I have chosen to not renew my magic key annual pass for Disneyland in California this year but have found it to be worth it for the past few years. We will likely buy magic keys (Disneyland annual pass) again within a year or two, but right now we need to save the money and are focusing on other activities for my children. One of the big factors that went into our decision is that our youngest is turning three next month and so we would have to buy him his own magic key (yes, he’s been free until now!) In case anyone else is considering buying magic key passes for your family, here are some things to consider:
Ultimately, it comes down to how often you would be able to go, and being local obviously plays a large factor in that (although there are lots of magic key holders that are multiple hours away from Disneyland and even states away). Depending on which of the four magic keys you get, it can be cheaper than day tickets in just four days. If you are able to take your toddlers (or homeschooled children!) during the weekdays, you can get the cheapest pass which helps make it worth it. If I could only go on the weekends we wouldn’t be able to have a magic key as the top one is out of my price range. If you plan two or more multi-day trips to Disneyland, a magic key can definitely save you some money even if you live far away. Being able to go more often can help a lot when taking a toddler, so you can do shorter days and being able to take advantage of lower-crowd days.
They go on sale at different times throughout the year and are not always being sold. There are four different levels of keys (at different price points with different blockout dates and different perks) and sometimes only certain levels are being sold. You have to watch Disneyland’s page to see when they are being sold, and which ones. You can compare the four different magic key levels and watch for the sale dates here: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/magic-key/ (the only exception to this is that you can purchase a magic key for your child when they turn 3, if you have one, so that you can still go as a family, but then they will have a different expiration date. I have had this inconvenience, so now our family’s magic keys have three different expiration dates. This has to be done within 60 days of them turning 3 and only at the physical ticket booths with proof of their birthday)
I have found that my magic key has been worth it especially if your child is younger than 3 years old, because they gain entrance for free until they turn 3. So, I count it as getting entrance for two or three of us when I’m just paying for my pass and getting my toddlers into Disneyland for free (sadly, this season is ending for me and now all three of my children will need their own magic key). Since I’m local, I know I can have multiple trips to Disneyland and so there is a lot less pressure to “do it all” in a single day. This makes for a more pleasant day for both me and my children, because we can just do what we feel like and if they don’t want to that day we can leave it for another time. I am, however, a full-blown Disney adult and get so much joy from going, and even more so in seeing my children enjoy the magic of Disneyland.
There are also a few perks and random freebies they offer to magic key holders, which I really enjoy. The largest of this is that it is a park hopper, meaning you can gain entrance to Disneyland and California Adventure and go between the parks as much as you want as long as you have a park reservation that day (you are limited to one of the parks before 11am, but afterwards you can switch between them). This park-hopper perk is about a $60 add-on to a normal day ticket. Another monetary benefit is that you get merchandise and dining discounts with your magic key pass, and there are parking discounts included as well. These discounts vary depending on which magic key pass you buy. In the past they have offered free magnets, pins, and reusable shopping bags on certain specific days if you visit the park at that time. It doesn’t add much monetary value to the pass, but is a fun perk.
If you need help planning your Disneyland trip, I can help! I have created a free spreadsheet in Google Sheets to help my email subscribers maximize their magical trip to Disneyland. Once you become an email subscriber (use the handy box on the right), you will receive an email with a link to my resource library with various Disneyland resources, including my PDF of tips, downloadable Google planning sheets, Disneyland scavenger hunts, and more! For a sneak peek and more info on my planning sheets, click here. You may also be interested in my posts on taking a toddler to Disneyland, packing a diaper bag for Disneyland, or my other Disneyland posts.
