Magic Secret’s the Annual Go program at Disneyland & Disney California Journey that requires park reservations. This information covers every thing you must know: 2024 costs, blockout dates, when gross sales will resume, renewals, reductions, perks, and extra! (Up to date March 6, 2024.)
With a Magic Key Go, you can also make theme park reservations for ongoing visits and maintain multiple theme park reservation at a time for various dates. Passholders additionally save as much as 15% on choose eating, save as much as 20% on choose merchandise, and 20% off purchases of the Genie+ Lightning Lane service (paid FastPass). All year long, there are additionally particular choices only for Magic Key holders, unique photograph ops, particular venues, and extra.
The Magic Key Go program at Disneyland affords 4 varieties of passes that includes a wide range of admission days and blockout dates, worth factors, reservation limits, parking, and reductions. You’ll be able to choose the Magic Key Annual Go of most worth to you. Let’s begin with an replace on availability adopted by an outline of what every tier of Magic Key Annual Passes affords together with 2024 pricing for many who are debating which to purchase.
March 6, 2024 Replace: Disneyland Magic Key Annual Go gross sales resumed yesterday, with all 4 cross sorts accessible for buy initially. At first, there was an hour-plus digital queue, however that in a short time dropped. Nobody waited greater than 2 hours, and by early afternoon, the wait time was lower than one minute.
As of right this moment, the Magic Key digital queue continues to be technically in use, however it’s an prompt entry (the acquisition portal could be tough to search out, however you should purchase right here: disneyland.disney.go.com/passes.) Right here’s the message presently on that web page, which was final up to date at 9 a.m. Pacific on March 6, 2024:
Nonetheless accessible to buy: Imagine Key, Enchant Key, Encourage Key. The Think about Secret’s presently accessible for renewal solely.
In case you are a California Resident and want to buy a cross with the month-to-month fee possibility, please sign up to your Disney account earlier than including the cross to your cart. The month-to-month fee possibility is not going to seem until you’re signed in and your saved Disney account tackle is a California tackle.
A Disney Present Card can be utilized on-line when making a fee in full for a brand new Magic Key cross. Just one Disney Present Card can be utilized per transaction, with a most worth of $1,000.
How lengthy Magic Key gross sales will proceed is anybody’s guess. Only a couple months in the past, Disneyland resumed Magic Key gross sales on January 10. The digital queue wait time on day one was a number of hours lengthy (3-4 hours), and the Encourage, Imagine, and Enchant Keys all bought out round 6 p.m. Pacific, leaving solely the Think about Key accessible for buy to Southern California residents–it bought out shortly after gross sales resumed once more on January 11.
Given how rapidly Magic Keys bought out final time–and the fast turnaround time on resuming gross sales once more–we’re anticipating one other speedy sellout. Except you’re an enormous gambler, you can purchase ASAP slightly than ready. All the predictions and hypothesis are enjoyable in principle, however that’s what I’d really do if I didn’t have already got a Magic Key.
It’s additionally price noting that 2024 Magic Key Annual Go costs on the Disneyland Resort have elevated $50 to $150 relying on the cross kind. Right here’s a breakdown:
- 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)
The opposite huge information is that Disneyland has settled a class-action lawsuit introduced by Magic Key Annual Passholders that accused Disney of “misleading enterprise practices” in regard to its Disneyland annual cross program, in keeping with a court docket submitting. The lawsuit alleged that a few of Disneyland’s Magic Key annual passholders had been unable to make park reservations, regardless of the highest tier AP promising “no blockout dates” for entry.
This lawsuit pertains to the now-discontinued Dream tier of Magic Key APs. This was the one tier of Annual Go that marketed no blockout dates, and provided the flexibility to make theme park reservations twelve months of the yr. Because the submitting of the lawsuit, the Dream Key was retired and changed by the top-tier Encourage Key. This AP has blockouts round Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve, which means there isn’t a longer a Magic Key AP that grants entry to Disneyland all twelve months of the yr.
