Disney has introduced that Magic Key Annual Cross gross sales will as soon as once more resume for Disneyland and California Journey in March 2024! This submit covers modifications to the digital queue, beginning date & time, pricing particulars, previous precedent, and every part else you may need to know.
As a fast recap, Disneyland Resort has resumed gross sales of Magic Keys a number of occasions within the final 12 months–nevertheless it’s normally simply ‘choose’ tiers of Annual Passes. Final winter, gross sales briefly resumed and there was immediately a flood of demand and a digital queue to entry the gross sales web page with a wait time measured in hours.
A number of months later, Disneyland once more resumed Magic Key gross sales. Inside 5 days, AP gross sales had as soon as once more been paused on the Imagine, Enchant and Think about Keys. Although these tiers bought out, demand was noticeably decrease with the digital queue not being practically as unhealthy. Most importantly, gross sales of the Encourage Key weren’t paused till final September–the longest length of availability for any Magic Key since APs returned. Since then, all tiers of Magic Keys have been bought out and “obtainable for renewal solely.”
We point out these two particular occasions as a result of, like clockwork, Disneyland resumed Magic Key gross sales once more on January 10, 2024. That’s the newest time they’ve gone on sale. The digital queue wait time on day one was a number of hours lengthy (3-4 hours looks as if across the common), and the Encourage, Imagine, and Enchant Keys all bought out round 6 p.m. Pacific, leaving solely the Think about Key obtainable for buy to Southern California residents–it bought out shortly after gross sales resumed once more on January 11.
Quick-forward lower than 3 months later, and Disneyland is as soon as once more going to renew gross sales of Magic Keys. All 4 Annual Cross sorts shall be obtainable for buy on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The net queue opens no sooner than 8:45 a.m. Pacific Time and gross sales start no sooner than 9:00 a.m. PT.
Right here’s a breakdown of present 2024 costs vs. 2023 prices:
- Encourage Magic Key: $1649 (was $1599)
- Imagine Magic Key: $1249 (was $1099)
- Enchant Magic Key: $849 (was $699)
- Think about Magic Key: $499 (was $449)
As at all times, they’re topic to promoting out and there’s more likely to be a prolonged digital queue when AP gross sales resume.
For every part else you must learn about Disneyland’s Annual Passholder program earlier than you buy, see our complete Information to Disneyland Magic Key Annual Cross: 2024 Costs, Perks, Blockout Dates & Reductions.
For reference, in When Will Disneyland Resume Magic Key Annual Cross Gross sales? we predicted that gross sales would resume someday round Tax Day (April 15, 2024): “Per week earlier or later actually wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock. Final 12 months, the resumption occurred on April 11, and that was with Easter occuring later–so we’d be inclined to wager on Magic Key gross sales resuming within the first half of April 2024, not the second half.”
We have been off by over a full month…not precisely a terrific prediction! With that mentioned, I’m actually shocked that Disneyland is resuming Magic Key gross sales proper earlier than Spring Break season kicks off at Disneyland. We’ve been within the parks pretty recurrently this winter–most not too long ago spending a pair days there this weekend for the beginning of the DCA Meals & Wine Competition.
In the event you requested me to revise my prediction for Magic Key gross sales resuming primarily based on present crowd ranges, I’d’ve been way more inclined to maneuver the date again than ahead. And this was all in what’s usually a lull between Mid-Winter Break and Spring Break. Crowds are more likely to worsen, not higher, within the near-term.
About the one conceivable clarification for resuming Magic Key gross sales now’s the tip of the Children’ Ticket Low cost at Disneyland on March 10, 2024. That supplied $50 tickets for teenagers and we’ve heard it was extremely standard. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have anticipated (and nonetheless don’t) a drop-off in crowds heading into Spring Break season. Maybe Disneyland’s forward-looking projections in April and past aren’t nice, and so they need to seize income now?
One other potential clarification is that Disneyland is using a ‘Disney Vault’ technique and plans to renew Magic Key gross sales for a really quick time on March 5, 2024.
To not get too conspiratorial, however I did discover it barely suspicious that three tiers of Magic Keys bought out concurrently proper on the finish of the enterprise day on January 10. It might be a reasonably large coincidence if Disneyland simply so occurred to expire of that trio at the very same time on the conclusion of the conventional 9 to five day.
It appeared nearly like a choice was made upfront to promote three tiers of Magic Keys for one enterprise day, after which droop gross sales once more. It’s definitely irritating for followers and those that spent hours in a digital queue solely to return up empty handed, nevertheless it’s additionally a technique that creates a false sense of shortage.
