Disneyland Resort has introduced 4 pretty important adjustments to the California parks that may enhance the visitor expertise and worth for cash in 2023. This put up shares particulars of the additions and subtractions, potential motivations for the strikes, and extra.
Disney begins the announcement by showcasing all that’s to come back to Disneyland Resort within the subsequent few months, and the way grateful the corporate is for everybody who visits and celebrates Lunar New Year from January 20 to February 15, Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival from March 3 to April 25, 2023.
Then there’s the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland Resort launching on January 27, 2023 with new nighttime spectaculars in each parks, plus the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and particular choices all yr. On prime of that, there are two huge returns: that of the short-lived Magic Happens parade on February 24 and the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown on March 8, 2023.
As you start to plan your journeys to the Happiest Place on Earth in 2023, there are just a few thrilling updates to share…
More Less Expensive Ticket Dates
The Disneyland Resort reservation calendar will now provide almost two months’ value of $104 park ticket dates all through 2023, which implies extra alternatives to take pleasure in our lowest one-day, one-park ticket value.
In his letter to Cast Members, Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro calls this “significantly increasing the number of days” that park tickets are $104.
Park Hopping Moves to 11 am
Beginning February 4, 2023, friends who enter a Disneyland or Disney California Adventure with a Magic Key move or a Park Hopper ticket might start crossing over between the parks two hours earlier – beginning at 11 a.m. Pacific.
This means much more magic and extra enjoyable in your day as you take pleasure in one of the best of what each Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure have to supply. (Or in our case, consuming an earlier lunch at DCA, which has extra meals we favor proper now.)
Free PhotographPass On-Ride Photos
As a thank-you to Disneyland Resort friends, Disney is making PhotographPass digital photograph downloads captured on any attraction throughout a park go to, complimentary for all ticketed park friends on the Disneyland app beginning February 4, 2023 and persevering with all through the Disney100 celebration on the Disneyland Resort. Disney PhotographPass attraction photographs can be found at these places.
Disneyland:
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
Disney California Adventure:
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- Radiator Springs Racers
Near the exits of every of those sights, a preview wall enables you to view photographs taken on-ride. You can hyperlink your 8-character Attraction ID, positioned on the preview photographs, by way of the Disneyland app or on Disneyland.com.
More Magic Key Passholdin’
Disneyland has seen unprecedented demand for the Magic Key Annual Pass program, as evidenced by the colossal digital queue and the way shortly APs bought out when gross sales resumed again through the begin of final yr’s vacation season. The Magic Key program offers reservation-based admission to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure all year long.
Disneyland Resort will make choose Magic Key passes accessible for brand spanking new gross sales occasionally all through 2023 as move stock turns into accessible. Check out our put up: When Will Magic Key Sales Resume at Disneyland? for predictions about when AP gross sales are prone to happen once more.
In the meantime, the parks are at present providing their 2023 Southern California Resident Disneyland Ticket Discount. If visiting through the begin of the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration or for Lunar New Year is crucial–and you reside in SoCal–that’s interim alternative for eligible friends to buy a particular 3-day weekday ticket legitimate by means of May 25, 2023.
Before we delve into the commentary, right here’s an identical message from Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences & Product to Cast Members (consolidated for readability:
Happy New Year everybody!
What a tremendous yr we had! There was a lot to have a good time – a brand new cruise ship, Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Walt Disney World Resort, the announcement of Storyliving by Disney, award profitable shopper merchandise, books, and video games and a ton extra. So, I needed to begin off the brand new yr by saying how PROUD and THANKFUL I’m for every of you. You are an unbelievable workforce!
Not solely did you introduce thrilling new merchandise and experiences to our friends, however you additionally navigated by means of a big quantity of change when it comes to how we function our enterprise. These adjustments had been centered on creating a greater expertise for our friends and constructing a future the place we’re continually introducing new tales and experiences throughout the globe. Of course, change isn’t straightforward, and I need to categorical my gratitude to all of you for the way you rose to the problem and helped reshape our future.
As we step into this vivid future it will be important that we repeatedly evolve to assist ship one of the best visitor expertise potential. Many of that I’m within the parks pretty typically … and I take heed to you and to our friends concerning the issues which can be working … in addition to the issues which may want some change. And, as we enter this new yr, I need you to be the primary to listen to about just a few enhancements that we’re going to be making – particularly ones that our friends have requested for and also you’ve shared with me. And whereas this doesn’t tackle everybody’s suggestions, these adjustments will improve flexibility and add worth to our friends’ expertise.
I’m enthusiastic about all of those adjustments and affords and need you to know that we’re dedicated to listening, adapting, and staying relentlessly targeted on making the visitor expertise at our Disney parks even higher.
I consider there’s no different place like Disney and naturally, nothing helps our friends join with Disney such as you do. And whereas it’s straightforward to have a good time the merchandise we make, the moments we create, and the experiences we offer … I believe it’s essential that we acknowledge all of YOU who make it occur.
