Disney has announced that Magic Key Annual Pass sales will once again resume for Disneyland and California Adventure in November 2024! This post covers the starting date & time, pricing details, virtual queue info, past precedent, and everything else you might want to know.
As a quick recap, Disneyland Resort has resumed sales of Magic Keys several times in the last few years. They seem to be utilizing the “Disney Vault” strategy at this point, attempting to generate FOMO and artificial scarcity. Thus far in 2024, Magic Key sales have resumed twice–in January and March. Since then, all tiers of Magic Keys have been sold out and “available for renewal only.”
This is noteworthy because whenever there’s been a long gap between Magic Key sales or they resume before or during the holiday season, there’s an astronomical amount of pent-up demand. We mention this because both of those variables will be in play this time.
The last time there were similar circumstances, sales were incredibly short-lived. After only a couple days of sales–complete with a virtual queue to access the sales page with a wait time of 8 to 10 hours–Disneyland suspended all Magic Key sales once again, and didn’t resume until the following January. (For reference, waits were 3-4 hours then.)
Fast-forward to the lead-up to Christmas 2024, and Disneyland is once again going to resume sales of Magic Keys on Wednesday, November 6, 2024!
All 4 pass types will be available for purchase while supplies last. The online queue opens no earlier than 8:45 AM Pacific Time, and sales begin no earlier than 9:00 AM Pacific Time.
Here’s a breakdown of current vs. past prices:
- Inspire Magic Key: $1,749 (was $1,649)
- Believe Magic Key: $1,374 (was $1,249)
- Enchant Magic Key: $974 (was $849)
- Imagine Magic Key: $599 (was $499)
Note that Disneyland Increased Prices on Park Tickets, Annual Passes & Lightning Lanes just a few weeks ago, in early October. This was despite Magic Keys not being available for purchase. Prices will likely go up again in October 2025, just as they did in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
For everything else you need to know about Disneyland’s Annual Passholder program before you purchase, see our comprehensive Guide to Disneyland Magic Key Annual Pass: 2024 Prices, Perks, Blockout Dates & Discounts.
As always, Magic Keys are subject to selling out and there’s likely to be a lengthy virtual queue when AP sales resume.
Given the lengthy virtual queue and how quickly sales were paused the last few times they went on sale, you should absolutely join the virtual queue ASAP once it goes live. All of the predictions and speculation above are fun in theory, but that’s what I’d actually do if I didn’t already have a Magic Key.
In reality, how long Magic Key sales will continue is anyone’s guess. The downside of trying to buy on November 6, 2024 is that you might be in a virtual queue for 8-10 hours versus ~15 minutes if you instead wait until the following morning at 6 am. The downside of waiting until then is that sales may have already concluded.
The good news is that Disneyland is going to once again use the ‘notify me’ feature for the virtual queue, so you don’t need to have your eyes glued to a screen all day long, waiting for your turn to come up. Here’s how that’ll work, according to Disneyland…
You Can Be Notified by Email When It’s Your Turn for an Opportunity to Purchase (Optional) – If you choose to submit your email address and opt in to being notified by email when it’s your turn, you’ll receive 2 separate emails containing a unique link. Be sure to confirm the receipt of the first email before closing your browser window. If you don’t receive that first email, check your spam folder for it. If you still don’t see it, re-enter your email address again from the waiting room page.
- First email – Selecting the link in the first email will allow you to check your place in the queue until it’s your turn. You can use the link multiple times to check your status in the queue before it’s your turn.
- Second email – You’ll receive a second email notifying you that your turn for an opportunity to purchase a Magic Key pass is approaching.
From the time your turn begins, you’ll have 10 minutes to use the link to return to the site or you’ll lose your place in line and will need to rejoin the queue. When it’s your turn, you’ll only be able to use your unique link once. The link will no longer work after you use it, whether you purchase a pass or not. So, please be prepared to select your Magic Key pass and check out once you open the link. If you miss your turn, you’ll need to rejoin the queue.
Editorializing, I’ve tested out this system for other special event tickets and it works as advertised. Nevertheless, the big issue, at least from my perspective, is that I don’t always get instant email notifications on my phone when I receive an email. Perhaps this is a personal problem, but this system would be far more useful for me if it offered a text-message notification.
Here are other tips to prepare for Magic Key sales, courtesy of Disneyland…
- You may want to add and save a preferred credit card in your MyDisney account. If you’re a California resident, make sure the credit card has a California billing address in order to use it for monthly payments.
