Disneyland Halts All New Magic Key Sales w/ Renewal Info to Come; Plus New CA Resident Ticket Offer

[sweethannah]

I'm not sure if I'm going to phrase this correctly but when did the Magic Keys go on sale last year? I'm trying to figure out when the Keys will expire and if this will create a huge surge in Key holders to get one last visit in before expiry. I can't predict when the new tickets offerings will go on sale but I'm trying to gauge if this will have any affect on attendance in the late summer beyond the usual lifting on blackouts.

 

[starlite_]

I'm not sure if I'm going to phrase this correctly but when did the Magic Keys go on sale last year? I'm trying to figure out when the Keys will expire and if this will create a huge surge in Key holders to get one last visit in before expiry. I can't predict when the new tickets offerings will go on sale but I'm trying to gauge if this will have any affect on attendance in the late summer beyond the usual lifting on blackouts.

The stopped new sales but current owners can renew so I doubt there will be a surge unless lots of folks decide not to renew.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I'm not sure if I'm going to phrase this correctly but when did the Magic Keys go on sale last year? I'm trying to figure out when the Keys will expire and if this will create a huge surge in Key holders to get one last visit in before expiry. I can't predict when the new tickets offerings will go on sale but I'm trying to gauge if this will have any affect on attendance in the late summer beyond the usual lifting on blackouts.

It was August.

 

[sweethannah]

The stopped new sales but current owners can renew so I doubt there will be a surge unless lots of folks decide not to renew.

Right and those options to renew won't be released for a while so it's a bit of a wait and see. I'm probably getting far too granular but I'm going to be down in the Parks when one of the Keys opens after summer blackouts. I was prepared for an uptick but I'm getting concerned, according to the Magic Key pass availability calendar I'm in danger lol.



edit: KK August. DANGER CONFIRMED

 

[starlite_]

Right and those options to renew won't be released for a while so it's a bit of a wait and see. I'm probably getting far too granular but I'm going to be down in the Parks when one of the Keys opens after summer blackouts. I was prepared for an uptick but I'm getting concerned, according to the Magic Key pass availability calendar I'm in danger lol.

View attachment 673396

edit: KK August. DANGER CONFIRMED

Ah I see, we choose 6-7 of august specifically because MKs were still blocked so I understand.

 

[Ryan120420]

I'm not sure if I'm going to phrase this correctly but when did the Magic Keys go on sale last year? I'm trying to figure out when the Keys will expire and if this will create a huge surge in Key holders to get one last visit in before expiry. I can't predict when the new tickets offerings will go on sale but I'm trying to gauge if this will have any affect on attendance in the late summer beyond the usual lifting on blackouts.

Magic Keys went on sale August 25th, 2021.

 

[StormyCA]

A question for those that are down on Disney. I only ask my family doesn't have the emotional attachment to Disney like many of you do. If you're so upset about the state of Disney why not go to Knotts instead. I have heard but great things Knotts.

I used to love Knott's back in the day, before motion sickness hit AND before I developed Celiac Disease.

Knott's wouldn't give me enough 'bang for the buck' with their focus on thrill rides. All the coasters are 'out' for me and there's not enough left to make it worthwhile. Plus Disney is top notch when it comes to dietary restrictions. From what I can see online, Knott's trails far behind, at least when it comes to Gluten Free options.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

A question for those that are down on Disney. I only ask my family doesn't have the emotional attachment to Disney like many of you do. If you're so upset about the state of Disney why not go to Knotts instead. I have heard but great things Knotts.

I can only speak for myself and my family, but we have an emotional attachment to DL due to so many years of happy memories. I am a Gen Xer and have 40+ years of nostalgia going on (went to Knott’s several times as a child but it did not make an impression lol). Even DD has an emotional attachment to DL due to visiting yearly since she was 2.

Some people get sad when they see a product go downhill and would rather see it improve than try another option that doesn’t have the same nostalgia attached. I will see how my visit next month goes and take a break from planning trips if it’s a disaster. But while I might occasionally enjoy a visit to another theme park it’s just not going to give me the same feelings as DL. (And oh how I wish Disney wasn’t aware of this.)

