Theme Park Scope

Some news arrives with a big announcement and a press release. Other news arrives when someone at the register says, “Oh, we can’t take the discount on that anymore,” and you stand there holding a cold bottle of water thinking, wait, what?

That appears to be how this one rolled out. As of Tuesday, October 6, guests with merchandise discounts at Disneyland Resort, including Magic Key holders, Disney Vacation Club members, Disney World Annual Passholders, and Disney Visa cardholders, can no longer apply those discounts to bottled sodas and water bought at Disney-owned stores. According to reporting on the change, multiple Cast Members confirmed that all guests now pay full price for bottled beverages.

For a long time, select members and Disney passholders could use their merchandise discount on bottled drinks at Disney-owned shops. The discount was 20% for Inspire Key holders and 10 % for everyone else, as well as 20% for Disney World Annual Passholders, DVC Members, and Disney Visa cardholders. Reports say the bottled soda and water discount has been around for a very long time, roughly as long as the merchandise discounts have existed. Now it is gone. We did not find an official announcement from Disney about the change, so all of this comes from the way the discount is being handled at stores.

Here is the good news, and it is genuinely useful. The Passholder discounts on drinks at restaurants are still there, so if you want a soda, you are better off getting a fountain drink at a restaurant than a bottle at a gift shop. Inspire Key holders receive 15 % off food and non-alcoholic beverages at participating locations across Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney District, and the resort hotels. Other Magic Key tiers receive 10 % off at those same participating locations, and most participating third-party locations offer 10 %o ff across every tier. Disney World Annual Passholders may be eligible for a 10% discount (which could vary throughout the year thanks to other limited-time offers) at select quick service restaurants around Disney World’s parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs.

If you mostly just need water, a reusable bottle you can refill is probably the easiest fix, or stop by a quick service restaurant and ask for a cup of water, which is still free.

What makes this one interesting is the timing. It landed on the same day Disneyland announced its one-day ticket price increases, with Magic Key prices staying the same, and the same day it announced removing the Magic Key no-show penalty. If you read our posts on those two, you know the first was a modest increase focused on a few ticket tiers and the second was a real win for passholders. So October 6 turned into a three-part Magic Key day: prices frozen, a penalty removed, and a small perk quietly trimmed.

Walt Disney World also made some discount changes this week, as part of its own round of price increases. Disneyland is not the only resort adjusting the fine print.

If you are trying to stretch your vacation budget in other ways, a travel agent through Adventure Awaits Travel Company can help you look at packages and offers for your trip, at no cost to you.

I am torn on this one, and I think it is okay to be. On one hand, a discount on bottled water is a very small thing. Nobody plans a Disney trip around saving a dollar on a drink, and the restaurant discounts are still a better deal anyway. On the other hand, small perks are the ones people notice the most, because they are the ones you use every single visit. If you have been a Magic Key holder for a while, you probably grabbed a bottle at a gift shop without thinking about it, and it can feel like a little paper cut when something you rely on disappears without warning.

What I would love to see is Disney being upfront about changes like this. Telling people in the same message that it froze Magic Key prices, made increases across the board, and removed the no-show penalty would have made the whole day feel like a package, not a surprise at the register. That is just a suggestion, and I do not think it is a dealbreaker. I will keep my Passholder perks in perspective, and I will probably keep a reusable bottle in my bag.

Did you notice it at the register? Tell us in the comments, and come hang out with us at Theme Park Scope for more Disneyland news, including anything Disney officially says about this change.