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

[DisneyFanatic12]

Pretty sure a park reservation DOES guarantee entry, and re-entry.

Capacity closures aren’t a thing any more.

Yea, it certainly feels more guaranteed, but Disneys lawyers make sure to always put that fine print in that entry isn’t guaranteed. Here’s the fine print:
“Disney reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any park reservation, at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to, changes in capacity or capacity limitations or park closure, without liability. Park admission is not guaranteed.”

(I didn’t bold the last sentence, that’s the way it is when you make a reservation or look on the website)

With a free for all after 2pm, parks could technically still close to capacity. Though, I’m with you that they probably won’t. Still, if the event did happen it would be interesting to see the protocol. I’m sure around Christmas/New Years we’ll find the percent capacity the parks hit before reservations only are allowed in. Or maybe they’ll just fill it up and turn away guests. Only time will tell!

 

[jpeden]

The reservation system does not bother me that much. It's a pain but it is a minor one. What really bothers me is the park-hopping restriction considering:

A. They haven't reduced the cost of the hopper yet the value is clearly less than it was pre-pandemic when you could hop whenever
B. Two parks (AK and DHS) are still really half day to 3/4 day parks at the most for us and I would like to be able to hop to EPCOT or MK after visiting either of those parks in the morning and not have to wait until 2PM to do so.

 

[nickys]

Yea, it certainly feels more guaranteed, but Disneys lawyers make sure to always put that fine print in that entry isn’t guaranteed. Here’s the fine print:
“Disney reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any park reservation, at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to, changes in capacity or capacity limitations or park closure, without liability. Park admission is not guaranteed.”

(I didn’t bold the last sentence, that’s the way it is when you make a reservation or look on the website)

With a free for all after 2pm, parks could technically still close to capacity. Though, I’m with you that they probably won’t. Still, if the event did happen it would be interesting to see the protocol. I’m sure around Christmas/New Years we’ll find the percent capacity the parks hit before reservations only are allowed in. Or maybe they’ll just fill it up and turn away guests. Only time will tell!

With park reservations there have been no capacity closures.

There was one day when park hopping to MK only was paused for a couple of hours. That was the day of the 50th anniversary of MK. Even during that period, those who had MK reservations were still allowed into the park.

Once park reservations go away for most ticket types, they’ll likely revert to using phased capacity closures like they did before. So hopping could be paused. But even back then, capacity closures were usually only for MK and usually temporary. And rare.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

They know it’s not gonna be busy

They don’t book these places 3 weeks out

It will probably still be busy on the dates that the Sorceror pass is blocked out (Thanksgiving and Christmas, right?) If they use the reservation system to also effectively block out incredipasses on those dates (OOPS, NO MORE RESERVATIONS, BUT YES, DAY GUESTS CAN STILL COME), then they're going to get sued. This is a move that I could totally see current Disney pulling.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The AP terms of service have been updated in the past year for renewals and new AP purchases to warn the buyer that APs can be restricted via reservations.

Removing the reservations from the date-tickets happens because date-ticket sales will be restricted for super busy days.

Thus, both date-tickets and APs still have restrictions.

They can put whatever they want in the 500 page, 8 point font, terms of service that nobody reads, but if they market a no blackout date AP (they are), and then effectively black it out in this manner via the reservation system, then they're going to get sued and either have to settle again, or lose.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

They can put whatever they want in the 500 page, 8 point font, terms of service that nobody reads, but if they market a no blackout date AP (they are), and then effectively black it out in this manner via the reservation system, then they're going to get sued and either have to settle again, or lose.

Uhh, no. It's clearly stated that all parks are subject to availability. There is a finite set of inventory everyday. This is really no different than a phased closure that blocked APs from visiting.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Once park reservations go away for most ticket types, they’ll likely revert to using phased capacity closures like they did before. So hopping could be paused. But even back then, capacity closures were usually only for MK and usually temporary. And rare.

The expectation is that reservations for APs will consist of MK/DHS on weekends and holiday weeks only. EPCOT and DAK will always be "good to go" as well MK/DHS on most days. They think they can avoid phased closures this way.

 

[MisterPenguin]

They can put whatever they want in the 500 page, 8 point font, terms of service that nobody reads, but if they market a no blackout date AP (they are), and then effectively black it out in this manner via the reservation system, then they're going to get sued and either have to settle again, or lose.

You can sue anybody for anything.

The vast majority of suits get dismissed out of hand.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Not sure what you mean. You buy a 3, 4, 7, 14 day ticket starting on a certain date. No park reservations will be required. You’re free to go to any park you want each day.

But those ticket may not be available.

When I went last year over Columbus day, I initially couldn't get an 8 day ticket because it overlapped Columbus day, and the MK reservation was full.

I had to speak to a CM in person about it.

But if you wait too long to by dated tickets for Christmas week, you may find you can't buy tickets at all for that time period.

This is why dated tickets don't have to deal with reservations. They'll limit dated tickets at the purchase window online.

 

[nickys]

But those ticket may not be available.

When I went last year over Columbus day, I initially couldn't get an 8 day ticket because it overlapped Columbus day, and the MK reservation was full.

I had to speak to a CM in person about it.

