If it wasn't for you, FreshBaked!, Disneyland would be far from my mind most of the time. On purpose. Because it's discouraging and depressing to me how much more it costs now and how challenging it is for us to get back there. But, every so often I remember how much fun I've had there over the decades and that's when I look you up again, to get my fix. I'm grateful for that and I appreciate you. May you always have Disneyland in your life. And hopefully someday I'll be able to get there again and tell you that in person, in the park. Happy holidays!
I just discovered your channel a couple weeks ago while doing research for our first ever Disneyland trip in January. Thanks so much for the wonderful, clear, thoughtful explanations! I'm much less stressed now about how to make a fun day for my kiddo.
Right when you think you’ll be hungry, hop in the app and use mobile order. Make sure to have your credit card info in there and ready to go. Also, Genie+ is clutch. Even if everyone in your party doesn’t want to go on a certain ride, you can set different ride queue reservations per guest. Also, once you scan into a ride, hop in the app while you’re in line and set your next ride choice. ALWAYS do what is short wait, play against the crowds. One of the main rides that is ALWAYS busy no matter what is Peter Pan. On the Cars ride in Cali Adventure Park, it’s worth it to buy the Lightning Lane or else you’ll most likely wait 3+ hours. If you rope drop it’s better but it’s not always operational right at rope drop.
Keep in mind some seasonal foods and events might only be available on weekends or very early in the AM. ❤ Not everything is available on mobile order, and if you pick a time window and are going to miss it you can adjust the time I think, but if you miss it you might loose out. That's happened to us several times where they didn't give us our food and had to take a day or two to refund us. If you are near the spot for mobile order, tap "I'm hereake my order" so they can prep it early. It can take time.
You should also be on the app daily if you have your eyes set on reserving a special restaurant inside the resort or parks. People cancel all the time so you can snag those spots. Also, many times you can walk up to the Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans (Pirates ride area) and request a standby spot to try and get into the restaurant. Just letting you know.
As always, thank you for the views and the commentary. Coming from Hawaii we only get to go maybe every other or every three years. Gotta say, watching you be happy makes me happy and a little nostalgic! Mahalo Nui!
I think the single-day ticket holders don't go to the park as often as Magic Keys or locals and may prioritize the rides over other stuff like shops and dining, that is why the cues are so long but when you're walking around it's rather normal looking, also why genie + purchases were extremely high. The crowds are in the queues not in the walkways.
Ya especially for us Canadian, we don’t go to Disneyland often like for me once every two years. We would stay for two days and prioritize the rides first
Hey Dave! We went Friday Dec 22, and it was SUPER PACKED at Disneyland and moderately packed at DCA, we had a great time but I couldn’t believe the amount of people that paid the single day prices for those very expensive days during this 2 week stretch. Thanks for all the reporting! Merry Christmas!!
I was in the park the same day and I just want to say Thank you, I traveled from Mexico and I waited one year to be there in the park for the first time and on my birthday and I had only one day so I saw your videos about the rope drops and I made 4 rides in the first hour. It was an incredible experience and I enjoyed the day even with the rain. I saw you by the distance but then I lost you in the crowd so I'm writing just to let you know that I appreciate all what you do to help the people to enjoyed the day without wasting time waiting in the lines. Kind regards
My family has magic key and we have been blocked out for weeks. We miss at least a month and a half of opportunities due to the block out. Just this season. We are also blocked most of the summer months and we are blocked out most weekends and some random weeks too. It's really crazy to generalize because it's quiet a different experience for people that can't afford the holy **** passes. Lol I also noticed you have to be careful of when vloggers share certain seasonal treats and experiences, many times they forget to mention it's only available on weekends, or super early in the AM etc. So many lower passholders or even ticket buying folks might miss out.
Aww, David, we were there during the entire week after Thanksgiving weekend. We saw that you were vlogging, and we never ran into you. 😢❤ Me and my family love you. Your content keeps me alive today.....lol
Freshbaked your videos are awesome! Since I can’t go to Disneyland nearly as much, your videos have certainly kept me occupied on the Disney Magic ! Hopefully we’ll see more Disneyland announcements next year so we can see more construction !
This video unfortunately confirms that disney doesn't need us magic key folks in the parks right now, super busy without us! I have a believe key so thankfully we were only blocked the last 2 weeks of December; still feels like a long time!
I’m going next week and the days all reservations are sold out already, hoping it’s not too busy but it will be… just excited to see Christmas stuff one last time for the year with family ❤
I was there that day for my sons birthday it was busy in the morning. I was an annual pass holder and everyone would leave during rain but that day no one left. I’ve never see that before. Great day
We were there the same day (The 20th) and while the park didn't LOOK crowded at first, the lines were so long. Then as the day progressed we realized that half the rides had closed, making the lines to the rides that were still open even longer. People were getting upset because some rides were holding people in the pouring rain for Lightning Pass - in some cases with the lightning pass lane mostly empty, but the lines being held regardless. The weirdest/cringiest moment of the night was when they played the snow song with no snow and right after, Main Street was deathly silent - which was broken by people booing. There was NO applause at all. I had never seen that before. It was like watching the whole park break down ride by ride throughout the day and we ended up leaving early, as did many other guests. Mind you, overall we had a good time - but it did show me how the Lightning Lane situation makes things worse more than ever. I'd never seen that many people actually visibly unhappy at Disneyland.
