Credit: Inside The MagicIf you don’t know which Annual Pass to purchase next year, Six Flags may have just made the decision for you.
The past few years have been rocky for Disneyland Annual Passholders. Just like Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland axed its existing Annual Pass in 2021 in favor of the Magic Key Pass, the system has featured four different tiers: Imagine, Enchant, Believe, and Inspire. Each tier provides varying benefits, including park reservations, discounts on food and merchandise, and access to special events and experiences.
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If you’re looking for the most affordable option (and you’re a Southern California resident with a zip code between 90000 and 93599) you’ll want to purchase the Imagine Key. This includes select reservation-based access to the parks with a significant amount of blockout dates. (Like, a lot of blockout dates).
The Enchant Key offers more availability and fewer blockout dates, catering to those who visit more frequently. The Believe Key further reduces blockout dates and adds increased discounts and access to additional perks.
The top-tier Inspire Key boasts the most park access with minimal blockout dates, substantial discounts, and priority reservations. However, this premium pass comes with a hefty price tag of $1,649. Even at this cost, securing an Inspire Key is challenging as Disneyland frequently pauses and resumes Magic Key sales – and you still can’t enter every day of the year, as some dates are still blocked, and you still need to make a reservation.
Reservations have irked some Annual Passholders, especially those who had passes pre-COVID. In fact, several banded together to file (and win) a class-action lawsuit against Disneyland Resort, claiming that the Inspire Key’s predecessor (the Dream Key) deceived Passholders by advertising it as boasting zero blockout dates but still limiting attendance via the Park Pass Reservation system.
While plenty of theme parks utilized reservations when they first reopened post-lockdown, the majority have since done away with this system. Six Flags, for example, required a reservation for all of its theme parks in 2020, but has since eliminated this requirement.
That alone offers some guests a greater incentive to purchase a Six Flags pass. However, the latest development within the company provides even more reason, as a pass now provides access to a much larger pool of parks.
On the heels of merging with Cedar Fair earlier this year – forming the largest theme park group in North America as a result – guests at both Six Flags and Cedar Fair’s legacy theme parks (including Disneyland neighbor Knott’s Berry Farm) can purchase an All Park Passport add-on to their Annual Pass. This provides access to 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks once the add-on kicks in on January 6, 2025.
“It’s clear that our guests see tremendous value in the season-pass programs, and we are excited to offer them expanded access to our parks,” Six Flags spokesman Gary Rhodes told USA TODAY.
As if that’s not enough to give the company a leg-up, this pass is also priced much more competitively than Disney’s Magic Key. The new combo will cost $1,459 less than a similar Disneyland pass.
For example, Knott’s Berry Farm is currently offering an All Park Passport with the Gold season pass for $190, and the Prestige pass– which will offer access to all Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks come 2025 – for $474. This is a limited-time sale that ends on September 2, when prices will increase.
It’s also much more inexpensive than the existing passes for Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld, or Legoland.
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Of course, for diehard Disney fans, nothing — even a high price tag — can outdo the fact that a Magic Key is giving you access to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” However, this number does put the soaring coasts of Disney’s Annual Passes into stark relief.
This week, Disney pinned declining park attendance on “low-income stress.” We’d argue that this oversimplifies things. What may be more accurate is the fact that for many, paying this amount to visit just two theme parks (Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park) is becoming increasingly tough to justify.
And with the likes of Six Flags right around the corner at a fraction of the cost, the loyalty (and wallets) of more casual parkgoers may be tough to win back.
Do you think Disney’s Annual Passes have become too expensive?