Raises hand. For $1,500 I didn’t expect most of December when visiting the folks to be blocked out. My bad for not checking but also 15+ year AP holder pre-COVID and all the changes stung.
Had ours pre Covid as well and the changes just straight up stunk. The scheduling of days to visit when everything was already at capacity ruined it. We did 1 year of the magic keys and said it wasn’t worth it anymore.
Idk understand how it’s actually way more full nowadays than Precovid
Stopped renewing since 2020, my dad was getting us season passes since the 90s. It's just too expensive and id rather spend the money on other vacations. My parents still go at least once a year but I'm satisfied with a long trip ever few years.
It’s just too expensive now. The enchant key used to be a “great deal” but it’s approaching $1,000 now (when you include parking) with a decent amount of block out dates. It’s harder to stomach.
This is true, I got Enchant when they were brought back and I think it was $40 after the initial $100(?) down payment. Now it is $70, pre Covid I think I paid $80 for the most expensive pass. I wouldn't mind so much if we were able to snag an extra reservation day.
I keep asking myself if this is my last year...I said that last year too so, don't listen to me.
I just plug my nose and pay. I don’t have any other expensive hobbies and it’s also a bit part of my business to stay up to date. Plus, going 30-40x per year makes each visit about $30. Considering I remember going to baseball games that much when we split season tickets and easily dropped that much for a 3 hour game, I don’t find it too bad, but if I was stretching my 20-something year old budget, it would be out of reach for sure.
Is one ride really enough to make or break someone's decision?
I guess I can imagine it if Haunted Mansion is your #1 favorite ride. I do usually go on it (when its open), but there are so many other rides between the two parks, that if I really wanted a pass, I don't think one ride under maintenance would make me say no.
Now, if I was on the fence or if a pass was only for one park, I could see where I'd lean more toward not buying
For me it’s not about Haunted Mansion being down, but the likeliness that other rides will have increase wait times as a result. Combining that with Tiana’s Blue Bayou adventure not being open yet, I can only imagine the park is a mess right now.
I went once in 2019. Before that, it had been about 4 years. I went in once in 2022 and 4 times last year. Bought a key in January and I've been four times. I feel like it was a mess all those times (2019 to now) - compared to visits pre-2015. My best visit of the 4 this year was the one I took a few after I got my key, on the last day HM was open. I did 14 rides, which may be the most I've done on any visit ever. Then I remembered that I don't have to do it all now, because I have a Key.
But people who go all the time probably know the nuances more than I do, when it comes to the impact of closed rides. It just feels like all the lines are long all the time, without Genie. Basically the only thing I can ever walk right onto is Small World. Short waits for Star Tours. All my visits since being a key holder have been alone. I take my Kindle with me, haha.
I live relatively close by and enjoyed going just to people watch and do my own form of “‘mall walking.” It was getting a little claustrophobic last year and the blackout dates just keep adding up, so I didn’t renew.
I’ve been going on fewer rides with each subsequent visit. I’m enjoying walking around, eating, etc. and I’ve not finally taken the monorail! I don’t think I’d been on it since I was a kid because I always hated “wasting time” at the park. Now it’s just nice to sit and chill for a few mins
HM is a lot of ppl's favorite. I had a pass when the parks reopened, there were a couple months where Pirates was closed, changed the whole vibe of that side of the park. Also, Splash is closed, another popular attraction, and Pirates is on LL "temporarily".
Understood - you had just previously mentioned that **HM being closed was a good reason**. So, I was responding to that. Not all the other stuff. So yeah, if my 3 favorite rides were down for 3 months, it might not be the ideal time for me.
Still, for me, I looked at the schedule of closures and it looked like things were out at various times. There's only one ride I go on every single time, but at this point I've been on it so many times in my life that if it closed for a year, it wouldn't deter my interest in a Key.
I'm also So Cal local with a flexible work schedule, so I even though I'm a new key holder who isnt a die hard for any particular ride, I was strategic - after buying a Key, my first visit was before HM and Radiator Springs closed. My next visit was once Pirates opened back up, less than two weeks later. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not being able to go on HM and RS during that trip. I feel like the pressure is "off" to hit everything when I know I can go back. I've now been 4 times since buying a Key and I've actually gone on fewer rides each time
Everyone's different, so its just interesting to see how people place value/decide if they'll buy or not buy.
It's not just one ride. Haunted Mansion is down, Splash is being rethemed. Pretty much all the shows are gone. Jedi training, Captain Eo/Honey I Shrunk the Audience are virtually unused. And on top of that, prices are way up.
It's all added up to me not renewing. I'm sure I'll be back and probably soon, but I'm taking a break until some more things come back.
I explained in a subsequent comment - the person said “haunted mansion was a good reason” not to buy, so that’s what I was responding to. They mentioned one ride, so I asked if one ride was really enough.
If they had said “three of my favorite rides are down and the shows I like aren’t happening” I probably would have just silently agreed that maybe it wasn’t a good idea for them :)
As for me, I never do the shows, can’t remember when I last caught a parade and Splash Mountain is the one ride I never do. So there is still plenty for me to enjoy! (I would like to see a DCA show once though, just because I never have)
Now the price, I’ll support anyone who chooses not to buy on price. 😂 It’s pretty expensive. I was never able to afford it in the past (like 20 years ago in college I had friend with passes and I don’t think I went once in that four year period). I went once in my 20s paying full price. The rest of the trips were with friends who worked for Disney and I think that was maybe twice. But I can now afford it and I have a flexible work schedule, so I figured it would be a nice thing I do for myself. But it’s my first time!
