Is Disneyland Gearing Up to Eliminate Magic Key Passes? - Inside the Magic

Comments for Is Disneyland Gearing Up to Eliminate Magic Key Passes?

Disneyland Magic Key

Credit: Disney

34 Comments

  1. After Disneyland put up such a fuss with how big of a problem annual passes were I don’t think they will bring annual passes back. Perhaps they are phasing out Magic Keys as well and a brand new option will replace both of them.

    1. Chris

      I tend to bet that they will introduce “Season Passes” like many other theme parks have, they are valid from purchase (sometimes with some restrictions) until the end of the season, which is generally the end of the year. This makes revenue far more predictable and easier to plan for.

      1. Peggy

        You mean like the annual passes they had before Magic Key???

    2. S1

      Once I take over Disney in a corporate takeover, I will give the parks for the government and make America great again!

  2. Rod

    There are a few possibilities.

    Ultimately, Disney has become a disgusting behemoth. They care nothing for the enjoyment of the guests. They simply care about maximizing profits, while restricting the flow of guests into the park.

    Disney is probably not prepared for full capacity so they are eliminating annual passes simply as a way to reduce low profit guests from coming to the park. Ever since they reopened, Disneyland has been a disgusting nightmare. The park has been dirty, ill-maintained, and the cast members are poorly trained. The cast has been rude, disheveled in their appearance, and generally not fitting of the Disney standards. It seems the grooming an appearance standards are just out the window. I’ve seen cast members using their cell phones behind the counters when they should be taking orders. Nevermind the tattoos, earrings, long hair, and confused morons wearing the wrong gender clothes.

    Disney was also sued over the program. Essentially, they promised access to the park on certain days with certain passes, yet prevented access with their ridiculous reservation system. Disney is one of the few companies that can sucker people into buying an expensive pass, then block them from using it by requiring reservations.

    1. Morningstar

      Most of that is true, but clothing doesn’t have a gender. It’s literally clothing. Putting people down for their clothing decisions is ignorant. It’s you who’s the moron for saying that. Be a better human.

      1. Jack

        You have blue hair, hog nose ring, work at Starbucks and have 100k in student debt while begging COVID Joe to pass it off on taxpayers.

      2. Spencer

        You calling someone a moron because they have a differing opinion is the problem. Just don’t call anyone a moron. Try that.

    2. Peggy

      I agree about the loss of quality for the most part. It’s hit or miss as far as cast members go…but they don’t maintain the parks like they should. The bathrooms are disgusting and the rides break down at least several times a day since we’ve gone back. It feels ghetto for these reasons.

      Honestly we still think it’s worth it just barely because we are SoCal residents with the key. We can afford the Genie+ most times and get on plenty of rides that way.

      But we definitely have been disenchanted. If they make it so expensive we cannot afford Genie+ and etc then we won’t do it anymore.

      We see people waiting hours to ride one ride and always tell each other no way we would do that. It’s crazy.

      We made the mistake of buying “discount” tickets before magic key (we had been used to being APH) and it was such a waste. The cost for two days of tickets plus a crappy AirB&B equates to nonsense.

      Same as what we now paid for a full year of admission. So we can spend waaaaaay more overtime…it makes sense for profit that they keep the lowest tier for locals. We even go to the Disney resorts when work goes well because we can afford to.

      Only being able to make two days of reservations is stupid tbh…we would’ve paid more for Disney resort rooms for our family vacay but instead only a two day trip due to their policies.

      But otherwise it’s just not worth it. We have felt ripped off when rides hardly work, food sucks, etc but have been able to say “we can come back in a few weeks” when they didn’t have the stupid reservation system. And we would spend more money and try again. If we can’t do that…what’s the point?

      1. Antonio Nunez

        Well, I mean you had the option of getting a pass with larger number of reservations. Not to mention you can make more reservations as soon as you’re scanned into the park. You can conceivably go every day if you wanted by doing that. That’s on you. The crappy AirBnB is on you too for not doing your due diligence.

        Honestly, if you hate it so much, why do you go? You’re the type of guest who is not welcome and should stay home. No one needs your negativity.

  3. S1

    Removing annual passes is an easy way to get rid of overcrowding. It just makes sense that after May 2023, there will be no more annual passes… ever.

