Disneyland Resumes Magic Key Sales Again! (January 2023)

Disney has introduced gross sales resuming for its Magic Key Annual Pass program at Disneyland and California Adventure right this moment (January 17, 2023). This publish covers pricing, dates, particulars, previous precedent, and the whole lot else you would possibly wish to know.

As a fast recap, Disneyland’s overhauled Annual Pass program debuted in August 2021 with a brand new identify, greater 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, quite than the exception.)

Late that October, Disneyland paused gross sales on the highest stage Dream Key. This got here as park reservations had been nearly solely gone for weekends over three months into the long run. Then in November, the Believe Key additionally offered out amidst an analogous scarcity of reservation availability.

That left solely the Enchant Key and Imagine Key out there for buy. At the start of this summer time, each of those had their statuses change to “Currently Unavailable” on Disneyland.com. This coincided with the summer time season blockouts for the lower-tiered APs. Once summer time ended, renewals resumed for current Keyholders with tweaks and better costs, however not new gross sales.

Then out of left area, Disneyland Resort resumed gross sales of choose Magic Key Annual Passes simply because the busy Christmas 2022 season began. The Inspire, Believe and Imagine APs all resumed new gross sales, with the Enchant cross will stay unavailable for brand spanking new gross sales however continues to be out there for present cross holders to resume.

“With an incredible year ahead, we’re happy to open new sales for select Magic Key passes in time for holiday giving and to create opportunities for guests to treat themselves and their families to a year full of experiences during 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. Back when the brand new Magic Keys had been introduced, Disneyland Resort said: “Pass types may be limited in quantity, and may not be available for purchase or renewal at any time.”

A Disneyland spokesperson indicated that passes had offered out “due to the popularity of the new Magic Key program and in order to deliver a great guest experience for all guests.” However, it’s additionally noteworthy that this occurred on the day earlier than Thanksgiving final 12 months, 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 resulting from anticipated crowds at Disneyland Resort through 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 rapidly gross sales had been paused earlier than, you need to completely be part of the digital queue ASAP if in case you have been shut out prior to now. Even although 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 greater, that’s solely in concept.

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 is likely to be in a digital queue for 8-10 hours for those who attempt to purchase right this moment…and would possibly wait ~quarter-hour for those who 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…

Imagine Magic Key – $449

(Only out there 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 12 months.
• Hold 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 Only

• Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks choose days of the 12 months.
• Hold as much as 4 theme park reservations at a time
• 10% off choose merchandise
• 10% off choose eating
• 25% off choose parking

Believe Magic Key – $1099

• Reservation-based admission to at least one or each theme parks most days of the 12 months.
• Hold as much as 6 theme park reservations at a time
• 10% off choose merchandise
• 10% off choose eating
• 50% off customary theme park parking (excluding blockout days, and out there for buy at Mickey & Friends Parking Structure, Pixar Pals Parking Structure and the Toy Story Parking Area)

Note: New cross gross sales might be paused every evening at 10:00 PM Pacific Time. Guests 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. Pass gross sales will resume no sooner than 9:00 AM Pacific Time, the next day.

If any passes are nonetheless out there when it’s your flip, you’ll have 10 minutes to enter the positioning. Entering the positioning doesn’t assure the power to buy any Magic Key cross.

Here’s the hyperlink to hitch the digital queue for Magic Key new gross sales: disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/evaluate/

A digital queue system is getting used, which signifies that for those who get in line at 10 am on the dot, you might need your renewal accomplished by 10:37 pm right this moment…or 10:37 am on January 18, 2023.

We’re not kidding. Last 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 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 quite, perceived shortage. It’s potential that Disneyland has survey information displaying a excessive dissatisfaction ranking amongst Magic Key purchasers and low intent to resume.

That wouldn’t be in the least stunning, particularly with the issue some APs have reported in securing reservations. However, if these similar followers imagine they won’t be capable of merely buy passes at their leisure down the street, they may err on the aspect of warning and renew when their time comes.

In our view, the largest issue is probably demand. As said above, Disneyland theme park reservations have been onerous to guide for months, with many dates–even in what needs to be the low season filling up weeks upfront. Availability is certainly getting higher, however a part of that’s most likely resulting from the truth that the preferred Magic Keys have solely been offered intermittently for the final 12 months.

It’s additionally not as if Disneyland is setting apart availability for consumers of normal tickets and the parks are going largely empty regardless of the dearth of AP reservations. To the opposite, our constant expertise at Disneyland for the final 12 months has been greater than regular ‘feels 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 dangerous 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 totally environment friendly resulting from staffing shortages.

This is generally “invisible” to friends and could seem insignificant within the grand scheme of issues–but it surely’s truly lowering attendance limits by a significant quantity. During 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 resulting from an absence of staffing and different assets. Suffice to say, the self-imposed limitations on attendance impression Magic Key gross sales, as Disneyland would (understandably) quite prioritize common ticket consumers who spend extra per go to.

Ultimately, it’ll be fascinating to see what occurs with Magic Key cross 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 “fix” (or had been most capable of buy APs once they had been briefly on sale final November? Will the upper costs end in 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 strategy, 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–considering!) At some level, pent-up demand fizzles out, inflation on requirements influences discretionary spending, and the stimulus cash plus what individuals saved through the pandemic goes to be depleted. Perhaps 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 Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site inns in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. 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 Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of different locations!

Your Thoughts

What do you consider the Magic Key gross sales resuming? Will you shopping for an Annual Pass or not? If so, which one? If not, why not? Thoughts on the value will increase, blockout dates, or anything? Have you had problem making Disneyland park reservations? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Hearing your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!