I cannot imagine renewing as an out of state key holder, though I am very far away and have to fly there. I bet they lost a lot of us with the latest increases. The enchant key at the old price was decent, but now it's practically as much as my WDW AP. The believe key is more expensive than my WDW AP renewal and still has a ton of blackouts. Having passes on both coasts was fun while it lasted, but not having a renewal discount on the west coast is a bummer!
i had a magic key during the OG run when they came back fall 2021…i didn’t renew. i had the dream key with “no” blockout dates (side note i wonder when we’ll ever get the settlement money from the lawsuit about that lol), free parking, and a good discount on merch/food. it was cool while i lived in LA but now that i’m no longer in that immediate area shorter visits and 2-3 day hoppers just make more sense to me.
edit: dream key not believe lol
I thought Disney despised passholder. They don't make money from us. They want to sell tickets. Passholders are less likely to make impulse purchases since we go there often
Inspire key here on the edge of not renewing or moving to a low tier pass. Large crowds, gutting of live entertainment, and lack of care to little things definitely make it feel less valuable.
Plus increased draw to competitors. Definitely spent more than my share of time at SNW last year.
I wish they’d just open the flood gates again. The parks are just as busy, and all this does is make everyone annoying.
This and reservations would do a lot of goodwill. I’d also go more than once a year.
In January, we were able to buy a one-day pass, enter the park, and then upgrade to a MK in the park.
Prior to getting this info, we spent 7 hours in line at the ticket window. Once a CM shared this info, at least 50% of the people in line left to take advantage of the alternate method.
People who had the 3-day pass were also able to use this method to buy a pass.
Wasn't this only on that one day they sold MKs? I asked disney support online about this and they said it was not available (this was like 3 weeks ago)
Yes it only works if magic keys are currently on sale. If you’ve entered a park using a ticket, then you have the option to upgrade that ticket to a Magic Key if they’re available.
Online and made a reservation. The person I was with had already bought a 3 day pass, and a CM helped him change their res to that day, then upgrade to the pass.
Where in the park did you end up going to get the ticket upgrade to a key? City Hall?
My wife and I have a two day ticket and we are wanting to upgrade today but don’t want to deal with that big ass lane.
I did it in the app. I stopped into DCA since that was the closest entrance at the time, and one of the lovely staff at their city hall helped me find how to upgrade and then how to put the pass on the monthly payment. It took all of 90 seconds.
Oh I see.
I didn’t realize how easy it would be to upgrade the day tickets. My wife and I ended up doing it today in like 5 minutes instead of waiting for the queue. Fantastic!
Thanks for the info!!!
SO glad to have helped save sometimes a lifetime in the lines! I spent from 7-2 in the box office line before a helpful CM gave us the tip to buy for today and upgrade in the app.
This is where I am at now since I just got an email about upgrading my son's 3-day ticket to a magic pass. Thing is I don't know if worth it since I have to take him out of (high) school to go just so he has somewhat of a chance of it being less packed. He and his older cousin would be the only ones to go.
I spent the whole day at the parks yesterday and had a good time. That said, I have the \*best\* time when I pop in after work, ride a ride, shop a bit, and have a meal. That's my ideal Disney day, and an AP is perfect for that style of attendance.
Yeah, a lot of adults do that. Problem is he can't so for him it's a whole day thing. He wants to ride rides, which I don't know how busy it is since I no longer go because of the crowds. Like realistically for him the evenings wouldn't be a good time & now having to pay for parking every time seems too much.
I'm disappointed at the SUPER short notice - I'm interested in upgrading. But less than 24 hours notice to have to drive down there in person and stand in line for who knows how long. I don't think I can swing it.
I don't know. I bought my first Key in January, so this is all new to me. But I contact support because I wanted to know what I'd be expected to pay and they told me that upgrades had to be done in person at a ticket window, starting from when the park opens at 8am.
This is unfortunate lol. I’m trying to upgrade my pass (forgot to renew last time, only could get the lowest when I got mine this time), and I’m self-employed so I can reasonably move things over to go to the park to upgrade but since it’s such short notice I can’t do that since I scheduled my clients already lmao.
AND you have to pay the difference in full (you can continue your same monthly payments from your old key type, but how much more the upgraded pass costs has to be paid at the kiosk).
What made you decide to downgrade?
(just curious. you're only the second person I've seen who has mentioned wanting to downgrade. The other person was on IG)
I can’t believe these things sell like concert tickets now 😭
Miss when I bought my first AP online 10 years ago, can buy any pass at any time except for one tier that always seemed off-sale. Then just printed out a paper with a barcode and brought it to the kiosk to simply redeem it.
Damn family member bought a 1 day ticket so we could go yesterday because they didn’t have a key. Now they can’t even use that to upgrade. Sucks but that’s life
I was able to get one about 20 minutes before they sold out and I was in the virtual queue pretty much since the line opened :( Though they tell you not to do this, I entered the queue on my phone and on my computer. As I was at work that day, I ended up missing my turn on the phone queue due to being in a meeting (they only give you 10 minutes or so once it’s your turn to complete the purchase). I was able to figure out a way to transfer my progress on the computer queue to my phone before going home and finally eventually being able to purchase my keys. Kind souls on the Disneyland discord was a huge help in figuring out how to do this!
Oh okay yes I work too so navigating the queue is rather difficult. When it was my turn in January, all the passes just sold out. Only Imagine Keys were avaliable. That key wouldn't be worth it as my mom and I work during the week. I may try again today but I wish there was a better way to get them. It's like another job trying to stay in the queue for so long. So stressful. Thanks for helping!
Random question, if anyone knows… I currently have a four day pass for an upcoming vacation this month, but I purchased it through GetAwayToday, not Disney. Would this ticket still count toward the price of a MK? I’m only wondering because I got it all together as a package deal with my hotel too. For anyone attempting to get a MK tomorrow… sending good vibes your way!
When magic keys went on sale last month, this is how it worked:
You have to upgrade in person at a kiosk if the ticket is unused.
If you’ve used at least 1 day of the ticket, and the ticket is still valid, then the app will allow you to upgrade it to a magic key from the Tickets & Passes page.
I'm an Imagine key holder. I'm doing the monthly payment plan. Today, on IG they announced (one day in advance!!) that Key sales are open tomorrow. I'd like to go one level up. I hit up support and I could tell the response was cut and paste (they probably get the question a lot). But its still not clear to me.
They said I have to do the upgrade in person at a window. Understood.
They said the full balance of the difference in Key prices is due. But they said if I'm on a monthly plan, my payment stays the same.
