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

[hokielutz]

I don't get ed off about things that much... but limiting pass holders without an expensive resort reservation to only two days at a time with no option to park hop completely undercuts the value and the premium price that passholders pay. One can't plan a vacation around 2 days at a property as vast as WDW.

Dare I say it... Universal is looking better right now.

 

[GoofGoof]

In other news...

So the phone app replaces the Magic band for good now? I guess without FP you only need it to make purchases and things like hotel doors and park gates. Maybe FP+ is gone for good too. Will they go back to giving individual cards again? What if my kids want to go Back to the room from the pool or something, I need to give them the phone now?

 

[hokielutz]

I don't get ****ed off about things that much... but limiting pass holders without an expensive resort reservation to only two days at a time with no option to park hop completely undercuts the value and the premium price that passholders pay. One can't plan a vacation around 2 days at a property as vast as WDW.

Dare I say it... Universal is looking better right now.

Sorry for the language.

 

[DCBaker]

So the phone app replaces the Magic band for good now? I guess without FP you only need it to make purchases and things like hotel doors and park gates. Maybe FP+ is gone for good too. Will they go back to giving individual cards again? What if my kids want to go Back to the room from the pool or something, I need to give them the phone now?

They will still be selling/using MBs - you just don't get them for free with a resort stay.

 

[MisterPenguin]

They will still be selling/using MBs - you just don't get them for free with a resort stay.

Which is good. I have a closet filled with them that I'm afraid to open for fear of being injured in the band slide.

 

[GoofGoof]

14 days available to reserve with a resort, 2 if not resort? You don't think that's a little skewed? Meanwhile people with a resort will be gobbling up all reservations months in advance? It could turn into FoP FP+ all over again.

If park reservations fill as quickly as they are making it sound, it could be weeks or months between getting a day. That's... not great for someone that paid for access to a Disney park for 330-365 days a year.

Probably the fear is too many people gaming the system and booking days they end up not using. Just book DHS or MK everyday just in case and then decide on the fly which to use and which to just let go. A better solution would have been a non-refundable deposit like ADRs. You book a park and if you don’t show they charge your CC $25. That would eliminate the game playing. They also should have just extended APs until the limits roll off then no harm no foul.

 

[hokielutz]

This smells like a money grab by forcing those who want to have a full vacation at WDW to get an expensive and likely non-discounted resort reservation ... or else you only get a couple of days coming from your home locally or from an offsite hotel. It feels like they are kicking sand in the faces of the AP'ers.

 

[mpostak]

So the phone app replaces the Magic band for good now? I guess without FP you only need it to make purchases and things like hotel doors and park gates. Maybe FP+ is gone for good too. Will they go back to giving individual cards again? What if my kids want to go Back to the room from the pool or something, I need to give them the phone now?

Magic band will still be available for use, but Disney will not 'give' you a complimentary magic band when you get a room at the resort. You may purchase one if you wish to use magic bands still. I believe they are just saying since you can do it all on your phone, there is no need to give you a band

 

[Mattyp353]

I don't get ****ed off about things that much... but limiting pass holders without an expensive resort reservation to only two days at a time with no option to park hop completely undercuts the value and the premium price that passholders pay. One can't plan a vacation around 2 days at a property as vast as WDW.

Dare I say it... Universal is looking better right now.

They are making business decisions which should be understood since they're... running a business. I'd also say let it play out and if needed enough feedback from the AP crowd should result in adjustments.

 

[disneygeek90]

Probably the fear is too many people gaming the system and booking days they end up not using. Just book DHS or MK everyday just in case and then decide on the fly which to use and which to just let go. A better solution would have been a non-refundable deposit like ADRs. You book a park and if you don’t show they charge your CC $25. That would eliminate the game playing. They also should have just extended APs until the limits roll off then no harm no foul.

Right, I think a penalty for a no show works fine. It just feels really bad as an AP that doesn't stay on site that I get two days at a time meanwhile others are booking months in advance for 7+ days.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

@PREMiERdrum can you report back on how far out park reservations will be available to book? If we're going in April 2021 and have room/ticket, can we book Monday?

