A man in a plaid shirt stands smiling in front of a brightly lit Disneyland sign at night. The sign reads, “LET THE MEMORIES BEGIN!”.

Is Disneyland your happy place?

October 21, 2025/Jan Wagner/
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Ever since my first visit there as a little boy, Disneyland has been one of my most happy places.

A man stands smiling in front of a group of people, with a display of Star Wars stormtroopers and a spaceship in the background.
An older person smiles while sitting at a circular, black-and-white checkered game table in a sci-fi themed setting with metallic walls and controls.
A man in a plaid shirt stands smiling in front of a brightly lit Disneyland sign at night. The sign reads, “LET THE MEMORIES BEGIN!”.

Indeed, its slogan is “The Happiest Place on Earth,” so why, after many years of being an annual passholder, did I recently let my annual pass expire?

Annual price increases have made tickets and annual passes very expensive. All levels of annual passes (“Magic Keys”) have blackout dates (when the passes are not valid for entry or parking benefits). The least expensive annual passes have lots of blackout dates, including weekends, holidays and popular summer and winter vacation days. The top annual pass (the Inspire “Magic Key”) — is now $1,899 for a year, and though its predecessor had no blackout dates (and was much less expensive), this one blacks out the popular Christmas through New Year’s holiday season. Compare those to the far less expensive annual passes at nearby Knott’s Berry Farm, which has no blackout dates and even offers an inexpensive, add-on, annual meal plan.

STAR WARS: Rise of the Resistance at STAR WARS: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland

A futuristic sci-fi control room with two people in white armor suits standing at consoles, surrounded by red and gray lighting and panels.
People stand in a dimly lit, futuristic corridor with red and blue lighting, looking up at two costumed characters positioned on a raised platform behind a metal railing.
A crowd watches a sci-fi themed show; screens display alien characters while a blue holographic figure appears on a platform in a futuristic, cave-like setting.
Two video screens display a man in an orange flight suit on the left and an alien creature in a control room on the right.
A group of people stand in line near a large sci-fi spaceship replica set against a rocky background at a themed attraction.
Animatronic alien character operates a control panel in a futuristic spaceship cockpit, with colorful lights and displays visible.
A group of Star Wars Stormtrooper figures stand in formation inside a futuristic, blue-lit spaceship interior display.
A group of people ride in a trackless vehicle inside a futuristic, sci-fi themed attraction with colorful lighting and industrial details.
Two large AT-AT walker models stand in a themed indoor attraction with visitors seated in a dark ride vehicle below.
People sit in a themed ride vehicle, surrounded by futuristic decor with red and green lighting, resembling a spaceship interior.
View from inside a spaceship cockpit showing a space battle, with one spaceship exploding and others firing energy weapons in a star-filled background.
A person in a dark costume, resembling a sci-fi or Star Wars character, stands on a futuristic set with colorful lights and industrial details.
A life-sized figure of Kylo Ren stands on a futuristic spaceship set with colorful lights and sci-fi panels.
A futuristic vehicle with blue lights drives through a dimly lit, industrial-themed tunnel with machinery and metal walls.
A person dressed as a sci-fi character operates controls inside a futuristic pod in an industrial-themed setting, viewed by a crowd below.

Live entertainment used to be included with the price of admission. The Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure used to stage major live theatrical productions, including “Alladin,” “Frozen”…

A performer in a blue dress sings on stage with a snowy, mountainous backdrop and sparkling light effects, framed by a large arch.
Live performance of Frozen in the Hyperion Theater (2017)

… “Steps in Time,” “The Power of Blast” and “Rogers: The Musical,” but the Hyperion Theater has been dark for many months. Remember when Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theater, Royal Theater, Golden Horseshoe and other venues used to have live entertainment, too? The high-energy, live performances for “TRON”…

Performers in futuristic costumes stand on a stage with green lighting below a large illuminated "ElecTRONica" sign, while an audience member holds up a phone in the foreground.
Electronica (2010)

… and “Alice in Wonderland” were terrific, as were the live bands.

