ANAHEIM, Calif. — After scrapping its very popular annual pass program earlier this year, Disneyland Resort has unveiled four new options for people who want to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure frequently.

Disney unveiled a new annual pass program Tuesday called Magic Key that will range in price from the lowest, $399 per person, for midweek visits to the Dream Key, priced at $1,399 for visits any day of the year, merchandise discounts, and free parking. 

What You Need To Know

  • After scrapping their annual pass program, Disney unveiled a new yearly pass option

  • The Magic Key program gives Disney fanatics four different options and ranges in price from $399 to $1,399 

  • Walt Disney World will also have its own new annual pass program to be unveiled later this month 

  • Managing annual passholders has been a challenge for Disney, but the program has also given the company consistent cash flow 

Disney officials said that all visits will now require advance reservations.

Here is a full breakdown of the Magic Key program:

Imagine Key ($399):

  • Only for SoCal residents
  • Good for both theme parks
  • Mainly midweek, with some Friday visits through the year, and blocks out most of June, July, August, and the Christmas holiday
  • 10% off select merchandise and dining

Enchant Key ($649):

  • Mostly Monday to Friday with a sprinkling of available weekend dates throughout the year
  • Visitors are blocked out most of June, July, and half of August, as well as the Christmas holiday
  • Ten percent off select merchandise and dining

Believe Key ($949):

  • Suitable for most dates, including weekends, except Thanksgiving holiday, Christmas week, Spring Break in April, and select Saturdays and other holiday weekends
  • Ten percent off select merchandise and dining
  • Half off parking. (Full price parking is $25)

Dream Key ($1,399):

  • Good for visits any day of the year 
  • Twenty percent off select merchandise and 15% off select dining
  • Includes parking

"Today, we are excited to share the next evolution of the Disneyland Resort Annual Pass program, which was informed and shaped by extensive consumer research and feedback from guests and fans," wrote Michael Ramirez, public relations director at Disneyland Resort on the Disney Parks Blog. 

Walt Disney World will also offer new pass sales at the start of their 50th anniversary, Disney officials said. Later this month, Walt Disney World Resort officials will share additional information and details on their new pass program.

The Magic Key program comes eight months after Disney canceled its popular annual passes and announced a replacement due to the coronavirus pandemic's uncertainty.

Though Disney has never officially given its annual passholder numbers, several news sites have reported more than 1 million yearly passholders to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

The Orange County Register, citing UBS financial analysts, reported that annual passholders made up half of Disneyland's attendance.

According to the Themed Entertainment Association, a nonprofit that tracks theme park attendance figures, in 2019, Disneyland brought in more than 18.6 million visitors before the pandemic. Disney California Adventure's attendance was 9.8 million that same year.

Striking that right balance between catering to out-of-town tourists, who spend the most money at the parks, and annual passholders has always been a challenge for Disney officials. 

Because of their sheer number, annual passholders through the years have been blamed for everything from overcrowding Disneyland, unruly behavior to buying exclusive merchandise and reselling them on sites like eBay for a profit.  

But the AP program also brought in a consistent revenue stream and cash flow for Disney. 

Disney has steadily increased annual passes in recent years. Yearly passes at Disneyland ranged from $419 for Southern California residents, which blocked out visits during the weekend and holidays, to $1,449, which had no black-out dates and included parking, among other amenities. 

Unlike their previous annual pass program, which gave visitors six different yearly visit options, the Magic Key only has four options.

Additionally, Disney continues to operate under reduced capacity due to the pandemic and will require every visitor, from regular ticket buyers to Magic Key passholders, to reserve the date of their visit. 

One point of contention among theme park insiders will continue with the new program. Like the AP program, Southern California residents can purchase a Magic Key pass with an initial deposit and monthly installments with no interest.

Some Disney fans believed that eliminating the monthly pass option would dwindle the number of people who buy an annual pass.​ But that will remain to be seen with the new program.

Sales for the Magic Key program begin Aug. 25.