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News Disney Park Pass System announced for Walt Disney World theme park reservations
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
SingleRider
Premium Member
Interesting choice of words in the park reservation system on WDW's website:
Is this just careless wording or could this mean that someday they will eliminate the 2pm restriction for park hopper tickets but keep it for APs? Why not say "Park Hopper ticket or Annual Pass" instead?
Is this just careless wording or could this mean that someday they will eliminate the 2pm restriction for park hopper tickets but keep it for APs? Why not say "Park Hopper ticket or Annual Pass" instead?
MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
You can go to any Guest Experience Team Tent (the blue tents) they never have super long lines
SoFloMagic
Well-Known Member
Imagine if they had no reservations right now. What would magic kingdom look like the day happily ever after returns?
Now imagine if you only allow 3,000 APs in that day.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
We need not imagine, we lived without PPRs for 48ish years. it would have been fine. They would have closed MK for capacity temporarily like was done in the past.
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
<Puts in mouth guard>
Hot take: the park pass reservation system is really not a big ordeal many of you constantly complain about. Availability is typically 100% wide open for everyday for all ticket types. It's honestly a pretty minor inconvenience: make the park pass and go to the park you want.
I could see how the 2 pm park hopping is still an outrage, but honestly I don't know how they could keep the park pass reservation system honest with lifting that. What I propose is moving the time back to noon or remove all double-tap requirements after 4:30 pm. (If you have a park pass at Magic Kingdom and your ticket has hopper/AP, you can go to any park you want at 4:30 - no double-tapping). I suspect that eventually, we'll get delayed entrance hours as @disneyglimpses as hinted which might help that area.
I know the crowds can still feel crowded, but they are still aren't pushing 2019 sort of levels, not even close. During peak times, they can use park pass reservations to spread out crowds. I think if you're going to embrace Christmas or New Years Eve at the parks, the crowds will be high, but they won't be what they used to be.
The more egregious changes from the pandemic in my opinion is the loss of complimentary bubble perks: Magical Express, free magicbands, some level of free line skipping included with the base ticket, etc. Those perks felt more like goodwill gestures that make vacationing with Disney felt unique. They probably saved $30-40/guest by cutting those which just makes it more annoying.
Hot take: the park pass reservation system is really not a big ordeal many of you constantly complain about. Availability is typically 100% wide open for everyday for all ticket types. It's honestly a pretty minor inconvenience: make the park pass and go to the park you want.
I could see how the 2 pm park hopping is still an outrage, but honestly I don't know how they could keep the park pass reservation system honest with lifting that. What I propose is moving the time back to noon or remove all double-tap requirements after 4:30 pm. (If you have a park pass at Magic Kingdom and your ticket has hopper/AP, you can go to any park you want at 4:30 - no double-tapping). I suspect that eventually, we'll get delayed entrance hours as @disneyglimpses as hinted which might help that area.
I know the crowds can still feel crowded, but they are still aren't pushing 2019 sort of levels, not even close. During peak times, they can use park pass reservations to spread out crowds. I think if you're going to embrace Christmas or New Years Eve at the parks, the crowds will be high, but they won't be what they used to be.
The more egregious changes from the pandemic in my opinion is the loss of complimentary bubble perks: Magical Express, free magicbands, some level of free line skipping included with the base ticket, etc. Those perks felt more like goodwill gestures that make vacationing with Disney felt unique. They probably saved $30-40/guest by cutting those which just makes it more annoying.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
The park I decide to go to is decided on the day I want to go. If I want to go to a park today, my only option is Animal Kingdom.
Also, any chance we get AP updates early next year? Currently, have Pixie Dust but Disney is losing out on the extra $300 I'm willing to pay for the next level.
Park reservations weren't an issue when we went in October of 2021 - we could change same morning with no issue - but crowds were lower then.
We have hoppers, which will help this upcoming trip. Of course we will have to tap in the park we had originally reserved first, then hop. And then not until after 2. That's annoying.
Our plan for when we may want to switch a reservation morning of and park we want isn't available- we will switch the reservation to Epcot (assuming there's availability, hopefully not an issue weeks we are going) and then hop to the park we want after 2. We are staying at BC, so we can just walk over, tap in, and leave for other park.
A bit of a ridiculous work-around, but there it is!
We have hoppers, which will help this upcoming trip. Of course we will have to tap in the park we had originally reserved first, then hop. And then not until after 2. That's annoying.
Our plan for when we may want to switch a reservation morning of and park we want isn't available- we will switch the reservation to Epcot (assuming there's availability, hopefully not an issue weeks we are going) and then hop to the park we want after 2. We are staying at BC, so we can just walk over, tap in, and leave for other park.
A bit of a ridiculous work-around, but there it is!
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
If you are a resort guest and don't know where you are going in less than 10 days away, yeah that could be an issue. You might be bad at planning too. While you are there, can you pull up the green dates in November and December outside 1 or 2 days? Or all of 2023 and show me a date that's off the table?
Oh if you are AP, look at these dates that are unavailable:
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
I mean that's fair and I'm sure it's more maddening for locals that like to do things day-of. But generally speaking AP availability has been fully green 1 or 2 days in advance for a long time.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
I am very happy PPRs are working for you.
And my situation is probably in the minority but because of health issues in my family, we cannot plan.
Before PPRs it was possible to go to any park whenever we wanted to.
Chi84
Premium Member
That wasn't our experience in April 2022. The park pass system takes away the flexibility change your mind. We had rides down at HS and wanted to switch to that park for the next day but it was unavailable. We couldn't hop there in the evening because we had dinner reservations elsewhere. My take on the park reservations system is that it looks fine until you actually experience it.
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
Park passes are not readily available depending on time of year. It also takes away from flexibility. It makes a complex vacation more complex. We Uber Disney goers deal with it but as someone who has to explain this stuff to newbies or people who haven’t been in years they often look at me like I have three heads. I have also been in instances where a large group couldn’t get a park they wanted two weeks out to match what the rest of their party was going to be. This system is for disney on the back end. It has nothing to do with guest experience.
Andrew25
Well-Known Member
But pass holders shouldn't need to plan a day or 2 in advance.
Sounding like a passhole, but that's the point of an "annual pass" program.
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
Overall, it does benefit the majority of guests who don't need the 100% flexibility a few of you have spoken about. It prevents one or two parks from being overbooked.
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
What guest doesn’t want flexibility? Flexibility is what you should want. Even if someone is available to make a switch it’s a pain in the butt to change it still.
nickys
Premium Member
They could achieve the same result the old way. Just set lower thresholds for each closure phase.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately by what some have said is possibly happening is resort guests will get their flexibility back but pass holders will continue to need park reservations.