A rock band dressed in colorful costumes performs on an outdoor stage with whimsical decorations, while an audience watches, some wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
Mad Tea Party (2012)

Live entertainment, including parades, is often presented exclusively at extra-cost, after-hours special events.

A monorail decorated with Star Wars characters travels on an elevated track above trees and a body of water.
The Disneyland Monorail

For several years, reservations have been required for the theme parks. Many days and dates are often unavailable, and there are penalties for no-shows.

A projected image of Kermit the Frog appears on a water screen at night, with a crowd watching in the foreground and blue lights in the background.
Muppet pre-show at World of Color water show at Disney California Adventure

Costumed Star Wars characters were originally supposed to not only populate Galaxy’s Edge, but also engage with guests through interactive stories and quests. Instead, that was scaled back to meet-and-greets.

A person dressed as a Star Wars stormtrooper interacts with people outdoors near a wall.
STAR WARS character meet & greet
Donald Duck character in costume salutes while interacting with a child at an outdoor theme park area near a colorful blue and yellow prop.
A person in a Donald Duck costume poses outdoors at a theme park, with buildings and other visitors visible in the background.

Huge crowds often limit the number of popular attractions that guests will have time to enjoy. To address this situation, Disney used to offer guests free ‘fast passes,’ with which they could get assigned return times to popular attractions, so that they could spend less time standing around waiting in long lines and more time enjoying their days. Those were eliminated, replaced with extra-cost, add-on programs to get this benefit, plus “Virtual Queues” for new attractions — that are often filled to capacity within seconds of becoming available.

A large Mickey Mouse pumpkin decoration is displayed at night, surrounded by a crowd of people at an outdoor Halloween event.
Huge crowd at Disneyland at Halloween (2025)

Disney eliminated guests with physical disabilities from their DAS program, whereby guests may get attraction return times (one-at-a-time), thus enabling them to return later instead of having to stand and wait in long lines.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toontown at Disneyland

Crowds walk in front of the entrance to Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland, with a colorful El Capitoon Theater marquee and clear blue sky.
A retro-style concessions stand with popcorn, candy, hot dogs, and drinks on display, featuring bright signage and a colorful counter.
Two cartoon mice wave cheerfully from a red car in front of a train, with a colorful, animated landscape in the background.
Animated image of Goofy hanging from a nail on a wooden wall with a large hole below and visible cracks, as seen in a Disney cartoon scene.
Animated figures of Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse appear in a colorful, themed indoor amusement park ride scene with vibrant lighting and props.
Colorful carnival-themed amusement ride scene with popcorn and balloon booths, striped tents, and patrons seated in a Twister ride car. Bright green and blue lighting effects illuminate the area.
Colorful animated scene showing a cartoon dog character in a blue uniform yelling in front of a barber shop and ice cream parlor at night, with construction barriers and rubble.
An animatronic Daisy Duck performs on stage while a group of people watch from a ride vehicle in a themed attraction.
Animated scene featuring a skunk performing on a stage inside a colorful, whimsical setting, viewed from the perspective of an audience in a dimly lit room.

When popular attractions break down — for example, the large guns in “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” and the dramatic, fire-breathing Maleficent the dragon in “Fantasmic!,” it often taken years, if ever, to fully repair them — instead keeping the attraction running with lesser functionality in what is known as “B-mode.”

Fantasmic!

A large, illuminated sailing ship with tall masts is docked at night, surrounded by a crowd of people observing from the shore.
Two performers dressed as Belle and the Beast dance on an illuminated float, surrounded by glowing roses and candelabras, with pink water fountains in the background at night.
A large, illuminated dragon prop stands on stage with a performer nearby, surrounded by colored lights and stage effects.
Maleficent prior to being destroyed by the fire
A large mechanical dragon breathes fire during a nighttime show, surrounded by colorful lights and smoke effects.
Screenshot
A large riverboat decorated with lights floats on water at night, with performers on board and colorful water fountains in the background.

Lately Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure have been closing earlier: 11PM at Disneyland and 9PM at DCA.

