Some merchandise in Disney World is only available to certain guests. If you don’t meet the qualifications to buy these items, you aren’t allowed to purchase them at all.
Some merchandise in Disney World is very exclusive!
Today, we’re heading to pick up a NEW exclusive item that’s actually FREE — but not everyone can get it. We’ll let you know who qualifies for this souvenir and how to get one now!
Disney announced previously that they were releasing a new Annual Passholder-exclusive magnet just for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. This magnet features a retro Disney World logo with artwork of Mickey and Minnie Mouse inside. Of course, it is covered in the signature EARidescent sparkles for this celebration! It’ll be available in Disney Springs from March 2nd (today) through March 30th, 2022.
©Disney
But how can you get your hands on this beauty? First of all, you must be an Annual Passholder at Disney World. Right now, sales for most Annual Passes are paused, but if you have an existing pass, then you’re good to go! Head to the My Disney Experience app on your phone to see more details about the new magnet. This is also where you can join the virtual queue to get this souvenir.
New Passholder Logo
Yep — no standing in line for hours to get this magnet! You can hop on the virtual queue and then check out other Passholder offerings in the Springs while you wait for your group to be called. You must be within 45 miles of Disney Springs in order to join the virtual queue (but you don’t have to be inside Disney Springs itself). Once you’re within that radius, the option to join the virtual queue should appear on your My Disney Experience app home screen.
Disney Springs
The return times will be between 10AM and 10PM, and the queue will open for guests to join at 9AM, 1PM, and 5PM ET. Even if it’s full earlier in the day, you can try to join at any of those times.
©Disney
This morning at 9AM ET, we hopped onto the app to join the queue! When we joined, the estimated wait time was 115 minutes.
©Disney
We headed into the Springs around 10AM (where we saw some lovely signs welcoming Passholders for the event), but our wait time was still at around 80 minutes.
Welcoming Passholders
At this time, we noticed that there was still a pretty long physical line at Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories (where the magnet pick-up is located) that people had to wait in even after their group was called from the virtual queue.
Line for the AP Magnet
This line even extended past the Days of Christmas store at one point! It seemed like the distribution was pretty backed up for the first part of the day.
Long line!
About 2 hours later (our original estimated wait time), we still had not been called back to pick up the magnet. But we were definitely closer! Our wait time said 25 minutes at this point.
©Disney
About 40 minutes after that, we were finally called to pick up our magnet!
©Disney
We hopped into the physical queue at Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories.
Time to get our magnet!
When we got to the front (which didn’t take long), a Cast Member checked our Annual Pass and photo ID and then gave us our complimentary magnet!
She’s a beaut!
They weren’t kidding when they said this magnet is EARidescent — it has a LOT of sparkles on the logo, which look great in the sunlight.
Very sparkly!
In total, we waited about 160 minutes after we joined the virtual queue at 9AM ET this morning. That was more than the estimated wait time of 115 minutes, but there was plenty to do in the Springs while we waited.
Magnet Distribution sign
If you’re an Annual Passholder, you can hop in the virtual queue and then head to the Springs from now until March 30th, 2022, to pick up your magnet at Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories!
Wonderful World of Memories Gift Shop
Be sure to have your Passholder ID and photo ID with you when you return to pick it up! If you have family and friends listed on your My Disney Experience app, you can add them to your virtual queue reservation so that they can come with you to pick up their own magnets. But you will not be able to pick up a magnet for them unless they are physically present with their own pass and ID.
Annual Passholder sign
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I tried to pick up magnets for my 4 and 6 year old who both have an annual pass and I was told absolutely not unless they were physically there. They were in school and it was super frustrating. They said they will not make any exceptions and you can’t send people connected to your pass with the proper identification and pass.
Each person must be present with pass and id to pick up. They wouldn’t let me get my husbands even though i had his pass and a pic of his id.
I am amazed at the complaints. Not only here, but even on twitter. You are getting a magnet.
If it is really that important to you to have it, follow the rules for getting it. Again, it is a magnet.
Is it really that big a deal?
It’s a magnet folks. Imagine what better things could have been done with that time. The world would certainly be a better place if people spent 160 minutes volunteering somewhere rather than waiting for a magnet.
I agree with Todd, all of this is getting ridiculous over magnets and popcorn buckets. Disney has let it get way too extreme, out of control, and what a waste of time to wait for a magnet. They should just automatically mail them to all registered passholders. this does nothing but create fiascos and complaints, no wonder why Disney keeps pushing passholders out the door they don’t want us there as it is, I’m surprised they keep up this stuff.
Sam makes a good point about mailing the magnets; we used to receive them that way. Why complicate things with the virtual queue & standing in line nonsense? Who has time for this? Also: I find it odd that
the original, iconic Mickey & Minnie were not used on the 50th anniversary magnet. Hard pass on this one.