Magic Key Sales Reopened as Disney100 Nears

The Disney100 event officially starts on January 27th. However, Disneyland Resort wasn’t willing to wait another week to reveal its first surprise. 

Annual passes have once again gone on sale! Let’s talk about what’s happening and what you should expect during Disney100 at the Happiest Place on Earth. 

Magic Keys Available for a Limited Time

In 2022, Disneyland Resort stopped the sale of its annual pass program, Magic Key. Then, on one random date, the passes went back on sale for what proved to be about 24 hours. 

The move made little sense at the time, but Disney officials indicated that this tactic had become the new normal. Management wanted to avoid overwhelming Disney’s web servers due to a rush for Magic Key purchases.

So, Disney promised that Magic Keys would open for sale on various unannounced dates in 2023. Well, we just entered one of those rare booking windows.

On Tuesday, January 17th, Disneyland fans suddenly noticed Magic Key availability within the system. Disneyland Resort had reopened the sales window for some Magic Keys.

NEW: Disneyland is preparing to resume new sales of select Magic Key annual passes today (Jan. 17).

The Magic Key sales queue link is live. https://t.co/er96cqr0LG pic.twitter.com/hIZIXOULYd

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) January 17, 2023

Guests could purchase the Imagine Key for $449, the Believe Key for $1,099, or the Inspire Key for $1,599. Park officials didn’t allow new sales for the $699 Enchant Key, but current passholders could renew those annual passes as well. 

Disney later clarified its new policy for Magic Key sales. They will occur intermittently throughout 2023 to reduce server stress. 

The rules are as follows. The booking window will open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). All sales pause at 10 p.m. PST before reopening at 9 a.m. the following morning.

What happens if/when you join the line queue before 10 p.m. but don’t book before closing? Disney has suggested that guests should keep their browser windows open.

The following morning at 9 a.m., you will maintain your current place in the line queue as long as you don’t close your browser. If you do shut it down, you must start at the back of the line again. 

Sales could end at any moment. So, you must hurry to buy a Magic Key!

Disney100 Begins Next Week 

The Walt Disney Company technically doesn’t turn 100 until October 16th. However, Disney will kickstart its birthday party on January 27th.

That date marks the beginning of two new nighttime presentations as well. World of Color – One will anchor the night at Disney California Adventure, while Wondrous Journeys will hold down the fort at Disneyland Park. 

Disney has promised an entirely new song called Start a Wave for World of Color – One. As for Wondrous Journeys, it will pay tribute to every Walt Disney Animation Studios release to date. You’ll want to plan your visit around watching both events.

The other presentation of note is the returning Magic Happens Parade. We haven’t watched this parade since the pandemic started. Unfortunately, it suffered the incredibly poor timing of debuting on February 27th, 2020. 

Then, Disney had no choice but to end Magic Happens on March 12th, 2020. So, this will be the first time that most guests watch this parade. It’ll officially return on February 24th. 

That’s another important note regarding the entire event. Disney will rotate several opening dates to keep the celebration fresh and new throughout 2023.

For example, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens at Disneyland Park on January 27th. The rest of the rebooted Mickey’s Toontown won’t return until March 8th, 2023. 

Coming to Disneyland Later This Year

Disney will also shut down two locales in anticipation of re-theming them by the end of 2023. This move represents part of the implementation of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as a permanent attraction installation.

The French Market and the Mint Julep Bar will close on February 17th. Before the year ends, Tiana’s Palace will open as a Quick Service restaurant themed like the eatery in The Princess and the Frog. 

At some point in 2023, Splash Mountain will also close permanently at Disneyland Park. The company hasn’t announced an official end date for Disneyland yet, but we do know that the Magic Kingdom version closes on January 23rd. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t debut until 2024, though.

Another upcoming arrival at Disneyland Resort is the new DVC expansion tower, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel. It’s a 280,000-square-foot standalone facility that will dramatically expand DVC’s Disneyland inventory the day it opens. 

Similarly, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is currently re-theming into a Pixar-centric facility. Disney has already opened a direct walking path from the hotel to Disney California Adventure. 

While I don’t think it’ll debut in 2023, Disney is simultaneously converting Pixar Pier into San Fransokyo, the futuristic city in Big Hero Six. So, it’s safe to say that you will find plenty to do during the Disney100 event at Disneyland Resort!

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