Hiya, Jennifer!
It sounds like you have purchased the
Southern California resident weekday ticket. That is such a great deal. And leveraging that ticket to extend the magic into a year of exciting Disneyland Resort adventures as a
Magic Key passholder sounds like a terrific plan to me.
To
upgrade an eligible theme park ticket that has been partially used to a Disneyland Resort Magic key, use the "Tickets and Passes" screen of the
Disneyland mobile app. Locate the ticket you wish to upgrade, then scroll down to tap the "Upgrade to a Magic Key Pass" button. Then follow the on-screen prompts to complete your purchase of the new pass. This process must be done on or before the last day of use of the ticket if it has already been partially used. Upgrading a wholly unused ticket may only be done in person at a Disneyland Resort ticket booth.
There are a few things to consider when deciding when to upgrade your theme park ticket. In my opinion, the most important consideration is the window of opportunity to purchase new Magic Key passes. The number of new passes for sale is limited. Previous sale periods of the passes have been relatively short, with some or all of the passes selling out surprisingly quickly. Given that history, I would suggest upgrading your ticket sooner than later.
That said, another important consideration is blockout dates. If you check the
Magic Key Access Calendar, you will notice that some of the pass types have blockout dates that are not blocked for the Southern California resident weekday ticket, which allows you to book park reservations for any
available weekday through May 25, 2023. If you had been planning to visit the Disneyland Resort on one of those dates blocked for the Magic Key you intend to purchase, you might consider whether you want to wait to upgrade your ticket until using it on that date. Again, the limited number of Magic Key passes for sale is something that I think would be more important. But you may choose to weigh the risks according to your personal preferences and goals.
Be aware that once you upgrade your ticket to a Magic Key, the pass expiration date will be dated one year from the first day of use of the upgraded ticket. Also, all of your current theme park reservations with the upgraded ticket will automatically be canceled. If you are visiting a theme park at the time that you upgrade, you won't be able to exit and re-enter either park unless you first make a new park reservation for that same day with your new Magic Key pass. Any future park reservations will follow the blockout schedule and reservation rules applicable to the new pass type. But you'll also become eligible for all of the many Magic Key holder benefits! I know! Tough decisions to make here, right?
Tony's Tip: The amount you paid for the theme park ticket being upgraded will be applied toward the price of the new Magic Key Pass. You must then pay only the remaining balance after that. If you are a California resident and wish to take advantage of the monthly payment option for your new pass, that remaining balance will be divided by 12, with the first monthly payment amount due at the time of the upgrade. To
qualify for the monthly payment plan, make sure you have your current address saved in your Disneyland Resort account profile.
I hope you enjoy your magical year as a new Magic Key holder, Jennifer!
~Tony