Disneyland Considers New Magic Key Annual Pass Benefits For Pass Holders in Survey

Disneyland surveys can be a great opportunity to learn what Disney is thinking behind the scenes about potential new offerings and discounts. While these survey questions don’t necessarily offer any guarantees, they provide valuable insight into what Disney is considering.

Recently, Magic Key holders were sent a survey that included hints at new benefits Disney might be considering for their Magic Key annual passholder program and some of these are pretty exciting if they came to fruition. At Mickey Visit we are Magic Key Annual Pass Holders are are frequently in the parks and tuned into the latest news like this.

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Disneyland Considers More Lightning Lane Offerings for Magic Keys

Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean entrance

The survey asked two questions about the potential of Lightning Lane offerings for Magic Key holders that are pretty exciting.

Disney Parks Survey Screenshot

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One question asked if Magic Key holders would be interested in a “limited number of Lightning Lane selections included with their pass” and another question inquired if keyholders would be interested in the “ability to purchase annual Lightning Lane Multi Pass options” instead of buying each visit.

Disney Parks Survey Screenshot

This would be a huge perk for Magic Key annual passholders since there are currently no discounts or included access to Lightning Lane at Disneyland with the pass, except for limited discounts at certain times of the year. Magic Key holders haven’t had an option to add on any versions of Disneyland’s “skip the line” service since this version of the annual pass debuted.

During the MaxPass iteration of the skip-the-line service that was offered starting in 2018 the top tier pass holders had the service included and other pass holders could add the offering for $125 per year. This was a very different time so we would expect the price to be far higher to add today, but it is notable that it was previously offered.

Disney Looks to Improve Reservation Options

crowds at Disneyland Park in front of Haunted Mansion

Disneyland reservations for Magic Key Holders have been an issue in recent months, where reservation dates are snapped up quickly and become unavailable. While it doesn’t happen all the time, many pass holders have complained about an inability to be spontaneous about trips and that they are often locked out of the parks on dates that they would like to be visiting.

One solution that Disneyland presents in the survey is if a pass included “more reservation days,” which means that a pass holder could hold more dates at any one time so they could plan further in advance. Currently, the highest level of pass allows for holding six reservation dates at a time and the lowest level pass only allows for two reservation dates.

The survey we saw did not ask about the impact of having reservations themselves be more readily available.

Magic Key Survey Hints at Deeper Discounts and Freebies

Most of the questions on the Magic Key survey focused on a variation of more discounts being included in passes like:

  • Ability to purchase a discounted food & beverage card at time of Magic Key purchase
  • Food and beverage card included with purchase of Magic Key pass
  • Deeper discounts for merchandise and dining
  • Option for kid pricing ages 3-9 for Magic Key passes
  • Option to purchase an annual parking pass
  • More benefits or discounts from other Disney, but non-Disneyland, experiences
  • More special keepsakes provided for being a Magic Key Holder

Out of all these survey questions, those that stick out the most are the possibility of a food & beverage card and kid pricing for annual passes. The lower pricing for kids’ Magic Key passes would be quite appealing for families as the cost of purchasing annual passes for an entire family is extremely expensive.

Could Disneyland Lower Down Payments Like Disney World?

Magic Key survey
Disney Parks Survey Screenshot

Recently, we saw Walt Disney World annual pass monthly payment lowered down to just $99 per month and increased monthly payments as a result. So it’s no surprise to see Disneyland might be considering the same with this survey question gauging interest for Disneyland.

The survey question here gives an example of a down payment of $189 reduced to $100 with a higher monthly payment. This would be a big draw for enticing more guests into purchasing a Magic Key pass.

Do Magic Key Holders Need More Special Events?

Magic Key special prop Women's History Month at Disneyland

Lastly, the survey asked two questions related to more special events for Magic Key passholders. These questions referred to the possibility for “special pre-opening or after-hours magic key events” at Downtown Disney, the Disneyland hotels, and theme parks.

Another question asked about interest for the chance for “more early access opportunities” for merchandise, attraction, and dining sneak peaks.

While Magic Key holders are given plenty of perks for special events, the possibility of access to events that took place before park opening or after-hours would be something truly different. This type of exclusive access would be a hit amongst annual passholders.

It would be something really special if there was a special early showing of the Paint the Night Parade at Disneyland just for Magic Key Pass Holders before it debuts during the 70th Anniversary at Disneyland or other similar exciting preview events. This would have a similar excitement to the previews offered for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when that attraction opened early for previews for Magic Key Pass Holders.

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About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay has been recognized as a Disney expert since 2017 and has been featured by outlets including CNBC, SFGate, NerdWallet, and Visit Anaheim. She visits Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando multiple times each year, giving her first hand insight into park operations, seasonal trends, crowd patterns, and touring strategies.

Her experience also extends to Disney Cruise Line, where she has sailed on every class of ship, visited both of Disney’s private islands, and participated in specialty sailings such as Marvel Day at Sea and Very MerryTime cruises. This depth of travel allows her to provide practical, data informed guidance across Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, Universal theme parks, and related destinations.

As Content Director of Mickey Visit, Lindsay oversees editorial strategy and daily content, leading a team of writers who produce timely news coverage and general planning content. She leads the development and analysis of Mickey Visit’s crowd calendars, applying expert insight into crowd behavior, seasonal trends, and park operations. Lindsay writes touring plans, authors in depth reviews, and offers expert analysis on Disney experiences, while also analyzing the best and worst days to visit. She serves as an expert on Disney discounts, tracking and evaluating ticket offers, hotel promotions, and seasonal deals. She comes from a lifelong Disney family, has been visiting Disneyland since the 1990s, and is even in the middle of planning a Disney Cruise Line wedding.

3 comments

  1. I appreciate the Magic Key pass news.
    Having moved to California from Florida I was shocked that the Inspire Pass is substantially more for two parks compared to WDW’s four parks.

    • Florida doesn’t have the 19 million people living close by problem. There’s quite a few reasons why we don’t get the perks that exist out there.

  2. I just want your birthday to be a no blockout date no matter if it’s peak or not. Passholders should never be turned away on their birthday

Comments are closed.

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