I'm sorry this sort of makes me chuckle because this is similar to our experience before blocked out starting in Nov as we are the lower tier magic passes. At least we were prepared to not do much in this season. Sadly. We didn't get to see the snow, if it worked, even though that was a main thing we looked forward to and prioritized, because the line for a ride we went on took almost twice as long as they had on the sign. Crowd management was honestly better when I was younger. It would get super crowded but the employees did better and they didn't force people to walk w/o options as much as they do now. The lines also seemed better. Though maybe because I was a kid. I know of drama there even then, but it was super rare. I see plenty of unhappy people at Disney everytime we go now. We see parents yelling at parents for how they treat their kids, or for the adults who slam into and run over kids in the crowds to get from A to B, staff not willing to help, mobile order and other mobile systems failing miserably, plus all the "goofy's house" fight style incidents that have crept up over the past years. I don't think it's just Disney. Unfortunately it's the culture today. But also Disney was supposed to do better maintaining the magic. They can't control everyone. But they can control how they run the parks to make it more stress free. When people pay lots of money and have high expectations, and minimal expectations aren't even reached many times, it's a recipie for disaster. I think this is why there are less people. Magic key passholders are either people who can't afford to justify tickets, and can barely afford passes, middle class folks that only go to Disney for the most part, of their recreation, and the upper class that's simply Disney obsessed ; but less likely to go in general and also a small part of the public as it is...so...if Disney keeps cowtailing to the smaller percentage I think they will fail. There's been more signs of them trying to create elite "pay to play" experiences - macro transactions in the parks and even at their hotels. That could work if they also did justice to the stuff available for the majority of consumers which are actually "lower class" economically. As it started out with the Disney brand Walt's background wasn't rich, he was lower middle I think. And my family was lower class when they went soon after opening, when I was a child in the 80s &90s, same thing... Most people I know who go are still in that boat. And they make up the majority of the population. It was smart of Disney to opportunize on that by making it just affordable enough for everyone to have a good time. Poorer people spent any extra money to go and have a complete experience. It didn't feel like a cheap carnival/discount experience. The special experiences and tours etc were something not done in an obvious segregational slap-in-the-face to other fans. Now it's started to become this way.
First like!!! I’m glad you’re there am glad somebody gifted you or helped you. It’s nice to not see shoulder to shoulder. I enjoy it no matter how it looks. I know you do too. Coffee and relaxation. Sounds like a good itinerary. Your favorite ride you know enjoying the ambience that’s what I go for most of the time.🎉❤
That door that you talk about standing in line I’ve been through that numerous times so when you get to the doom buggies to get on where they assist the handicap to get on to the doom buggies when the ride has broken down, they escort us through the door right there at the doom buggies which goes up to stairs, and through the stairs, goes to the door that leads to outside that you’re pointing at. It’s kind of cool to go through that door and see all the stuff they have hanging on the wall.
As a Norther Calf resident who makes the trip to DL 2 to 4 times a year, we tried the Inspire key last year and I have to say we probably did a little better (financially) than buying indiv tickets, but I can't justify renewing. We'll probably keep it to visiting once or twice a year going forward. MK's are a no brainer for nearby residents, but no real value beyond going more than 8-10 visits for reginal visitors (CA/west US). I wish there were more realistic discounts on hotels, meal plans etc. for the regional fans/visitors who come a few times a year and utilize the DLR hotels and restaurants for their 3-5 day trips.
I'm a SoCal resident but can't afford the crazy passes, like Fresh baked can. We have the SoCal passes so even though we live a couple hours away we are blocked out for over 1/3 of the year. Over 1.5 months in this season, with smatterings of weeks blocked out leading up to, and down from..blocked out most of the summer.. pretty much all summer...and no weekends.. It costs a lot in gas, parking, food, etc to go. And we like to stay at the hotels too, we've been lucky enough to a few times due to holiday bonuses etc. The experiences were lackluster in many ways TBH. Dirty diapers in trash stinking up a room that they took 4 extra hours to prepare. At the Grand CA, and it was an extremely noisy room, small, they didn't give us the beds we asked for months ahead and a few days ahead. Just MEH. We went to Disneyland hotel and that was a neat experience because they upgraded us when they messed up with the rooms. Happy accident. But even there the carpets were pretty dirty, some broken stuff in the rooms, no microwave or coffee maker! Lol In one of their more pricey rooms (barring the insane themed rooms like Adventure suite etc). There were magical touches and we would love to stay again if it weren't for the cost. The rooms still were fairly noisy, the a/c was blah, tvs were blah. The pool was embarrassing, I had last went two decades earlier when they still had the pirate ship slide and Ariel jacuzzi and it was awesome. Now it sucks. It took forever to get help from front desk, to get towels...the bellmen were super rude. Goofy's kitchen was a big mistake. Like going to a raucous Hometown Buffet. Lol AirB&B has also unfortunately skyrocketed with fees and nonsense but if I had to choose...that's what we would do. Or at another local hotel. Since quality has dipped at Disney. Even the new hotels...you can tell the best parts are only superficial. The things that matter most to my family on vacation, like clean quiet rooms with enough space to relax and comfy beds, a pool that's actually quality and special....they don't have that at any reasonable price whatsoever. So I agree. Sorry for the rant. I'm just extra bummed this week. Our passes are about to expire and it's been a tradition for us for about half a decade, and I went with my family growing up, almost every year. So it's sad to think it's coming to an end.
Has it been over a year since keys have sold?? I think I bought my Inspire keys about 6ish months ago. And I think the park is so full during blackouts because a lot look for those days thinking it would be empty. They are never.
