MickeyBlog News for November 20th, 2022
Annual passes unexpectedly went back on sale at Disneyland Resort the other day. But, then, they stopped selling almost as quickly.
Disney continues to confound, and that’s the subject we’ll explore in the latest MickeyBlog News.
Annual Passes Are Were Back at Disneyland
Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder whether Disney is pranking us all. Unfortunately, this past week felt like a perfect example of such mind games.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Disneyland Resort announced the return of its Magic Key program.
Technically, the annual pass system never went away, as owners have used annual passes all year at Disneyland. The catch is that there aren’t many passholders.
That oddity exists because Disneyland stopped selling two of its Magic Keys last November. And those were the final two Magic Keys. Disney had already “sold out” the other two options.
So, for a calendar year, guests couldn’t buy annual passes at Disneyland Resort, a statement I wouldn’t have thought possible in 2019.
Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Disneyland knows that the locals comprise most of the daily guests.
Alas, that proved problematic during the pandemic. Disneyland officials switched to a new reservation system, one that required Park Passes for admission.
The 2021 version of the Magic Key program didn’t spell out some aspects of this chance.
Disney had promised in writing that Magic Key owners would gain access to exclusive Park Pass inventory. Unfortunately, the wording didn’t indicate how much.
When Disneyland annual passholders tried to book for the final quarter of 2021, they quickly discovered that most dates had sold out.
What good is an annual pass if you cannot get into the park that day?
A class action lawsuit occurred, one whose outcome has yet to be settled.
In truth, we may not determine an outcome for this legal matter for several years.
Concerned Disney executives temporarily put the kibosh on Magic Keys by listing them all as sold out. And that’s where we’ve stood for a year.
A 24-Hour Window
Suddenly, this past week, the situation changed literally overnight. First, management announced the return of Magic Key sales on Wednesday, November 16th.
Specifically, three of the previous four Magic Keys added availability for that date. Disneyland didn’t bring back Enchant Key sales for some reason.
Everything was up for grabs, but the whole exercise played out like a Black Friday trial run.
On Wednesday, excited Disneyland fans tried to fix the problem they’d faced for a calendar year. They hurriedly scooped up new Magic Keys.
Alas, both the Believe and Imagine Keys apparently included limited inventory. I say this because each one sold out during the first 24 hours.
Yes, if you happened to be unavailable on November 16th, you missed your shot for this year.
As ridiculous as this statement sounds, the Believe and Imagine Key are no longer available for purchase.
Thankfully, you can renew either one if you’re a current passholder.
Otherwise, you may be out of luck until November 2023. Am I joking about that? I don’t even know! Disneyland has proven wildly unpredictable on this matter.
When management announced the return of Magic Keys, there was no mention of limited availability.
Had guests known, I’m confident they would have acted more quickly/more determinedly.
Instead, these poor unfortunate souls are likely stuck buying single-day Disneyland admission for another year.
Disney released an official statement explaining the decision:
“While we know this will be disappointing news to Disneyland fans, it’s important that we help protect the experience for Magic Key holders and the value those passes provide.”
Related News…
Walt Disney World fans should pay close attention to what I’m about to say.
Given what has transpired, we can draw some conclusions based on Disney’s other announcement.
Park officials acknowledged that Walt Disney World annual passes won’t go back on sale in 2022.
However – and this is the crucial part – they WILL return in 2023. So, based on what just happened, y’all should check MickeyBlog relentlessly.
We will let you know when these annual passes are available once again.
If Walt Disney World follows the Disneyland release pattern, the 2023 annual passes could be on sale for as little as ONE DAY!
For this reason, you must keep an eye on our website and social channels to ensure you don’t miss your window to buy annual passes.
This chance legitimately may not come around for another year, and I’d feel terrible if you missed out. As things stand, Disneyland fans are stuck in limbo for another year.
The news on the West Coast isn’t all bad, though. There is a bright side to what just happened.
Some lucky Disneyland visitors now own annual passes, something that wasn’t true a week ago at this time.
Also, Disneyland Resort just confirmed that Mickey’s Toontown will officially reopen in its new form on March 8th, 2023.
This update means that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will actually open six weeks before the rest of the themed land, which I find interesting.
As a reminder, Disney already confirmed that Runaway Railway starts on the same day as Disneyland’s centennial celebration, January 27th.
So, you’ll have two reasons to visit during the first quarter of 2022!
Miscellaneous Disney News
Happy holidays, everyone! Our American friends will be eating turkey with loved ones in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, at Walt Disney World, the Christmas conversion is nearly complete. We’ve got some old stuff like the Alien Swirling Saucers holiday music:
Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar is up and running as well:
We’ve got new holiday features coming soon, too!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will introduce its Holiday Rewind on November 25th, which is Black Friday.
Meanwhile, the Fab50 statues will do this:
Holiday magic activate! 🤩 Disney Fab 50 character sculptures and MagicBand+ are getting a sprinkle of festive sounds and designs just in time for the holidays at @WaltDisneyWorld! ✨❄️ (Available for a limited-time.) #DisneyWorld50 pic.twitter.com/8tZuobIf99
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) November 18, 2022
In other (admittedly weird) news, annual passholders recently discovered new gold MagicBand kiosks at the park entrances. They’re…very shiny.
We’ve also got a new entry to the Mobile Ordering lineup. You can order popcorn at Kat Saka’s Kettle via Mobile Ordering now.
At Disney’s Blizzard Beach, the new Frozen theming is now available, and it’s delightful! Still, MickeyBlog’s favorite part is this.
Our friends at ResortTV1 can show you the rest!
Finally, Disney won a well-deserved THEA for its work on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. It’s a big deal in the theme park industry.
Disney’s category victory came in “brand experience.” It’s also the only Central Florida park to win anything this year.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving, everyone! You deserve a great holiday!