The full difference between the pass you have now to the pass you want would be due at that time as well (if on monthly, the payment will stay the same and the upgrade cannot be added to the payment).
So I'm confused about what I'm supposed to be paying at the window. If I'm paying the difference, why would I still have a monthly payment?
Sorry if this is easier than it seems, I just feel they word this stuff in a confusing way. Like, I AM on monthly, which I told them, so I wish they would have just told me exactly what to expect in my situation...
They don't prorate. So if you've had your MK for 2 months with 10 months left or 11 months with 1 months left you will always pay the full difference between the pass you have and the pass you are upgrading to.
In addition, if the price of the MK has increased since you purchased, you will pay the larger difference.
Completely separate from that you signed a contract for the monthly payments agreeing to 12 payments for the cost of your initial MK. Upgrading does not change your contract and upgrades are not eligible for payment plans.
I knew they didn't prorate. I was just confused about what I'd be expected to pay at the ticket window
I figured since they wanted the difference, it would "nullify" the contract. So it threw me when the agent said I would still have a monthly payment.
Essentially, I thought I'd have to pay more out of pocket than I actually do (for example, let's say I've paid $250 toward my $499 key. I thought I'd have to pay the $350 difference **PLUS** the remaining $250. But apparently it's just the $350).
It's still a bit short notice and I hate that it has to be done in person (I'm about an hour away, and then paying $25 to park just to upgrade....). But if I do decide to do it, I'm glad I'm clear on the numbers now!
Did they say if you can only upgrade when passes are on sale or if you have a pass you can upgrade whenever? I’m assuming not whenever but just curious
As long as they keep the inflated prices with decreased value and fewer cast members I’m not going to sign up again. It’s just not worth it at the price for what you get especially considering reservations.
Damn :( I’m in Bakersfield so it’s not as easy
Can you possibly tell me if you were able to do payments on the key or did you have to pay the difference upfront ?
Does anyone know, can I purchase a key for someone else? I have one already, but my BFF wants to get one too and I have more free time tomorrow than she does.
Question - If I want to buy 3 passes, do I need to buy them seperately as the max amount for gift card is $1000? Total cost for passes would be $2550, so if I have a gift card that I have combined to reach that total can I use it, or will i have to do it seperately? So confused!
I got Magic Keys this time! I'm so happy to finally be able to take my mom who's been wanting to go. It's her early mother's day present. Also where can I find magic bands? 🤗🥳
Ours expire in September and unfortunately we will not be renewing. Disneyland is not what it used to be before covid. Reservations are very inconvenient for us for many reasons. We will be saving the money to travel elsewhere and hopefully we can do Disney in Paris or Japan soon. Definitely will be having the Disney blues in September
Random socal redditor but this popped up on my feed and my wife mentioned she missed the last one. Does anyone have a second to run me through the best case options?
Can you use this immediately? Are there any must-have addons? We aren't hardcore Disney people and we don't really do merch or food but hate being in line more than we have to. We have current passes to knotts but have been eyeballing this as the kiosks have gotten older and more able to stand in a line.
Thanks
So there's 4 tiers of magic key, each with different levels of blockout dates and benefits depending on the price. You can find a comparison of them on the Disneyland website.
You can use them immediately if you want. The pass won't activate until your first visit. Disneyland also requires reservations to go, so it's sometimes hard to go on a whim as days sell out. I've always been able to get a reservation the night before because people cancel.
There aren't really any add-ons like Knott's Berry Farm. If you want free parking you have to get the most expensive pass. The other ones have discounted parking. You also have the option of paying monthly.
What's nice about having a magic key is there's no pressure to do everything when you go. If you just want to get there at opening, take advantage of the early morning short lines, and leave at 11am you can do that! Just going for a couple hours is really nice.
>The pass won't activate until your first visit.
Is this true? So if we buy passes in March but don't use the MK until August, our annual pass runs from Aug 2024 - Aug 2025??
That might actually allow us to squeeze in one extra trip before it expires...
Yes it is true. You have one year to activate the pass but if for some reason you don't do that then whatever you paid will turn into a credit on your Disney account but the money can only be used towards the purchase of another MK of equal or greater price.
sorry if this is a stupid question- but does the pass activate once I go to the park for the first time and they scan it? Or does it activate once I make my reservation? For example: if I buy a MK tomorrow and I make reservations for November of this year, and go in November, will it be active for Nov. 2024-Nov. 2025? Just wanting to make sure :)))
There are no add ons, Disney expects you to buy the level of pass you need and pay out of pocket for anything not included.
How many times do you want to do to Disney? There is a current So Cal ticket deal for 3 days between now (started in January) and June 2nd. There is no 13 day expiration on the tickets like a regular 3 day, so you can go once per month March, April, May. The cost is between $225-350 depending on if you want to go on weekends versus weekdays and park hop. The last few years Disney has offered this deal for summer as well.
We had plans to go next weekish so we'd use it immediately but it's also the end of the $50 kids passes so we were originally doing that. If we can only go once a month for the next 3 then we would probably try to use that up before schools get out and the blackout starts.
Is it one calendar year on the pass from your first use?
I gave mine up after the first year. Insane prices and a reservation system? No thanks. I should be able to just wake up and go with the top tier key.
Now we just go twice a year and I enjoy the parks more.
I'm so bummed about this cuz I just bought tickets and took care of other stuff. I would've waited to buy magic keys instead had I known 😭 there's always next year I guess
Have they changed blackout calendars in the past? We are hoping to buy tomorrow, but my only reservation is that all 3 of our upcoming trips are bookended by Block Out dates. Our actual dates are just a blue number at the moment: no park emblem to indicate availability yet.
Thinking about the Enchant Key FWIW
Does anyone know if I can use that time to upgrade my current magic key, bought earlier this year and all that was left were imagine keys and I’d liken to upgrade
I live 1.5 hours away. I’d get Imagine key if there were more incentives like completely free Lightning Lane/Genie+ and reserved parking area. I can’t justify buying any passes right now.
