Answering Your Biggest Questions About Disneyland’s Magic Key Pass

Since Disneyland ended their Annual Pass program back in January there has been a ton of ambiguity around the future of annual passes.

Last week, Disney confirmed that the Disney World Annual Pass will be returning — and they also announced the NEW Magic Key Pass Program at Disneyland! We’ve already looked at the pricing levels, release date, and general details, and we’re answering a few burning questions you may still have!

How does the cost of the Magic Key Pass compare to what was in place pre-pandemic for Annual Passes?

This is one of the biggest changes that occurred with the transition to the Magic Key Pass. Not only did we see a big change in the pricing but also in the number of offerings. Prior to the pandemic annual passes ranged from $419 to $2,199,  and Magic Key passes range from $399-$1,399.

The Magic Key Pass currently includes four different tiers to choose from. The Dream Key ($1,399), The Believe Key ($949), The Enchant Key ($649), and the Imagine Key ($399). It is worth noting the Imagine Key is only available to Southern California residents. 

The previous Annual Pass program had six different tiers. They included: The Disney Premier Passport ($2,199), The Disney Signature Plus Passport (1,449), The Disney SIgnature Passport ($1,199), The Disney Deluxe Passport ($829), The Disney Flex Passport ($649), and the Disney Southern California Select Passport ($419).

Another big detail in all of this is there is, no equivalent to the Disney Premier Passport anymore that allowed guests entry to both Disney World and Disneyland.

Click Here To See How To Upgrade Your Disneyland Ticket to a Magic Key Pass!

Did we lose any perks from the old Annual Pass Program?

Any time we see changes with the annual pass program we see some alterations with the perks that are offered. In this instance, we have seen some perks that were added, but also some that have also gone away

We will start off with the perks that appear to be missing from the Magic Key Pass Program. Some of the tiers with the previous Annual Pass Program included MaxPass for digital FASTPASS booking but it is no longer included as a feature for the Magic Key Program. Since MaxPass as a whole is not currently available we will keep an ear out for when this comes back and what the impact is on the Magic Key Pass Program.

The other perk that is missing from the new Magic Key Pass Program is the inclusion of Disney PhotoPass. PhotoPass downloads are no longer included in any of the Magic Key Pass tiers.

The first addition is Magic Key Holder months. These are going to be specially geared to provide offerings exclusively for Magic Key pass holders.

The other perk now being offered is the new Magic Key Portal on the Disneyland App. We don’t know too many details about this just yet, but know that it will be a feature exclusively for Magic Key Pass Holders.

Click Here To See A Step-by-Step Guide On How to Use the New Disneyland Magic Key Pass! 

What are the pros and cons of needing a reservation?

Disneyland is currently requiring theme park reservations for every ticket holder visiting the parks and that will not be changing with the Magic Key Pass. There is no end in sight for theme park reservations as you can currently make reservations for Disneyland through the end of the year. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this now.

A big pro here is that you are guaranteed entry into the park that you choose. This may seem obvious, but previously when you booked your trip, you ran the risk of being turned away at the gate if the park was at capacity. The other pro here is that using this method helps Disney track the number of people within its parks.

Now it’s time for the cons. Since it is a reservation system we have seen park availability become scarce at certain times of the year. This means that even though you may not have blockout dates there may be days you will not be able to gain entry into the park.

The other con is that you may not be able to book all of the days that you plan on visiting the park. You only have 2 to 6 reservations available to you at at time (depending on the pass that you choose) so this may restrict you from booking how you would like.

Click Here To See When The Magic Key Pass Will Go On Sale! 

Are blockout dates more or less restrictive?

This one is harder to gauge due to the simplification of the new Magic Key Pass system. Blockout dates are relatively the same when you look at the lowest tier pass and the highest tiered pass.

When you take a look at the Disneyland Annual passport blockout dates you can see some similarities but the changes come with the middle tier programs. The Signature Plus had 0 days, The Signature had roughly 16 days, The Deluxe had roughly 110 days, and the Southern Californa Select had roughly 220 days.

Comparatively, when you look at the Magic Key Program you can see where differences take shape. The Dream Key has 0 days, The Believe Key has roughly 50 days, The Enchant Key has roughly 150 days, and the Imagine Key has roughly 220 days. 

Overall looking at the differences in the system you can expect things to stay the same at the top and bottom tier programs. You will want to make sure you do your research and planning to decide if the middle tiered programs work specifically for when you are wanting to visit the parks!

Click Here To See Disneyland’s New Strollers! 

How should you decide if the Magic Key Program is for you?

While the name and the details have changed the answer to this question is still pretty much the same. Disneyland tickets are not cheap and if you are planning on going to Disneyland multiple times within a year, then one of the Magic Key programs may be right for you. If you take into account the number of days you are going, the additional cost you add on for Parkhopper, and then toss in the discounts you would get, then this may make sense.

Blockout dates are a big factor here as well. If you are planning on visiting the parks during any major holidays or breaks throughout the year then pick your pass carefully. Those visiting from out of town may be better off purchasing tickets to ensure you are getting to travel when you want.

Overall, the new Magic Key Pass can make sense financially, but you make sure you do your homework first! You have to be the one to decide if the money you save is worth potentially compromising the times and days you get to come.

We will be sure to keep you updated on every new piece of information that comes out about the Magic Key Pass Program, which will be available starting August 25th.

Click Here To See Even More Restaurants Reopening at Disneyland! 

Which Magic Key Pass will you be getting? Let us know in the comments below!

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