A large crowd watches a colorful fireworks display above a brightly lit castle at night during an outdoor event.
Disneyland fireworks

Paint the Night Electrical Parade

A brightly lit float with the words "Paint the Night Electrical Parade" moves through a nighttime parade, surrounded by colorful lights and illuminated decorations.
A brightly lit semi-truck float resembling Mack from "Cars," outlined in red neon lights, drives in a nighttime parade with a crowd watching.
A parade float with a brightly lit Sorcerer Mickey Mouse figure passes by crowds at night in Disneyland, with a castle illuminated in the background.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is brightly illuminated at night, with decorative lights and castle flags visible; trees frame the right side of the image.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland (2025)

Disney Security spends much more time inspecting guests’ belongings, than do other popular SoCal theme parks, including Knott’s Berry Farm and SeaWorld San Diego. For my final visit before my annual pass expired, I wanted to be able to recall that visit later with higher quality night-time and dark ride photos than my iPhone was capable of capturing on a recent visit,. With that in mind, I brought my best camera (a Canon R1) and a low-light-capable, ‘fast’ lens. That earned me a detention by Disney Security at the Esplanade gate, where I had to wait for a Security Supervisor to be called over. He asked me if my intention for bringing such a good camera with me was to photograph Park guests for money, warning me against doing that. He also asked me to demonstrate that my camera harness would hold my camera securely. Thankfully, I did not have to drive back to San Diego. He allowed me to enter. If I had any lingering doubts about letting my “Magic Key” expire, that experience eliminated them.

A man wearing glasses and a red jacket holds a Canon camera, taking a selfie at an outdoor public area at night with people sitting and walking in the background.
Jan with the camera that prompted interrogation by a Disneyland Security supervisor
A man in a gray suit stands in an office set with wood furniture, a large map on the wall, and a window showing a building and greenery outside.
Walt Disney animatronic (2025)
A wax figure of a man in a gray suit stands in an office setting, gesturing with one hand, with a desk and window behind him.
What would Walt say?

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Copyright © 2025 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #904

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Jan Wagner

4 Comments

  1. David Sperry on November 3, 2025 at 10:56 am

    Jan, great photos as usual. I can see why your impressive camera gear caught the attention of security. You could hide almost anything inside that lens!

    Our one and only trip to Disneyland was many years ago when my adult son was a toddler. It was my family’s first ever visit to any kind of theme park, and we were in awe. I remember the cup and saucer ride being exciting, and we all had a wonderful time. I can’t recall the cost of a one day pass, but it must have been reasonable at that time.
    As we lived in Pennsylvania with many friends in Florida, we made many visits to Disneyworld over the years. We especially enjoyed Epcot and never failed to have an exotic meal in one of the restaurants. We used to stay in local motels/hotels but eventually moved up to the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was fabulous, with real animals right outside your window.

    Disneyworld was the highlight of our summers for many years, and we have our names engraved on a plaque at Epcot. David.

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on November 3, 2025 at 2:18 pm

      David,
      Thank you.
      I’ve only been to Walt Disney World onece, around 30 ago. My kids were little and were therefore very limited in what they were able and willing to do. I’d like to go back, but the cost is exorbitant now.
      Jan

      Reply
  2. JACK SPARKS on November 3, 2025 at 9:24 am

    Great pics, Jan, as usual. I get your vibe re: the “changes” occurring at the parks. Not good.

    Reply
    • Jan Wagner on November 3, 2025 at 9:53 am

      Thanks Jack.
      I’ve been going to the SoCal Disney Parks using an annual pass for many years, and in some ways the experience is better (Rise of the Resistance is a GREAT attraction), but Disney has been cutting back on, or charging extra for, other important stuff for a long time, and that trend continues to accelerate. It’s all about the money with them, and thinking that they can get away with this kind of stuff forever.
      Maybe the continued huge crowds support that contention, but from what the people who I’ve spoken with about this have been telling me — including Disney Parks cast members, Disney may be reaching a tipping point.
      Jan

      Reply

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