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

[nickys]

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.

Should be fine with both scenarios I think.

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

 

[WondersOfLife]

I hope it doesn’t return as it was to Epcot, in particular. 40 minutes for Imagination?! 60 min for Nemo?! It was awful at Epcot.

I never saw Nemo at 60 minutes but 20 minutes is ridiculous for Nemo too.

 

[DCBaker]

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

 

[homerdance]

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

View attachment 552945

Interesting, wonder how much of this was cleaning up orphaned reservations or if they are increasing capacity.

 

[pixie225]

Interesting, wonder how much of this was cleaning up orphaned reservations or if they are increasing capacity.

Please let it be orphaned reservations!

 

[twilight mitsuk]

Please let it be orphaned reservations!

Or a system glitch

 

[Touchdown]

3 parties per boat on pirates and iasw provided the parties all fit in one row.

 

[wedenterprises]

so in theory, what happens if you book a holiday but you can't get into, say, MK? Do you just have to rely on park hopping at 2pm?

 

[ToTBellHop]

so in theory, what happens if you book a holiday but you can't get into, say, MK? Do you just have to rely on park hopping at 2pm?

Yep.

 

[Hockey427]

More availability opened up July 4 and onward now for HS and MK

 

[Bocabear]

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...

 

[DCBaker]

Park passes refreshed for Ticket/Resort Guests next week -

Before shot from yesterday -

Now -

 

[MUTZIE77]

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]

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.

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]

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...

Why can't you renew your APs? I know we struggled to get it done, but it was doable.

 

[nickys]

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...

You can still renew active APs.

 

[Gillyanne]

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.

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)

You can still renew active APs.

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]

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)

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]

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

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]

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"

Generally yes, it is what you said, except you missed out the cancelled APs. But I was confused by this part:

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).

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?