Don’t be stunned if an identical tactic is used when gross sales resume on March 5, 2024. This might be the brand new ‘optimum’ strategy for sustaining demand and likewise maintaining the parks as shut as attainable to capability. I suppose we’ll know if a number of tiers promote out concurrently once more on the identical day that gross sales resume.
Given the prolonged digital queue and the way shortly gross sales have been paused in January 2024, it’s best to completely be a part of the digital queue ASAP as soon as it goes reside. All the predictions and hypothesis above are enjoyable in concept, however that’s what I’d really do if I didn’t have already got a Magic Key.
In actuality, how lengthy Magic Key gross sales will proceed is anybody’s guess. The draw back of attempting to purchase on March 5, 2024 is that you simply could be in a digital queue for 8-10 hours versus ~quarter-hour for those who as a substitute wait till the next morning at 6 am. The draw back of ready till then is that gross sales could have already concluded.
The excellent news is that Disneyland goes to as soon as once more use the ‘notify me’ function for the digital queue, so that you don’t must have your eyes glued to a display screen all day lengthy, ready in your flip to return up. Right here’s how that’ll work, in keeping with Disneyland…
You Can Be Notified by E mail When It’s Your Flip for an Alternative to Buy (Non-compulsory) – In the event you select to submit your e-mail handle and choose in to being notified by e-mail when it’s your flip, you’ll obtain 2 separate emails containing a novel hyperlink. Be sure you verify the receipt of the primary e-mail earlier than closing your browser window. In the event you don’t obtain that first e-mail, test your spam folder for it. In the event you nonetheless don’t see it, re-enter your e-mail handle once more from the ready room web page.
- First e-mail – Deciding on the hyperlink within the first e-mail will let you test your home within the queue till it’s your flip. You should utilize the hyperlink a number of occasions to test your standing within the queue earlier than it’s your flip.
- Second e-mail – You’ll obtain a second e-mail notifying you that your flip for a possibility to buy a Magic Key cross is approaching.
From the time your flip begins, you’ll have 10 minutes to make use of the hyperlink to return to the location otherwise you’ll lose your home in line and might want to rejoin the queue. When it’s your flip, you’ll solely be capable to use your distinctive hyperlink as soon as. The hyperlink will not work after you employ it, whether or not you buy a cross or not. So, please be ready to pick out your Magic Key cross and take a look at when you open the hyperlink. In the event you miss your flip, you’ll must rejoin the queue.
Editorializing, I examined out this method when it debuted for Disneyland After Darkish: Star Wars Nite tickets. It labored as marketed. However, the large subject, at the least from my perspective, is that I don’t at all times get prompt e-mail notifications on my telephone after I obtain an e-mail. Maybe this can be a private drawback, however this method could be much more helpful for me if it supplied a text-message notification. Right here’s hoping that function debuts by the point Oogie Boogie Bash tickets go on sale!
In the end, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what occurs with Magic Key cross purchases going ahead. Will there be one other digital queue lasting effectively into the night ? Or, have many locals gotten their Disney “repair” (or have been most capable of buy APs once they have been on sale final 12 months)? Will the upper costs end in a major variety of individuals being priced out, or is there an insatiable need 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 may name it wishful–or delusional–pondering!) After studying from the drop-off in demand at Walt Disney World final 12 months after revenge journey ran its course, Disney has performed an excellent job of avoiding a repeat of that very same situation at Disneyland in 2024. (In the event you’re questioning in regards to the 12 months discrepancy, it’s because of pent-up demand lagging at Disneyland by a few 12 months as in comparison with Walt Disney World. That’s in flip because of California “reopening” later than Florida. That is all in keeping with Disney’s incomes calls, not hypothesis by us.)
That is in all probability exactly why Disneyland proactively supplied that children ticket deal, is bringing again Pixar Fest this summer time, and pulling different “levers” to maintain packing the parks. However, we’re nonetheless anticipating a return to regular (or nearer to it) sooner or later. Disneyland in all probability simply will keep away from the lull skilled at Walt Disney World between late spring and late summer time final 12 months, as the corporate has discovered from that mistake and is being extra aggressive with Disneyland–which incorporates the extra common resumption of Magic Key gross sales.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Ideas for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Find out about on-site and off-site resorts in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. 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 Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Shocked that Disneyland is resuming Magic Key gross sales proper earlier than Spring Break season? Will you shopping for an Annual Cross or not? If that’s the case, which one? If not, why not? In the event you’re an present Magic Keyholder, have you ever had issue 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 beneath within the feedback!