The more and more days like this exist. The more and more I feel that Disneyland will just get rid of Annual passes, or have one type with block out days during peak times. Days like this scare me. It shows that Disney doesn't need us during certain times of the year. It also is clear that they will sell genie Plus like candy on these non magic key days, which is exactly what Disney wants.
Try being a Canadian. I want to go more but a single 3 day ticket with genie plus (no park hopping) is easily $650 after conversion. I’m not sure if Disney wants us spending our money anymore, used to have regular Canadian discounts.
Disney should just get rid of blackout dates and make magic key/annual passes good for a certain amount of days per year. Even at 30-40 days, it would still be great value for money.
We were there on Wednesday. We paid to get in, of course. It was great seeing you walking down by Matterhorn right before the parade. Bummer that the parade was canceled due to rain. We actually hit all the outdoor rides first when it was still relatively dry. We walked on mansion, 30 minutes for rise, 20 minutes for runaway train, but it broke down. The longest line was thunder, 30 minutes. It was a good thing we did, it began to rain around 2 o’clock. The worst part was being stuck in the small world boat, right as it began to downpour. Of course they don’t let you draw your umbrellas so we got drenched. Other than that, a perfect day at Disney. Disney, in the rain is the best. Holiday treats made it even better. My favorite was the gingerbread churro with butterscotch dipping sauce. And my other favorite was a turkey leg. Even though that’s not a holiday treat, it’s perfect for this time of the year. Thanks David for all the updates.
Hi David this was great!! Far as going to Disneyland as we had planned to on Christmas Day for our anniversary, we might have to cancel our reservations. Both Dave and his brother have a cold / flu symptoms and I don’t think they will be able by Monday 😢 but we wish everyone a wonderful, magical, and Merry Christmas!! Love you, Liz, and Sofia 💖🎄💖🎄💖🎄
I was there and although it wasn't as crowded, so many rides were shut down due to the rain and also just random. MMRR was off and on all day. We tried four times
I remember when I talked about the end of passes at Disney (based on information from the son and grandson of legacy imagineers/castmembers in 2014ish), I sure was poo poo'ed to no end. They have wanted to get rid of the passes for a looooong time. We shall see. Nice crowd in the rain.
❤I love love looooovvvvee rainy day at the park videos!! I secretly wish it would rain one day we where there... I'm half tempted to intentionally aim for a rainny day at some point... I LOOOVVEEE to see the kids(and parents) playing in the rain, splashing in the rain, and continuing to have a great time❤ I was totally in my head like we need a pov of this... then like music to my ears you said exactly what I hoped❤❤❤❤❤ so happy I'm gonna be falling asleep to that one constantly now I'm going over there right now.... Also are we thinking ADA will cut the stretching room? Because that would be a real bummer 😢 having said that however I am extremely glad to have had the chance to go up in the stretching room and watch the glass unbreak 😅 super cool experience that not alot of people have experienced and on my favorite ride too. Also glad that they are making a dedicated entrance as well because the ramp going in situation was never good either the corners are way too tight to be cued right there and be able to have another ECV exiting in the same way on that weird ramp.
Dave, I wonder if you considered that maybe many magic key people bought tickets for the day you made this video. How does this first non-magic key day compare to a video you may have done at the same time last year and/or previous years?
I just assumed that Disney has a spreadsheet somewhere that tells them how many of each kind of MK they want to sell, and once they went over that number, they cut off sales. If that's true, I think we'll either see sales periodically pop open as some folks decline to renew, or if they "adjust the mix", but DL has always had some kind of annual pass ticket, regardless of what they call it. For myself, I'm in the parks ~25 days a year, staying on property (with friends, so it's not as outrageously expensive as you might think), eat on property for all meals (except the occasional "field trip") - I'm pretty much the most desirable (profitable) guest, and if I had to buy individual tickets, I would _greatly_ cut back my trips.
Thank you for your vlogs! I think Disney will always have magic keys and the reservation system at DL. It’s how they can make sure the parks are packed every day. I feel they need the magic key holders, just like AP back in the day, to fill the parks on days regular paying guests are low. The reservation system allows them to predict when attendance will be high or low and whether they block out magic key holders or encourage them to come. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I really enjoyed the ham and pineapple sandwich at Jolly Holiday, even though the photo looks meh. But the best holiday sandwiches are outside the park at Earl. Their turkey/stuffing sandwich is pretty good and the ham/sweet potato sandwich is absolutely amazing!
One obstacle to getting rid of Magic Key is it conflicts with that big DVC tower they built and are trying to sale. As a DVC owner with a okay size investment in the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Cal having the magic key makes it work for us and we have a great time. Disney seems to have a conflict with its interests between DVC and making it harder to buy APs on both coasts (in the past). We would love to have a DVC AP that was good on both coasts….
Honestly, it's slow because Disney crowded is not fun. I did it once at Christmas and I NEVER will again. Most people avoid it now because it's been too busy in years past.
Hey Dave I’m a huge Haunted Mansion Holiday fan and I was curious too as how they measure the wait time for the Haunted Mansion like is it to from the the entrance to the foyer or is it from the entrance to the doom buggy?! And believe it or not it’s actually from the stand-by entrance to the foyer!
FreshBaked. David, as soon as you walk into Fantasyland the "Wicked Queen" parts the curtains and looks down at you from her room above the "Snow White" ride. Just be careful because I think she wants you for a large "M&M." If each person in the park today paid $200 I started counting but I ran out of fingers and toes. Disney news should only come from inside a teacup with plenty of mustard. Cheers, Chris Perry.
