Extra Magic Hour and/or Magic Morning

[vacay77]

Pure speculation - does anyone think Extra Magic Hour will come back for guests staying at Disneyland-owned hotels and/or Magic Morning for guests who purchased the 3 day park hopper? I found it to be more important than FastPasses and MaxPasses back in the day. We could go on so many rides within the first hour like Radiator Springs Racer with hardly any wait at all. Anyway, just wondering if anyone has heard anything as to whether or not these 2 things might be coming back. I imagine much of it has to do with staffing issues.

 

[initiation]

Honestly, no, especially not for free or as a perk of buying hoppers or staying at the hotels. Not as long as Bob Chapek is running the show. The guy is obsessed with monetizing every little thing and cares more about his paycheck and shareholders than park guests.

 

[brenda1966]

I suspect it likely has to do with staffing too. I will really miss our early entry into Disneyland. That was always my favorite hour in the park. I have hope that it will come back eventually, esp to hotel guests as I'm not sure how anyone justifies the cost of the disneyland hotels without that perk.

 

[DLgal]

I don't see it coming back.

 

[disland7]

Really? Not coming back ever? I have always assumed it would come back for Disneyland resort hotel guests.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Really? Not coming back ever? I have always assumed it would come back for Disneyland resort hotel guests.

I think it will come back for hotel guests. There aren't really any perks to staying onsite without it.

 

[gpjacobs]

Just got back from the DLR, staying at the Grand Californian. Cast members said it's def. coming back, it's just a matter of when. I've been told "soon" multiple times ... to the point it means nothing now. That said, one CM directly said it was a staffing issue.

 

[DLgal]

Just got back from the DLR, staying at the Grand Californian. Cast members said it's def. coming back, it's just a matter of when. I've been told "soon" multiple times ... to the point it means nothing now. That said, one CM directly said it was a staffing issue.

I honestly think they are just telling cast members that so they have something to say to placate guests who ask.

*If* it comes back, expect it to be the same as WDW. 30 minutes early, likely in both parks every day.

 

[ClaudiaKincaid]

Pretty tired of hearing "staffing issues" in a time of record-busting revenue for the company, when all those tightwads have to do is pay people a decent wage and provide benefits -- which to me, includes not just healthcare and such, but also thorough training, support for guest-related conflicts, and consistent/predictable schedules (which Disney now CAN do, with the reservation system -- miss me with the "unpredictability of crowds" business).

 

[CharleneTheDM]

I hope it does. It gives incentive for people to stay on site or purchase multi-day tickets. I've never stayed on site (it's on my bucket list), but as a Canadian that only visits once every two years, it's nice to have a day with early access!

 

[disland7]

Just got back from the DLR, staying at the Grand Californian. Cast members said it's def. coming back, it's just a matter of when. I've been told "soon" multiple times ... to the point it means nothing now. That said, one CM directly said it was a staffing issue.

I have to say I’m waiting to book a big vacation at the grand until it comes back and genie settles out. I’m also trying to decide if magic key is worth it with only 4 reservations and no ability to add genie to it for 1 fee. I’m getting a little impatient. I miss counting down to Disney.

 

[vacay77]

I have to say I’m waiting to book a big vacation at the grand until it comes back and genie settles out. I’m also trying to decide if magic key is worth it with only 4 reservations and no ability to add genie to it for 1 fee. I’m getting a little impatient. I miss counting down to Disney.

We stayed at the grand last week and the early entrance was greatly missed . I decided not to upgrade to the Magic Key because I have friends who upgraded and can’t even book reservations. I agree, we aren’t going back until hopefully it all settles down.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I have to say I’m waiting to book a big vacation at the grand until it comes back and genie settles out. I’m also trying to decide if magic key is worth it with only 4 reservations and no ability to add genie to it for 1 fee. I’m getting a little impatient. I miss counting down to Disney.

For most people, I think that getting a key is not worth it. If you're someone who has to travel to Disneyland, you'll basically need to plan any trip exactly 90 days in advance. That is very difficult and it means you likely cannot do any Disney vacations longer than 4 days or two vacations less than three months apart. Of course, if you plan to stay at the Grand every time you visit, this is a non-issue.

