Hi Christina! Thanks so much for bringing this great question to planDisney. I absolutely love that you are already thinking ahead, because sometimes the very first visit to Disneyland Resort is all it takes to turn a family into lifelong fans (like my family!).
Here is the good news. Yes, the value of your children’s Disneyland Park Hopper tickets can be applied toward a
Magic Key pass if you decide to upgrade. The key thing to remember is that upgrades must happen while the ticket is still valid. For multi-day tickets, that means before the final day of use. Once a ticket has been fully used and expired, that pumpkin carriage turns back into a ticket stub.
Christina, one very important detail to sprinkle a little pixie dust realism on your planning is availability. Magic Key passes are not sold year-round, and upgrades are only possible when Magic Key passes are actively available for purchase. If Magic Keys are not on sale at the time you are ready to upgrade, you will need to wait until they become available again, as long as your ticket is still eligible.
If Magic Keys are on sale during your visit, upgrading is easy. You can usually do it right in the
Disneyland app under Tickets and Passes, or by stopping by a ticket booth or Guest Relations. The value you paid for each Park Hopper ticket is applied as a credit toward one Magic Key pass, and you simply pay the difference.
Now, Christina, I will share some wisdom I learned the hard way. If you upgrade your ticket to a Magic Key pass, make sure there are Park Reservations available for the original date selected with your multi-day ticket. Your Park Reservation will be cancelled, and you will need to grab another one.
Christina, if your kids (and you!) fall in love with the magic and you find yourselves dreaming of return trips before you even leave Main Street, U.S.A., you will be ready. Just keep an eye on Magic Key availability, watch those ticket expiration dates, and you may be turning that first visit into a full year of memories before you know it.
Wishing you the most magical first trip and maybe a few future visits already in the making. Don't forget to stop by
Guest Relations for a complimentary First Visit button for your Mouseketeers! If you have more questions, you know where to find us.
Your pal,
Kimberly