Magic Key Passes for Purchase Announced at Disney: Read all about the Prices, Tiers, Perks and more
Purchase your Magic Key passes soon!
UPDATE: ALL MAGIC KEY PASSES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON APRIL 11, 2023
Disney announced today that all four Magic Key passes (i.e., Inspire, Believe, Enchant and Imagine) will be made available for purchase on April 11, 2023 ! Here is your chance Mouseketeer friends to enjoy the magic of Disney all year round. You can purchase your pass no earlier than 9 am PST! Sign up here to get your personal reminder to your inbox with the link to take some of the stress out! đđťââď¸
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What are the tiers available for Magic Key Passes?
Sadly, the price has increased a bit and there are a few changes. For instance, those who currently have the Dream Key will not be able to renew for the exact Dream Key they had before. Instead, the highest tier for the Magic Key is now called the “Inspire Key.”
Here are the breakdowns of each Magic Key – images are courtesy of Disney.com.
What is the difference between the tiers for the Magic Key passes?
The new Inspire Magic Key – $1599
- Blackout dates only between December 21st and January 1st
- Up to 6 theme park reservations at a time
- Includes the photo pass
- 20% off Disney Genie+
- Up to 20% discount on selected merchandise in the parks
- Up to 15% off certain dining packages
- Free standard parking
The new Believe Magic Key – $1099
- 43 total blackout dates
- Up to 6 theme park reservations at a time
- Includes the photo pass
- 20% off Disney Genie+
- Up to 10% discount on selected merchandise in the parks
- Up to 10% off certain dining packages
- 50% off standard parking
The new Enchant Magic Key – $699
- 154 total blackout dates
- Up to 4 theme park reservations at a time
- Includes the photo pass
- 20% off Disney Genie+
- Up to 10% discount on selected merchandise in the parks
- Up to 10% off certain dining packages
- 25% off standard parking
The new Imagine Magic Key – $449
- 192 total blackout dates (no weekends at all)
- Up to 2 theme park reservations at a time
- Includes the photo pass
- 20% off Disney Genie+
- Up to 10% discount on selected merchandise in the parks
- Up to 10% of certain dining packages
- 25% off standard parking
How do I use my Magic Key pass?
Plan your reservations accordingly also, as Disney has a no-show policy. If you make a reservation and don’t show up to the parks 3 separate times within a 90 day timeframe, you will be unable to make another reservation for 30 days. So make sure you only make a reservation when you know you will be able to show up. If you need to cancel, be sure to cancel no later than 11:59pm the day before the reservation date.
What do I need to know about renewals for my Magic Key pass?
Renewing a Disney Magic Key is only possible if you are already a Magic Key holder. If your Magic Key has expired or if you don’t currently have one, you’ll have to purchase one. Furthermore, if you own a Magic Key at any tiered level, this does not guarantee that you will be able to make reservations for the days you may want to visit the Disney parks per Disney’s reported terms and conditions.
Here is a chat I had with a Disney representative today (April 10, 2023) about what it would look like to upgrade to a higher tier as an existing Magic Key holder. This was what I was told, in case you are in this situation.
Are you currently concerned about renewing your magic key because you have previously used a multiday ticket and used that to upgrade to a magic key? If so, you may be one of the few guests who must contact Disney Magic Key Holder Services (at 714-781-7277) in order to continue with processing the magic key renewal as it will be based on an individual case by case basis. Be sure not to delay with contacting Disney Magic Key Holder Services otherwise you risk being unable to renew your key if not done.
If you are concerned about a member in your party who will be turning age 3 during the process of renewal, which would then merit purchasing a ticket or Magic Key, we recommend contacting Disney Magic Key Holder Services (at 714-781-7277) to inquire whether this may be the exception to the rule of a new guest purchasing this Magic Key program.
So what Disney Magic Key should you get?