    1. VacaDad

      Spot on, but not going to hold my breath. AP holders don’t care about overcrowding, they live only a few min from the park so they can ride 2-3 rides then come back the next day and the next etc since they don’t need to do everything in one trip. They will therefore kick and scream if Disney discontinues until some AP replacement is unveiled bc DL/DCA is their local hangout spot and they above paying normal ticket prices.

    2. Peggy

      Disney doesn’t say they are overcrowded though….and honestly most days it’s not that bad. It’s always going to be “crowded” because it’s Disneyland ..unless they undo the passes and keep making terrible political decisions.

      Pass holders give them consistent revenue, not just at Disneyland parks but at DTD, the resorts etc. Also the local pass holders aren’t even allowed to go on crowded days usually (which is b.s. tbh) only two reservations at a time per person is crap but makes it just barely worth it.

      The fact is passholders spend more on: parking, food, merch, resort, features like Genie+ than anyone coming one or two times a year.

      Let alone all of the locals that would stop going altogether because it would be too expensive to risk not getting on all the rides etc. That’s what we go for…and if we can’t then we get another chance in the near future. Otherwise most of us can’t afford to do it. California is just way too expensive.

      Disney would be losing the majority of their revenue from parks if they did this. It would also harm the economy in Anaheim as we saw during the pandemic and when they opened without many reservations available and people didn’t want to pay for that garbage…

      Most people that also pay for special night events are APH. Honesty idk what it would do for FL but here we have plenty of other entertainment to trade out for if Disney is going to become intolerable.

      1. VacaDad

        Speaking of bad political decisions, it was CALIFORNIA that banned out of state visitors during the pandemic. When the parks re-opened they were only allowed to let locals in with valid CA ID. That’s what hurt the Cali economy. Passholders do not spend as much as vacationers, my family easily spends $5k on a Disney vaca, it takes passholders many more visits for Disney to get that kind of revenue from passholders. Many of the passholders i see are kids whose parents drop them off or bloggers who are just walking around recording all day or making TikToks. So really Disney is losing revenue by allowing passholders to book up reservation spots from vacationers. You said yourself California is way too expensive so we know passholders aren’t dropping Benjamins every time they go to Disney so this “consistent revenue” you speak of is pennies. The APH program is just not worth it for Disney or those who complain about it, save your money and just splurge 1-2 times per year so the rest of us who wished we lived closer to Disney don’t need to hear your entitled whining.

  4. Sara K

    They really don’t want to cut annual passes, I easily spend $500 – 900 every Disney trip and I go once a week. Once they cut annual passes, I am boycotting Disney.

    1. Jack

      Spotted the eBay flipper.

    2. VacaDad

      You spend $500+ every week ($25K+/yr)?!…I think you can afford the regular ticket when you want to go. I would submit that most AP holders hardly spend anything…they are dropped off by parents to hangout or make TikToks or Vlogs. Disneyland has become the local mall and lost much of its magic. Compromise might be a chaperone policy like Knotts and no youtubers or recording on dark rides…tired of the screens in my face.

  5. Kathy

    I was an annual passholder for decades. I loved having the pass, at first. Then the parks became so jammed with people it was just a miserable experience. If they cut the passes out I’ll be glad. Maybe it will cut down on the entitled jerks that don’t like “vacationers” getting in their way.

  6. Walt

    Annual Passes need to die a quiet death, and never return… period. If you can’t afford a regular day ticket then you don’t really belong there anyway.

    1. VacaDad

      Agreed. The overcrowding is a direct result of people going 100 times for the cost of like 8 regular tickets.

  7. Morningstar

    Most of that is true, but clothing doesn’t have a gender. It’s literally clothing. Putting people down for their clothing decisions is ignorant. It’s you who’s the moron for saying that. Be a better human.

  8. Mack

    Passes need to go, they take up alot of room for people that come and take a vacation, i was gifted a ticket and went last week and it was crazy pack…and these vloggers that walk around with a phone out or camera have to go to..i bumped into one and he and his girl got mad at me, i told but of them to F off and get a real job stop lived streaming…they got pissed but idc to manny of them seen at least 5-6 of them all day.

    1. Joe S.

      So YOU bumped in to someone, they were rightfully upset, and instead of just apologizing for YOUR mistake, you tell them to off and “get a real job”. People like you are the real problem at Disneyland. I’d much rather see 10 streamers for every 1 of the miserable folk like you. At least the streamers are positive and happy. And I am guessing they probably make more money every year than you do too, so they already have a “real job”.