My drummer friend told me the toy soldiers were dressed and at the gate when it was cancelled. One time, years ago, we went out and then it started pouring. The pulled us off at the corn dog cart.
Day ticket holders are an unfavorable mix. They have an urgency to do rides, clog up the standby, and break into fights. That's why the lines look bigger even though there are way less people in the park.
Day ticket holders are more apt to spend more money on food, merch, and Genie+ so they can get more rides in during their day. As apposed to the Magic Key (pass holder) holder, who gets to go multiple times, so less money on food, much, and less potential for using Genie+. Day/Muti-Day ticket holders are typically staying in the resort or good neighbor hotels, using the nearby gas stations, etc…so it’s overall great for Disney money-wise AND the local economy, to have the non-pass holder come to the parks.
paying around $ 200 for single day ticket no i'm not leaveing...if it is just sprinkles and off and on little rain......if it was a Hurricane weather like what happens in Florida and Disney World. then yes I'm leaveing lucky California doesn't have hurricane weather.
Disney may very well be re-evaluating the various annual passes and their ticket prices taking into consideration the reservation system and how that may even be revised if not totally done away with. I remember when they had ticket books, discounts on merch and tickets with a Magic Kingdom Club Card, their renditions of Passport tickets before their introduction of annual passes which, by the way, had to be paid for in full at the time of purchase. That purchase option obviously saw changes over the years. Change is always an option for companies and should not really come as a surprise to the customer no matter how loyal they may be. That loyal customer needs to remember that any changes made are done with all customers in mind and not just them.
Will Disneyland ever sell Magic keys again, or are they getting out of the passholder business because passholders are, as they put it, undesirable guests?
Were you recognized more or less than usual without the key holders in the park? I did not hear one fresh baked shout as you walked down main street and that is unusual.
If they did actually decide to ever do away with any form of annual pass, I'm wondering how that might impact Fresh Baked. Because yeah, $200 a pop would significantly add up really quickly, and it's only ever going to get more expensive. I can't imagine weekly trips could be in the budget anymore.
RESERVATION system will be permanent as long as the park hits near capacity during AP blackouts. The gross sales have to be astounding during this window
So you think Disney is leaning towards phasing out magic keys? Do you think they are going to be replaced with a new type of annual pass system or do you think they are just going to be available to those who have them forever? Because I am sure there are still thousands if not millions of people who still want to buy an annual pass.
If it wasn't for you, FreshBaked!, Disneyland would be far from my mind most of the time. On purpose. Because it's discouraging and depressing to me how much more it costs now and how challenging it is for us to get back there. But, every so often I remember how much fun I've had there over the decades and that's when I look you up again, to get my fix. I'm grateful for that and I appreciate you. May you always have Disneyland in your life. And hopefully someday I'll be able to get there again and tell you that in person, in the park. Happy holidays!
what a wonderful thing to say. Thank you :)
Same for me ❤
the tone of voice on the cast member when she said "your holiday nightmare is about to begin" was great!
I just discovered your channel a couple weeks ago while doing research for our first ever Disneyland trip in January. Thanks so much for the wonderful, clear, thoughtful explanations! I'm much less stressed now about how to make a fun day for my kiddo.
Right when you think you’ll be hungry, hop in the app and use mobile order. Make sure to have your credit card info in there and ready to go. Also, Genie+ is clutch. Even if everyone in your party doesn’t want to go on a certain ride, you can set different ride queue reservations per guest. Also, once you scan into a ride, hop in the app while you’re in line and set your next ride choice. ALWAYS do what is short wait, play against the crowds. One of the main rides that is ALWAYS busy no matter what is Peter Pan. On the Cars ride in Cali Adventure Park, it’s worth it to buy the Lightning Lane or else you’ll most likely wait 3+ hours. If you rope drop it’s better but it’s not always operational right at rope drop.
Keep in mind some seasonal foods and events might only be available on weekends or very early in the AM. ❤
Not everything is available on mobile order, and if you pick a time window and are going to miss it you can adjust the time I think, but if you miss it you might loose out. That's happened to us several times where they didn't give us our food and had to take a day or two to refund us.
If you are near the spot for mobile order, tap "I'm hereake my order" so they can prep it early. It can take time.
You should also be on the app daily if you have your eyes set on reserving a special restaurant inside the resort or parks. People cancel all the time so you can snag those spots. Also, many times you can walk up to the Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans (Pirates ride area) and request a standby spot to try and get into the restaurant. Just letting you know.
From here on out, I'm only accepting Fresh Baked news from inside a spinning teacup 😂
lol i enjoyed that as well.
It definitely hasn’t been a year since they sold magic keys, I bought mine in June and my friend in August
As always, thank you for the views and the commentary. Coming from Hawaii we only get to go maybe every other or every three years. Gotta say, watching you be happy makes me happy and a little nostalgic! Mahalo Nui!
I think the single-day ticket holders don't go to the park as often as Magic Keys or locals and may prioritize the rides over other stuff like shops and dining, that is why the cues are so long but when you're walking around it's rather normal looking, also why genie + purchases were extremely high. The crowds are in the queues not in the walkways.
Ya especially for us Canadian, we don’t go to Disneyland often like for me once every two years. We would stay for two days and prioritize the rides first
that's a pretty valid observation!
Great show. Thanks Fresh Baked!
Our pleasure!
