Magic Key Purchase Timing – Aug. 25 or Wait?

[gpjacobs]

My family currently has a trip planned for October. I’m torn on when to purchase our Magic Key … we could adjust our vacation package to remove our Park Hopper tickets (we’ve only paid the deposit to date) and activate the key on our first day. Or we could keep everything as is and upgrade our tickets during our stay. As of today, park reservations are still available for our trip dates.

I’m weighing the pros and cons of purchasing keys on Aug. 25. There is only one con but it’s major: if COVID gets any worse, we’ll postpone/cancel the trip … and passes aren’t refundable. We currently have the option to cancel 30 days out with a full refund and up to two days prior with a $200 cancellation fee (which we could live with, if it REALLY came down to the wire).

The pros are: taking advantage of keyholder discounts during our stay and spreading our trip expenses out by using the payment plan (we’re CA residents). We also avoid wasting time during the trip at the ticket booths. And, to a lesser extent, we don't need to worry about our preferred pass tier selling out.

Anyone else in the same boat? Curious what others think, given the timing, circumstances, etc.

 

[ComeToSocialize]

You have one year to use the pass after you buy it - so as long as you think you'll go once by Aug 25, 2022, you're not at risk of wasting your pass even if you cancel this October trip (if the park closes again for COVID they'll certainly work something out to extend that date or refund). Presumably if you were going to get a Key, you'd be planning on coming back at least once by then?

Personally, I would be utterly shocked if they sold out of any of the Keys, with possible exception of the Imagine Socal pass. They'll control crowds by controlling number of reservation slots, not number of keys (i.e. they won't stop people from spending money). So I don't think that's a major risk. Bigger con of waiting is losing out on the payment plan and having to deal with ticket booth, which are real cons.

So I think it all depends on how confident you are you'll make a trip by Aug 25th 2022 in event you cancel this trip. If you're not 100% sure, you probably should wait...

Third option would be to wait until the last date you can cancel your park hoppers (30 days out, so sometime in Sept?) and then make the decision then. You'll have better visibility on COVID hopefully and would push your last chance to use the Keys back a few weeks. Although I don't know if you would then lose your existing park reservations when you make the switch from park hoppers to Keys...

 

[BGinCali]

I am in the same boat - though a December trip. I know I want a Key, but not sure if I can wait until closer to the trip to buy one (worried about selling out as well as Key reservations filling). I originally thought I would book reservations with a park hopper as soon as the dates opened, but if I upgrade at the ticket booth, I worry that for certain those Key reservations would already be filled!

I have not yet decided and keep going back and forth, reading everyone’s thoughts (and was hoping to glean some insight on how Key reservations go once that is live!). I am coming from out of state now, so main concern is travel restrictions.

 

[DizMe]

I am in the same boat - though a December trip. I know I want a Key, but not sure if I can wait until closer to the trip to buy one (worried about selling out as well as Key reservations filling). I originally thought I would book reservations with a park hopper as soon as the dates opened, but if I upgrade at the ticket booth, I worry that for certain those Key reservations would already be filled!

I have not yet decided and keep going back and forth, reading everyone’s thoughts (and was hoping to glean some insight on how Key reservations go once that is live!). I am coming from out of state now, so main concern is travel restrictions.

I'm having this same internal debate. I have a trip booked for Dec that includes tickets. I can start reserving days Aug 10. But what happens to my park reservations if I buy the Key when it goes on sale on Aug 25 and cancel the ticket part of my package? I will be going to DLR a couple of times before Dec so I'd like to use the key pass before my Dec trip.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I didn't notice how far in advance we can make reservations if we have a Key. With Flexpass, it was really short, like 30 days and I hated it. I was going to wait until I visited to buy a Key, but now I am rethinking that based on how far out we can book our visits.

 

[DizMe]

I didn't notice how far in advance we can make reservations if we have a Key. With Flexpass, it was really short, like 30 days and I hated it. I was going to wait until I visited to buy a Key, but now I am rethinking that based on how far out we can book our visits.

The irritating thing is that they haven't actually said how far out you can make reservations with a Key. There was some talk about 90 days, but that hasn't been corroborated with any official Disney announcement. I've thought I would make my park reservations Aug 10, 11, and 12 with the hopper tickets linked to my Dec package, buy the Key pass Aug 25 or so, see if I can get those park dates with the Key when that window opens up, and then cancel my ticket on the package. BUT...will I have to cancel the ticket BEFORE I make the reservations on my Key, as it will likely see that I've already got park reservations for those dates? And if I cancel the ticket and then lose the reservation for 1 or more days, what happens then? I don't want to pay for a 3-day hopper when I also have a pass, but I don't want to risk my Dec dates, either.

 

[FabDisneyFan]

I'm in the same boat! Ticket purchased for an October trip and wondering if I should just upgrade then or wait and purchase a Key some other time

One thing to keep in mind is that if you upgrade a ticket to a Key, you'll need to then pay the difference in full. No payment option. If you go with the Key from the start, then you have the perk of the payment plan (if a CA resident).

 

[gpjacobs]

OP here. I'm debating keeping a REALLY close eye of tickets sales on Aug. 25 and the days immediately following. If there are credible reports that keys are selling out, we'll likely purchase ASAP. If not, we'll continue with the wait and see approach.

If the pandemic wasn't a factor – and the reservation window was confirmed – buying a key the day they're released would be a no brainer.