Disney has introduced gross sales resuming for its Magic Key Annual Go program at Disneyland and California Journey right now (January 17, 2023). This publish covers pricing, dates, particulars, previous precedent, and every little thing else you may need to know.
As a fast recap, Disneyland’s overhauled Annual Go program debuted in August 2021 with a brand new identify, larger costs, and required reservations for all tiers. Demand was excessive from the outset, with a digital queue and all-day waits to buy Magic Key Annual Passes on launch day. (At this level, a multi-hour digital queue is the rule, relatively than the exception.)
Late that October, Disneyland paused gross sales on the highest degree Dream Key. This got here as park reservations had been nearly fully gone for weekends over three months into the long run. Then in November, the Imagine Key additionally bought out amidst the same scarcity of reservation availability.
That left solely the Enchant Key and Think about Key accessible for buy. Firstly of this summer time, each of those had their statuses change to “Presently Unavailable” on Disneyland.com. This coincided with the summer time season blockouts for the lower-tiered APs. As soon as summer time ended, renewals resumed for present Keyholders with tweaks and better costs, however not new gross sales.
Then out of left discipline, Disneyland Resort resumed gross sales of choose Magic Key Annual Passes simply because the busy Christmas 2022 season began. The Encourage, Imagine and Think about APs all resumed new gross sales, with the Enchant go will stay unavailable for brand new gross sales however remains to be accessible for present go holders to resume.
“With an unbelievable yr forward, we’re comfortable to open new gross sales for choose Magic Key passes in time for vacation giving and to create alternatives for visitors to deal with themselves and their households to a yr filled with experiences throughout the upcoming Disney100 celebration,” a Disneyland official mentioned in an announcement.
This was extremely short-lived. After solely a pair days of gross sales–full with a digital queue to entry the gross sales web page with a wait time of 8 to 10 hours–Disneyland suspended all Magic Key gross sales. With that, the query of when Disneyland would resume Magic Key gross sales in 2023 is as soon as once more being requested.
In hindsight, none of this could come as a shock. Again when the brand new Magic Keys had been introduced, Disneyland Resort acknowledged: “Go varieties could also be restricted in amount, and might not be accessible for buy or renewal at any time.”
A Disneyland spokesperson indicated that passes had bought out “because of the recognition of the brand new Magic Key program and in an effort to ship an awesome visitor expertise for all visitors.” Nevertheless, it’s additionally noteworthy that this occurred on the day earlier than Thanksgiving final yr, at a time when reservations had been extraordinarily restricted or downright unavailable for normal ticket holders.
By Disney’s personal admission, the choice to droop new Magic Key gross sales occurred attributable to anticipated crowds at Disneyland Resort throughout the vacation season. As quickly because the higher-tier Magic Key gross sales had been suspended final vacation season, extra reservations opened up for normal tickets.
Given the prolonged digital queue and the way shortly gross sales had been paused earlier than, it is best to completely be part of the digital queue ASAP when you have been shut out previously. Regardless that we’re at present within the winter low season and gross sales simply resumed a pair months in the past–so demand ought to be decrease and extra capability ought to be larger, that’s solely in principle.
In actuality, how lengthy Magic Key gross sales will proceed is anybody’s guess. The draw back of attempting to purchase now’s that you simply is perhaps in a digital queue for 8-10 hours in the event you attempt to purchase right now…and may wait ~quarter-hour in the event you as an alternative wait till tomorrow morning at 6 am. The draw back of ready till then is that gross sales could have already concluded.
Let’s begin with an summary of what every tier of Magic Key Annual Passes presents for individuals who are debating which to purchase…
Think about Magic Key – $449
(Solely accessible for Southern California Residents dwelling in zip codes 90000 to 93599)
- Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks choose days of the yr.
- Maintain as much as 2 theme park reservations at a time
- 10% off choose merchandise
- 10% off choose eating
- 25% off choose parking
Enchant Magic Key – Renewal Solely
- Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks choose days of the yr.
- Maintain as much as 4 theme park reservations at a time
- 10% off choose merchandise
- 10% off choose eating
- 25% off choose parking
Imagine Magic Key – $1099
- Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks most days of the yr.
