Nine months after it was introduced, the Magic Key annual pass system at Disneyland Resort isn’t available for any new customers.
Sales for the four-tier system have been paused in phases. The top tier pass, the $1,400 Dream Key, has been considered sold out since October 2021. The next tier down, the $950 Believe Key, was similarly sold out in November. Then on Tuesday, guests lost their last two Magic Key options: the $650 Enchant Key and the $399, Southern-California-only Imagine Key, as new sales have been suspended for both.
When the passes come up for renewal later this year, existing Magic Keyholders will be able to renew. Other guests will only be able to purchase single- or multi-day tickets. Disney announced a summer ticket discount for California residents along with the Magic Key pause, costing $250 for a three-day, one-park-per-day ticket good for Mondays through Thursdays and $300 on the weekends.
Disneyland had tried for years to winnow its large annual passholder base with price increases, without much success. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the yearlong shutdown of the resort provided Disney the opportunity to cancel all passes in January 2021.
The replacement Magic Key program provided fewer benefits and more blockout dates, along with the requirement to obtain theme park reservations in order to visit.
That led one passholder to file a lawsuit against Disney, claiming that the company “appears to be limiting the number of reservations available to Dream Key passholders on any given day in order to maximize the number of single day and other passes that Disney can sell.” The case is still pending.