Disney has agreed to pay $9.5 million to the category, which can possible quantity to a $67.41 verify for every member of the class-action swimsuit, in keeping with the submitting. Magic Key Annual Passholders who had been a part of the category motion ought to obtain a discover of the settlement within the coming months, and that may point out when to anticipate fee. The court docket will then set a listening to to finalize the phrases of the settlement.
The underside line is that if you happen to had been a Dream Magic Key Passholder, it’s best to anticipate to obtain an e mail within the coming months notifying you of your eligibility as a part of the category, in addition to settlement phrases and directions. Following that, anticipate to obtain a verify for about 70 bucks someday in 2024.
Right here’s every thing else you want earlier than shopping for a Magic Key Annual Go…
Think about Magic Key – $499 (Beforehand $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 – $849 (Beforehand $699)
- 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 – $1,249 (Beforehand $1,099)
- 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 commonplace theme park parking (excluding blockout days, and accessible for buy at Mickey & Associates Parking Construction, Pixar Buddies Parking Construction and the Toy Story Parking Space)
Encourage Magic Key – $1,649 (Beforehand Dream Key $1,599)
- Reservation-based admission to at least one 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
- Commonplace theme park parking included (excluding blockout days)
Some extra noteworthy particulars: A month-to-month fee plan is offered completely for California Residents dwelling in ZIP Codes 90000—96199. Twelve month-to-month funds based mostly on remaining steadiness after one-time down fee on date of Magic Key cross buy.
Present Magic Key holders have the chance throughout their renewal window to resume into considered one of a number of passes which can be being made accessible for the 2024 Magic Key program. The amount of passes and cross sorts accessible for renewal or buy could also be restricted and passes or a cross kind is probably not accessible every so often or at any given time.
The largest consideration when selecting which Magic Secret’s best for you is the blockout dates. One factor you’ll undoubtedly wish to seek the advice of is Disneyland’s Magic Key Entry Calendar. This exhibits blockout dates and dynamic reservation availability multi functional useful location, for every tier of Annual Go.
You’ll be aware blockouts throughout all three passes on weekends and excessive visitation holidays, corresponding to Easter and Christmas. The 2 decrease tiers even have a lot of the summer time blocked out and extra dates blocked out.
When you’ve bought a Magic Key, it’s time to begin utilizing it! The graphic above illustrates the method for making theme park reservations when you’ve already bought a Magic Key Annual Go. It’s a reasonably simple course of, however we now have a information right here if you happen to want it.
We’ve been following this since Magic Key Passes went on sale–and have visited Disneyland and Disney California Journey numerous occasions. Sometimes, weekends guide up prematurely, whereas weekdays haven’t. Nonetheless, this dynamic is altering a bit as Disney is staffing in another way for weekdays vs. weekends. We’d anticipate this pattern to proceed within the months to return.
Park Hopping can be an possibility for Magic Keymasters. Magic Key holders who’ve a park reservation could cross over and swap between parks on the identical day starting at 11 am. This time has moved ahead a few occasions, however we don’t anticipate it altering once more till or until Park Hopping guidelines are eradicated totally. (And so they’re in all probability stored in place for attendance forecasting functions.) Regardless, 11 am is an effective time for having the ability to bounce over to the opposite park for lunch.
In terms of utilizing your Magic Key, one factor to know is that Passholders who’re a “no present” for 3 reservations in a 90-day window can be unable to make new park reservations for 30 days. This in all probability just isn’t a serious element as we don’t anticipate many Annual Passholders making “land seize” reservations given the boundaries on every, however it’s nonetheless price figuring out.
Present park reservations at the moment is not going to be cancelled. A Magic Key holder who enters the designated park any time earlier than closing on the day of the reservation just isn’t thought-about a “no-show.” Magic Key holders who well timed cancel a reservation are additionally not thought-about a “no-show.” Cancellation of a reservation have to be executed on the day earlier than the reserved date.
