Magic Key Passes

[BethCPTSD]

Does anyone have any educated guesses when Magic Key passes might be back? I was out of state for many years for medical treatment. Now that I'm back, I'd really like access to the parks. Thank in advance!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

We should get some news sometime between now and August 25.

 

[WonkaKid]

We should get some news sometime between now and August 25.

2022? ;-).

 

[DLgal]

2022? ;-).

Valid question.

 

[BethCPTSD]

That would be wonderful! Thanks for the encouragement! I had not heard this!

 

[sjmac42]

2022? ;-).

Post of the week

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

That would be wonderful! Thanks for the encouragement! I had not heard this!

To be clear, I’m suggesting passes will be available for sale within this timeframe only that Disney is going to have to release some news regarding the program and renewals for current pass holders since the first passes were sold on August 25 of last year.

 

[DLgal]

At this time, there is no guarantee that new pass sales will resume, although there is speculation that Disney cannot allow renewals without also allowing new pass sales (i.e. their system is not set up to do that), so we will have to wait and see.

 

[Kenshin21]

I was also thinking precovid whenever we renewed our passes. They considered us a “renewal” even after it expired, we sometimes let the pass expire and waited till the next trip to get new ones and every time we did that the cast member used the term renewal. We all keep thinking they’ll announce something while most passes are active, we all will still be “renewing” after our expiration dates. While this is not ideal, I wouldn’t put it past Disney to wait till next year to announce a new pass and make us get tickets through the busy sept-Dec season. This especially after how fast oogie boogie tickets sold. They know the demand is still there. Also if they let everybody get a magic key again, I think everybody will flood the reservation calendar again like what happened last year and this is what they’re trying to avoid. Just my thoughts

 

[DLgal]

I was also thinking precovid whenever we renewed our passes. They considered us a “renewal” even after it expired, we sometimes let the pass expire and waited till the next trip to get new ones and every time we did that the cast member used the term renewal. We all keep thinking they’ll announce something while most passes are active, we all will still be “renewing” after our expiration dates. While this is not ideal, I wouldn’t put it past Disney to wait till next year to announce a new pass and make us get tickets through the busy sept-Dec season. This especially after how fast oogie boogie tickets sold. They know the demand is still there. Also if they let everybody get a magic key again, I think everybody will flood the reservation calendar again like what happened last year and this is what they’re trying to avoid. Just my thoughts

That's not really how it worked. You had to renew within the 40 day window before your pass expired. If you let it expire, they would keep your pass number in the system and link it back to you when you repurchased, but it would not technically be a renewal (it would have a new expiration date). They used to discount renewals. You would lose that discount if the pass expired before you renewed it.

With that said, there is a possibility that Disney is either shortening the renewal window OR having the window be on the back end of expiration, and will give people a block of time AFTER the pass expires to renew it.

My money is on shortening the renewal window to something like 10 days prior to expiration. My theory is they want to put pressure on people to renew. I also expect it to be a situation where you can renew into your current level or upgrade, but not downgrade. Downgrades will require the purchase of a new pass, which may not be an option immediately. This is just my speculation. I think Disney is going to do everything they can to entice people to renew and make it look like if you don't, you may never have a pass again.

 

[wowsmom]

At this time, there is no guarantee that new pass sales will resume, although there is speculation that Disney cannot allow renewals without also allowing new pass sales (i.e. their system is not set up to do that), so we will have to wait and see.

I really hope they will allow new sales - my son was away in MD for grad school for the last 2 years, so we didn't buy him a Key when we bought ours. I'd love for him to be able to visit the parks with us without having to buy tickets every time, especially since with my disabilities, we only tend to go for a few hours at a time. Can't really justify having to buy a ticket every week or two.

 

[Kenshin21]

With that said, there is a possibility that Disney is either shortening the renewal window OR having the window be on the back end of expiration, and will give people a block of time AFTER the pass expires to renew it.

My money is on shortening the renewal window to something like 10 days prior to expiration. My theory is they want to put pressure on people to renew. I also expect it to be a situation where you can renew into your current level or upgrade, but not downgrade. Downgrades will require the purchase of a new pass, which may not be an option immediately. This is just my speculation. I think Disney is going to do everything they can to entice people to renew and make it look like if you don't, you may never have a pass again.

This was my point. I do think they'll either have a shorter window or make it after expiration. But this does not solve the hording of the reservations as I speculate many have an expiration date around the end of Aug beginning of Sept. Which was the major issue I think they're trying to solve. Then again, it looks like they're having success with the 3 day ticket promo so why not milk it till the end of the holidays. They stopped selling Dream keys in November? Maybe they'll wait till around then.

 

[DLgal]

This was my point. I do think they'll either have a shorter window or make it after expiration. But this does not solve the hording of the reservations as I speculate many have an expiration date around the end of Aug beginning of Sept. Which was the major issue I think they're trying to solve. Then again, it looks like they're having success with the 3 day ticket promo so why not milk it till the end of the holidays. They stopped selling Dream keys in November? Maybe they'll wait till around then.

They won't risk losing all the current Magic Key holders. They need people to renew. They will alienate way too many people if they just don't allow renewals until 2023. People will take their money elsewhere. I know we will. Universal is opening up Super Mario World early next year. Disney needs to tread carefully.

 

[AndrewC]

I just can’t believe small stuff like Nintendo “world” would pull money away from the juggernaut that is Disney. The square footage and number of new attractions is just too low.

This might take a trip away from Disney while people rush off to try something new, but the kind of people that would be annual pass holders probably wouldn’t bail and suddenly be routine Universal guests, at least in California.

Florida is a totally different story but that’s less Nintendo and more Epic Universe.

 

[PirateBrigade]

At this time, there is no guarantee that new pass sales will resume, although there is speculation that Disney cannot allow renewals without also allowing new pass sales (i.e. their system is not set up to do that), so we will have to wait and see.

I gotta dig back in my AP brain for this one, but wasn't the original SoCal pass one that existing holders could continuously renew, but was often (almost always) not for sale to the general public? Or am I getting confused with something else?

 

[dina444444]

I gotta dig back in my AP brain for this one, but wasn't the original SoCal pass one that existing holders could continuously renew, but was often (almost always) not for sale to the general public? Or am I getting confused with something else?

Yes

 

[DizneyMommy]

At this time, there is no guarantee that new pass sales will resume, although there is speculation that Disney cannot allow renewals without also allowing new pass sales (i.e. their system is not set up to do that), so we will have to wait and see.

No, they are set up for that. Lots of times in the past there have been people grandfathered into old passes that were no longer for sale. Parking too. They can absolutely do it.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

I gotta dig back in my AP brain for this one, but wasn't the original SoCal pass one that existing holders could continuously renew, but was often (almost always) not for sale to the general public? Or am I getting confused with something else?

Yes, we had that pass for at least a couple years when it wasn’t on sale. We finally switched when the Flex Pass came out, which had far more value than that pass.

 

[DLgal]

No, they are set up for that. Lots of times in the past there have been people grandfathered into old passes that were no longer for sale. Parking too. They can absolutely do it.

They ended the old program, remember?

 

[bwvBound]

Yes, we had that pass for at least a couple years when it wasn’t on sale. We finally switched when the Flex Pass came out, which had far more value than that pass.

Same here! We loved our Flex Pass!