News Disneyland Magic Key Program

fctiger

Well-Known Member
It's interesting that we can talk about these amazing "low" prices, that are really just about the same prices as before with - as you said - fewer actual benefits attached.

But, offering less for more is definitely not new. They'd slowly been raising prices and hacking away at benefits for years even before the pandemic. Probably the most accurate thing you can say about the "rebrand" is that it's just a moderate acceleration, where the rumors had indicated there might be a more drastic one.

Exactly! Many were worried that Disney was going to shoot the price up to a crazy level. On Reddit, people were actually thinking the passes were going to be around $2,000 minimum and NOT unlimited passes either. The day before the Key was announced, people were downright bitter over there lol. Many were thinking the worst.

So when they released it to find it was basically around the same cost as before but some of the passes had a bit more black out dates people thought they just been given a bargain instead.
 

cmwade77

Well-Known Member
I think we will see benefits added based on how much money you spend in the parks during the year. For example, for every $500 your spend after discounts, but before tax, you get a "anytime" ticket that can be used even when reservations are full or if it.is a blackout date for lower tiers. I can see things like this happening, as it would encourage spending money while providing a perceived benefit.
 

cmwade77

Well-Known Member
Exactly! Many were worried that Disney was going to shoot the price up to a crazy level. On Reddit, people were actually thinking the passes were going to be around $2,000 minimum and NOT unlimited passes either. The day before the Key was announced, people were downright bitter over there lol. Many were thinking the worst.

So when they released it to find it was basically around the same cost as before but some of the passes had a bit more black out dates people thought they just been given a bargain instead.
Exactly, which is why Disney likely leaked the higher prices themselves to begin with.
 

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
Using our California 3 day tickets, wondering if we'd want Magic Key passes if we stay in the area. Yesterday's visit to Disneyland reminded me of how far the current experience is from what it was in March 2020. Everyone was amazed at how low the prices are with these passes (compared to expectations), but I'm of the opinion that you're getting much, much less for it. I really felt the lack of fastpass. We used to get a fastpass and then go enjoy a show, or eat, or shop, or do something outside of wait in line, but now you feel like you have to wait in lines all the time if you want to make the most of your trip.

I think the fact that they're trying to pressure people into buying these passes within 66 days to get a special trinket says a lot. Gotta get people locked in before they think too hard about it.
But then you have days like Sunday where no line was more than 30 minutes and both Rise of the Resistance and Webslingers had boarding group availability more than 3 hours after the second wave. Thursday and Friday were decent in the parks- some lines got longer, but many were hovering around 30-45 minutes. I can tell you that at WDW I would jump for joy at those lines...at Disneyland, I look and say no thank you for the wait (of 30 minutes...I felt spoiled and entitled when I said that to my friends). The thing with FP is that if you didn't use it, the lines would be so much longer. Not everyone could/wanted to use FP, especially with the charge for MaxPass.
 

James Clifton

Active Member
Stevek,
Good point!! I stand by my statement! People(in this case)get taken because they don't realize they ARE being taken! It's like the old shell game....pick the shell with the pea....person THINKS he knows....BUT it's a con! There is so much info coming from Disney...I admit I'm confused.....Disney promotes this MAGIC KEY as an answer to ALL the problematic questions!! I'm gonna wait until all the dust settles & see what the final deal is! ME...I miss the old FLORIDA RESIDENT PASS ! Something to remember ...Disney(after Walt) has NEVER given something for nothing....in gambling HOUSE "ALWAYS" wins....Disney plays by that rule.....its business!
Stevek....you agree or disagree??
 

Anjin

Well-Known Member
Why aren't the key on the logo and the pin parallel?!? I'm assuming that whoever did that hates me personally.
 

