How to beat the hourslong wait for Disneyland Magic Key annual passes

Among theme park fans, Disneyland’s Magic Key annual passes are among the rarest and most coveted purchases. Since the park’s pandemic closure, Magic Keys have been extremely limited, only going on sale a handful of times, with some passes selling out almost immediately and sales of others ending after only a short window. That’s why so many Disneyphiles are eagerly awaiting Jan. 10, the day Magic Key sales will resume for the first time since November 2022. 

And here’s a little secret: There’s a way you can get your Magic Key without too long of a wait. 

Every time tickets go on sale for a new Disneyland event like Oogie Boogie Bash or Disney Channel Nite, the process is the same: Guests navigate to the ticket sale page ahead of the on-sale window, “lining up” to get into a virtual queue that will start the minute the sales portal opens. When the portal does open, those people are placed in an online waiting room until it’s their turn to purchase tickets. 

The same will happen with Magic Keys on Jan. 10. Disneyland’s Magic Key purchasing guide says the virtual queue will open “no earlier than 8:45 a.m. Pacific Time.” Even if you’re at the site at the exact right moment, you’ll still face a wait that could extend the entire day. In November 2022, some people claimed to have waited more than 10 hours for their passes. I’ve experienced the same thing many times. For Oogie Boogie Bash in 2023, I waited six hours to be able to purchase my tickets. For Sweethearts’ Nite this year, I waited more than two hours. 

When Walt Disney World resumed sales of its annual passes on Apr. 20, 2023, I faced the same situation: Navigate to the annual pass page 15 minutes before the queue opens. Get a spot. Wait. And wait. And wait. 

After waiting all day in the virtual queue, I dialed Walt Disney World’s main phone number and navigated to ticket sales. Within 15 minutes, I had my annual pass. Out of curiosity, I left my virtual queue window open. It took more than an hour to finally get through, almost eight hours into my journey.

So if you’re trying to get a Magic Key, give it a shot. Disneyland’s ticket phone number is 714-781-4636. You might not get anywhere, but you might save yourself a whole day of waiting in line.