      1. Brad

        I don’t condone anyone getting upset, especially in the presence of children at the happiest place on earth. It did not seem like this vlogger was positive or happy but clearly the real problem is overcrowding so bumping and angry guests are naturally a biproduct. The streamer is just as much at fault for walking around obliviously with their phone in their face but both could have handled this better.
        I would call streaming a lucrative hobby, unless you consider scammers real jobs too because they make a bunch of money. Though technically those streaming at the parks are there to profit off of Disney content and not really enjoy the park for themselves…just something that adds to the problem of overcrowding which we can do without.

      2. Mack

        LMFAO I own my own successful business I make over 6 digits own 3 houses and stay at the grand 4 times a year so before you open your pie hole ask… And yes vloggers are a POS they take up reservations to be there 2 hours they stream and people pay them from Disneyland which is illegal. I run a straight business pay my taxes and follow all the laws so yeah I got a right to talk s***

        1. Audrey

          I seem unusually grumpy. If the Disney experience doesn;t make you happy, what is the point of going?

  9. We had been AP members for decades. Our excursions are during off hours/days when park traffic is lower. We always ate at least 1 dinner at the nicer restaurants (sometimes 2), snacked all day and bought lots at the store both for ourselves and as gifts.
    However, after the 2020 shut down and reopening the programs became convoluted/ confusing and too much trouble to navigate the entry process. Our family of 8 AP members (all highest level passes) gave up and haven’t returned.
    I had a strong personal connection to the park, I worked in the Aladdin show and have 2 short films permanently hosted on the website.
    We miss it a lot, but life now has more personal priorities to focus on than losing sleep over this entertainment outlet.
    Best wishes and magic dreams to all.

  10. DKLA

    I have been a passholder for 7 years and then the Dream Key pass last year. I buy Disney merchandise for my family, and I will attend D23 Expo to hear Chapek’s excuse. You have to make reservations for the park, rides are never a guarantee unless you handover more money (Genie+), reservation system for rides and food make the entire ordeal a hassle, and the crowds are getting worse. Main St. Electrical Parade crowds have covered the entire sidewalk and some front entrances to the businesses. People exiting the park were led behind the stores in order to leave.

    Chapek will likely restrict access to the magic key or annual passes. You upset a customer base enough then you will have another boot out like what happened to Michael Eisner in 2005. This guy has made enemies within the ranks in Disney (including Bob Iger), and some would not shed a tear to see him go.

  11. Peggy

    Removing them would be testament to Disney lacking major direction. Magic Key is new….it was similar but more convinient of a system before the pandemic hit. It wasn’t Magic Key. APH

    They already have missed opportunities to make things better at parks…the Avengers campus is deeply disappointing and tbh a lot of their newest attractions in both parks could be better.

    They would clearly lose profit if removing passes..Especially since the top two tiers are so incredibly profitable. The lowest tier also since they bring the consistency in getting to charge the ridiculous parking fees, etc.

    From what I’ve seen; most people who pay for extra things like Genie+ are regulars that want those extra special days of enjoying more rides. Most out-of-towners seem content to wait hours in lines. I don’t get the logic tbh but it’s just an observation.

    We get the lowest tier because it’s cheaper than spending money on tickets no doubt. We can still afford Genie+ and fuel, etc. We maybe would come on one trip once a year if not for passes …if we didn’t give it up considering the direction they are headed in….plenty of reasons to stop. But passes are one of the reasons we have left to go. We do spend way more money over time…by way of food, merch, etc. Than going once/year but it’s obviously overtime and depending on the needs of that day/how crowded it is.

    It’s always been crowded….it’s Disneyland. Especially around the Holidays. Making people pay for tickets wouldn’t change that. There’s obviously plenty of wealthy AF people that pay for the top two tiers of pass…..so they would still go. I simply imagine they also would go less often and spend less money in the end. Perhaps since they are rich they will instead go on a vacation around the world that isn’t Disney-related.

    I watch YouTubers that are ABOUT going to Disney. Most say they would have to stop going even though they are long-time fans. If the passes are no longer an option. And I cannot believe how much money they spend every week on merch etc. They aren’t wealthy…it’s just what they get paid to do via their fan base. But most say they would quit or do other travel etc. Some boycott Disney for a while when people allowed back during pandemic…because the passes didn’t have enough availability yet.