Sailor310

Well-Known Member
You know, I'm pretty burned out on the the parks, and the gang I used to go with every Tues has split up, but seeing that I could have gotten on ROR Sunday makes me wonder if it'd be worth it to get the pass early and enjoy some light crowds before everyone gets one.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
im in. I know this site hates disney parks but I cant wait to start going with my gf on a monthly basis.
688D07B2-3D0A-42B7-B760-159D2723C575.gif
 

jprusso

New Member
Referencing unlimited days for 1399.00 Thats the Dream Key.......there is no "unlimited" as long as they have the reservation system. The Dream Key has the max limit of "Hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time for different dates." You can only get a reservation if there is one available or you need to book out. There has been times that I had to book out MK and HS 2 months in advance which tied up two of my reservations. Nothing was ever available day of. Are they controlling park attendance to balance revenue streams? Are they limiting local frequent visitors (AP holders) to limit congestion? Are they finding another way to squeeze more from the consumer while limiting costs? The Platinum Pass at WDW is 1200 with a limit of three reservations. The only way to get more is by staying on site. I'm DVC and I can tell you they are booked solid 12 months out. They only option is to wait list. Bu then when i comes through you need to hope that there are park reservations available.

They also discontinued all parades since they are not profit centers. They have construction occurring during park hours to save on labor costs. They have placed permanent Giant barges in the middle of World showcase lagoon. There is talk that they will be ending the AP free parking. Product prices are 30% inside Galaxy Edge. The issue with releasing movies on Disney Plus and in theaters violating actor contracts. They are so disconnected. Only worried about the bottom line.
 

dovetail65

Well-Known Member
A couple of points.

A. It's not just the fact that Disneyland needs discount admission and more to the reality Disneyland has just gotten too expensive to go! The day tickets have gotten insane
I disagree about the entrance cost at Disneyland being outrageous or insanely expensive. Entrance fees at Disneyland may not be dirt cheap, but let me play Devils advocate for a minute.

Parking cost half that in many places just to visit. I once paid 25 bucks to park a few years back for an emergency dental trip in that area. My kid told me the other day he paid 45.00 for a one day ticket for Six Flags Magic Mountain(I told him he was stupid pay 79 for a season pass). For me Disney is easily worth triple that. I believe Disneyland is 104.00 for one day, so I do not consider Disneyland's daily cost out of line, definitely not crazy expensive. It amazes me people living in an area that cost outrageous amount to live believe going to a theme park that cost so much to build, with so many renovations and upgrades, cost to much to enter. Not to mention the people that live in that area are all for giving everyone 15 an hour as a minimum with no schooling or training, then cry foul Disneyland cost too much to enter at 104.00. Having to pay every person as a START 15 an hour, I wonder how they will make any money to begin with in the coming years.

My son lives in CA, he tells me the other day he went out for Sushi with friends. He went with 3 others and the bill was over 500 bucks. It doesn't matter what they had. My point is the cost did not phase him and apparently it does not phase the people that live in that area that stand in line for that place either. 2.5 hours for a meal that cost more than a day at Disneyland does not seem out of the ordinary there, even for locals. I can go and on with examples showing what entertainment cost there. Some entertainment is cheaper, but for the most part Disneyland is on par in costs with other entertainment in that area, many could say Disneyland is a better value. My daughter was there in CA recently and went surfing, it was 65 bucks for 1.5 hours then she, went parasailing it cost her 62 bucks for 45 minutes, they rented little scooters in Venice Beach and they stayed on the scooter so long they broke 100 bucks a person. They took a bus tour to see all the LA scene that cost her 65 for 4 hours, that was probably one of the better deals for her. I told her she should of went to Disneyland it would of cost less. She said well my brother(who lives in Studio City) didn't want to go to Disneyland so they went to Universal, it cost them 110.00 each for that day at Universal. Why should Disneyland cost less than Universal? Apparently Disney is cheaper than Universal right now.

I am not rich and have said many times I have six kids, so no one needs explain to me that 104.00 isn't a substantial amount. A day at the park for me cost over 800.00. That being said, the entrance fee being expensive does not mean it is not worth it or a bad value. I am not even arguing that it is not a lot of money, it certainly is, but the entrance fee has to make it a viable profitable business. I personally can't see how the Disney entrance fee could be much less money and be viable, especially in that area. Disneyland does offer the AP in the new Magic Key formula, looking at the prices it seems to me and as expensive as Magic key is, Disney is trying to give locals the best price they can. I could only imagine what garbage Disneyland would be or look like if it cost 50.00 a day.
 