Thank you for all that you simply do. Here’s to a tremendous 2023! Cheers!
Josh
Our Commentary About Disneyland’s 4 Ps
Fair warning: the primary few paragraphs of this are going to be rehashed from at present’s 3 BIG Changes at Walt Disney World to Improve Guest Experience & Value! That’s as a result of that was written first and, admittedly, it’s been our important focus relating to guest-unfriendly adjustments in the previous few years.
While Disneyland definitely wasn’t spared from Bob Chapek’s Reign of Terror™️, the results had been hardly as disastrous at Disneyland. Sure, free QuickPass went away and costs elevated, however Chapek milked the Walt Disney World money cow to the purpose that it was nearly put out to pasture (to combine livestock metaphors).
Suffice to say, these strikes are vindication for Disney followers who had excessive hopes for giant adjustments following the Firing of Bob Chapek and Rehiring Bob Iger as CEO. I don’t need to rehash the numerous articles and sky-high expectations that had been raised within the weeks after Iger returned, however essentially the most notable and related one lined how Bob Iger was “alarmed” by Disneyland value will increase, and was involved that Chapek was “killing the soul” of Disney.
Even early in his return, it was rumored that Iger had plans to undo Chapek’s adjustments, with a deal with constructing on the corporate’s wealthy historical past and legacy of “creativity, innovation, and inspiration.“ You also might recall that Iger sent a holiday letter to fans, indicating his intent to exceed our “highest expectations” in 2023. Some of you would possibly’ve seen that as a hole company end-of-year e-newsletter, one which talks sport however is meaningless with out motion to help it. Well, at present is that motion!
Admittedly, the specifics right here usually are not as thrilling as at Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, these are incrementally constructive adjustments. Moving ahead the park hopping time is one step nearer to eliminating it completely. I do know this one bugs quite a lot of locals, however even when doing Early Entry or rope drop, I can not consider a time once I’ve needed to Park Hop earlier than 11 am. It appears like that is ‘close enough’ to an answer, and I think anybody nonetheless complaining is doing so out of precept relatively than pragmatism.
Free on-ride photographs are additionally good. This one doesn’t positively impression us that a lot as I discover myself using nearly all of these sights alone as a result of they’re too intense for Sarah (we each do Radiator Springs Racers, however nearly all the time by way of Single Rider). Nevertheless, a constructive change is a constructive change–even when it’s one that doesn’t personally profit us!
To that time, essentially the most constructive information of all right here is the rise in variety of $104 days. This goes to be the change that generates the least discourse, however it’s unquestionably essentially the most consequential. Many followers feign indignation about “Disney pricing out the middle class.” However, this actually typically implies that they’ll now not afford out-of-state Annual Passes or are unable to justify a number of journeys per yr. It ought to go with out saying, however visiting fewer instances per yr or taking much less extravagant Disney holidays is just not the identical factor as being priced out.
For our half, we’ve lengthy “advocated” for Disney rising Annual Pass costs if it meant a corresponding lower to single day ticket costs. Of course, that’s not how demand, market pricing, or guest-balancing schemes work–so it has all the time been a place of precept. Nevertheless, our level was that–if a fan is actually involved about Americans being priced out of the parks–the suitable advocacy is for a discount in costs for the bottom barrier to entry product–not Annual Passes or Deluxe Resorts.
Ultimately, I’m cognizant of the truth that there are a selection of financial concerns that go into pricing. Off-season ticket costs are seemingly being lowered, at the very least partly, as a result of Disneyland is forecasting decrease demand for these dates, and anticipating surplus capability. I additionally know that one of many causes each Disneyland and Walt Disney World have maintained their lowest costs is for the sake of promoting. (To that time, the true transfer right here can be to decrease some dates to $99.)
Regardless of the underlying motivations, the tip outcome is similar: Disneyland turns into extra accessible, and visiting is a actuality for some households who in any other case can be priced out. For us, that’s essential. Keeping Disneyland inside attain as a rite-of-passage for as many children as potential–even when just for a single day–is an effective factor. Although this can be an unpopular opinion in Disneyland fan circles, single-day ticket costs are far more essential within the grand scheme of issues than the costs set for Magic Key Passes.
While visiting Disneyland is a luxurious or non-necessity within the grand scheme of issues, that once-in-a-lifetime go to to Disneyland for a small little one is formative and consequential. Far extra so than us entitled Passholes who drop in on a regular basis and deal with Disneyland like a glorified model of the Glendale Galleria. So kudos to Disney on enhancing the provision of the most cost effective tickets. It’s an essential transfer, even when it doesn’t generate a lot, if any, fan goodwill.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site lodges in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and plenty of different SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
What do you consider these adjustments at Disneyland? Will these positively impression your visits to the parks? Even if they may not profit you, personally, do you applaud these as incremental steps in the correct path? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Hearing your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!