Hey Dave! We went Friday Dec 22, and it was SUPER PACKED at Disneyland and moderately packed at DCA, we had a great time but I couldn’t believe the amount of people that paid the single day prices for those very expensive days during this 2 week stretch. Thanks for all the reporting! Merry Christmas!!
…..there’s a sucker born every minute!! 🤔🤷🏼♂️🤔🤷🏼♂️
I was in the park the same day and I just want to say Thank you, I traveled from Mexico and I waited one year to be there in the park for the first time and on my birthday and I had only one day so I saw your videos about the rope drops and I made 4 rides in the first hour. It was an incredible experience and I enjoyed the day even with the rain. I saw you by the distance but then I lost you in the crowd so I'm writing just to let you know that I appreciate all what you do to help the people to enjoyed the day without wasting time waiting in the lines. Kind regards
Almost all of the Disneyland vloggers, livestreamers and influencers said their goodbyes for 2023 cause they're all blocked out 😂
guess I'm the lucky one :)
He's built different 💪
Hallelujah!
My family has magic key and we have been blocked out for weeks. We miss at least a month and a half of opportunities due to the block out. Just this season. We are also blocked most of the summer months and we are blocked out most weekends and some random weeks too.
It's really crazy to generalize because it's quiet a different experience for people that can't afford the holy **** passes. Lol I also noticed you have to be careful of when vloggers share certain seasonal treats and experiences, many times they forget to mention it's only available on weekends, or super early in the AM etc. So many lower passholders or even ticket buying folks might miss out.
Meanwhile FreshBaked still has like 2 more visits
I’m pretty sure the last Magic Key Disney sold was in September 2023 (that’s when they stopped selling Inspire Keys)
Aww, David, we were there during the entire week after Thanksgiving weekend. We saw that you were vlogging, and we never ran into you. 😢❤ Me and my family love you. Your content keeps me alive today.....lol
I like your insight of the parks going ons
I like watching all your videos and you have a great attitude while sharing.
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!! Spread the word loud and clear FRESHBAKED is in the HOUSE!!
I wouldn't be here with the family if it wasn't free. Grateful for CM perks!!!
OMG did I hear "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls"? Are they bring back the original opening. Please do.
Yes. They’re unretarding themselves.
They usually start any announcement like that in the park
Freshbaked your videos are awesome! Since I can’t go to Disneyland nearly as much, your videos have certainly kept me occupied on the Disney Magic ! Hopefully we’ll see more Disneyland announcements next year so we can see more construction !
My daughter and I were there on Wednesday and we won the single rider sweepstakes. We rode 4 rides on SR and sat with each other every time!
This video unfortunately confirms that disney doesn't need us magic key folks in the parks right now, super busy without us! I have a believe key so thankfully we were only blocked the last 2 weeks of December; still feels like a long time!
The only way i can enjoy the house of mouse while being blacked out... thanks Fresh Baked!!!!. May the force be with you💪
I’m going next week and the days all reservations are sold out already, hoping it’s not too busy but it will be… just excited to see Christmas stuff one last time for the year with family ❤
I was there that day for my sons birthday it was busy in the morning. I was an annual pass holder and everyone would leave during rain but that day no one left. I’ve never see that before. Great day
We were there the same day (The 20th) and while the park didn't LOOK crowded at first, the lines were so long. Then as the day progressed we realized that half the rides had closed, making the lines to the rides that were still open even longer. People were getting upset because some rides were holding people in the pouring rain for Lightning Pass - in some cases with the lightning pass lane mostly empty, but the lines being held regardless. The weirdest/cringiest moment of the night was when they played the snow song with no snow and right after, Main Street was deathly silent - which was broken by people booing. There was NO applause at all. I had never seen that before. It was like watching the whole park break down ride by ride throughout the day and we ended up leaving early, as did many other guests. Mind you, overall we had a good time - but it did show me how the Lightning Lane situation makes things worse more than ever. I'd never seen that many people actually visibly unhappy at Disneyland.
I'm sorry this sort of makes me chuckle because this is similar to our experience before blocked out starting in Nov as we are the lower tier magic passes. At least we were prepared to not do much in this season. Sadly. We didn't get to see the snow, if it worked, even though that was a main thing we looked forward to and prioritized, because the line for a ride we went on took almost twice as long as they had on the sign.
Crowd management was honestly better when I was younger. It would get super crowded but the employees did better and they didn't force people to walk w/o options as much as they do now. The lines also seemed better. Though maybe because I was a kid.
I know of drama there even then, but it was super rare. I see plenty of unhappy people at Disney everytime we go now. We see parents yelling at parents for how they treat their kids, or for the adults who slam into and run over kids in the crowds to get from A to B, staff not willing to help, mobile order and other mobile systems failing miserably, plus all the "goofy's house" fight style incidents that have crept up over the past years.
I don't think it's just Disney. Unfortunately it's the culture today. But also Disney was supposed to do better maintaining the magic. They can't control everyone. But they can control how they run the parks to make it more stress free.
When people pay lots of money and have high expectations, and minimal expectations aren't even reached many times, it's a recipie for disaster.
I think this is why there are less people. Magic key passholders are either people who can't afford to justify tickets, and can barely afford passes, middle class folks that only go to Disney for the most part, of their recreation, and the upper class that's simply Disney obsessed ; but less likely to go in general and also a small part of the public as it is...so...if Disney keeps cowtailing to the smaller percentage I think they will fail.