"Park reservations will be available through September 26, 2021" So on June 22, this Monday, you can schedule park reservations through that date next September.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If park reservations fill as quickly as they are making it sound, it could be weeks or months between getting a day. That's... not great for someone that paid for access to a Disney park for 330-365 days a year.

I don't know. I think it's equally likely that after the first few days, there will be plenty of daily slots open. Just look how uncrowded UO is (on a weekday).

 

[DCBaker]

Right, I think a penalty for a no show works fine. It just feels really bad as an AP that doesn't stay on site that I get two days at a time meanwhile others are booking months in advance for 7+ days.

On the reservation testing site, it did show X amount of no-shows and then you wouldn't be able to make another reservation for 30 days.

 

[disneygeek90]

I don't know. I think it's equally likely that after the first few days, there will be plenty of daily slots open. Just look how uncrowded UO is (on a weekday).

That's what I want to think will happen... but Disney's following is on another planet compared to UO. I'm assuming UO will receive a bit of a crowd bump once WDW opens as well.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

14 days available to reserve with a resort, 2 if not resort? You don't think that's a little skewed? Meanwhile people with a resort will be gobbling up all reservations months in advance? It could turn into FoP FP+ all over again.

If park reservations fill as quickly as they are making it sound, it could be weeks or months between getting a day. That's... not great for someone that paid for access to a Disney park for 330-365 days a year.

The 14 days language is a bit misleading. Unless someone has a resort stay spanning 14 or more days, they will not be able to make that many park reservations. Resort guests will be limited to only the days for which they hold reservations. Have a 3-day resort ressie? You can book only for those three days on that reservation.

They're giving priority to resort guests first. If you were traveling and paying on-site prices, wouldn't you expect the same?

It does suck for local AP's, no doubt. Not sure that there is a truly fair solution here.

 

[Magic Feather]

My personal expectation is that more desirable time slots will fill up, but as long as you don’t have a time preference, you should be fine. For instance, a park opening slot at MK might be gone, but you could enter at noon.

 

[disneygeek90]

The 14 days language is a bit misleading. Unless someone has a resort stay spanning 14 or more days, they will not be able to make that many park reservations. Resort guests will be limited to only the days for which they hold reservations. Have a 3-day resort ressie? You can book only for those three days on that reservation.

They're giving priority to resort guests first. If you were traveling and paying on-site prices, wouldn't you expect the same?

It does suck for local AP's, no doubt. Not sure that there is a truly fair solution here.

I'm fine with resort guests receiving priority. 2 just feels... very, very restricted.

 

[RaveOnEd]

This smells like a money grab by forcing those who want to have a full vacation at WDW to get an expensive and likely non-discounted resort reservation ... or else you only get a couple of days coming from your home locally or from an offsite hotel. It feels like they are kicking sand in the faces of the AP'ers.

We're coming from Philadelphia, had this trip booked since last November (was originally May, moved it to August when the free dining incentive was offered). We don't have APs as we wouldn't be going to WDW frequently (every few years, much less once a month or once a week!)

We've been riding this out for a while now, worried that the trip we've had planned for a while will happen at all since we saved up for it and still want to go since it's a special once in a while trip we take when we can. We're not able to go often because money, time and distance prevents it.

I'm sure there are other people who are booked in July through to the end of the year or just until school starts back up, and this may be the only time they will get to go, ever. They're going to make the most of this, and happy that they'll be able to at least get some Disney experience.

Now, tell me again why an AP'er should get some form of priority?

 

[wdwmagic]

It will be 3 days for passholders

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will be able to make theme park reservations for 3 days

Moire details for Passholders using the Walt Disney World theme park reservation system - Disney Park Pass.

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

My personal expectation is that more desirable time slots will fill up, but as long as you don’t have a time preference, you should be fine. For instance, a park opening slot at MK might be gone, but you could enter at noon.

It's not by time is it? I'm pretty sure its by day.