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

nickys

nickys

Premium Member
jinx8402 said:
Here's a question regarding park reservations that I haven't seen answered, especially now with them removing orphaned reservations. Consider the two following scenarios where the original booking was a resort & tickets package booked directly through Disney, what would happen?

1. Switch to room only (Disney resort, perhaps booked via 3rd party) and by valid tix for same dates from a 3rd party?
2. Switch to offsite hotel and purchase valid tickets for same dates?

Is there anything that needs to be done with reservations? In both cases I likely wouldn't cancel the original booking until after linking the tickets. I'm considering my options for my August vacation. Was hoping for better discounts, because I cannot fathom spending almost full price when so much is still not open yet. If I can get a better deal staying off site, I will, especially since early entry still isn't a thing.
Click to expand...
Should be fine with both scenarios I think.

I would make sure to get the new tickets linked before cancelling a package.
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Park Passes for Resort/Ticket guests visiting in May were replenished again this morning -

Screen Shot 2021-04-29 at 6.58.02 AM.png
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
We have DVC reservations that we have had for years...same week. Not only can we no longer get our annual passes renewed, we are now forced to buy Day tickets, the only park that ever shows availability is EPCOT and in order to not do a 3 day EPCOT trip we had to purchase park hoppers... it was $921 for 2 people for a 3 day park hopper... I think Disney is finally starting to hit the tipping point for me. Combine this with the ridiculous amount of planning and reserving you have to do in advance and it is all a very competitive stressful vacation.
We were there a couple months ago for a quick weekend and all the parks were completely booked full and we eventually had to leave property for meals because all the restaurants were pre-booked at the hotels. What a mess.
I am hoping it gets better as they open things back up, but that $921.00 for two 3-day tickets is really painful...
 
MUTZIE77

MUTZIE77

Well-Known Member
Has anyone tried going to a ticket booth and buying tickets for the next day when the calendar shows no availability? Since this is a self imposed capacity limit, I thought it might be a possibility. We have park passes for one day in late May and we are undecided on another day.
 
disneygeek90

disneygeek90

Well-Known Member
MUTZIE77 said:
Has anyone tried going to a ticket booth and buying tickets for the next day when the calendar shows no availability? Since this is a self imposed capacity limit, I thought it might be a possibility. We have park passes for one day in late May and we are undecided on another day.
Click to expand...
I've seen ticket windows open on days that there is no reservations across the board. I also wonder if they save a few hundred for "walk ups" or maybe they know the volume of non reservation people showing up to buy tickets is low enough to not worry about it but I'm not sure what exactly people are told at the window.
 
homerdance

homerdance

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
We have DVC reservations that we have had for years...same week. Not only can we no longer get our annual passes renewed, we are now forced to buy Day tickets, the only park that ever shows availability is EPCOT and in order to not do a 3 day EPCOT trip we had to purchase park hoppers... it was $921 for 2 people for a 3 day park hopper... I think Disney is finally starting to hit the tipping point for me. Combine this with the ridiculous amount of planning and reserving you have to do in advance and it is all a very competitive stressful vacation.
We were there a couple months ago for a quick weekend and all the parks were completely booked full and we eventually had to leave property for meals because all the restaurants were pre-booked at the hotels. What a mess.
I am hoping it gets better as they open things back up, but that $921.00 for two 3-day tickets is really painful...
Click to expand...
Why can't you renew your APs? I know we struggled to get it done, but it was doable.
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Bocabear said:
We have DVC reservations that we have had for years...same week. Not only can we no longer get our annual passes renewed, we are now forced to buy Day tickets, the only park that ever shows availability is EPCOT and in order to not do a 3 day EPCOT trip we had to purchase park hoppers... it was $921 for 2 people for a 3 day park hopper... I think Disney is finally starting to hit the tipping point for me. Combine this with the ridiculous amount of planning and reserving you have to do in advance and it is all a very competitive stressful vacation.
We were there a couple months ago for a quick weekend and all the parks were completely booked full and we eventually had to leave property for meals because all the restaurants were pre-booked at the hotels. What a mess.
I am hoping it gets better as they open things back up, but that $921.00 for two 3-day tickets is really painful...
Click to expand...
You can still renew active APs.
 
Gillyanne

Gillyanne

Well-Known Member
MUTZIE77 said:
Has anyone tried going to a ticket booth and buying tickets for the next day when the calendar shows no availability? Since this is a self imposed capacity limit, I thought it might be a possibility. We have park passes for one day in late May and we are undecided on another day.
Click to expand...

When I was in the Ticket Center at Springs a few weeks ago (4/23 a friday), people were coming in to try and buy tickets for that day, and Sat or Sun. I heard the CM say the parks were sold out through the weekend. Not sure if it would be different if you were actually AT that park though (at least at DS they can prevent you from going over by saying it's SO)

nickys said:
You can still renew active APs.
Click to expand...