There's been more signs of them trying to create elite "pay to play" experiences - macro transactions in the parks and even at their hotels. That could work if they also did justice to the stuff available for the majority of consumers which are actually "lower class" economically. As it started out with the Disney brand
Walt's background wasn't rich, he was lower middle I think. And my family was lower class when they went soon after opening, when I was a child in the 80s &90s, same thing...
Most people I know who go are still in that boat. And they make up the majority of the population. It was smart of Disney to opportunize on that by making it just affordable enough for everyone to have a good time. Poorer people spent any extra money to go and have a complete experience. It didn't feel like a cheap carnival/discount experience. The special experiences and tours etc were something not done in an obvious segregational slap-in-the-face to other fans. Now it's started to become this way.
First like!!! I’m glad you’re there am glad somebody gifted you or helped you. It’s nice to not see shoulder to shoulder. I enjoy it no matter how it looks. I know you do too. Coffee and relaxation. Sounds like a good itinerary. Your favorite ride you know enjoying the ambience that’s what I go for most of the time.🎉❤
That door that you talk about standing in line I’ve been through that numerous times so when you get to the doom buggies to get on where they assist the handicap to get on to the doom buggies when the ride has broken down, they escort us through the door right there at the doom buggies which goes up to stairs, and through the stairs, goes to the door that leads to outside that you’re pointing at. It’s kind of cool to go through that door and see all the stuff they have hanging on the wall.
Today looks crazy. And I bet tomorrow and Sunday will be incredibly busy as well
As a Norther Calf resident who makes the trip to DL 2 to 4 times a year, we tried the Inspire key last year and I have to say we probably did a little better (financially) than buying indiv tickets, but I can't justify renewing. We'll probably keep it to visiting once or twice a year going forward. MK's are a no brainer for nearby residents, but no real value beyond going more than 8-10 visits for reginal visitors (CA/west US). I wish there were more realistic discounts on hotels, meal plans etc. for the regional fans/visitors who come a few times a year and utilize the DLR hotels and restaurants for their 3-5 day trips.
I'm a SoCal resident but can't afford the crazy passes, like Fresh baked can. We have the SoCal passes so even though we live a couple hours away we are blocked out for over 1/3 of the year. Over 1.5 months in this season, with smatterings of weeks blocked out leading up to, and down from..blocked out most of the summer.. pretty much all summer...and no weekends..
It costs a lot in gas, parking, food, etc to go. And we like to stay at the hotels too, we've been lucky enough to a few times due to holiday bonuses etc. The experiences were lackluster in many ways TBH. Dirty diapers in trash stinking up a room that they took 4 extra hours to prepare. At the Grand CA, and it was an extremely noisy room, small, they didn't give us the beds we asked for months ahead and a few days ahead. Just MEH.
We went to Disneyland hotel and that was a neat experience because they upgraded us when they messed up with the rooms. Happy accident.
But even there the carpets were pretty dirty, some broken stuff in the rooms, no microwave or coffee maker! Lol In one of their more pricey rooms (barring the insane themed rooms like Adventure suite etc). There were magical touches and we would love to stay again if it weren't for the cost.
The rooms still were fairly noisy, the a/c was blah, tvs were blah. The pool was embarrassing, I had last went two decades earlier when they still had the pirate ship slide and Ariel jacuzzi and it was awesome. Now it sucks.
It took forever to get help from front desk, to get towels...the bellmen were super rude. Goofy's kitchen was a big mistake. Like going to a raucous Hometown Buffet. Lol
AirB&B has also unfortunately skyrocketed with fees and nonsense but if I had to choose...that's what we would do. Or at another local hotel. Since quality has dipped at Disney.
Even the new hotels...you can tell the best parts are only superficial. The things that matter most to my family on vacation, like clean quiet rooms with enough space to relax and comfy beds, a pool that's actually quality and special....they don't have that at any reasonable price whatsoever.
So I agree. Sorry for the rant. I'm just extra bummed this week. Our passes are about to expire and it's been a tradition for us for about half a decade, and I went with my family growing up, almost every year. So it's sad to think it's coming to an end.
I stayed near the convention center and had a good room at the courtyard
great video freshbaked, i wanted to say i was the guy that did the peace sign early on in the video. seeing you was amazing i love ur videos :)
I got an enchant key in April. I’ll use it for first time next month
This was our last day at Disneyland and we did leave for the day once the parade was canceled. Enjoyed the time at the hotel and a warm pizza.
Magic Keys are blocked, but what about CMs?
Has it been over a year since keys have sold?? I think I bought my Inspire keys about 6ish months ago.
And I think the park is so full during blackouts because a lot look for those days thinking it would be empty. They are never.
I think it might be that they were selling only inspire keys for a stretch.
Feliz Navidad!! Does WDW block out these days also? Thank you for all the great videos!!
The more and more days like this exist. The more and more I feel that Disneyland will just get rid of Annual passes, or have one type with block out days during peak times. Days like this scare me. It shows that Disney doesn't need us during certain times of the year. It also is clear that they will sell genie Plus like candy on these non magic key days, which is exactly what Disney wants.
thanks for braving the holiday crowds for us! disneyland in dec is not for the weak
THank you David!
Was surprised when I checked the tip board and saw all the closures, then realized... You can always tell when it's raining in Anaheim.
it's pouring right now!
@@FreshBakedDisney am I supposed to like that comment?🤔😂
Sad that we missed you that day. It was our last day in the parks. First ever Disneyland trip where it rained.