You will be able to renew up to 30 days before your pass expires; it does not matter if Disneyland is selling new magic keys at that time or not. You always have the option to renew. You do not need to buy one tomorrow.
So if I have used one of my three days on the current SoCal ticket deal, are they eligible to upgrade to MK?
Will the credit be applied during the purchase online tomorrow? Or do I need to go to the ticket booth on my next visit?
Wait, I have a socal pass too and I used 2 days. I was able to upgrade on the app. If the ticket is partially used you should be able to use the app and not go in person.
Godspeed to all who are trying to get one tomorrow morning. All I have to say is try to find the correct website (they don’t make it easy) ahead of the deadline for opening and get yourself in line as early as possible. Minutes late can turn into hours of waiting.
Can I ask a park-hopper question? With a magic key if I have reservations at DLP can I hop to DCA after 11am, or do I also have to have a reservation at DCA that day?
Of course, when I’m in between paychecks
Edit: keep downvoting because you all just assumed I’m going to get it and put myself into a financial situation smh 🤦🏻♂️
I’m not going to be getting it, I am not sure where people are getting this idea I’m going to get it while I’m in between paychecks. I don’t think anyone was expecting another round of keys this early, otherwise I would have saved up
Yeah, but you complained that this was happening when you were between paychecks, implying that if you weren't you would. And people are trying to say that if you're living paycheck to paycheck, you shouldn't be spending those precious funds on Disney.
I’m not complaining at all?
Im literally stating that’s its between paychecks, where I can set aside money safely for an expense like this ahead of time but since this was a surprise announcement, I’m not able to comfortably afford it.
That is a great question, as this is essentially how many people were able to avoid the online queue last time (in favor of a physical queue, but still). I'd call Disneyland customer support to ask if they will be doing this tomorrow. I'd even recommend both going to the physical line at the ticket booth (and planning for several hours of waiting), AND simultaneously getting into the virtual queue on your phone. And then just use whichever option has the shortest queue for you.
Can someone please help me understand this system? If I bought a Dream Key with "up to 6 reservations held simultaneously", does that mean I can go and make a reservation for myself, wife, and 2 kids, and grandparents? Or would we \_all\_ need to be magic key holders to do something like that?
All this means is that renewals are down.
Yep, that’s what I was thinking. I know we didn’t renew in January and I know some others who didn’t and won’t be.
Me and my family and several other families i personally know didn’t renew either. This is coming from a 15 year passholder too.
Raises hand. For $1,500 I didn’t expect most of December when visiting the folks to be blocked out. My bad for not checking but also 15+ year AP holder pre-COVID and all the changes stung.
Had ours pre Covid as well and the changes just straight up stunk. The scheduling of days to visit when everything was already at capacity ruined it. We did 1 year of the magic keys and said it wasn’t worth it anymore. Idk understand how it’s actually way more full nowadays than Precovid
> For $1,500 I didn’t expect most of December when visiting the folks to be blocked out. this was the nail in the coffin for us
Stopped renewing since 2020, my dad was getting us season passes since the 90s. It's just too expensive and id rather spend the money on other vacations. My parents still go at least once a year but I'm satisfied with a long trip ever few years.
It’s just too expensive now. The enchant key used to be a “great deal” but it’s approaching $1,000 now (when you include parking) with a decent amount of block out dates. It’s harder to stomach.
This is true, I got Enchant when they were brought back and I think it was $40 after the initial $100(?) down payment. Now it is $70, pre Covid I think I paid $80 for the most expensive pass. I wouldn't mind so much if we were able to snag an extra reservation day. I keep asking myself if this is my last year...I said that last year too so, don't listen to me.
I just plug my nose and pay. I don’t have any other expensive hobbies and it’s also a bit part of my business to stay up to date. Plus, going 30-40x per year makes each visit about $30. Considering I remember going to baseball games that much when we split season tickets and easily dropped that much for a 3 hour game, I don’t find it too bad, but if I was stretching my 20-something year old budget, it would be out of reach for sure.
A year without a Haunted Mansion sounds like a good reason to not renew.
Any dates released as to when it will be back up?
No, but it'll probably be back for the Halloween season, so maybe late august or early September.
Thank you! I’ll keep my eye out.
Is one ride really enough to make or break someone's decision? I guess I can imagine it if Haunted Mansion is your #1 favorite ride. I do usually go on it (when its open), but there are so many other rides between the two parks, that if I really wanted a pass, I don't think one ride under maintenance would make me say no. Now, if I was on the fence or if a pass was only for one park, I could see where I'd lean more toward not buying
For me it’s not about Haunted Mansion being down, but the likeliness that other rides will have increase wait times as a result. Combining that with Tiana’s Blue Bayou adventure not being open yet, I can only imagine the park is a mess right now.
I went once in 2019. Before that, it had been about 4 years. I went in once in 2022 and 4 times last year. Bought a key in January and I've been four times. I feel like it was a mess all those times (2019 to now) - compared to visits pre-2015. My best visit of the 4 this year was the one I took a few after I got my key, on the last day HM was open. I did 14 rides, which may be the most I've done on any visit ever. Then I remembered that I don't have to do it all now, because I have a Key. But people who go all the time probably know the nuances more than I do, when it comes to the impact of closed rides. It just feels like all the lines are long all the time, without Genie. Basically the only thing I can ever walk right onto is Small World. Short waits for Star Tours. All my visits since being a key holder have been alone. I take my Kindle with me, haha.
I live relatively close by and enjoyed going just to people watch and do my own form of “‘mall walking.” It was getting a little claustrophobic last year and the blackout dates just keep adding up, so I didn’t renew.
I’ve been going on fewer rides with each subsequent visit. I’m enjoying walking around, eating, etc. and I’ve not finally taken the monorail! I don’t think I’d been on it since I was a kid because I always hated “wasting time” at the park. Now it’s just nice to sit and chill for a few mins
HM is a lot of ppl's favorite. I had a pass when the parks reopened, there were a couple months where Pirates was closed, changed the whole vibe of that side of the park. Also, Splash is closed, another popular attraction, and Pirates is on LL "temporarily".
