Disneyland ResortNews

Guests Trapped in Mass Crowd Frenzy at Disneyland California

Disneyland Resort’s 70th anniversary celebration just kicked off, and already, the crowds are overwhelming.

On May 16, hundreds of guests flooded Main Street, U.S.A., racing to The Emporium before park opening to grab one of the most in-demand items released as part of the Disneyland70 festivities. The Key to Disneyland, a limited-edition $59.99 collectible, triggered a frenzy inside the park’s largest retail location, where guests packed wall-to-wall trying to get their hands on the exclusive souvenir.

A woman holding a smiling baby stands next to Mickey Mouse in front of a castle at Disneyland. Sporting pink Minnie Mouse ears, she beams as Mickey greets the baby—capturing precious moments and offering inspiration for tips for taking a baby to Disney.
Credit: Disney

The Key to Disneyland is more than a piece of plastic that lights up. Guests can travel around the nine Disneyland Park lands and interact with each themed keyhole. Every interaction unlocks a colorful icon on the physical key. After collecting the icons, guests can use the final keyhole to unlock a compartment on their key containing one of nine mystery pins.

Unsurprisingly, the Key to Disneyland was an immediate hit. It quickly sold out at multiple locations. Some Disney Parks fans have already accused resellers of buying up stock in hopes of flipping the collectible for profit online, despite purchase limits in place. Thankfully, not everyone who braved the Key to Disneyland crowds walked away empty-handed.

A young girl stands joyfully in front of a castle, holding plush toys of Disney characters Mickey, Minnie, and Donald. She is wearing a denim jacket, and the colorful castle towers are visible in the background at dusk inside of Disneyland.
Credit: Disney

One successful Disney Park guest, TikTok user @reynaandroman, captured the chaos at 8:00 a.m. in a video that quickly spread across social media. The store appears completely packed with guests, with little space to move as shoppers crowd shelves and merchandise tables.

@reynaandroman

This morning is CRAZY For the Key to Disneyland! 🔑🏰 Secured 2 Before they Sell out Stay tune for part #2 Finding out what pins we get Full Vlog will be up in YouTube Link in bio. #disney #disneyland #keytodisney #keytodisneyland #fyp #fypシ #fup #fupシ #distok #70yearsofdisney

♬ original sound – reynaandroman

While the Key to Disneyland has sold out at times, it will likely restock throughout the year-long 70th celebration, which runs into summer 2026. Guests hoping to grab one are encouraged to ask merchandise cast members to check nearby stores and locations across Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District, and the Disneyland Resort Hotels.

A woman and a young girl laugh joyfully in front of a castle at a theme park. The girl wears Mickey Mouse ears and holds a colorful toy. Both appear happy, surrounded by a magical atmosphere at this Disney park.
Credit: Disney

Though the official birthday for Disneyland Resort is July 17, the celebration began on May 16. With it came themed food, drinks, merchandise, and new and returning entertainment offerings. Disneyland Park brought back fan-favorite offerings like Paint the Night and Wondrous Journeys and introduced the “Celebrate Happy Cavalcade.” At the same time, Disney California Adventure Park debuted the interactive “World of Color Happiness” and reintroduced the “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration” parade.

More offerings are still on the way, including the “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” animatronic show and a special anniversary update to the final verse of “it’s a small world,” both scheduled to debut on Disneyland Park’s birthday.

Have you ever rope-dropped a Disney park to buy specific merchandise? Share your story with Disney Fanatic in the comments! 

Jess Colopy

Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alum and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.

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