Disney has introduced the Magic Key program, a new, guest-centric offering that will deliver choice, flexibility and value for park admission, special access to unique experiences, valuable saving opportunities and so much more. There will be four options of Magic Key passes, to provide for different guests and families.

Here’s a brief overview about the various Magic Key passes with more information on Disneyland.com:

The theme park reservation system is a cornerstone component of the Magic Key program as part of Disney’s efforts to help provide a great experience for all guests. Magic Key holders will make advanced reservations to enjoy Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park on available dates, and be able to hold a certain number of upcoming reservations (depending on the pass type).

Magic Key holders will have access to an array of special offerings and many features, such as valuable saving opportunities for merchandise and food & beverage. Throughout the year, they may also be able to enjoy special benefits such as a dedicated dining experience and custom menu items at the Magic Key terrace, special offerings at festivals just for Magic Key holders, a Magic Key holder celebration month, plus other unique surprises!

What’s more, Disney will be introducing an all-new Magic Key portal on the Disneyland app to more deeply engage directly with the community of Magic Key holders in the future.

Starting August 25, 2021 (no earlier than 10 a.m. PT), guests will be able to purchase their preferred Magic Key pass type. Their first opportunity to visit Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park with a theme park reservation will be that same day!

A monthly payment plan exclusively for California residents will be offered—which continues to be a priority for our guests of Disneyland Resort. Magic Key passes start as low as $399 or $19/month for 12 months**** (for Southern California residents, and after a down payment).

Guests will be able to purchase and manage their Magic Key pass through Disneyland.com and the Disneyland app, where they will be able to access an interactive admission calendar for their pass type to view reservation availability and book their theme park reservations.

Commentary

We’ll keep this concise because I view almost all of this as good news! This is the news we’ve been waiting 7 months for and it did not disappoint! While there were rumors and concerns over Disneyland offering AP’s ever again or at least until 2022, these options seem very familiar. The California Pass is not much different than what was previously offered. Same goes for Enchant Key and Disneyland’s former Flex Pass. There may be a few more blackout dates than previous incarnations but they share more similarities than differences.

The same is true with the more expensive tiers of passes. Yes, everything has to have reservations. That’s the way of the world now and likely will be for the rest of time. That said, it shouldn’t be terribly hard for guests with the most expensive passes to get into the park.

As for if you should buy the pass or take a wait and see approach, I’d recommend buying on August 25th when they first become available. These first few months will be the time when the least amount of people have passes and reservations should be most readily available! We are so excited to have Disneyland Annual Passes back even if it’s under a new name and with a slightly different format. The prices didn’t increase much, if at all, and I’m happy with the rollout.

What do you think of Magic Key? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Interested in a trip to Disneyland Resort? Check out our Planning Guide to help you along the way! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!