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Ryan120420

Well-Known Member
I disagree about the entrance cost at Disneyland being outrageous or insanely expensive. Entrance fees at Disneyland may not be dirt cheap, but let me play Devils advocate for a minute.

Parking cost half that in many places just to visit. I once paid 25 bucks to park a few years back for an emergency dental trip in that area. My kid told me the other day he paid 45.00 for a one day ticket for Six Flags Magic Mountain(I told him he was stupid pay 79 for a season pass). For me Disney is easily worth triple that. I believe Disneyland is 104.00 for one day, so I do not consider Disneyland's daily cost out of line, definitely not crazy expensive. It amazes me people living in an area that cost outrageous amount to live believe going to a theme park that cost so much to build, with so many renovations and upgrades, cost to much to enter. Not to mention the people that live in that area are all for giving everyone 15 an hour as a minimum with no schooling or training, then cry foul Disneyland cost too much to enter at 104.00. Having to pay every person as a START 15 an hour, I wonder how they will make any money to begin with in the coming years.

My son lives in CA, he tells me the other day he went out for Sushi with friends. He went with 3 others and the bill was over 500 bucks. It doesn't matter what they had. My point is the cost did not phase him and apparently it does not phase the people that live in that area that stand in line for that place either. 2.5 hours for a meal that cost more than a day at Disneyland does not seem out of the ordinary there, even for locals. I can go and on with examples showing what entertainment cost there. Some entertainment is cheaper, but for the most part Disneyland is on par in costs with other entertainment in that area, many could say Disneyland is a better value. My daughter was there in CA recently and went surfing, it was 65 bucks for 1.5 hours then she, went parasailing it cost her 62 bucks for 45 minutes, they rented little scooters in Venice Beach and they stayed on the scooter so long they broke 100 bucks a person. They took a bus tour to see all the LA scene that cost her 65 for 4 hours, that was probably one of the better deals for her. I told her she should of went to Disneyland it would of cost less. She said well my brother(who lives in Studio City) didn't want to go to Disneyland so they went to Universal, it cost them 110.00 each for that day at Universal. Why should Disneyland cost less than Universal? Apparently Disney is cheaper than Universal right now.

I am not rich and have said many times I have six kids, so no one needs explain to me that 104.00 isn't a substantial amount. A day at the park for me cost over 800.00. That being said, the entrance fee being expensive does not mean it is not worth it or a bad value. I am not even arguing that it is not a lot of money, it certainly is, but the entrance fee has make it a viable profitable business. I personally can't see how the Disney entrance fee could be much less money and be viable, especially in that area. Disneyland does offer the AP in the new Magic Key formula, looking at the prices it seems to me and as expensive as Magic key is, Disney is trying to give locals the best price they can. I could only imagine what garbage Disneyland would be or look like if it cost 50.00 a day.

$104 for Disneyland is the base ticket, and only around 21 days of the year it's that price. . It is not $104 right now. It's $114-$154 depending on the day.

Universal is $99-$139 depending on the date and where you buy the ticket.
 

dovetail65

Well-Known Member
$104 for Disneyland is the base ticket, and only around 21 days of the year it's that price. . It is not $104 right now. It's $114-$154 depending on the day.

Universal is $99-$139 depending on the date and where you buy the ticket.
The off season pricing at Disney tends to follow pricing everywhere else. All I can do is compare day to day as I make a post. If Disney and Universal are low priced the hotels are generally lower a bit too. I believe my main point still remains valid.
 

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
Referencing unlimited days for 1399.00 Thats the Dream Key.......there is no "unlimited" as long as they have the reservation system. The Dream Key has the max limit of "Hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time for different dates." You can only get a reservation if there is one available or you need to book out. There has been times that I had to book out MK and HS 2 months in advance which tied up two of my reservations. Nothing was ever available day of. Are they controlling park attendance to balance revenue streams? Are they limiting local frequent visitors (AP holders) to limit congestion? Are they finding another way to squeeze more from the consumer while limiting costs? The Platinum Pass at WDW is 1200 with a limit of three reservations. The only way to get more is by staying on site. I'm DVC and I can tell you they are booked solid 12 months out. They only option is to wait list. Bu then when i comes through you need to hope that there are park reservations available.