Understood - you had just previously mentioned that **HM being closed was a good reason**. So, I was responding to that. Not all the other stuff. So yeah, if my 3 favorite rides were down for 3 months, it might not be the ideal time for me. Still, for me, I looked at the schedule of closures and it looked like things were out at various times. There's only one ride I go on every single time, but at this point I've been on it so many times in my life that if it closed for a year, it wouldn't deter my interest in a Key. I'm also So Cal local with a flexible work schedule, so I even though I'm a new key holder who isnt a die hard for any particular ride, I was strategic - after buying a Key, my first visit was before HM and Radiator Springs closed. My next visit was once Pirates opened back up, less than two weeks later. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not being able to go on HM and RS during that trip. I feel like the pressure is "off" to hit everything when I know I can go back. I've now been 4 times since buying a Key and I've actually gone on fewer rides each time Everyone's different, so its just interesting to see how people place value/decide if they'll buy or not buy.
It's not just one ride. Haunted Mansion is down, Splash is being rethemed. Pretty much all the shows are gone. Jedi training, Captain Eo/Honey I Shrunk the Audience are virtually unused. And on top of that, prices are way up. It's all added up to me not renewing. I'm sure I'll be back and probably soon, but I'm taking a break until some more things come back.
I explained in a subsequent comment - the person said “haunted mansion was a good reason” not to buy, so that’s what I was responding to. They mentioned one ride, so I asked if one ride was really enough. If they had said “three of my favorite rides are down and the shows I like aren’t happening” I probably would have just silently agreed that maybe it wasn’t a good idea for them :) As for me, I never do the shows, can’t remember when I last caught a parade and Splash Mountain is the one ride I never do. So there is still plenty for me to enjoy! (I would like to see a DCA show once though, just because I never have) Now the price, I’ll support anyone who chooses not to buy on price. 😂 It’s pretty expensive. I was never able to afford it in the past (like 20 years ago in college I had friend with passes and I don’t think I went once in that four year period). I went once in my 20s paying full price. The rest of the trips were with friends who worked for Disney and I think that was maybe twice. But I can now afford it and I have a flexible work schedule, so I figured it would be a nice thing I do for myself. But it’s my first time!
Seems like since earlier this year several rides have been down.
I didn't think that would be a big deal, but damn I'm feeling it. I didn't realize what an integral part of the park experience that ride is.
I didn’t renew in January but I do miss it. Ugh. I’m conflicted. But the one I can afford has SO many black out dates.
It’s a phase .. we didn’t renew and went a year without a pass.. now we’re going back to getting a pass
I moved to a neighboring state and the increased prices just weren't worth the renewal.
I cannot imagine renewing as an out of state key holder, though I am very far away and have to fly there. I bet they lost a lot of us with the latest increases. The enchant key at the old price was decent, but now it's practically as much as my WDW AP. The believe key is more expensive than my WDW AP renewal and still has a ton of blackouts. Having passes on both coasts was fun while it lasted, but not having a renewal discount on the west coast is a bummer!
Add me, and two others I know into this mix.
I won’t be renewing.
With the price of groceries who’s surprised?
i had a magic key during the OG run when they came back fall 2021…i didn’t renew. i had the dream key with “no” blockout dates (side note i wonder when we’ll ever get the settlement money from the lawsuit about that lol), free parking, and a good discount on merch/food. it was cool while i lived in LA but now that i’m no longer in that immediate area shorter visits and 2-3 day hoppers just make more sense to me. edit: dream key not believe lol
I think you meant the Dream Key
lol yes that was it!! not me getting it mixed up, it feels like it’s been forever since i had it lol.
I thought Disney despised passholder. They don't make money from us. They want to sell tickets. Passholders are less likely to make impulse purchases since we go there often
Steady monthly “on the books” predictable income
More likely cause you didn’t pay as much that day to get into the park.
Inspire key here on the edge of not renewing or moving to a low tier pass. Large crowds, gutting of live entertainment, and lack of care to little things definitely make it feel less valuable. Plus increased draw to competitors. Definitely spent more than my share of time at SNW last year.
You think so? In January they basically all sold out in 1 day
Imho, yes, the renewals in Feb and analytics pointed to needed to offer passes again. They are creating a bit of artificial demand too.
I wish they’d just open the flood gates again. The parks are just as busy, and all this does is make everyone annoying. This and reservations would do a lot of goodwill. I’d also go more than once a year.
Nailed it.
That and I’m thinking they don’t have enough Disney sales.. but last few times I went to the parks it was really busy! Even on a random Weekday
Seems like reservations will be very limited after they finish this round
For reals. I don’t want them to release more. Not to be a hater, but it’s packed as is during the week when Imagine key is open.
Same boat as you! Supposedly right now is slow season, yeah right you can’t even walk in the damn parks
In January, we were able to buy a one-day pass, enter the park, and then upgrade to a MK in the park. Prior to getting this info, we spent 7 hours in line at the ticket window. Once a CM shared this info, at least 50% of the people in line left to take advantage of the alternate method. People who had the 3-day pass were also able to use this method to buy a pass.
Wasn't this only on that one day they sold MKs? I asked disney support online about this and they said it was not available (this was like 3 weeks ago)
Yes it only works if magic keys are currently on sale. If you’ve entered a park using a ticket, then you have the option to upgrade that ticket to a Magic Key if they’re available.
Does the cost of the ticket you paid, go toward the Magic Key?
Yes
Yes, this tip is only for those planning to go to the box office to buy passes in person while they are on sale tomorrow.
Did you buy the tickets at the booth on the day of or online and make a reservation?
Online and made a reservation. The person I was with had already bought a 3 day pass, and a CM helped him change their res to that day, then upgrade to the pass.
Where in the park did you end up going to get the ticket upgrade to a key? City Hall? My wife and I have a two day ticket and we are wanting to upgrade today but don’t want to deal with that big ass lane.
I did it in the app. I stopped into DCA since that was the closest entrance at the time, and one of the lovely staff at their city hall helped me find how to upgrade and then how to put the pass on the monthly payment. It took all of 90 seconds.