But if you wait to long too by dated tickets for Christmas week, you may find you can't buy tickets at all for that time period.

This is why dated tickets don't have to deal with reservations. They'll limit dated tickets at the purchase window online.

How do they handle 3rd party sellers? If you order from Undercover Tourist, does their portal link in real time to Disney’s?
I realise that isn’t new, just wondering how it works with the date-based tickets.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This is the same company keeping an over year old high capacity, reliable coaster locked behind a virtual queue indefinitely.

I’m shocked they haven’t opened that lovely, air-conditioned queue to anyone with the quiet, Summer crowds at Epcot. Perfect time to make the switch.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Uhh, no. It's clearly stated that all parks are subject to availability. There is a finite set of inventory everyday. This is really no different than a phased closure that blocked APs from visiting.

They didn't continue selling day tickets during a phased closure. It is quite different. If the parks are "full" for AP but "not full" for people paying for the more expensive tickets, then they are going to get sued again, and they are going to lose again. Non-lawyers think that companies can contract anything away by "putting it in the fine print." That's not how consumer protection laws, and fraudulent advertising protections, work.

If they stop selling date based tickets for a specific date at the same time that they close AP reservations for that date, then that's a different story.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

You can sue anybody for anything.

The vast majority of suits get dismissed out of hand.

True! And yet, mysteriously, the ones on this very issue were not dismissed. The one in California settled, and the one in Florida is still pending.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

The expectation is that reservations for APs will consist of MK/DHS on weekends and holiday weeks only. EPCOT and DAK will always be "good to go" as well MK/DHS on most days. They think they can avoid phased closures this way.

Reservations for peak periods only

 

[JD80]

if this company truly needs that long to allow guest to enter with NO reservations this company is in worse shape than we think lol.....

Oh yeah, changing the operational procedure of an entire booking process and theme park gate operations on a dime is simply. Maybe they should just give each CM a change belt and a roll of dollar bills and just go straight cash to let everyone in.

 

[Splash4eva]

Oh yeah, changing the operational procedure of an entire booking process and theme park gate operations on a dime is simply. Maybe they should just give each CM a change belt and a roll of dollar bills and just go straight cash to let everyone in.

Thats a great idea actually!

 

[epcotWSC]

Reservations for peak periods only

Makes sense if they truly want to gauge and restrict crowds on those days.

Most of all I'm still waiting on them allowing 14 days to use all tickets again rather than this nonsensical tiered approach based on how many days you buy. Anyone who takes long trips via DVC (for example) is forced to stack park days close together instead of spreading them throughout the trip. Even days purchased +7 would be a better approach or even simpler, for all Disney resort guests your tickets are valid during your entire stay.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

They didn't continue selling day tickets during a phased closure. It is quite different. If the parks are "full" for AP but "not full" for people paying for the more expensive tickets, then they are going to get sued again, and they are going to lose again. Non-lawyers think that companies can contract anything away by "putting it in the fine print." That's not how consumer protection laws, and fraudulent advertising protections, work.

If they stop selling date based tickets for a specific date at the same time that they close AP reservations for that date, then that's a different story.

You agree to the terms that the dates your AP is not "blocked out" for means you have the ability to make reservations for those dates, subject to availability. There is not unlimited inventory for every single day that you are not blocked out and it would be completely ridiculous to expect that there is.

If what you are saying is true, then you are basically saying that reservations are not allowed to ever be "sold out." So then, they are essentially not reservations at all then. The entire premise of reservations strongly implies that they may run out. That's not fine print, that's common sense.

I understand you are upset about the new terms (and have been for some time). That doesn't make it illegal. We all hate it, trust me.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

You agree to the terms that the dates your AP is not "blocked out" for means you have the ability to make reservations for those dates, subject to availability. There is not unlimited inventory for every single day that you are not blocked out and it would be completely ridiculous to expect that there is.

It's like getting some all access pass for concerts and then trying to sue that you couldn't get into a concert because it was sold out. If you don't make a reservation and reservations are gone, you lose your access. There's nothing illegal here lol

Are you an attorney? I am.

If the park sells out **For Everyone** then it’s not an issue. However, if they put an artificial cap on AP attendance that has been advertised as “no blackout dates” while continuing to sell day tickets, meaning the park is not actually sold out, then they are going to get sued, again, and lose, again.

To put it more simply, you can’t advertise that you are selling a Ferrari, and then, hidden in the contract, write that it’s actually a 1989 Gremlin. The law doesn’t work that way.

Maybe Disney hopes that nobody will bother to sue this time around. They are wrong.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Are you an attorney?

If the park sells out **For Everyone** then it’s not an issue. If they put an artificial cap on AP attendance that has been advertised as “no blackout dates” while continuing to sell day tickets, meaning the park is not actually sold out, then they are going to get sued, again, and lose, again.

To put it more simply, you can’t advertise that you are selling a Ferrari, and then, hidden in the contract, write that it’s actually a 1989 Gremlin. The law doesn’t work that way.

Sorry, but limited inventory for all access type memberships is not a novel concept. Besides, they don't do this. There's a reason that APs are prioritized above resort guests and day ticket guests in the reservations system.