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

[peter11435]

If they can easily forecast park attendance, and therefore staff accordingly, what's the end goal of Park Passes?

They have a variety of tools and methods they have used for decades to accurately forecast park attendance. This information is used to develop park hours and determine staffing levels. They are generally accurate within a few percentage points.

Park pass helps with attendance forecasting but even that is off by a few percentage points due to no-shows, park hopping, and a few other reasons. But the benefit of park pass is that it doesn’t only allow you to control how many guests will be in the park, but also who those guests will be.

 

[UNCgolf]

They have a variety of tools and methods they have used for decades to accurately forecast park attendance. This information is used to develop park hours and determine staffing levels. They are generally accurate within a few percentage points.

Park pass helps with attendance forecasting but even that is off by a few percentage points due to no-shows, park hopping, and a few other reasons. But the benefit of park pass is that it doesn’t only allow you to control how many guests will be in the park, but also who those guests will be.

Doesn't it only control APs vs. non-APs?

If that's the case, why not only require it for AP holders and not regular tickets?

 

[peter11435]

Doesn't it only control APs vs. non-APs?

If that's the case, why not only require it for AP holders and not regular tickets?

There’s a little more to it than just AP vs. non-AP. However the answer to your larger question is… optics

 

[UNCgolf]

There’s a little more to it than just AP vs. non-AP. However the answer to your larger question is… optics

That's more or less what I was expecting.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Doesn't it only control APs vs. non-APs?

If that's the case, why not only require it for AP holders and not regular tickets?

It controls 3 groups - those with Disney resort reservations, those with non-AP tickets who don't have a resort reservation, and those with an AP.

 

[UNCgolf]

It controls 3 groups - those with Disney resort reservations, those with non-AP tickets who don't have a resort reservation, and those with an AP.

I didn't think there was any difference between on-site and off-site. Can't you make a park reservation as soon as you buy a ticket regardless of where you are staying? I also don't remember reading anywhere that there was any special allocation for on-site guests.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I didn't think there was any difference between on-site and off-site. Can't you make a park reservation as soon as you buy a ticket regardless of where you are staying?

Yes, but the Park Pass Availability Calendar shows those 3 "buckets".

Theme Park Reservation Availability

disneyworld.disney.go.com

 

[CntrlFlPete]

Exactly! I would purchase in a minute an AP with as little as 15 anytime visits, no park pass reservations needed.

but the park pass system makes you accept the COVID disclaimers for you visit, I imagine it allows for changes as you would most likely use those in groups of five--with the park pass system, you could end up agreeing to three completely different waivers as verbiage is updated.

really just trying to think of a reason for the system other than attendance forecasting

I would guess the three categories would be a way to balance the crowds. I would bet they have data that suggest something like -- an AP not on site might stop by for a few hours, only hit 0 to 3 rides -- GP and on site APs might be more likely to hit 8 or so hours... stuff like that could help them try to balance days based on traits of the three groups bucketed into attendance.

 

[gerarar]

My family and I decide to book a last minute vacation during Christmas week. What are the chances that MK opens up on the 24th or 25th (day tickets)?

I saw that reservations recently opened up during Thanksgiving week, so hoping the same happens for Christmas day/eve.
Our current plan/booked reservation is Epcot on Christmas

We did MK during Christmas 2019 and it was lots of fun tbh. Really crowded but we did everything we wanted to do, and got to see a great firework show to wrap up the day — MWCF

 

[Bullseye1967]

My family and I decide to book a last minute vacation during Christmas week. What are the chances that MK opens up on the 24th or 25th (day tickets)?

I saw that reservations recently opened up during Thanksgiving week, so hoping the same happens for Christmas day/eve.
Our current plan/booked reservation is Epcot on Christmas

We did MK during Christmas 2019 and it was lots of fun tbh. Really crowded but we did everything we wanted to do, and got to see a great firework show to wrap up the day — MWCF

I would say your chances are good. Also you are brave! I did MK on Christmas Day once and that was enough for this lifetime.

 

[DisneyDodo]

Park Passes don’t only allow Disney to forecast attendance, but to control it. For example, if one park is tracking for higher attendance than the other three on a particular day, Disney can close it off to additional reservations (or close it off to APs only).

 

[matt9112]

If they can easily forecast park attendance, and therefore staff accordingly, what's the end goal of Park Passes?

To do it far more accurately. To legitimately cut that extra employee or two when not needed would be my guess.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

To do it far more accurately. To legitimately cut that extra employee or two when not needed would be my guess.

Or less ride vehicles brought out for the day

 

[peter11435]

Park Passes don’t only allow Disney to forecast attendance, but to control it. For example, if one park is tracking for higher attendance than the other three on a particular day, Disney can close it off to additional reservations (or close it off to APs only).

Exactly. Like I said before. Park pass is not necessary to forecast attendance. They can do that without Park pass. Park pass allows them to control attendance and dictate who, when, and where.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Exactly. Like I said before. Park pass is not necessary to forecast attendance. They can do that without Park pass. Park pass allows them to control attendance and dictate who, when, and where.

And if you can control attendance, you can size your resources to match, keeping operating costs to a minimum.

 

[Disorbust]

There is one group you didn’t include in that cast

 

[Hawg G]

Or less ride vehicles brought out for the day

Which rides do you think have changes in ride vehicles based on attendance? I mean, maybe January vs July, but Few rides do. Splash ALWAYS has a log backup at the end. As does IASW.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

Which rides do you think have changes in ride vehicles based on attendance? I mean, maybe January vs July, but Few rides do. Splash ALWAYS has a log backup at the end. As does IASW.

splash has railings for the unload area that are removable. Splash has a better throughput when they have multiple unload spots open verses them having only one unload spot open (as an example of how Disney slows things down when it is less busy). I am also certain that they do remove logs as well. It is just that the log jam is caused by having fewer employees during the slower times.

 

[gerarar]

My family and I decide to book a last minute vacation during Christmas week. What are the chances that MK opens up on the 24th or 25th (day tickets)?

I saw that reservations recently opened up during Thanksgiving week, so hoping the same happens for Christmas day/eve.
Our current plan/booked reservation is Epcot on Christmas

We did MK during Christmas 2019 and it was lots of fun tbh. Really crowded but we did everything we wanted to do, and got to see a great firework show to wrap up the day — MWCF

Replying to myself....but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day just opened up for the MK a few minutes ago!

and....switched our reservations booked!

I setup a bot to ping me whenever MK opens up on 12/24 or 12/25, and it worked!
Here are the API endpoints/URLs I used to watch with my bot..
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/a...ckets&startDate=2021-12-24&endDate=2021-12-25
And the park IDs are (comes from here)
80007838 - EPCOT
80007823 - AK
80007944 - MK
80007998 - HS

 

[DCBaker]

Park reservations on December 31st have been replenished for Resort/Ticket guests in MK/DHS/EPCOT.

Before/after -