News Disneyland Magic Key Program

[mickEblu]

Didn't they just build Galaxy's Edge not two years ago? One of the most immersive and biggest lands in the entire resort? No offense but its always the same conversation. My guess is for the next 50 years, they will build high quality rides and lands at certain times and low quality things in others, just depending on what the situation or time call for like the last 65 years. It will never be one or the other. It's how we went from Rt 66 to CL in DCA.

They did. Ambitious but kind of missed its mark. Also could have been much greater if Chapek wasn’t around.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I feel like it's my solemn duty to add another out-of-stater view to this thread.

I know people will be disappointed when this likely ends up being a much more expensive and much less useful program than the old APs.

But, I'm inclined to say, suck it up! Those of us not in SoCal have lived with the through-the-roof costs and huge planning headaches of Disney visits for a very long time. With all the kindness I can muster, I welcome all "legacy" APs back to the world of economic reality. We've missed you.

I agree. A prerequisite to being a Disney theme park fan must be the ability to “suck it up” accept the constant changes and still visit.

“If they make it too expensive, no one will visit”, bla, bla, bla. NO, it does not matter the cost, quality, availability, folks will still visit.

In the highly unlikely situation where the Disney bean counters see enough of a change in the $$$ rolling in, that will change the program to something less of a rip off..

 

[Californian Elitist]

New Orleans Square is more immersive than Galaxy Edge.

Galaxy Edge isn’t very immersive, in my opinion.

 

[truecoat]

New Orleans Square is more immersive than Galaxy Edge.

Galaxy Edge isn’t very immersive, in my opinion.

Maybe they'll learn something from Avengers Community College and the inclusion of characters people actually want to see.

 

[CaptinEO]

New Orleans Square is more immersive than Galaxy Edge.

Galaxy Edge isn’t very immersive, in my opinion.

Yes, Galaxy's Edge is massive, not immersive.

 

[cmwade77]

*If* they order dinner, sure. But if their dinner is a tuna salad sandwich they bring in a lunch box, or a bag of Jack-in-the-Box they pick up on the drive over, Disney makes nothing. Each individual guest doing this isn't a problem, but collectively they add to wait times and general crowding, and dilute the guest experience for the "paying" customers.

I said, of they pop in just to BUY a churro or dinner and leave, this would imply they didn't bring dinner in sand aren't even going on rides.

 

[cmwade77]

The thing is, they Always increase the prices when there is a big new attraction. People seldom complain. Nobody complained at the jump in AP prices when Galaxy's Edge opened, because there was reason behind the increase.

With Reservations, Disney has complete control over crowds. They can adjust the # of available reservations on a day by day basis. They're simply trying to cut the # trying for reservations, rather than manipulating attendance themselves.

And there is nothing "super cheap" about admission to Disneyland. It and WDW are far and away the most expensive theme parks in the country. There is nothing "cheap" about buying a pass each year for $650 - $1,450. Multiply that by a family of 4, and you're talking about a couple of rent/mortgage payments.

People are more reasonable in dealing with these items than you might think. But this program is nothing like that, and goes too far, too fast. They are going from a top pass for roughly $1,400, that allowed admission 365 days a year, to a $3,000 pass that allows 48 admissions. And apparently, it's not simply 48 admissions for the year, it's going to be 4/month, and if you miss any along the way, you can't carry them over.

This is a money grab, pure and simple. Disney could have done a simpler program, like perhaps a # of reservations based Flex Pass, that would allow Disney to adjust each day's reservation availability, while still allowing people to visit more than a maximum # of times per month. It leaves me completely lost on why they instituted a Flex Pass in 2019, if they were planning on getting rid of the program over the short term. The Flex pass offered a great deal of "flexibility," but it also imposed no cap on # of visits you could have. If you wanted to come every day Monday-Thursday during January & February, the slowest months, you could.

There are 2 ways to achieve a certain $ of Sales. The Six Flags route of more passes at a lower price, or Disney's new practice of fewer passes at a higher price. This is why Disney probably will come out even. There are enough Disney addicts, who will pay the increased price, even though they're getting significantly less benefit than before. Leaving aside the crowdedness of the park, which is obviously a benefit. I guess it puts more of a premium on each individual visit, since you will be restricted on the # of visits you can have.

Coming full circle, the most striking example IMO, is that the top pass was $1,450 in 2020, and allowed one to visit every single day if they wanted. The top pass now, is supposedly $3,000, but caps # of visits at 48. That says money grab to me. But for Disney, even if they get half of those who had the Signature, they make the same amount of money.

If I had to guess, I'd say Disney will lose 40-50% of those who had AP's. If that was their goal, I feel they've achieved it with this new program.