- Maintain as much as 6 theme park reservations at a time
- 10% off choose merchandise
- 10% off choose eating
- 50% off normal theme park parking (excluding blockout days, and accessible for buy at Mickey & Buddies Parking Construction, Pixar Buddies Parking Construction and the Toy Story Parking Space)
Encourage Magic Key – $1599
- Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks besides December 21 by means of January 1
- Maintain as much as 6 theme park reservations at a time for various dates
- Consists of PhotoPass
- As much as 20% off choose merchandise
- As much as 15% off choose eating
- Commonplace theme park parking included (excluding blockout days)
Right here’s a aspect by aspect comparability chart from Disneyland’s Magic Key gross sales web page:
Notice: New go gross sales can be paused every night time at 10:00 PM Pacific Time. Company will stay within the queue in a single day, so long as they continue to be related to the community and hold their browser window open. Go gross sales will resume no sooner than 9:00 AM Pacific Time, the next day.
If any passes are nonetheless accessible when it’s your flip, you’ll have 10 minutes to enter the location. Coming into the location doesn’t assure the power to buy any Magic Key go.
Right here’s the hyperlink to affix the digital queue for Magic Key new gross sales: disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/examine/
A digital queue system is getting used, which implies that in the event you get in line at 10 am on the dot, you may need your renewal accomplished by 10:37 pm right now…or 10:37 am on January 18, 2023.
We’re not kidding. Final yr, the digital queue for preliminary Magic Key purchases was brutal, lasting nicely into the night. With this being renewals solely, our hope is that it’s a bit much less painful. (Wishful considering, most likely!)
As for theories as to why Magic Key gross sales hold being paused for thus lengthy, one is that the corporate is embracing the “Disney Vault” technique of making demand by means of shortage, or relatively, perceived shortage. It’s attainable that Disneyland has survey knowledge displaying a excessive dissatisfaction score amongst Magic Key purchasers and low intent to resume.
That wouldn’t be in the slightest degree shocking, particularly with the issue some APs have reported in securing reservations. Nevertheless, if these similar followers imagine they may not have the ability to merely buy passes at their leisure down the highway, they may err on the aspect of warning and renew when their time comes.
In our view, the most important issue is most probably demand. As acknowledged above, Disneyland theme park reservations have been exhausting to e-book for months, with many dates–even in what ought to be the low season filling up weeks upfront. Availability is unquestionably getting higher, however a part of that’s most likely attributable to the truth that the most well-liked Magic Keys have solely been bought intermittently for the final yr.
It’s additionally not as if Disneyland is setting apart availability for patrons of standard tickets and the parks are going largely empty regardless of the dearth of AP reservations. On the contrary, our constant expertise at Disneyland for the final yr has been larger than regular ‘looks like’ crowds and congestion.
Diminished reservation availability has been exacerbated by the truth that Disneyland nonetheless is working under 100% capability. It’s not as unhealthy as Walt Disney World, however some exhibits are nonetheless darkish, not all atmospheric leisure is again, and never each venue within the park (eating, specifically) is absolutely environment friendly attributable to staffing shortages.
That is largely “invisible” to visitors and could appear insignificant within the grand scheme of issues–nevertheless it’s truly lowering attendance limits by a significant quantity. Throughout current earnings calls, the corporate acknowledged that each Disneyland and Walt Disney World are nonetheless working with undisclosed capability caps in place, not for the sake of security however attributable to a scarcity of staffing and different sources. Suffice to say, the self-imposed limitations on attendance impression Magic Key gross sales, as Disneyland would (understandably) relatively prioritize common ticket patrons who spend extra per go to.
In the end, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what occurs with Magic Key go purchases going ahead. Will there be one other digital queue lasting nicely into the night tonight…tomorrow…past? Or, have many locals gotten their Disney “repair” (or had been most in a position to buy APs after they had been briefly on sale final November? Will the upper costs lead to a major variety of individuals being priced out, or is there an insatiable want for all issues Disney amongst locals? Will former Magic Key Passholders take a wait and see method, or will the ‘Disney Vault’ perceived shortage technique spike gross sales even additional?
As we’ve mentioned in numerous posts, it’s nonetheless our perception that issues aren’t too removed from normalizing. (You may name it wishful–or delusional–considering!) In some unspecified time in the future, pent-up demand fizzles out, inflation on requirements influences discretionary spending, and the stimulus cash plus what individuals saved throughout the pandemic goes to be depleted. Maybe Disney is anticipating–or already seeing–the identical, and that explains the return of Magic Keys regardless of the kickoff of the Disney100 celebration being proper across the nook on January 27, 2023.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Find out about on-site and off-site inns in our Anaheim Lodge Evaluations & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Evaluations. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
What do you consider the Magic Key gross sales resuming? Will you shopping for an Annual Go or not? In that case, which one? If not, why not? Ideas on the worth will increase, blockout dates, or the rest? Have you ever had problem making Disneyland park reservations? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!