Disneyland Magic Key holders, here is the renewal information you've been waiting for. Just released by the Disneyland Resort, Magic Key renewals will open this Thursday, August 18, at no earlier than 9am Pacific Time.
So what will you be getting - and for how much - with these renewals?
Yes, Disneyland has raised prices - up $200 on the top-tier annual pass, $150 on the next tier, and up $50 on the bottom two tiers. But all tiers now will be getting 20% off the Disney Genie+ line-skipping upgrade, which takes the cost down from $20 to $16 per person per day. (Disney Genie+ can be activated once you enter the park on your Magic Key pass.) Disneyland also is adding a free Photopass benefit for the top two tiers of Magic Key.
But there's one huge change to the program that will affect Disneyland's most loyal customers.
The top-tier Dream Key officially has been withdrawn and will be replaced by the new Inspire Key. The Inspire Key will have the same benefits as the Dream Key, plus the new Photopass and Genie Plus benefits. However, the Inspire Key will have blockout dates around the Christmas and New Year's holidays, unlike the unblocked Dream Key.
The second-most-expensive Believe Key also is getting the free Photopass benefit. In addition, the Enchant and Imagine Keys will be getting 25% off parking fees at the Toy Story Parking Area. Parking is discounted 50% on the Believe tier and will be free at the Inspire tier.
Magic Key holders will be allowed to renew into any of the four tier levels, subject to availability. Yes, Disneyland said that it may close certain tiers to renewals, based upon demand. So if you really want to renew your Magic Key, Disneyland is pushing you to do it ASAP. Advance reservations will continue to be required to enter the park on a Magic Key pass, and the number of reservations a Magic Key holder may hold at one time on each tier has not changed.
And, no, if you do not have a Magic Key pass already, you still cannot buy one at any tier. Disneyland only will be accepting renewals at this time.
Here are the four tiers of Disneyland's Magic Key annual passes, along with their new prices:
Inspire Key - $1,599, up from $1,399 for the now-retired Dream Key: Hold up to six reservations at once. Discounts: 20% off select merchandise and 15% off select food and beverage. Free parking and free Photopass downloads, plus 20% off Disney Genie+.
Believe Key - $1099, up from $949: Hold up to six reservations. Discounts: 10% off select merchandise, food and beverage, plus 50% off parking. Free Photopass downloads and 20% off Disney Genie+.
Enchant Key - $699, up from $649: Hold up to four reservations. Discounts: 10% off select merchandise, food and beverage, plus 25% off parking at Toy Story and 20% off Disney Genie+.
Imagine Key (Southern California residents only) - $449, up from $399: Hold up to two reservations. Discounts: 10% off select merchandise, food and beverage, plus 25% off parking at Toy Story and 20% off Disney Genie+.
The less expensive the key, the more blockout dates - during which you cannot make reservations to enter the parks. And again, all Magic Key tiers now are subject to at least some blockout dates. Of course, that means that visitors on day tickets no longer have to contend with any Magic Key holders in the parks between Christmas and New Year's.
Monthly payment plans will continue to be available for renewing guests who live in California: $133.25 a month for the Inspire key, $91.59 per month for Believe, $58.25 a month for Enchant, and $37.42 per month for Imagine. Again, the Imagine Key is available only to Southern California residents.
New benefits for each tier level will take effect starting August 18, except for the Photopass benefit, which Disneyland says is "coming soon." In addition to the tier-specific benefits, all Disneyland Magic Key holders can get access to the Magic Key Terrace at Disney California Adventure, as well as special photo ops and merchandise drops, as well as early bird access to tickets for special events such as Oogie Boogie Bash (which is sold out for this year).
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Magic Key holders looking to renew should just remember that Chapek views them as “undesirable”.
The word was unfavorable, and that's the subject of my Orange County Register column this week.
Yeah, slightly different connotation, but still should make people think twice when the boss publicly announces that the company doesn’t really like this program or the guests that have bought into it.
We’re still unlikely to renew, but honestly this isn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The middle tower passes are about what I expect to pay for this — and getting some kind of a break on the Genie+ service and parking is a bonus.
I’ve noticed that many are happy about the discount Genie+ perk: That is bait and Bob Chapek knew you were going to take it.
With more than 50% of the people purchasing Genie+, as they disclosed last week, Genie+ effectively makes you pay to wait in the standby, while people who refuse to be extorted may not even be allowed to ride at all. They've killed fastpass and you have to pay to stand in standby, things were better when there were no line-jumping passes at all.
I know we can't use curse words on this cite, so I'll just it's some absolute motherscratching bullshade.
I know Chapek announced 50% uses Genie+, but is that 50% at both parks, or perhaps a higher percentage at Disney World that, when averaged with Disneyland, is 50%? I suspect the latter as getting more than a few rides at WDW with Genie+ (other than at MK) is rare whereas it is reported that Genie+ users at Disneyland can skip from ride to ride for many hours with little or no wait.
That’s what I’ve heard as well Twobits. I think WDW users were so conditioned to use FP+, Genie+ is seen as a necessity to mimic previous experiences, which has significantly decreased the value of the system: Disney even had to modify their marketing for the system to lower expectations for how many attractions guests can expect to secure LL reservations for in a day (dropped from 3-5 to 2-3 earlier this year). Also, just like FP+, as more guests get experience with the system, more strategies are emerging to get the most value out of the system. However, there just isn’t a lot of flexibility with Genie+, and if you’re not willing to grab your first LL at 7 am, you’re almost certainly NOT going to get a LL for the park’s top attraction.
Genie+ at DL seems to behave very similarly to MaxPass aside from the 1 LL per attraction per day restriction.
An $1100 annual pass where you still pay 50% of the parking fee each visit. How can you not love that ?
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Wow!
If having the ability to ‘hold reservations’ listed as a privilege doesn’t show the absolute might and power of Disney’s brand over the theme park business I don’t know what does?!