But I think that Disney's Annual Pass program is horrible value compared to what is offered at other theme parks. The Enchant Key is 649 while a pass to Knotts Berry Farm with zero blockout days and no reservation issues costs 119. Knotts even has a dining plan add on that gives you two meals every day for only 139 for the year. For less than half the price of an Enchant Key, you could even get their most expensive pass that gives additional access to over a dozen Cedar Fairs parks or the highest tier of Legoland pass that also gives access to 30+ Legoland Discovery Centers and Sea Life Aquariums in the US. Universal Studio's highest tier of annual pass is also cheaper than an Enchant Key.

 

[ComeToSocialize]

I would be pretty shocked if it doesn't come back at some point once 1) the staffing issues resolve and 2) the "pent-up demand" for the hotels and DLR as a whole fades a bit. When we go with my parents we always stay at the Grand, but this time we couldn't justify it as there were literally no perks so we stayed at the JW Marriott. I do agree it'll likely be 30 minutes though and only for part of the parks. If you can do RSR and GotG in that 30 minutes though, then worth it!

 

[mel2014]

For most people, I think that getting a key is not worth it. If you're someone who has to travel to Disneyland, you'll basically need to plan any trip exactly 90 days in advance. That is very difficult and it means you likely cannot do any Disney vacations longer than 4 days or two vacations less than three months apart. Of course, if you plan to stay at the Grand every time you visit, this is a non-issue.

But I think that Disney's Annual Pass program is horrible value compared to what is offered at other theme parks. The Enchant Key is 649 while a pass to Knotts Berry Farm with zero blockout days and no reservation issues costs 119. Knotts even has a dining plan add on that gives you two meals every day for only 139 for the year. For less than half the price of an Enchant Key, you could even get their most expensive pass that gives additional access to over a dozen Cedar Fairs parks or the highest tier of Legoland pass that also gives access to 30+ Legoland Discovery Centers and Sea Life Aquariums in the US. Universal Studio's highest tier of annual pass is also cheaper than an Enchant Key.

My kids and I are theme park junkies. In various years we've had Six Flags passes, Cedar Fair Platinum passes, Great America Gold Passes, Knott's Berry Farm Gold Passes, Universal annual passes. We've been to Legoland multiple times. Disneyland is just in another category, for quantity, quality, repeatability of attractions, and most importantly, attractions that span age groups and thrill levels, so I don't consider this a fair comparison.

By your metric, comparing the annual pass price of those parks to any visit to Disneyland, going to Disneyland is a bad value because a 1-day hopper ticket costs more than most of those annual passes. My brother has that mentality, so he hasn't been to Disneyland in 30 years even though he loves amusement parks and has had Six Flags passes, been to Universal, Knott's etc. -- I keep trying to convince him to go, because both his wife and daughter like Marvel and Star Wars but hate other amusement parks, big roller coasters, etc, but he doesn't see the "value."

I look at it from the perspective of "how many trips to DL at "regular" price does it take for this pass to pay for itself." In our case, we planned to go for both my daughter's birthday in September and a trip with family friends in February. Those two trips equaled the price of an Enchant Key, so that's what we initially planned to get. But my daughter wanted to go for fall and spring Dapper Day, so we ended up getting Believe Keys for me and the kids. We're happy to plan 90 days in advance, since we need to buy plane tickets, pick hotels, etc. There are also many locals who can go on weekdays who will also find value in a Key even if weekends book up quickly.

My husband is not a big theme park person (he gets motion sick on anything that spins, has multiple loops, etc.), so two Disney trips in a year is sufficient for him (and still justifies the Enchant Key purchase). It wouldn't ever be his choice of vacation destination but he comes because it's one of the only theme parks where he can go and enjoy almost every ride with us. Just to offer an anecdote and counterpoint on the value issue, my employer recently gave all employees and their dependents a free day at our local Six Flags (Discovery Kingdom), which could be upgraded to a 2021/22 Season Pass for $25. The kids and I did it, but my husband's perspective after 4 hours back at Six Flags after a 2-year absence: "you couldn't pay me to come back here." Over 50% of the rides were closed, the food service was even more abysmal than normal, many of the shows weren't running, the staff were even more apathetic than normal, and there's really nothing he can ride without getting sick.