Try being a Canadian. I want to go more but a single 3 day ticket with genie plus (no park hopping) is easily $650 after conversion. I’m not sure if Disney wants us spending our money anymore, used to have regular Canadian discounts.
they say they want those out of state guests though. very much!
I forgot, the more money the better for Disney 😂
April 2023 they opened it up for Mks bc that’s when I bought mine
I’m so sad as an Inspire Key Holder. I miss the Dream Key days 😭
I miss 2013 😂
Disney should just get rid of blackout dates and make magic key/annual passes good for a certain amount of days per year. Even at 30-40 days, it would still be great value for money.
We were there on Wednesday. We paid to get in, of course. It was great seeing you walking down by Matterhorn right before the parade. Bummer that the parade was canceled due to rain.
We actually hit all the outdoor rides first when it was still relatively dry. We walked on mansion, 30 minutes for rise, 20 minutes for runaway train, but it broke down. The longest line was thunder, 30 minutes. It was a good thing we did, it began to rain around 2 o’clock.
The worst part was being stuck in the small world boat, right as it began to downpour. Of course they don’t let you draw your umbrellas so we got drenched.
Other than that, a perfect day at Disney. Disney, in the rain is the best. Holiday treats made it even better. My favorite was the gingerbread churro with butterscotch dipping sauce. And my other favorite was a turkey leg. Even though that’s not a holiday treat, it’s perfect for this time of the year. Thanks David for all the updates.
Hey Fresh Baked!!
Hi David this was great!! Far as going to Disneyland as we had planned to on Christmas Day for our anniversary, we might have to cancel our reservations. Both Dave and his brother have a cold / flu symptoms and I don’t think they will be able by Monday 😢 but we wish everyone a wonderful, magical, and Merry Christmas!! Love you, Liz, and Sofia 💖🎄💖🎄💖🎄
I was there and although it wasn't as crowded, so many rides were shut down due to the rain and also just random. MMRR was off and on all day. We tried four times
I remember when I talked about the end of passes at Disney (based on information from the son and grandson of legacy imagineers/castmembers in 2014ish), I sure was poo poo'ed to no end. They have wanted to get rid of the passes for a looooong time. We shall see. Nice crowd in the rain.
I thought there was an AP tier that was not blocked out? (I refuse to use the new name)
❤I love love looooovvvvee rainy day at the park videos!! I secretly wish it would rain one day we where there... I'm half tempted to intentionally aim for a rainny day at some point... I LOOOVVEEE to see the kids(and parents) playing in the rain, splashing in the rain, and continuing to have a great time❤ I was totally in my head like we need a pov of this... then like music to my ears you said exactly what I hoped❤❤❤❤❤ so happy I'm gonna be falling asleep to that one constantly now I'm going over there right now....
Also are we thinking ADA will cut the stretching room? Because that would be a real bummer 😢 having said that however I am extremely glad to have had the chance to go up in the stretching room and watch the glass unbreak 😅 super cool experience that not alot of people have experienced and on my favorite ride too. Also glad that they are making a dedicated entrance as well because the ramp going in situation was never good either the corners are way too tight to be cued right there and be able to have another ECV exiting in the same way on that weird ramp.
Dave, I wonder if you considered that maybe many magic key people bought tickets for the day you made this video. How does this first non-magic key day compare to a video you may have done at the same time last year and/or previous years?
FRESHBAKED is RAINY DISNEYLAND!!
Are you saying that David is all wet?! 😂
@@WindowtotheMagic yes!!
6:31 teacups shows how great osmo cam is
I just assumed that Disney has a spreadsheet somewhere that tells them how many of each kind of MK they want to sell, and once they went over that number, they cut off sales. If that's true, I think we'll either see sales periodically pop open as some folks decline to renew, or if they "adjust the mix", but DL has always had some kind of annual pass ticket, regardless of what they call it.
For myself, I'm in the parks ~25 days a year, staying on property (with friends, so it's not as outrageously expensive as you might think), eat on property for all meals (except the occasional "field trip") - I'm pretty much the most desirable (profitable) guest, and if I had to buy individual tickets, I would _greatly_ cut back my trips.
……You would have to PAY ME $200 to go to Disneyland near Christmas!!!
Thank you for your vlogs! I think Disney will always have magic keys and the reservation system at DL. It’s how they can make sure the parks are packed every day. I feel they need the magic key holders, just like AP back in the day, to fill the parks on days regular paying guests are low. The reservation system allows them to predict when attendance will be high or low and whether they block out magic key holders or encourage them to come. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
New camera looks great! What camera is it?
Osmo Pocket 3
I really enjoyed the ham and pineapple sandwich at Jolly Holiday, even though the photo looks meh. But the best holiday sandwiches are outside the park at Earl. Their turkey/stuffing sandwich is pretty good and the ham/sweet potato sandwich is absolutely amazing!
I wish everyday would be low crowds
it's probably going to get worse rather better I'm afraid.
One obstacle to getting rid of Magic Key is it conflicts with that big DVC tower they built and are trying to sale. As a DVC owner with a okay size investment in the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Cal having the magic key makes it work for us and we have a great time. Disney seems to have a conflict with its interests between DVC and making it harder to buy APs on both coasts (in the past). We would love to have a DVC AP that was good on both coasts….
Honestly, it's slow because Disney crowded is not fun. I did it once at Christmas and I NEVER will again. Most people avoid it now because it's been too busy in years past.
I would significantly cut spending if they pulled MKs. Unless there is untapped demand to replace that spend, pulling MKs would reduce revenue.