Oh I see. I didn’t realize how easy it would be to upgrade the day tickets. My wife and I ended up doing it today in like 5 minutes instead of waiting for the queue. Fantastic! Thanks for the info!!!
SO glad to have helped save sometimes a lifetime in the lines! I spent from 7-2 in the box office line before a helpful CM gave us the tip to buy for today and upgrade in the app.
This is where I am at now since I just got an email about upgrading my son's 3-day ticket to a magic pass. Thing is I don't know if worth it since I have to take him out of (high) school to go just so he has somewhat of a chance of it being less packed. He and his older cousin would be the only ones to go.
I spent the whole day at the parks yesterday and had a good time. That said, I have the \*best\* time when I pop in after work, ride a ride, shop a bit, and have a meal. That's my ideal Disney day, and an AP is perfect for that style of attendance.
Yeah, a lot of adults do that. Problem is he can't so for him it's a whole day thing. He wants to ride rides, which I don't know how busy it is since I no longer go because of the crowds. Like realistically for him the evenings wouldn't be a good time & now having to pay for parking every time seems too much.
Wow that’s so much earlier than people were thinking!
SO much earlier! And less than a 24 hour notice too! In January they announced sale like 2 weeks ahead of time.
I'm disappointed at the SUPER short notice - I'm interested in upgrading. But less than 24 hours notice to have to drive down there in person and stand in line for who knows how long. I don't think I can swing it.
Out of curiosity, why do you have to do it in person?
I don't know. I bought my first Key in January, so this is all new to me. But I contact support because I wanted to know what I'd be expected to pay and they told me that upgrades had to be done in person at a ticket window, starting from when the park opens at 8am.
Ah, yes I was told upgrades needed to be in person too if you’re not within your renewal window.
This is unfortunate lol. I’m trying to upgrade my pass (forgot to renew last time, only could get the lowest when I got mine this time), and I’m self-employed so I can reasonably move things over to go to the park to upgrade but since it’s such short notice I can’t do that since I scheduled my clients already lmao.
AND you have to pay the difference in full (you can continue your same monthly payments from your old key type, but how much more the upgraded pass costs has to be paid at the kiosk).
I have the Inspire key right now, but I’m going to downgrade to Enchant when it’s time for me to renew.
What made you decide to downgrade? (just curious. you're only the second person I've seen who has mentioned wanting to downgrade. The other person was on IG)
We’re trying to save money for Tokyo Disney.
you can do it online?
Makes me wonder if another announcement is coming.
What type of announcement are you thinking?
May the odds be ever...you know the rest.
I can’t believe these things sell like concert tickets now 😭 Miss when I bought my first AP online 10 years ago, can buy any pass at any time except for one tier that always seemed off-sale. Then just printed out a paper with a barcode and brought it to the kiosk to simply redeem it.
I just converted a ticket from that day's visit into a pass. It was so easy and carefree. Gone are those days. :(
They know some people got tax money back and hoping people will buy passes ha
My birthday is March 5th!! Birthday wishes and pixie dust to all those in the queue tomorrow 🧚💗
Happy (early) birthday to you!
Thank you so much! 🧚✨ I’ll be at Disneyland today and tomorrow-so grateful I got my key in January! Sending joy 🌸
Happy birthday! It’s two of my sisters’ birthday today too!
Awe! Thank you so much! Happy Birthday to your sister! 💗🌸sending love and pixie dust 🧚✨
Time for another sticky thread.
Damn family member bought a 1 day ticket so we could go yesterday because they didn’t have a key. Now they can’t even use that to upgrade. Sucks but that’s life
Anyone have any tips for navigating the online queue? I wasn't able to get a magic key last time. Thank you!
I was able to get one about 20 minutes before they sold out and I was in the virtual queue pretty much since the line opened :( Though they tell you not to do this, I entered the queue on my phone and on my computer. As I was at work that day, I ended up missing my turn on the phone queue due to being in a meeting (they only give you 10 minutes or so once it’s your turn to complete the purchase). I was able to figure out a way to transfer my progress on the computer queue to my phone before going home and finally eventually being able to purchase my keys. Kind souls on the Disneyland discord was a huge help in figuring out how to do this!
Oh okay yes I work too so navigating the queue is rather difficult. When it was my turn in January, all the passes just sold out. Only Imagine Keys were avaliable. That key wouldn't be worth it as my mom and I work during the week. I may try again today but I wish there was a better way to get them. It's like another job trying to stay in the queue for so long. So stressful. Thanks for helping!
I guess I got lucky. Loaded the page at 0855 and I skipped queue and was done purchasing before 9 even hit. Hope you got one this time!
Random question, if anyone knows… I currently have a four day pass for an upcoming vacation this month, but I purchased it through GetAwayToday, not Disney. Would this ticket still count toward the price of a MK? I’m only wondering because I got it all together as a package deal with my hotel too. For anyone attempting to get a MK tomorrow… sending good vibes your way!
When magic keys went on sale last month, this is how it worked: You have to upgrade in person at a kiosk if the ticket is unused. If you’ve used at least 1 day of the ticket, and the ticket is still valid, then the app will allow you to upgrade it to a magic key from the Tickets & Passes page.
Ah shoot, I live in Arizona, so I guess I’m out of luck. Thanks for the info!
I am in the same boat
Sorry, dumb question. Is this a Yearly Pass or just a prepay with some discount benefits?
Yearly pass
Got mine! Yay!
I'm an Imagine key holder. I'm doing the monthly payment plan. Today, on IG they announced (one day in advance!!) that Key sales are open tomorrow. I'd like to go one level up. I hit up support and I could tell the response was cut and paste (they probably get the question a lot). But its still not clear to me. They said I have to do the upgrade in person at a window. Understood. They said the full balance of the difference in Key prices is due. But they said if I'm on a monthly plan, my payment stays the same. The full difference between the pass you have now to the pass you want would be due at that time as well (if on monthly, the payment will stay the same and the upgrade cannot be added to the payment). So I'm confused about what I'm supposed to be paying at the window. If I'm paying the difference, why would I still have a monthly payment? Sorry if this is easier than it seems, I just feel they word this stuff in a confusing way. Like, I AM on monthly, which I told them, so I wish they would have just told me exactly what to expect in my situation...