This and the theory on purchasing vs. renewing seems to be
A) If you had a pass that expired AFTER the closure
B) If you have a child who is now 3 (therefore now requiring an AP) but once they turn 4 it's a no go.

I let my pass expire Jan this year, took a chance. Things weren't/aren't looking good for new ones yet and we have a family trip planned for the Fall, so I went in to try to get one. B/C the expiration was after the closure (even though it happened while the parks were open) they let me buy a new one. The one "catch" was that it's active date was that date (unlike a Certificate that would be first use date). There was a couple at the CM next to me trying to also purchase new ones. I overheard theirs expired Dec 2019 (so pre closure) so they were not allowing them to purchase new ones.

I also inquired about the kids', my nephew turned 3 last year (after APs were stopped) and seems like he'll be with the family more this year. I was told as long as we call/go in to purchase it BEFORE he turns 4 (so while he's still 3) we should be able to get him one. Once he turns 4, it's off the table. Not sure what kind of date that one is gonna have (certificate or active purchase date) as we have yet to get it.

When I asked what would happen if we bought one but then he didn't end up coming to live with us, I was told it can only be transferred to someone of the same situation (so another turned 3 while APs weren't being sold, and still 3 at the time)
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Gillyanne said:
When I was in the Ticket Center at Springs a few weeks ago (4/23 a friday), people were coming in to try and buy tickets for that day, and Sat or Sun. I heard the CM say the parks were sold out through the weekend. Not sure if it would be different if you were actually AT that park though (at least at DS they can prevent you from going over by saying it's SO)



This and the theory on purchasing vs. renewing seems to be
A) If you had a pass that expired AFTER the closure
B) If you have a child who is now 3 (therefore now requiring an AP) but once they turn 4 it's a no go.

I let my pass expire Jan this year, took a chance. Things weren't/aren't looking good for new ones yet and we have a family trip planned for the Fall, so I went in to try to get one. B/C the expiration was after the closure (even though it happened while the parks were open) they let me buy a new one. The one "catch" was that it's active date was that date (unlike a Certificate that would be first use date). There was a couple at the CM next to me trying to also purchase new ones. I overheard theirs expired Dec 2019 (so pre closure) so they were not allowing them to purchase new ones.

I also inquired about the kids', my nephew turned 3 last year (after APs were stopped) and seems like he'll be with the family more this year. I was told as long as we call/go in to purchase it BEFORE he turns 4 (so while he's still 3) we should be able to get him one. Once he turns 4, it's off the table. Not sure what kind of date that one is gonna have (certificate or active purchase date) as we have yet to get it.

When I asked what would happen if we bought one but then he didn't end up coming to live with us, I was told it can only be transferred to someone of the same situation (so another turned 3 while APs weren't being sold, and still 3 at the time)
Click to expand...
Right. But you seem to be confusing buy and renew.

Anyone with an active AP can renew. You have the usual 60 days before and 30 days after it expires to pay the renewal rate. Therefore it starts on the day after the old one expires.

Occasionally they have allowed people to renew, even if they technically missed their renewal window.

The only people who are allowed to buy a new one, which will start when first used, are:

- anyone who cancelled their AP after the park closure and before the September deadline
- anyone whose AP expired after the parks closure
- and anyone who turned 3 since the parks closure
 
Gillyanne

Gillyanne

Well-Known Member
nickys said:
The only people who are allowed to buy a new one, which will start when first used, are:

- anyone who cancelled their AP after the park closure and before the September deadline
- anyone whose AP expired after the parks closure
- and anyone who turned 3 since the parks closure
Click to expand...

Are those last 2 not what I said? Pass that expired after park closure (such as mine expiring in Jan) and someone that turned 3 (such as my nephew?) so I missed one, with the those that opted to cancel b/c it didn't apply to me, so I didn't have experience

ETA: I said 'this" as in agreeing with your "you can still renew"; then added additional comments about the "new"
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Gillyanne said:
Are those last 2 not what I said? Pass that expired after park closure (such as mine expiring in Jan) and someone that turned 3 (such as my nephew?) so I missed one, with the those that opted to cancel b/c it didn't apply to me, so I didn't have experience

ETA: I said 'this" as in agreeing with your "you can still renew"; then added additional comments about the "new"
Click to expand...
Generally yes, it is what you said, except you missed out the cancelled APs. But I was confused by this part:


Gillyanne said:
I let my pass expire Jan this year, took a chance. Things weren't/aren't looking good for new ones yet and we have a family trip planned for the Fall, so I went in to try to get one. B/C the expiration was after the closure (even though it happened while the parks were open) they let me buy a new one. The one "catch" was that it's active date was that date (unlike a Certificate that would be first use date).
Click to expand...

If the start date was the date yours expired, then that suggests a renewal. Did they charge you the renewal price or the price of a new AP?
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom