News Disney Park Pass System announced for Walt Disney World theme park reservations

[JohnD]

How are all of those AP holders doing with this insanity? Or are they just booking overpriced rooms to gain admittance to the parks? I'd consider myself an AP holder but it's essentially worthless at this point. I may as well toss it in the trash.

I live four hours away, so I pretty much have to make a resort reservation every time I come so the lack of availability for APs doesn't affect me as my park reservations are based on resort stay, not holding an AP.. I'd say the closer you live to WDW, the more "worthless" your AP is. You can't show up and use it like you used to. I wouldn't blame anyone for cancelling if they met that criteria.

 

[JohnD]

I'm already paying over $800 per year for that AP and since I live 10 miles from the parks I have no need for a room and suggesting I need to do so to get access to the parks is just arrogance.

Wow. This is ridiculous. No wonder AP holders who may live nearby are cancelling. ZERO value for your AP. Well, maybe .1% for Epcot but that's it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The lack of availability of Park Pass for AP holders seems like a deliberate push for AP holders to cancel their passes.

 

[donsullivan]

The lack of availability of Park Pass for AP holders seems like a deliberate push for AP holders to cancel their passes.

Indeed. I‘m kind of curious what their end game is on this. Clearly, if they were contemplating a major change to what an AP looks like this would be the ultimate chance for them. The current model will dramatically lower the number of passholders, so introducing a new model is less impactful and disruptive.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Indeed. I‘m kind of curious what their end game is on this. Clearly, if they were contemplating a major change to what an AP looks like this would be the ultimate chance for them. The current model will dramatically lower the number of passholders, so introducing a new model is less impactful and disruptive.

I'm guessing they've determined what the average guest per park needs to spend per day to substantiate staying open and the AP lockouts are a function of this.

 

[donsullivan]

I'm guessing they've determined what the average guest per park needs to spend per day to substantiate staying open and the AP lockouts are a function of this.

I don’t disagree there at all. They are trying to hit an average revenue per turnstile click and since an AP revenue per click is so low, they have to limit the number each day to achieve the financial target.

they seem to have decided to just ride that out until some normalcy returns and if that costs them lots and lots of passholders, they are okay with that.

 

[SoFloMagic]

I’m under the impression that once tomorrow’s reckoning is over, AP perks will be re-evaluated using the new numbers as a guideline. Some things that many have been clamoring for to return since it was pulled as a result of COVID operations may return as AP exclusive perks.

AP-exclusive parking trams?

 

[aladdin2007]

If they want to ditch passholders so badly, which is how this is coming across, then why are they being so firm about tuesdays deadline yesterday? why not keep allowing people to cancel over the next week or two? sounds like they couldn't handle all the calls anyway so let it go on through August, whats with the weird tuesday deadline?

 

[ElvisMickey]

Wow. This is ridiculous. No wonder AP holders who may live nearby are cancelling. ZERO value for your AP. Well, maybe .1% for Epcot but that's it.

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The calendar hasn’t been accurate. I was able to get a reservation, just last night, for EPCOT today. This has happened multiple times over the last few weeks.

 

[aladdin2007]

The calendar hasn’t been accurate. I was able to get a reservation, just last night, for EPCOT today. This has happened multiple times over the last few weeks.

This, I was able to get one for next week and did not expect to.

 

[JohnD]

The calendar hasn’t been accurate. I was able to get a reservation, just last night, for EPCOT today. This has happened multiple times over the last few weeks.

I don't think EPCOT is a very high barometer, though. In August, those that show "some parks remaining", the only park is EPCOT. So, it's not very surprising that on days that are grayed out, the first park that opens up is EPCOT.

 

[donsullivan]

This, I was able to get one for next week and did not expect to.

Getting something on a weekday, a week or so in advance isn't unheard of (although very, very random) but getting anything on a weekend is nearly impossible. And for a Passholder to get into DHS on a weekend you have to book that 2 months in advance. But anything you find is just anecdotal and does not change the overall pattern of severely limiting access to local passholders who are not staying in a Disney Resort. I'd have immediate access if I just bought a retail ticket, but my AP will not allow me access this weekend.

 

[DisneyCane]

The lack of availability of Park Pass for AP holders seems like a deliberate push for AP holders to cancel their passes.

I think it is a push to get Passholders who visit to stay at a Disney resort. With the capacity limits I don't think they want to "waste" capacity on visitors that will not add much additional revenue. Local passholders within an hour drive probably spend the least per day on average of anybody.

 

[ElvisMickey]

I don't EPCOT is a very high barometer, though. In August, those that show "some parks remaining", the only park is EPCOT. So, it's not very surprising that on days that are grayed out, the first park that opens up is EPCOT.

I hear you, but sync it with the calendar.

 

[disneygeek90]

I hear you, but sync it with the calendar.

There could have been so few spots actually available that it's not worth advertising availability.

 

[joejccva71]

FWIW, Epcot is easy to get, but you won't have the same luck with the other parks, especially HS.

 

[ElvisMickey]

FWIW, Epcot is easy to get, but you won't have the same luck with the other parks, especially HS.

The only park I haven’t seen it for since they reopened was DHS. And like I said in my earlier post, this has happened multiple times since they reopened. No availability on the calendar for APs, yet availability when you check a day or two before when you actively go in and try to reserve. It’s a thing.

 

[Magic Feather]

So... I was browsing Twitter, and I found a certain owner of a certain site pose an interesting question: how are bloggers w/ AP’s going everyday when AP reservations appear to be booked up for weeks. Later in his replies, he’s claiming that he’s going to publish how they are doing it.

Admittedly, there are a few ways this could be happening, from constant refreshing to company media contacts, but, if he’s referencing the way to get seemingly booked park passes that I think he is... I’m a little worried that revealing the method will stop people that really need (admittedly need is subjective, but by this I mean people with visitors that need certain dates) park reservations from getting them.

That said, if it comes out, as much as I really would prefer to discourage people from doing the method, I’m adhering to the “don’t hate the player, hate the game mentality” on this one, so just use the new process before Disney potentially has to take away this method.

 

[ElvisMickey]

So... I was browsing Twitter, and I found a certain owner of a certain site pose an interesting question: how are bloggers w/ AP’s going everyday when AP reservations appear to be booked up for weeks. Later in his replies, he’s claiming that he’s going to publish how they are doing it.

Admittedly, there are a few ways this could be happening, from constant refreshing to company media contacts, but, if he’s referencing the way to get seemingly booked park passes that I think he is... I’m a little worried that revealing the method will stop people that really need (admittedly need is subjective, but by this I mean people with visitors that need certain dates) park reservations from getting them.

That said, if it comes out, as much as I really would prefer to discourage people from doing the method, I’m adhering to the “don’t hate the player, hate the game mentality” on this one, so just use the new process before Disney potentially has to take away this method.

I saw that just a little while ago too. What’s even more interesting, is the fact that the site you’re speaking of has pretty much been living in hotels going back to when Universal opened just so they can be at the parks everyday. Just a personal opinion, and I understand the “business” that they’re in, but that seems a little overboard.

 

[JohnD]

So... I was browsing Twitter, and I found a certain owner of a certain site pose an interesting question: how are bloggers w/ AP’s going everyday when AP reservations appear to be booked up for weeks. Later in his replies, he’s claiming that he’s going to publish how they are doing it.

Admittedly, there are a few ways this could be happening, from constant refreshing to company media contacts, but, if he’s referencing the way to get seemingly booked park passes that I think he is... I’m a little worried that revealing the method will stop people that really need (admittedly need is subjective, but by this I mean people with visitors that need certain dates) park reservations from getting them.

That said, if it comes out, as much as I really would prefer to discourage people from doing the method, I’m adhering to the “don’t hate the player, hate the game mentality” on this one, so just use the new process before Disney potentially has to take away this method.

If they're booking rooms at Disney resorts, they're getting in based on their resort classification, not their AP.