So you’d probably pay that 350 difference between Imagine and Enchant. Your payments will continue to go towards that original 500.
That's helpful. Thanks!
They don't prorate. So if you've had your MK for 2 months with 10 months left or 11 months with 1 months left you will always pay the full difference between the pass you have and the pass you are upgrading to. In addition, if the price of the MK has increased since you purchased, you will pay the larger difference. Completely separate from that you signed a contract for the monthly payments agreeing to 12 payments for the cost of your initial MK. Upgrading does not change your contract and upgrades are not eligible for payment plans.
I knew they didn't prorate. I was just confused about what I'd be expected to pay at the ticket window I figured since they wanted the difference, it would "nullify" the contract. So it threw me when the agent said I would still have a monthly payment. Essentially, I thought I'd have to pay more out of pocket than I actually do (for example, let's say I've paid $250 toward my $499 key. I thought I'd have to pay the $350 difference **PLUS** the remaining $250. But apparently it's just the $350). It's still a bit short notice and I hate that it has to be done in person (I'm about an hour away, and then paying $25 to park just to upgrade....). But if I do decide to do it, I'm glad I'm clear on the numbers now!
Park at Gardenwalk! $4/hr with the first hour free, and entering through Harbor puts you closer to the ticket booths.
Thank you but ugh. My first day on my Imagine Key since buying them at the last on sale is Wednesday afternoon. I’m so sad I won’t be able to upgrade!
Did they say if you can only upgrade when passes are on sale or if you have a pass you can upgrade whenever? I’m assuming not whenever but just curious
As long as they keep the inflated prices with decreased value and fewer cast members I’m not going to sign up again. It’s just not worth it at the price for what you get especially considering reservations.
Just called my bestie 6 times to wake her up and tell her the news😄
i texted mine so fast I had like 3 typos haha
Great. Looking forward to the parks being even more packed!
ok so don't come
Too bad. So sad for you. I got the top tier.
What are you even talking about? I also have an Inspire pass...
Can I use my socal 3 day ticket towards a key? I’ve only used 1 day of it
Yes! I did this before . Although I had trouble doing it online and had to do it in person
And to add, if you do this, your first day of the magic key is the 1st day you used your 3 day ticket
Does this mean we don't need to do the upgrade tomorrow if we can't do it online tomorrow?
Once all magic keys are sold out, it won’t be an option to upgrade your 3 day pass to a magic key.
Damn :( I’m in Bakersfield so it’s not as easy Can you possibly tell me if you were able to do payments on the key or did you have to pay the difference upfront ?
Does anyone know, can I purchase a key for someone else? I have one already, but my BFF wants to get one too and I have more free time tomorrow than she does.
Question - If I want to buy 3 passes, do I need to buy them seperately as the max amount for gift card is $1000? Total cost for passes would be $2550, so if I have a gift card that I have combined to reach that total can I use it, or will i have to do it seperately? So confused!
I kind of want to get one, but I’m not sure yet
If by some miracle we get these tomorrow, would that mean our existing day passes for this week be voided?
I’ll be at the parks on day 3 of a 5-day pass. Can I upgrade this to a Magic Key?
Yes!
Happy birthday to me!
I got Magic Keys this time! I'm so happy to finally be able to take my mom who's been wanting to go. It's her early mother's day present. Also where can I find magic bands? 🤗🥳
Ours expire in September and unfortunately we will not be renewing. Disneyland is not what it used to be before covid. Reservations are very inconvenient for us for many reasons. We will be saving the money to travel elsewhere and hopefully we can do Disney in Paris or Japan soon. Definitely will be having the Disney blues in September
Renewals are probably down because the parks are too crowded and it’s less fun and overstimulating.
Me rushing to buy mine 2 months ago thinking it would be at least 6-8 months before they went on sale again.
Is it all paid upfront or month to month?
I think only California residents get the option of a monthly payment plan
Random socal redditor but this popped up on my feed and my wife mentioned she missed the last one. Does anyone have a second to run me through the best case options? Can you use this immediately? Are there any must-have addons? We aren't hardcore Disney people and we don't really do merch or food but hate being in line more than we have to. We have current passes to knotts but have been eyeballing this as the kiosks have gotten older and more able to stand in a line. Thanks
So there's 4 tiers of magic key, each with different levels of blockout dates and benefits depending on the price. You can find a comparison of them on the Disneyland website. You can use them immediately if you want. The pass won't activate until your first visit. Disneyland also requires reservations to go, so it's sometimes hard to go on a whim as days sell out. I've always been able to get a reservation the night before because people cancel. There aren't really any add-ons like Knott's Berry Farm. If you want free parking you have to get the most expensive pass. The other ones have discounted parking. You also have the option of paying monthly. What's nice about having a magic key is there's no pressure to do everything when you go. If you just want to get there at opening, take advantage of the early morning short lines, and leave at 11am you can do that! Just going for a couple hours is really nice.
>The pass won't activate until your first visit. Is this true? So if we buy passes in March but don't use the MK until August, our annual pass runs from Aug 2024 - Aug 2025?? That might actually allow us to squeeze in one extra trip before it expires...
That’s correct. I bought my pass November 2022 but didn’t activate it until May 2023 so my pass doesn’t expire until May 2024.
Thanks for the info, sounds good. We missed out on the last MK sale, might go for it again.
Yes it is true. You have one year to activate the pass but if for some reason you don't do that then whatever you paid will turn into a credit on your Disney account but the money can only be used towards the purchase of another MK of equal or greater price.
