Is the Disneyland Magic Key Worth It? A Mother-Daughter Perspective

✨ Angela's Thoughts on the Magic Key

In 2022, after the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad year of 2021, I bought Magic Keys for myself, my mom, and my kids. Before the pandemic, Disneyland had Annual Passes, but when the parks reopened, they introduced the Magic Key program instead.

A Little Backstory...

Funny side note: We were at Disneyland the last week before it closed for the pandemic. We had arrived on Sunday, March 8, 2020 (my grandma’s birthday), and even though we weren’t planning to, we couldn’t help ourselves so we used one of our five-day tickets that night. This was before reservations were required, so we kept going back, visiting Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

On Thursday, March 12, we took a break. That morning, I went down to the ticket booth to see about converting our tickets into Annual Passes. I wanted to surprise my mom with a trip later that year after Thanksgiving (more later on how that took us three year). I decided to think it over, which turned out to be a good call because later that day, Disneyland announced they were closing the parks indefinitely.

I still remember that moment clearly: The boys were lying on the hotel beds building Legos, I was laying on a heating pad (because five park days in a row is no joke!), and it was pouring rain outside. The second we heard the news, my mom jumped up and said:

"We have to go to the parks!"

I told her there was no way on God’s green earth that I would be able to get off my heating pad. Still, she called down to the front desk, who assured her they would be open the next day. To escape the news, we headed to the hot tub in the pouring rain, drank wine, and just soaked it all in.

So, Back to Magic Keys...

In 2022, I finally pulled the trigger and bought Magic Keys. One nice thing about them is that your pass doesn’t activate until the first day you use it (as long as it’s within a year of purchase). That meant my boys actually got three trips out of theirs before it expired!

When renewal time came, the prices had gone up (and keep going up), so we decided not to renew the boys' passes. Once-a-year trip makes it more magical for them.

But for Mom and me? We were hooked. Having a Magic Key made us feel like we had the freedom to go whenever we wanted... well, kind of.

Every year, when renewal comes around, we hem and haw because, honestly, the prices keep increasing, and there are no real added benefits.

• In 2022, I bought the Enchant Key for $649.

• Now, that same pass costs $974.

  
  

It also blacks out a lot of days—including Mother’s Day weekend, when Mom and I love to go together.

In 2024, we originally planned to skip Magic Keys. Then, we thought we’d buy just one for the discounts… and somehow, we ended up upgrading to the Believe Key. That’s just typical us.

Do I Think the Magic Key Is Worth It?

Overall, yes.

According to Disneyland’s records, we visited 16 days last year, which made it worth the cost. I also love the discounts on food and merchandise and that PhotoPass is included.

But, I do wish there were more perks, especially for out-of-state guests. Disneyland’s Magic Key benefits seem geared toward locals—and since we live two states away, we always have to fly and get a hotel.

Some things I’d love to see:

✅ Special perks for out-of-state passholders

✅ Wider food discount coverage (why no churro stand discounts?)

✅ Better Magic Key-exclusive merchandise (because, let’s be honest, it’s not cute)

✅ Maybe a Companion Ticket offer (like Alaska Airlines)

Do we keep renewing? Yes.For now…

✨ Mom's Thoughts on the Magic Key

I’m a fan. If you visit more than twice a year, a Magic Key pretty much pays for itself. I also like that they’re park hopper passes—it makes it easy to move between Disneyland and California Adventure without much planning.

The discounts are nice, even though they don’t apply everywhere. I especially like the Magic Key Terrace, a quiet little spot where Key holders can take a break, people-watch, and get a good view of the parades. It’s a nice perk, especially in the afternoon when the parks start feeling crowded.

One of the best parts of having a Magic Key is the flexibility. We’ve made a few last-minute trips just because we had the option, and that makes it feel worth it. But really, the biggest reason I love it is that it gives me more time with Angela and my grandsons. The trips themselves are great, but the memories we make together are what matter most.

Every year, we debate whether we’ll renew. The prices keep going up, and we try to convince ourselves if its worth it. And yet, just like last time, we hesitated… and then upgraded to the next level.

Sounds about right.