- A limit of $1,000 from a Disney Gift Card can also be used as a method of payment online when you pay in full for a new pass. Only one Disney Gift Card can be used per transaction, so if you have multiple gift cards, combine them in advance. Disney Gift Cards cannot be used to purchase renewals at this time.
Prepare Required Party Information – Each Magic Key pass must be assigned to an individual at the time of purchase (maximum of 10 passes). Passes may not be reassigned after purchase. You will need to provide the following information for each person in your party:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Phone number (Guests 18 years of age and older)
- Email (Guests 18 years of age and older)
Ticket Upgrades – Eligible Disneyland Resort theme park tickets may be upgraded to an available Magic Key pass while passes are available for sale, subject to restrictions.
Pass Upgrades – A current Magic Key pass may be upgraded to an available higher pass type for the remainder of its pass year. The difference in purchase price between the 2 passes must be paid in full at the time of upgrade. The expiration date of the Magic Key pass will not change. Passes may be upgraded at the Disneyland Resort ticket booth only, while passes are available for sale. Please note that you might encounter a wait at the ticket booth.
Sign In – Sign in to your MyDisney account before visiting the Magic Key page.
- If you were previously signed in to your MyDisney account, it may help to sign out and then sign in again before attempting to purchase.
- California residents who are signed in will be able to view monthly payment options.
Enter the Waiting Room to Purchase on November 6, 2024, No Earlier Than 8:45 AM Pacific Time
- Enter the waiting room to purchase a Magic Key pass via the “Purchase Magic Key Passes” link on the Magic Key page.
- When you arrive in the waiting room for the sale, no earlier than 8:45 AM Pacific Time, you will be automatically added to the queue. Sales will begin no earlier than 9:00 AM Pacific Time.
- The quantity of passes and pass types available for upgrade or purchase may be limited or unavailable from time to time or at any given time, and updates to pass availability will be displayed on the waiting room page.
- Estimated wait times may fluctuate throughout the sales event. You will see an estimated wait time in the waiting room.
- While you’re in the waiting room, you may be able to sign up to receive an email notification when it’s your turn to purchase. More details on this option will be shared on the waiting room screen.
- Entry to the waiting room does not guarantee the opportunity to purchase a pass.
Keep Your Waiting Room Browser Tab Open – Running multiple browser tabs or manually refreshing the page may remove you from the waiting room. If you are removed, you will have to re-enter the queue at the back of the line.
It’s also wise to copy your unique queue ID (it’s in the URL). This URL/ID can be transferred to other browsers or devices, allowing you to maintain your place in line. This can be especially handy if the virtual queue is several hours long, and you start out on your work computer but then want to transfer to your mobile device or whatever. (Been there, done that!)
Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Magic Key pass purchases going forward. Will there be another virtual queue lasting well into the evening or even the following day? Will APs sell out in 1-2 days? Or, have many locals finally gotten their Disney “fix” (or were most able to purchase APs when they were on sale last year)? Will the higher prices result in a significant number of people being priced out, or is there an insatiable desire for all things Disney among locals? Will former Magic Key Passholders take a wait and see approach, or will the ‘Disney Vault’ perceived scarcity strategy spike sales even further?
As we’ve said in countless posts, it’s still our belief that things aren’t too far from normalizing. (You might call it wishful–or delusional–thinking!) After learning from the drop-off in demand at Walt Disney World last year after revenge travel ran its course, Disney has done a good job of avoiding a repeat of that same scenario at Disneyland in 2024. (If you’re wondering about the year discrepancy, it’s due to pent-up demand lagging at Disneyland by about a year as compared to Walt Disney World. That’s in turn due to California “reopening” later than Florida. This is all according to Disney’s earning calls, not speculation by us.)
This is probably precisely why Disneyland is proactively offering the 2025 kids ticket deal, is bringing back Paint the Night parade in 2025, and pulling other “levers” to keep packing the parks. Again, we’re still expecting a return to normal (or closer to it) at some point, but honestly, that may not happen with the next year. Between Paint the Night and Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary, it could be a big year for the California parks–and we’d expect Magic Key demand and sales to reflect that.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
Your Thoughts
Surprised that Disneyland is resuming Magic Key sales right before the busy Christmas season? Will you buying an Annual Pass or not? If so, which one? If not, why not? If you’re an existing Magic Keyholder, have you had difficulty making Disneyland park reservations? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