Whether your upgrading, downgrading, renewing or purchasing a new Magic Key (when it’s open to general non-keyholders), it’s important to consider which key is best for you. Ask yourself: how many times do you think you will go to Disneyland in one year? How important is going on weekends? During holidays?
On average, a park-hopper ticket (which allows you to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure Park) costs about $160 per person per day if purchased individually. If you plan on only going for multiple days in a row, perhaps just buying individual tickets would be your best option. After all, your individual tickets will get cheaper if you purchase them for multiple days in a row. However, if you plan on going multiple times throughout the year, perhaps a Magic Key may be your best option.
You should get the Inspire Magic Key if:
- You plan on going to Disneyland at least 12 times per year. The Inspire Key costs roughly about the same as buying 12 individual tickets. That’s once a month. However, if you plan on going multiple times a month or perhaps multiple times a week, the Inspire Key may be your best choice.
- You plan on going to Disneyland around the holidays. The Inspire Key has the least amount of blackout dates in the year. The only blackout dates that the Inspire Key has are between December 21st and January 1st. So Christmas and New Years aren’t covered by any of the Magic Keys. You will have to buy standard tickets for those. If you plan on going for any of the other Holidays, this is the key for you.
- Free parking is very important to you. Parking adds up. If you plan on going to the park more than 12 times in a year, that would be at least 12 parking fees that would add up – even if they are discounted.
You should get the Believe Key if:
- You plan on going to Disneyland at least 7 times per year. The Believe Key breaks even after only 7 trips.
- You like going to Disneyland on the weekends. The Believe Key has a good amount of blackout dates but the vast majority of weekends are open (with the exception of Saturdays in December and July as well as a couple scattered weekends throughout the year.)
- You want discounted parking. That 50% parking discount is pretty nice. Disney parking is typically $30 per day so cutting that in half will help your wallet so you can buy more churros.
You should get the Enchant Key if:
- You plan on going to Disneyland at least 5 times per year. This key is for people who want to visit the parks a few times per year.
- You plan on going to Disneyland during mostly the weekdays. There are only a few Saturdays in January, February, and March available with the Enchant Key.
- Holidays aren’t that important to you. There are large chunks of blackout dates in a couple weeks in November, December, April, June, July and August.
You should get the Imagine Key if:
- You plan on going to Disneyland at least 3 times per year. This is the lowest tier of the Magic Key which can still get you some bang for your buck if you are able to navigate the blackout dates.
- You plan on going to Disneyland during ONLY weekdays. No weekends are available with the Imagine Key. In fact, there are a bunch of Fridays are blacked out as well. No holidays either. This key is great for people who definitely want to see the parks a few times in the year, are able to go during weekdays and aren’t picky about events.
Also, if you are a California resident, you are able to purchase or renew your Magic Keys in monthly installments. If you are not a California resident, you have to purchase or renew your Magic Key in full.
If none of the Magic Key options seem to be a good fit for you, consider checking out our partners with Get Away Today to help you plan and save for your next Disney vacation.
If you’re also wondering about whether or not the Disney Genie+ service is a good fit for you during your visit to the Disney Parks, check out this article to help you make your decision.
So when can we renew our Disney Magic Keys?
For those of us who are current Magic Key holders, we will have priority for renewal for the new tiered system for the Magic Key pass program. This was confirmed after investigation and contact with a customer support cast member on the Disneyland website and this is what I was told back in 2022.
Current Magic Key holders within their renewal window have the opportunity to renew into one of the available passes beginning August 18, 2022, no earlier than 9 a.m. PST (subject to pass availability which may change from time to time). There are no new Magic Key sales currently available while we prioritize renewals.
Subject to availability, you may be able to purchase a Magic Key but there are no guarantees of being able to return to your previous tier purchased. It all depends on the number of guests upgrading, staying at the same level tier, or downgrading to a lower level tier.
April 11, 2023 at 9 am PST IS THE CURRENT RENEWAL DATE AND TIME at the time of this update. Mark your calendars and set your alarms, Mouseketeers, get ready to have another year filled with Disney magic!
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