    I image those people that feel their loyalty is disregarded would boycott in a heartbeat. With how much they are getting sued it would be sloppy to halt so much consistent revenue.

    1. Audrey Smith

      I’m the APH that you described. Not rich, but the top tier passes were like a vacation that I couldn’t afford to take. Saving on parking every visit was a huge value. We ate at the park every visit, sometimes bought merch in the park or in Downtown Disney. We would probably visit 20-30 times a year, spending $ each visit. But our last pass expired Feb, 2019, 2 weeks before the shut down. We did not renew, and we have never been back since. If AP is discontinued, we may go once every few years. APHs are lucrative for the park. More visits generates more revenue.

  12. pattimarie

    They brought back the AP program as Magic Keys because they wanted the money. They were not getting enough guests at that time. They make millions off the down payments, and the full payments. They can show banks that money is coming in every month. Passes are one reason that the parks contributing financially more than any other segment of the company. I also have always felt that passholders spend more per year than the average 4 person family does coming once a year, or every other year. That’s from being there and watching them spend, as well as adding up my own bills. Sometimes a company just uses the wrong metrics–and I think judging spending per day isn’t the right way to do it.

    It does definitely add to crowding. When mo. payments came in–immediately the park got more crowded. Disney liked it so much, they kept using it for 15 years and did not stop until Covid hit. Anyone who thinks that Disney does not like passes is crazy. Only out-of towners do not like passes. The Keys never worked right, especially with the reservation system, and now they have generated lawsuits. I have no doubt that if they are paused now, they will come back when Disney needs the fast money they generate.

    In so many ways, Disney is just a disaster right now. I hate the reservation system especially–it’s not even that it doesn’t work for a lot of people (disabled for example), but it’s just not necessary and it’s there to get them money without benefit to us. Same with Genie+, mobile ordering, and the loss of so many call centers. Things just seem cheap these days there. Fleece me if you must to stay alive, but give me some value for all the extra dollars you are demanding.

    I wish we fans, visitors, whatever, could fight Disney and make them do a better job, rather than fighting each other as happens on this site. We’re not the problem–Disney is.

  13. VacaDad

    They (Disney) weren’t getting money bc the mayor only allowed the parks to reopen for CA residents…for several months out of staters could not visit so Magic Key was just a quick revenue grab. They have plenty of visitors now and make tons of profits off their 3 hotels which run $400+/night. APH pay $399 and probably visit 12-24 times per year (1-2/mo) whereas $399 would only get a vacationer a 4 day pass so Disney is really losing money by giving APH/Key holders 8-20 or more FREE visits after they get their ROI of 4 days. My fam of 4 spends $5000 per Disney TRIP +food and you whine about maybe $1600 (4x$400) per YEAR. DL is just afraid of pissing off their locals so they continue to offer AP programs even though they lose out (called opportunity cost) bc they would actually make more money by cancelling AP and making everyone buy regular tickets. So sorry you hate the reservation system…that is just the way the economy works now and crowds would be sooo much worse without it.

  14. Patty

    Sounds like you are jealous of people who live close to Disneyland. We live here so why shouldn’t Disney have passes available for us to purchase. Move here if you want the same availablity. I spend a lot of money on parking, food , entertainment and merchandise.

  15. Gigi

    I agree with most of the Magic Key Holders on here. I definitely spent more as a pass holder than a non pass holder. Us pass holders spend way more money than Disney gives us credit for.I used to have a top tier annual pass. The last time, I lived 3hrs away but as an educator I always went on my vacation days and some 3 day weekends. I wasn’t able to get the Magic Key pass like I wanted. The lower tiers don’t work with my schedule. I live closer to Disney now and I am one of those visitors that definitely spent more when I was a pass holder. Without the annual pass, admittedly I have probably spent the same amount as a top tier pass for far fewer visits. With so cal discount I recently still spent $450 for 3 M-Th tickets. That included the upgrade for park hopper and genie plus to maximize my limited time and 3 days of parking. However, because it costs so much to visit, my souvenir shopping has significantly decreased. I used to spend several hundred over a weekend on pins and souvenirs alone. Now I might have spent that over the entire year in the same category.

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