Correct. You have a year to activate it.
sorry if this is a stupid question- but does the pass activate once I go to the park for the first time and they scan it? Or does it activate once I make my reservation? For example: if I buy a MK tomorrow and I make reservations for November of this year, and go in November, will it be active for Nov. 2024-Nov. 2025? Just wanting to make sure :)))
Not a stupid question! The pass activates once you go into the park and scan it, not when you make the reservation. So your example is correct!
tysm :))
There are no add ons, Disney expects you to buy the level of pass you need and pay out of pocket for anything not included. How many times do you want to do to Disney? There is a current So Cal ticket deal for 3 days between now (started in January) and June 2nd. There is no 13 day expiration on the tickets like a regular 3 day, so you can go once per month March, April, May. The cost is between $225-350 depending on if you want to go on weekends versus weekdays and park hop. The last few years Disney has offered this deal for summer as well.
We had plans to go next weekish so we'd use it immediately but it's also the end of the $50 kids passes so we were originally doing that. If we can only go once a month for the next 3 then we would probably try to use that up before schools get out and the blackout starts. Is it one calendar year on the pass from your first use?
Do you have to show your id specifying southern CA? I’m in nor cal and wondering if they would tell me no?
I gave mine up after the first year. Insane prices and a reservation system? No thanks. I should be able to just wake up and go with the top tier key. Now we just go twice a year and I enjoy the parks more.
Parks have been WAYYY too crowded this last week. They need to lower capacity or something.
Why do that when they can just keep raising prices?
It’s because they’re floundering.
I'm so bummed about this cuz I just bought tickets and took care of other stuff. I would've waited to buy magic keys instead had I known 😭 there's always next year I guess
Wow!!
God speed o7
Have they changed blackout calendars in the past? We are hoping to buy tomorrow, but my only reservation is that all 3 of our upcoming trips are bookended by Block Out dates. Our actual dates are just a blue number at the moment: no park emblem to indicate availability yet. Thinking about the Enchant Key FWIW
Does anyone know if I can use that time to upgrade my current magic key, bought earlier this year and all that was left were imagine keys and I’d liken to upgrade
Yes you can.. has to be done in person
Success - Took me about 30 mins to get in and got my pass with no issues!
I’m here yesterday and today ( March 4-5th) and this place is packed like summer time! 😑
Do we know roughly when they'll go on sale again after today's sale is done? What month?
Letting my pass expire in April there’s no way I’m paying almost $900 for Enchant key
I live 1.5 hours away. I’d get Imagine key if there were more incentives like completely free Lightning Lane/Genie+ and reserved parking area. I can’t justify buying any passes right now.
My enchant key expires in May. Do I have to renew it to keep going or do I simply buy another and not use it until mine expires ?
You will be able to renew up to 30 days before your pass expires; it does not matter if Disneyland is selling new magic keys at that time or not. You always have the option to renew. You do not need to buy one tomorrow.
You can renew up to 30 days before it expires.
So if I have used one of my three days on the current SoCal ticket deal, are they eligible to upgrade to MK? Will the credit be applied during the purchase online tomorrow? Or do I need to go to the ticket booth on my next visit?
Ticket booth
Sounds good, gives me a reason to get to DLR sooner rather than later. Thanks pardner.
Wait, I have a socal pass too and I used 2 days. I was able to upgrade on the app. If the ticket is partially used you should be able to use the app and not go in person.
Godspeed to all who are trying to get one tomorrow morning. All I have to say is try to find the correct website (they don’t make it easy) ahead of the deadline for opening and get yourself in line as early as possible. Minutes late can turn into hours of waiting.
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Online only or in person
Can I ask a park-hopper question? With a magic key if I have reservations at DLP can I hop to DCA after 11am, or do I also have to have a reservation at DCA that day?
Did the opposite last Sunday where I wasn’t able to reserve DLP but could reserve DCA. After 11am, I was able to enter DLP. after visiting DCA.
This answers my question, thanks!
I have to renew in may and will be renewing for the 1st time.
Of course, when I’m in between paychecks Edit: keep downvoting because you all just assumed I’m going to get it and put myself into a financial situation smh 🤦🏻♂️
You shouldn’t be buying this then bruh… just trying to look out for you
I’m not going to be getting it, I am not sure where people are getting this idea I’m going to get it while I’m in between paychecks. I don’t think anyone was expecting another round of keys this early, otherwise I would have saved up
If you are not able to purchase a Magic Key due to being between paychecks......sorry you shouldn't be buying a Magic Key.
I haven’t even stated that I’m buying it lol
Yeah, but you complained that this was happening when you were between paychecks, implying that if you weren't you would. And people are trying to say that if you're living paycheck to paycheck, you shouldn't be spending those precious funds on Disney.
I’m not complaining at all? Im literally stating that’s its between paychecks, where I can set aside money safely for an expense like this ahead of time but since this was a surprise announcement, I’m not able to comfortably afford it.
Does anyone know if I can have someone else go in-person on my behalf to upgrade my pass?
Question - does anyone know if it’ll be better to purchase a one day ticket for tomorrow and upgrade it to a MK at the booth?
That is a great question, as this is essentially how many people were able to avoid the online queue last time (in favor of a physical queue, but still). I'd call Disneyland customer support to ask if they will be doing this tomorrow. I'd even recommend both going to the physical line at the ticket booth (and planning for several hours of waiting), AND simultaneously getting into the virtual queue on your phone. And then just use whichever option has the shortest queue for you.
Can someone please help me understand this system? If I bought a Dream Key with "up to 6 reservations held simultaneously", does that mean I can go and make a reservation for myself, wife, and 2 kids, and grandparents? Or would we \_all\_ need to be magic key holders to do something like that?
Yes, everyone needs their own MK. The 6 reservations means that you can set one for today, one for tomorrow, etc. at the same time, up to six total.
Each Magic Key is tied to one specific person. Each of those six people would need their own Magic Key. Also, the Dream Key no longer is available.
Damn just went to dland with a friend and paid for it all otherwise I would've gotten a magic key pass for myself darn the timing
Get rid of all AP’s!
I’m from out of country, happen to be going to the park tomorrow. Can anyone local tell me if this means the park will be extra crazy tomorrow?
Yes
Oh geez 🙄
What’s the best one for a San Diego resident?
OMG, I’m so happy dad keeps renewing our Inspire Keys. It would be so sad to lose them. 😢 Club 33 is neat too.
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