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Credit: Disney Disneyland Resort resumed sales of its Annual Pass replacement, the Disneyland Magic Key Pass, on Tuesday after months of silence about the program. Hopeful Disney Parks fans waited hours in virtual queues to purchase an Inspire Key, Believe Key, Enchant Key, or Imagine Key. (The no-block out date Dream Key was slashed following the filing of an ongoing lawsuit against the Southern California Disney Park.)
The news came soon after Walt Disney World Resort announced the April 20 return of its Annual Pass sales, exciting Disney Parks fans on both coasts. But in Anaheim, some current Magic Key Pass holders became furious at the news that more Guests would compete for Disney Park Pass Reservations to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
Reddit user u/Similar-Ad8610 noted the negative comments on the official Disneyland Magic Key Instagram on Monday night. “Can ya’ll stop bc I pay $1600 and still am unable to make reservations,” read an Instagram comment from @alyssannicole. “You’re just stealing money and making it harder for key holders to go at this point.”
“Your inability to plan ahead doesn’t mean that other people don’t deserve to buy a pass or don’t deserve to go, and you paying for more expensive pass doesn’t make you better than everyone else,” the fan wrote about frustrated Magic Key Passholders. “You have an issue with how many passes Disney is selling? Fine, then help the problem and give up yours, don’t renew… Do better.”
While some Disney Parks fans agreed, many Annual Passholders defended their viewpoint. “Its crazy, its so busy and they want to sell even more magic keys,” u/therockchild wrote.
“I see no elitism here. I see folks upset with a multi-billion dollar company that keeps nickel and dimeing (sic) them the last several years,” u/mr_pinks_tip_policy agreed. “I feel when you’re paying $600+ for something, you’re entitled to a little more than the average Joe. Not much but a little consideration.”
Some penned long rants directed at Disneyland Resort leadership.
“For all the extra money Inspire keys spend, all we really get are extra days to be frustrated by packed parks, sold out reservations, and impossible to get dining reservations,” u/Brave_Analyst7540 said. “I’d love to see Disney do one of (or even both of) these things for those lower tier passes… in addition to the blackout calendar, limit the amount of visits possible in a month so that people aren’t using the parks like they’re a mall every weekend and/or get rid of the monthly payments for lower tier passes.”
“I pay almost 400 a month for myself and two boys to have Inspire passes and meanwhile ‘Jennifer’ and all her 19 year old Disney friends are barely spending that for an entire year and only paying $37 a month,” the Passholder continued. “If that sounds elitist… yeah… it’s elitist. But it’s elitist in the manner in which ‘DISNEY’ designed it. If you paid double or triple what everyone else did for a business class plane ticket, wouldn’t you expect to get something for that money?”
Should Disneyland Resort have resumed Magic Key Pass sales? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks Guest experiences. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.