Hey Dave I’m a huge Haunted Mansion Holiday fan and I was curious too as how they measure the wait time for the Haunted Mansion like is it to from the the entrance to the foyer or is it from the entrance to the doom buggy?! And believe it or not it’s actually from the stand-by entrance to the foyer!
I had the Ham and pineapple sandwich on throwback night, and it was delicious!!
glad to hear because I'm really looking forward to it
That line for the train though 😮 🙈
Can’t wait for the other video on your POV channel David.
You should do a rope drop video for people who do buy Genie+ because they want to get everything done in one day.
I went on Wednesday too! It was surprisingly slow for when I was there, with the usual exceptions (RSR, Rise).
Hey Bricky was there making a game with the trash cans. Look for him in the back 😂
Did you notice a lack of people shouting Fresh Baked in a crowd of single-day ticket holders vs. a regular day at the parks with magic keys?
I went on Wednesday and it was crazy. I also walked passed Fresh Baked who was walking at a fast pace out of Tomorrowland lol
Confirmed. I am a fast walker 😉
I am going next Tuesday and Wednesday. Thank god it’s sunny next week. My genie plus is ready!
FreshBaked. David, as soon as you walk into Fantasyland the "Wicked Queen" parts the curtains and looks down at you from her room above the "Snow White" ride. Just be careful because I think she wants you for a large "M&M." If each person in the park today paid $200 I started counting but I ran out of fingers and toes. Disney news should only come from inside a teacup with plenty of mustard. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Do you have the other channel linked?
ThemeParkPOVPros: bit.ly/1VNdAC8
I got my Believe key in April, if that helps your analysis. 🤓
classic way to close a dusk-timing video - THE CROWS!
how was the weatherwise?
Will you be there on the 26th? Drove down from the Bay Area and would love to see you
Will reservations ever go away? Disneywould seems to be going back to no reservations but not disneyland why?
My drummer friend told me the toy soldiers were dressed and at the gate when it was cancelled. One time, years ago, we went out and then it started pouring. The pulled us off at the corn dog cart.
I am happy magic happens is coming bavk next year
I was there!
Day ticket holders are an unfavorable mix. They have an urgency to do rides, clog up the standby, and break into fights. That's why the lines look bigger even though there are way less people in the park.
i believe disney disagrees. at least with regard to how much they spend when they visit.
Day ticket holders are more apt to spend more money on food, merch, and Genie+ so they can get more rides in during their day. As apposed to the Magic Key (pass holder) holder, who gets to go multiple times, so less money on food, much, and less potential for using Genie+.
Day/Muti-Day ticket holders are typically staying in the resort or good neighbor hotels, using the nearby gas stations, etc…so it’s overall great for Disney money-wise AND the local economy, to have the non-pass holder come to the parks.
It would be interesting to compare the number “Fresh Baked!”s on a non-Magic Key day with a Magic Key day.
paying around $ 200 for single day ticket no i'm not leaveing...if it is just sprinkles and off and on little rain......if it was a Hurricane weather like what happens in Florida and Disney World. then yes I'm leaveing lucky California doesn't have hurricane weather.
Disney may very well be re-evaluating the various annual passes and their ticket prices taking into consideration the reservation system and how that may even be revised if not totally done away with. I remember when they had ticket books, discounts on merch and tickets with a Magic Kingdom Club Card, their renditions of Passport tickets before their introduction of annual passes which, by the way, had to be paid for in full at the time of purchase. That purchase option obviously saw changes over the years. Change is always an option for companies and should not really come as a surprise to the customer no matter how loyal they may be. That loyal customer needs to remember that any changes made are done with all customers in mind and not just them.
Well said.
Yup wait times since MK blockouts are average 45 to 90 most major attractions.
Howdy!
Will Disneyland ever sell Magic keys again, or are they getting out of the passholder business because passholders are, as they put it, undesirable guests?
Were you recognized more or less than usual without the key holders in the park? I did not hear one fresh baked shout as you walked down main street and that is unusual.
about the same.
That is good news I think that it was about the same without the locals in the park.
I shouted him out at Town Square toward the end of the day!😅
If they did actually decide to ever do away with any form of annual pass, I'm wondering how that might impact Fresh Baked.
Because yeah, $200 a pop would significantly add up really quickly, and it's only ever going to get more expensive. I can't imagine weekly trips could be in the budget anymore.
some effect, but not major.
Well with the HM new que coming, makes sense to see them stay with Halloween/Christmas layover until the holiday season is over in early 2025!
I'm mad to be blocked out but saved me money on buying Christas merch.
RESERVATION system will be permanent as long as the park hits near capacity during AP blackouts. The gross sales have to be astounding during this window
pretty much this, yes.
It’s how the parks should be,
So you think Disney is leaning towards phasing out magic keys? Do you think they are going to be replaced with a new type of annual pass system or do you think they are just going to be available to those who have them forever? Because I am sure there are still thousands if not millions of people who still want to buy an annual pass.
That AI generated noise reduction really makes your voice pop! It almost doesn’t sound like AI generated speech enhancement. Keep it up!!
I don't understand Magic Keys. If you pay a yearly subscription to the parks, why are you told you can't enter? You have already paid!
"subject to availability"
That must be very frustrating!@@FreshBakedDisney
BTW. Thanks for responding to my question. You are the first blogger to ever do that for me. Oh, and it isn't because my name is Karen! LOL
Completely unrelated, but as a previous invisalign user, your teeth are coming along great!