Umm, unless I have missed something, Disney hadn't announced any details yet, we honestly don't know what it is going to look like.

 

[Stevek]

New Orleans Square is more immersive than Galaxy Edge.

Galaxy Edge isn’t very immersive, in my opinion.

As a big SW nerd, I feel incredibly immersed when I walk around. So much that I get overwhelmed trying to take it all in. But get that the experience isn't the same for everyone. And I've yet to experience either attraction.

 

[Stevek]

Maybe they'll learn something from Avengers Community College and the inclusion of characters people actually want to see.

There is a whole generation of kids/families that want to see Kylo Ren, Rey, etc. But they really just should throw the rules out the window and make it all SW character inclusive.

 

[Stevek]

This is a money grab, pure and simple.

Everything Disney does is a money grab...this one just happens to be a money grab with a bigger purpose of managing crowds while not losing money.

 

[truecoat]

There is a whole generation of kids/families that want to see Kylo Ren, Rey, etc. But they really just should throw the rules out the window and make it all SW character inclusive.

Yeah, not really.

 

[the_rich]

As a big SW nerd, I feel incredibly immersed when I walk around. So much that I get overwhelmed trying to take it all in. But get that the experience isn't the same for everyone. And I've yet to experience either attraction.

I've been and I loved it even with not being huge into star wars. I showed a friend some videos and he was about to cry. Bringing him in August and I'm anticipating him breaking down from being overwhelmed.

 

[Californian Elitist]

As a big SW nerd, I feel incredibly immersed when I walk around. So much that I get overwhelmed trying to take it all in. But get that the experience isn't the same for everyone. And I've yet to experience either attraction.

I’m happy others enjoy it. I found it to be quiet and dull. I don’t think I heard any of the classic Star Wars soundtrack at all throughout the entire area. Didn’t see one character either.

I’m sure it’s not as bad as Avengers Campus, but I’d argue Cars Land is the most immersive contemporary land of the three. Maybe even Buena Vista Street, too.

 

[mickEblu]

Maybe they'll learn something from Avengers Community College and the inclusion of characters people actually want to see.

But I hope they are implemented differently than how they are at AC. Having 15 simultaneous character meet and greets with (PRIMARY) face characters isn’t my idea of immersive. Give me more droids and aliens scattered in clever ways. Not Vi running from nothing or chewy starting at a ship. Put the alien band from the Tatooine cantina out in the walkways playing some tunes. Use some of that waste of space where the bantha mover was supposed to go for an indoor cave walk through with a holographic Yoda.

With all of that said Galaxies Edge is a million times better than Avengers Campus

 

[Stevek]

Yeah, not really.

So you don't think there are a group of kids and families that are in to the sequel trilogy characters? Okey dokey.

 

[Stevek]

I’m happy others enjoy it. I found it to be quiet and dull. I don’t think I heard any of the classic Star Wars soundtrack at all throughout the entire area. Didn’t see one character either.

I’m sure it’s not as bad as Avengers Campus, but I’d argue Cars Land is the most immersive contemporary land of the three. Maybe even Buena Vista Street, too.

Cars Land and BV street are amazing, no doubt.

 

[Supreme Leader]

But I hope they are implemented differently than how they are at AC. Having 15 simultaneous character meet and greets with (PRIMARY) face characters isn’t my idea of immersive. Give me more droids and aliens scattered in clever ways. Not Vi running from nothing or chewy starting at a ship. Put the alien band from the Tatooine cantina out in the walkways playing some tunes. Use some of that waste of space where the bantha mover was supposed to go for an indoor cave walk through with a holographic Yoda.

With all of that said Galaxies Edge is a million times better than Avengers Campus

Yes to all of it! Honestly, just having a few droids and aliens walking around would make it feel less 'empty' if that makes sense...

 

[SoCalDisneyLover]

Umm, unless I have missed something, Disney hadn't announced any details yet, we honestly don't know what it is going to look like.

I am going based on rumors I've heard, and more specifically, a rumor that someone told to Mondo last night on his stream, that Mondo confirmed matches up with what he's heard.

I imagine it will be very close to what is released, but we'll obviously know in about 3 hours, so there's no problem waiting until then. I'm expecting plenty of complaints once it's official.

 

[mickEblu]

Is it possible Disney leaks false info to lower expectations so people are pleasantly surprised when the program is announced?

 

[mikenatcity1]

Is it possible Disney leaks false info to lower expectations so people are pleasantly surprised when the program is announced?

It's possible! I mean, most of the "leaks" I heard about the reopening turned out to be false...