They also discontinued all parades since they are not profit centers. They have construction occurring during park hours to save on labor costs. They have placed permanent Giant barges in the middle of World showcase lagoon. There is talk that they will be ending the AP free parking. Product prices are 30% inside Galaxy Edge. The issue with releasing movies on Disney Plus and in theaters violating actor contracts. They are so disconnected. Only worried about the bottom line.
I'm holding out hope that the premier pass will return (pass for both DL and WDW).
 

fctiger

Well-Known Member
I disagree about the entrance cost at Disneyland being outrageous or insanely expensive. Entrance fees at Disneyland may not be dirt cheap, but let me play Devils advocate for a minute.

Parking cost half that in many places just to visit. I once paid 25 bucks to park a few years back for an emergency dental trip in that area. My kid told me the other day he paid 45.00 for a one day ticket for Six Flags Magic Mountain(I told him he was stupid pay 79 for a season pass). For me Disney is easily worth triple that. I believe Disneyland is 104.00 for one day, so I do not consider Disneyland's daily cost out of line, definitely not crazy expensive. It amazes me people living in an area that cost outrageous amount to live believe going to a theme park that cost so much to build, with so many renovations and upgrades, cost to much to enter. Not to mention the people that live in that area are all for giving everyone 15 an hour as a minimum with no schooling or training, then cry foul Disneyland cost too much to enter at 104.00. Having to pay every person as a START 15 an hour, I wonder how they will make any money to begin with in the coming years.

My son lives in CA, he tells me the other day he went out for Sushi with friends. He went with 3 others and the bill was over 500 bucks. It doesn't matter what they had. My point is the cost did not phase him and apparently it does not phase the people that live in that area that stand in line for that place either. 2.5 hours for a meal that cost more than a day at Disneyland does not seem out of the ordinary there, even for locals. I can go and on with examples showing what entertainment cost there. Some entertainment is cheaper, but for the most part Disneyland is on par in costs with other entertainment in that area, many could say Disneyland is a better value. My daughter was there in CA recently and went surfing, it was 65 bucks for 1.5 hours then she, went parasailing it cost her 62 bucks for 45 minutes, they rented little scooters in Venice Beach and they stayed on the scooter so long they broke 100 bucks a person. They took a bus tour to see all the LA scene that cost her 65 for 4 hours, that was probably one of the better deals for her. I told her she should of went to Disneyland it would of cost less. She said well my brother(who lives in Studio City) didn't want to go to Disneyland so they went to Universal, it cost them 110.00 each for that day at Universal. Why should Disneyland cost less than Universal? Apparently Disney is cheaper than Universal right now.

I am not rich and have said many times I have six kids, so no one needs explain to me that 104.00 isn't a substantial amount. A day at the park for me cost over 800.00. That being said, the entrance fee being expensive does not mean it is not worth it or a bad value. I am not even arguing that it is not a lot of money, it certainly is, but the entrance fee has to make it a viable profitable business. I personally can't see how the Disney entrance fee could be much less money and be viable, especially in that area. Disneyland does offer the AP in the new Magic Key formula, looking at the prices it seems to me and as expensive as Magic key is, Disney is trying to give locals the best price they can. I could only imagine what garbage Disneyland would be or look like if it cost 50.00 a day.

Well I was referring to their most expensive ticket, a tier 5 ticket which is $154 on the busiest days. And in the summer, $104 tickets are pretty rare, usually on Mon-Wed. Looking at the calendar the only days for that in August is only 3-4 days and again on the weekday. Everything else is $114 and above. On Saturday and Sundays the tickets are between $139-154. And yes those are usually the only days I can visit most of the time.

But of course every one is different. If you feel the passes aren't that bad, that's great. I just personally think they've gone crazy with it. AND, again, what's funny is not once did you mention DCA lol. That's also $154 on the busiest days. Do you think that is worth it too? Very curious on your answer with that. If so, great, but I think seeing how less and less the one day passes are selling now, the hardcore had their fill and it's going to be harder to move those passes, hence another reason the APs are coming back.
 

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