn.bind(this, this.updateDisplay));
 
-      let tracks = player.options_['tracks'] || [];
+      let tracks = this.options_.playerOptions['tracks'] || [];
       for (let i = 0; i < tracks.length; i++) {
         let track = tracks[i];
         this.player_.addRemoteTextTrack(track);
diff --git a/src/js/tracks/text-track-settings.js b/src/js/tracks/text-track-settings.js
index d23970dd24..ca9a2cd2ae 100644
--- a/src/js/tracks/text-track-settings.js
+++ b/src/js/tracks/text-track-settings.js
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ class TextTrackSettings extends Component {
     super(player, options);
     this.hide();
 
+    // Grab `persistTextTrackSettings` from the player options if not passed in child options
+    if (options.persistTextTrackSettings === undefined) {
+      this.options_.persistTextTrackSettings = this.options_.playerOptions.persistTextTrackSettings;
+    }
+
     Events.on(this.el().querySelector('.vjs-done-button'), 'click', Fn.bind(this, function() {
       this.saveSettings();
       this.hide();
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ class TextTrackSettings extends Component {
     Events.on(this.el().querySelector('.vjs-edge-style select'), 'change', Fn.bind(this, this.updateDisplay));
     Events.on(this.el().querySelector('.vjs-font-family select'), 'change', Fn.bind(this, this.updateDisplay));
 
-    if (player.options()['persistTextTrackSettings']) {
+    if (this.options_.persistTextTrackSettings) {
       this.restoreSettings();
     }
   }
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@ class TextTrackSettings extends Component {
   }
 
   saveSettings() {
-    if (!this.player_.options()['persistTextTrackSettings']) {
+    if (!this.options_.persistTextTrackSettings) {
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/component.test.js b/test/unit/component.test.js
index d851900b8f..805ace9c02 100644
--- a/test/unit/component.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/component.test.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ test('should do a deep merge of child options', function(){
     }
   });
 
-  var mergedOptions = comp.options();
+  var mergedOptions = comp.options_;
   var children = mergedOptions['example'];
 
   strictEqual(children['childOne']['foo'], 'baz', 'value three levels deep overridden');
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ test('should allows setting child options at the parent options level', function
   } catch(err) {
     ok(false, 'Child with `false` option was initialized');
   }
-  equal(parent.children()[0].options()['foo'], true, 'child options set when children array is used');
+  equal(parent.children()[0].options_['foo'], true, 'child options set when children array is used');
 
   // using children object
   options = {
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ test('should allows setting child options at the parent options level', function
   } catch(err) {
     ok(false, 'Child with `false` option was initialized');
   }
-  equal(parent.children()[0].options()['foo'], true, 'child options set when children object is used');
+  equal(parent.children()[0].options_['foo'], true, 'child options set when children object is used');
 });
 
 test('should dispose of component and children', function(){
diff --git a/test/unit/player.test.js b/test/unit/player.test.js
index b9974f41fa..0c02621189 100644
--- a/test/unit/player.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/player.test.js
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ test('should have a sensible toJSON that is equivalent to player.options', funct
 
   const player = TestHelpers.makePlayer(playerOptions);
 
-  deepEqual(player.toJSON(), player.options(), 'simple player options toJSON produces output equivalent to player.options()');
+  deepEqual(player.toJSON(), player.options_, 'simple player options toJSON produces output equivalent to player.options_');
 
   const playerOptions2 = {
     tracks: [{
@@ -786,7 +786,7 @@ test('should have a sensible toJSON that is equivalent to player.options', funct
 
   playerOptions2.tracks[0].player = player2;
 
-  const popts = player2.options();
+  const popts = player2.options_;
   popts.tracks[0].player = undefined;
 
   deepEqual(player2.toJSON(), popts, 'no circular references');