This final half is important as a result of it means you can not cancel same-day if you happen to’re sick, there’s wet or inclement climate, or your plans in any other case change. This will likely not look like an enormous subject, however if you happen to’re making park reservations a few weeks or extra prematurely, it’s not unusual to have ‘life occur’ on the final minute. We’ve discovered ourselves visiting Disneyland on multiple event within the Magic Key period to keep away from having no-show penalties. This isn’t distinctive to us, both.
Lastly, there are Magic Keyholder advantages, together with:
- Magic Key Terrace: a re-imagined lounge only for Magic Key holders plus their family and friends
- Magic Key Holder Month: a month-long celebration of Magic Key holders
- Particular Experiences & Collectibles: entry thrilling, distinctive experiences and collectible keepsakes designed with you in thoughts–together with particular choices throughout festivals!
- First Entry Alternatives: be among the many first to have the chance to entry thrilling new choices on the Disneyland Resort all year long, together with choose new merchandise collections
- Downtown Disney District: reductions at collaborating places
- Magic Key Merchandise, Novelties, Menu Gadgets and Extra: Present your Magic Key satisfaction! Alternative to buy Magic Key holder-themed popcorn buckets, sippers and menu gadgets all year long.
- Magic Key Disney PhotoPass Alternatives: take pleasure in particular photograph spots and different alternatives sprinkled in all year long.
- Magic Key embroidery: particular choices accessible for Magic Key holders at choose places within the parks
Try our Magic Key Terrace Restaurant Overview if you would like extra data and our ideas on that first perk. (Spoiler: it’s desk service high quality meals at counter service costs!)
On a enjoyable be aware, the identify “Magic Key” is a pleasant nod to the previous. Again within the E by A ticket guide days, the Magic Key Coupon was legitimate at any attraction. You might apply it to a bona-fide E Ticket like Nation Bear Jamboree in Bear Nation, an A Ticket like 20,000 Leagues, or something in between.
We recognize this deep-cut blast from the previous and can use Disneyland’s new verbiage when obligatory for drawing distinctions under. However more often than not, we’ll in all probability proceed to name these Annual Passes. Disney is preventing a long time of historical past, inertia, and customary vernacular with this identify change. I’ll be stunned if Disney itself doesn’t use the previous terminology right here and there.
Anyway, on with the commentary on why Disneyland is resurrecting its Annual Go program with some new twists, our favourite Magic Key Go possibility, why reservations are an excellent factor, and rather more…
Commentary
None of that is notably shocking. Again when Disneyland ended the AP program and cancelled all excellent passes, we provided the “reassuring prediction” that Annual Passes weren’t gone for good. In that, we said our expectation was that Annual Passes can be again in some kind as quickly as Disneyland and DCA can function at full capability.
That may not sound like a a lot of a daring prediction now, since Disney has been teasing a “membership program” for months. Nonetheless, there have been widespread fears that Disneyland was killing off its AP program completely on the time.
From that put up: “In regular occasions, Disneyland depends upon locals throughout the low season—the SoCal resident ticket deal is inadequate by itself. Though Disney has tried to make Disneyland Resort a standalone trip vacation spot (and moved it in that path because the debut of Vehicles Land), it’s nonetheless reliant upon Californians and never vacationers for a lot of the yr. Whereas those self same locals trigger attendance issues, Disneyland can’t subsist on vacationers like Walt Disney World.”
“It’s possible that vital ‘reforms’ can be instituted with the relaunch of Disneyland’s Annual Passholder program. Having the possibility to reboot your entire program within the picture of the Disney Flex Go (which is basically the framework for the Park Go reservation system at Walt Disney World) ought to assist tackle the gang woes which have arisen at Disneyland within the final a number of years.” Nailed it? Nailed it.
