You Won’t See Nearly as Many Hardcore Disney Fans at Disneyland These Two Weeks

The last two weeks of the year at Disneyland is often ranked as one of the most crowded times to visit the park according to our Disneyland crowd calendar.

Not only do you have Christmas Eve and Christmas day that falls within that time frame but also New Year's Eve which is celebrated with a huge fireworks display and entertainment unique to that holiday.

Disney prepares for this time of year by limiting access to the theme parks which is why you won't see as many hardcore Disney fans or Disney influencers at the parks these next two weeks!

Magic Key Holders Blocked Out for Two Weeks

Disneyland's annual pass program members, Magic Key holders, are amongst the most hardcore Disney fans you'll find. The Magic Key holders are often locals that visit the parks frequently especially during the busy holiday season.

Magic Key passes come with a number of blockout dates with the most expensive pass, Inspire Key, having the least amount. But during this time of year, which we rank as one of the busiest times of the season, Magic Key holders are ALL blocked out December 23, 2024 through January 3, 2025.

A large number of Disney influencers, vloggers, and bloggers are all also Magic Key holders so you will see a noticeable lack of their presence in the parks during this time as well. Which is why it is so interesting that Disneyland did a surprise opening of the new Haunted Mansion store today on the first block out day for Magic Keys! This likely did help control any crowds in the store today especially since there will be far less people reporting on the surprise opening.

READ MORE- Disneyland Haunted Mansion Shop is Now Open, But We're Still Conflicted About One Key Part of the Design

Will Disneyland Be Less Crowded Without Magic Keys?

While we shouldn't expect any slow periods during this time, it is the busiest time of the year after all, there is a noticeable impact of no Magic Key holders being present in the parks.

So who is visiting Disneyland during this time then? You will see far more guests traveling from out of state to Disneyland along with some locals that decided to purchase a day ticket to access the park during this time whether they are Magic Key holders or not.

You will still notice large crowds especially within that time period of Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve. We should start seeing a slow down after New Year's Day with another large influx of crowds as Magic Key holders are allowed back in the parks. Magic Key holder reservations are already sold out for Disneyland Park January 4-7, 2025 which means you can expect a large upswing of locals during those dates. The Magic Key pass block outs are lifted in stages starting on January 4, 2025 with the Inspire Key with the rest of the passes allowed back in the park starting January 7, 2025.

Make sure to read through our Disneyland crowd calendar to see if any of your upcoming dates are impacted by Magic Key holders and the many other factors we take into account when estimating crowd levels.

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