 

[gelatoni fan]

We were glad to have the Believe Key this year but do not plan on renewing. Disney has made one decision after another since reopening that has alienated us more and more. Between Genie+ ruining standy lines, things like no more Single Rider on Space Mountain simply to increase Genie+ sales, and the political stuff this year, we are ready for a break. I am interested to see what the new offerings are though. Assuming they eventually rectify their bad decisions, I would be disappointed if we did not renew and then never had the chance to purchase another pass at a later time. My last really great Disneyland trip was in 2019. The year when the parks still played the welcome message with Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. That was the best way to start the day. I miss things like that more than I ever thought I would! I also saw the MSEP that year with the iconic original introduction and America finale. All of the small things I loved about Disneyland are pretty much gone. It all adds up. If I could have a pass for that year’s parks, I would never question renewing. It makes me sad. I will add that I think Disney knows there are problems. I got an email asking me to apply for a research study about the Magic Key program last week. Based on that, I do not think they have solidified their decision going forward. I do not believe I ended up being picked for the study but I do know there is a study taking place very soon.

2019 was the turning point for me as well. I'd gladly give away Avengers Campus for the Disney of early 2019.
I had a very hard time trying to explain to my friends in Hong Kong what the issue was when they cut Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah from the Grizzly Gulch Welcome Show there.

Someone I know participated in one of those research groups. Based on how Disney is answering PR questions and the way they phrased certain questions in the research group, the conspiracy theorist in me thinks they may not be adjusting adjusting their strategy much from those groups but rather farming biased canned responses for PR purposes.

For example, they asked a question "Are you able to get more reservations than expected?" in September of last year and then used those responses as data to rebut journalists after they turned off reservation availability in the Halloween and Christmas seasons.

I know that for those who live very close to Anaheim, Knotts as a competitor is not up to the same quality and even Universal isn't quite there either. I'm probably getting a SeaWorld Platinum Pass.

 

[longboard55]

Its the single Gen Xs and Millennials buying Aps, they love disney and with the monthly payment plan it is workable. The group being squezzed is the family of 4. Not sure what you do about it, Disney is just too popular.

I really see their efforts are more crowd control than trying to maximize profits. If it was just about money charge $200 a day

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Its the single Gen Xs and Millennials buying Aps, they love disney and with the monthly payment plan it is workable. The group being squezzed is the family of 4. Not sure what you do about it, Disney is just too popular.

I really see their efforts are more crowd control than trying to maximize profits. If it was just about money charge $200 a day

I was chatting with a friend about this the other day... Disney could probably double the price of the top-tier Magic Keys and young singles who live within driving distance would still buy it, especially if they kept the payment plan. These are the people who will stand in line for hours to buy any new piece plastic Disney releases, pay for every up-charge event Disney offers, spent money on merchandise and food and drinks in the park. If there's something new, they have to be there, have to buy it, have to experience it, have to Instagram it.

But when you have to multiple that price by three or four or five ... it's starting to get really pricey. And when what you actually want to use your Magic Key for is to go on rides, experience shows, do the regular park experience rather than the FOMO kind of hyped up nonsense.... things not as good in the park for that right now. If my son wants to ride something that is part of Genie+ we will be looking at a crazy long line most of the day and night unless we shell out extra cash for Genie+, which I am JUST NOT DOING. The rides are supposed to be included in the ticket/pass price. And yes they are, but where in the past you could get a free fast pass and enjoy them without waiting an hour, now you pay, or wait in a brutal line or just don't ride it. It's so much less fun than it used to be. If the park experience was what it was pre-covid or even last summer, I could still justify the price, but the way things are now, it's getting really hard.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

I am not a "theme park" person, I'm a Disney person. I am sad about the lesser experience from Disney these days. It's just not the same. And if I'm paying the crazy prices on passes, I would like to be enjoying the experience.

We have passes to SeaWorld and I will probably also get passes to the San Diego Zoo and Zoo Safari Park. Passes for all three of us to those parks cost less than one pass to Disney. I could add on LegoLand for all three of us and still not reach the cost of one Believe pass. Those parks are not even close to Disney, but I expect less from them and I also am paying much less. So it feels like a better value for us.

I am sad. Never in a million years would I have thought I would contemplate not renewing our passes but the park experience is just not great anymore. Genie+ has ruined the standby lines and dines packs the parks with the bare minimum of (new/untrained/uninvested) staff. It's just not the same.