Some Disneyland followers will view these costs as too excessive, however not anybody who purchased an AP final yr. These coming in at decrease worth factors than their predecessors–even with the reservation necessities–is undoubtedly the largest trick pulled by the Magic Keys. (Sorry, phantasm. A trick is one thing a–can’t end that reference on a family-friendly weblog!)
Having to make reservations undoubtedly lowers the worth of the Magic Keys, we’re not attempting to spin this and fake that it doesn’t. Nonetheless, present Walt Disney World APs have been coping with park reservations for the final yr and by no means noticed a worth discount attributable to them. On condition that and Disney’s pricing trajectory, I feel most followers in all probability anticipated these to price extra or supply much less. Shade us pleasantly stunned.
The clearest takeaway from all of that is that Disneyland very a lot values the flexibility the handle capability and Annual Passholder attendance. This a lot ought to be clear based mostly upon the value factors and blockouts, particularly for the Think about, Enchant, and Imagine Magic Keys. That plus the paid parking on most passes additional suggests they wish to restrict the after work or college “drop in” visits that contribute to crowds however much less visitor spending.
Diehard former Annual Passholders are more likely to disagree, however we predict the Magic Key program sounds implausible. Along with being good for Disney, it’s good for normal ticket-buying company in addition to the general “well being” of the parks. On busy days, Disneyland may buckle underneath the load of Annual Passholders, and their colossal numbers may make for nightmarish circumstances. (I nonetheless have flashbacks to crushing crowds within the winter “low season” just a few years in the past when Predominant Road Electrical Parade returned.)
Disneyland has a completely completely different vibe from Walt Disney World, and in some ways, that’s for the higher. A technique it’s not so nice is within the sense that many Disneyland locals deal with the parks as leisurely hangout spots. A laidback locals’ tradition is nice, however Disneyland ought to be particular—not an alternative choice to visiting Irvine Spectrum or the Grove.
Limiting locals reservations is not going to simply throttle and redistribute crowds. It’ll additionally create a larger sense of urgency and appreciation when visiting Disneyland, which is an effective factor. This implies much less tenting out for hours to see Fantasmic, monopolizing tables in eating places, and simply usually much less loitering. (And I say all of this as somebody who has been responsible of treating Disneyland and Disney California Journey as hangout spots no completely different than an area mall.)
With the Magic Key program, there are some simply identifiable winners and losers. The clear-cut largest winner is non-local Disneyland followers who do a number of lengthy weekend or multi-day journeys to Disneyland per yr.
I believe there are going to be loads of followers from Northern California, Nevada, and Utah salivating on the Enchant Magic Key. The dearth of parking just isn’t an enormous drawback for guests who keep in close by accommodations, and transferring from 2 to 4 simultaneous reservations may even be big and make this a greater possibility than the Flex Go.
Finally, the largest losers of Disneyland’s Magic Key Go program are locals who liked having the pliability drop in for just a few hours with none advance planning. Identical-day reservations may be doable within the first few months and even yr, however these will finally dry up as extra individuals buy Magic Keys.
After we had been Disneyland locals, there have been so many occasions we’d spontaneously go to with zero advance discover just because we had nothing higher to do–or for some restricted function, like a bizarre new culinary concoction debuting at Pizza Port. That period is successfully over, and it’s going to be an adjustment for a lot of locals, even when it’s a web constructive for the visitor expertise at Disneyland.
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 accommodations in our Anaheim Lodge Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. 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 THOUGHTS
Will you be buying a Magic Key cross for Disneyland? Which tier do you anticipate shopping for? Excited to go from Passholder to Keyholder? Ideas on the reservation limits, pricing, or anything? How will these adjustments impression you personally? Setting that apart, do you suppose this can be a web constructive or detrimental for Disneyland? Do you agree with our evaluation of Disneyland’s Magic Key v. Annual Go applications? Any questions we may help you reply? 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
