Disney has introduced gross sales resuming for its Magic Key Annual Go program at Disneyland and California Journey at the moment (January 17, 2023). This submit covers pricing, dates, particulars, previous precedent, and every thing else you would possibly wish to know.
As a fast recap, Disneyland’s overhauled Annual Go program debuted in August 2021 with a brand new title, 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, somewhat than the exception.)
Late that October, Disneyland paused gross sales on the highest degree Dream Key. This got here as park reservations have been virtually solely gone for weekends over three months into the long run. Then in November, the Imagine Key additionally offered out amidst an identical scarcity of reservation availability.
That left solely the Enchant Key and Think about Key obtainable for buy. Initially of this summer time, each of those had their statuses change to “At present 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 current 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 move will stay unavailable for brand spanking new gross sales however continues to be obtainable for present move holders to resume.
“With an unbelievable 12 months forward, we’re comfortable to open new gross sales for choose Magic Key passes in time for vacation giving and to create alternatives for company to deal with themselves and their households to a 12 months stuffed with experiences in the course of 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 have been introduced, Disneyland Resort acknowledged: “Go sorts could also be restricted in amount, and might not be obtainable for buy or renewal at any time.”
A Disneyland spokesperson indicated that passes had offered out “because of the recognition of the brand new Magic Key program and in an effort to ship an incredible visitor expertise for all company.” Nevertheless, it’s additionally noteworthy that this occurred on the day earlier than Thanksgiving final 12 months, at a time when reservations have 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 resulting from anticipated crowds at Disneyland Resort in the course of the vacation season. As quickly because the higher-tier Magic Key gross sales have been suspended final vacation season, extra reservations opened up for normal tickets.
Given the prolonged digital queue and the way shortly gross sales have been paused earlier than, you must completely be part of the digital queue ASAP when you’ve got been shut out previously. Though we’re presently within the winter low season and gross sales simply resumed a pair months in the past–so demand needs to be decrease and extra capability needs 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 could be that you simply could be in a digital queue for 8-10 hours in the event you attempt to purchase at the moment…and would possibly wait ~quarter-hour in the event you as a substitute wait till tomorrow morning at 6 am. The draw back of ready till then is that gross sales might have already concluded.
Let’s begin with an outline of what every tier of Magic Key Annual Passes gives for individuals who are debating which to purchase…
Think about Magic Key – $449
(Solely obtainable for Southern California Residents dwelling in zip codes 90000 to 93599)
- Reservation-based admission to 1 or each theme parks choose days of the 12 months.
- 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 1 or each theme parks choose days of the 12 months.
- 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 1 or each theme parks most days of the 12 months.
- 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 obtainable for buy at Mickey & Associates Parking Construction, Pixar Buddies Parking Construction and the Toy Story Parking Space)
Encourage Magic Key – $1599
- Reservation-based admission to 1 or each theme parks besides December 21 by January 1
- Maintain as much as 6 theme park reservations at a time for various dates
- Contains PhotoPass
- As much as 20% off choose merchandise
- As much as 15% off choose eating
- Customary 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:
Be aware: New move gross sales might be paused every evening at 10:00 PM Pacific Time. Friends will stay within the queue in a single day, so long as they continue to be linked 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 obtainable when it’s your flip, you’ll have 10 minutes to enter the positioning. Coming into the positioning doesn’t assure the power to buy any Magic Key move.
Right here’s the hyperlink to hitch the digital queue for Magic Key new gross sales: disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/examine/
A digital queue system is getting used, which signifies that in the event you get in line at 10 am on the dot, you may need your renewal accomplished by 10:37 pm at the moment…or 10:37 am on January 18, 2023.
We’re not kidding. Final 12 months, the digital queue for preliminary Magic Key purchases was brutal, lasting effectively into the night. With this being renewals solely, our hope is that it’s a bit much less painful. (Wishful pondering, in all probability!)
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 shortage, or somewhat, perceived shortage. It’s doable that Disneyland has survey knowledge exhibiting 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 problem some APs have reported in securing reservations. Nevertheless, if these identical followers consider they won’t have the ability to merely buy passes at their leisure down the street, they could err on the aspect of warning and renew when their time comes.
In our view, the largest issue is probably demand. As acknowledged above, Disneyland theme park reservations have been exhausting to guide for months, with many dates–even in what needs to be the low season filling up weeks prematurely. Availability is certainly getting higher, however a part of that’s in all probability resulting from the truth that the most well-liked Magic Keys have solely been offered intermittently for the final 12 months.
It’s additionally not as if Disneyland is setting apart availability for patrons of normal tickets and the parks are going largely empty regardless of the shortage of AP reservations. On the contrary, our constant expertise at Disneyland for the final 12 months has been larger than regular ‘appears 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 reveals are nonetheless darkish, not all atmospheric leisure is again, and never each venue within the park (eating, specifically) is absolutely environment friendly resulting from staffing shortages.
That is largely “invisible” to company and could appear insignificant within the grand scheme of issues–nevertheless it’s really lowering attendance limits by a significant quantity. Throughout latest 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 resulting from a scarcity of staffing and different sources. Suffice to say, the self-imposed limitations on attendance influence Magic Key gross sales, as Disneyland would (understandably) somewhat prioritize common ticket patrons who spend extra per go to.
Finally, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what occurs with Magic Key move purchases going ahead. Will there be one other digital queue lasting effectively into the night tonight…tomorrow…past? Or, have many locals gotten their Disney “repair” (or have been most capable of buy APs after they have been briefly on sale final November? Will the upper costs lead to a big 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 would possibly name it wishful–or delusional–pondering!) 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 in the course of 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. Study on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Resort Evaluations & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Evaluations. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, 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 whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!