 

[gelatoni fan]

My kids and I are theme park junkies. In various years we've had Six Flags passes, Cedar Fair Platinum passes, Great America Gold Passes, Knott's Berry Farm Gold Passes, Universal annual passes. We've been to Legoland multiple times. Disneyland is just in another category, for quantity, quality, repeatability of attractions, and most importantly, attractions that span age groups and thrill levels, so I don't consider this a fair comparison.

By your metric, comparing the annual pass price of those parks to any visit to Disneyland, going to Disneyland is a bad value because a 1-day hopper ticket costs more than most of those annual passes. My brother has that mentality, so he hasn't been to Disneyland in 30 years even though he loves amusement parks and has had Six Flags passes, been to Universal, Knott's etc. -- I keep trying to convince him to go, because both his wife and daughter like Marvel and Star Wars but hate other amusement parks, big roller coasters, etc, but he doesn't see the "value."

I look at it from the perspective of "how many trips to DL at "regular" price does it take for this pass to pay for itself." In our case, we planned to go for both my daughter's birthday in September and a trip with family friends in February. Those two trips equaled the price of an Enchant Key, so that's what we initially planned to get. But my daughter wanted to go for fall and spring Dapper Day, so we ended up getting Believe Keys for me and the kids. We're happy to plan 90 days in advance, since we need to buy plane tickets, pick hotels, etc. There are also many locals who can go on weekdays who will also find value in a Key even if weekends book up quickly.

My husband is not a big theme park person (he gets motion sick on anything that spins, has multiple loops, etc.), so two Disney trips in a year is sufficient for him (and still justifies the Enchant Key purchase). It wouldn't ever be his choice of vacation destination but he comes because it's one of the only theme parks where he can go and enjoy almost every ride with us. Just to offer an anecdote and counterpoint on the value issue, my employer recently gave all employees and their dependents a free day at our local Six Flags (Discovery Kingdom), which could be upgraded to a 2021/22 Season Pass for $25. The kids and I did it, but my husband's perspective after 4 hours back at Six Flags after a 2-year absence: "you couldn't pay me to come back here." Over 50% of the rides were closed, the food service was even more abysmal than normal, many of the shows weren't running, the staff were even more apathetic than normal, and there's really nothing he can ride without getting sick.

It seemed to me like the person I was responding to wasn't even sure if they were ready for one Disney vacation yet, let alone plans for multiple in the upcoming year. My response was slightly tailored to that. I completely agree that a Magic Key would make sense in your situation and I myself have an Enchant Key because I have friends and relatives who want me to go with them at different times during the year. I also fully agree about the quality of the parks. I currently have passes to three different theme parks and had a Universal annual pass in the past as well. In my opinion, Disneyland is the best park on the West Coast of the US although some people who especially like thrill rides or Universal IPs may disagree.

For the casual visitor, I actually don't think Disneyland tickets are that bad of a value. They are more expensive but Disneyland also has more attractions, better theming and longer operating hours. For a single day, you're paying more but also getting more. At the annual pass level, it's a little different. For most other parks, the break even point for entry level annual passes is 2 to 3 days compared to a higher number for Magic Keys. Additionally, those entry level annual passes give far more access to those parks than a Magic Key does to Disneyland. So I actually think Universal's tickets are bad value but their Silver Pass is good value when compared to Disneyland tickets and Magic Keys.

I personally know people who have become very frustrated with the reservation system and experienced buyer's remorse when it comes to Magic Keys. While I know fewer people who have Cedar Point passes, people I know who have gone to Knotts or Great America recently have been relatively satisfied. How well other parks substitute for Disneyland is subjective but I think many people who were only considering Disneyland Magic Keys may be surprised to find that theme park annual passes don't have to be that expensive.

But to bring it back to the main topic, if you're someone who is willing to stay at a Disney hotel without the Extra Magic Hour for 3+ day trips at least twice a year, it may make sense to get an Enchant Key. If you are willing to do those stays for 3+ day trips at least three times a year, it may make sense to get a Believe Key. Keys also make sense if you can work around the reservation system and you go enough. But if you are bothered by reservations or the cutting of Extra Magic Hour, it may be time to consider doing fewer Disney vacations or picking alternatives.