You will find the value and experience of your Zoo passes to far outweigh the DL Keys. The San Diego Zoo has invested heavily over the last 5 years in visitor experience and it definitely shows. Their nighttime offerings during the summer and winter have more of that magic feel than DLR has now. And it also seems they’ve upped the quality of their food offerings at most of their quick serve restaurants. I was disappointed when the Zoo revamped their pass program, but have been very pleased with the changes they’ve made over the last few years. I guess that’s the difference between and nonprofit and for-profit park.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

You will find the value and experience of your Zoo passes to far outweigh the DL Keys. The San Diego Zoo has invested heavily over the last 5 years in visitor experience and it definitely shows. Their nighttime offerings during the summer and winter have more of that magic feel than DLR has now. And it also seems they’ve upped the quality of their food offerings at most of their quick serve restaurants. I was disappointed when the Zoo revamped their pass program, but have been very pleased with the changes they’ve made over the last few years. I guess that’s the difference between and nonprofit and for-profit park.

I'm excited! What pushed me over is we visited in April with my SIL (free pass for us) and saw their new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp and it was AWESOME. It's been a few years since we have gone and the zoo looks amazing. I also agree that food seems slightly better than before so it's a bonus.

The biggest cost savings for me when I visit SeaWorld or the San Diego Zoo is I spend FAR LESS money than I do at Disney. I love the food and treats and fun merchandise at Disney, so I can't help myself. We also pay for dining packages and other experiences at Disney. I went to SeaWorld the other day and spent $25 total for all three of us.

 

[Whistlebee]

I don’t want to write a big lengthy reply, but I just want to say that I agree with all of the reasons everyone is giving about the current Disney experience being a let down. We went for 3 days earlier this month and I had every intention of getting Magic Keys for me and one of my daughters. After 3 days in the parks, I didn’t feel excited about upgrading to a MK. The $ wasn’t a factor at all. It was the fact that the experience just isn’t the same as it used to be. We’ve had annual passes off and on over the last 10 years. Multiple trips every year. Typically staying at GCH. I loved everything about it! This time I was trying to talk myself into upgrading, and that’s when I realized how I felt had changed. I used to be so excited about my trip, couldn’t wait to come back. Always having my next trip planned. I realized I didn’t really care when we came back again, and that’s when I decided to skip on the MK’s. We’ll be back at some point, but not like we used to be. We are fortunate, and the money isn’t an issue. I happily paid for MaxPass in the past. I thought it was a great value. I left my trip feeling a little disgusted at the greediness and cash grabs. Genie+ is a disappointment. How it is affecting the standby lines is the biggest issue I have with it. Tickets are expensive, you are paying a premium price, and for the price, customers have the right to expect a great experience. And not just for customers like me, but also customers like my friends, who we traveled with that were on a tighter budget. Ok, I guess I wrote a lengthy reply afterall!

 

[Mseplover]

Please delete my account

 

[Mseplover]

Please delete my account

 

[Mseplover]

Please delete my account

 

[dina444444]

Right and those options to renew won't be released for a while so it's a bit of a wait and see. I'm probably getting far too granular but I'm going to be down in the Parks when one of the Keys opens after summer blackouts. I was prepared for an uptick but I'm getting concerned, according to the Magic Key pass availability calendar I'm in danger lol.

View attachment 673396

edit: KK August. DANGER CONFIRMED

Those days being gone doesn’t have do with the recent news more with it being the week the lower level passes become unblocked. I’ve yet to see it where are you cannot get a reservation the night before, they are always available the night before.

 

[PirateBrigade]

I was chatting with a friend about this the other day... Disney could probably double the price of the top-tier Magic Keys and young singles who live within driving distance would still buy it, especially if they kept the payment plan. These are the people who will stand in line for hours to buy any new piece plastic Disney releases, pay for every up-charge event Disney offers, spent money on merchandise and food and drinks in the park. If there's something new, they have to be there, have to buy it, have to experience it, have to Instagram it.

I beeeelieve I did a calculation on these boards (with a dinner for 2 at Yardhouse as the direct comparator) and found that the natural price of an unrestricted pass is somewhere between $3000-$5000.

The next day Chapek invited me to his headquarters at the top of the Space Needle.

 

[VandVsmama]

What do you want to bet that this is Disney's response to the recent lawsuit over DL APs?