Park reservations going away?

[ChuckElias]

A travel agent told me that park reservations will no longer be required as of January 9, 2024. I can't find any announcement from Disney about it. Anybody have any insight?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Disney World brings back dining plans, ends park reservations

Prompted by guest feedback, big changes are coming to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

www.today.com

 

[JaxFLBear]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/park-reservations/

 

[Fordlover]

The website showed me a warning about park reservation requirements, when I was configuring a vacation package for March of 2024 yesterday.

 

[Bastet]

 

[Bastet]

From MDE

 

[IanDLBZF]

APs do not need a reservation to enter a park after 2pm, except for Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays. This will expand to include all day entry as good to go days starting next year. I ultimately see reservations going away altogether come 2025.

 

[Tuvalu]

APs do not need a reservation to enter a park after 2pm, except for Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays. This will expand to include all day entry as good to go days starting next year.

Source?

 

[JaxFLBear]

Source?

Disney Parks Blog

Introducing “good-to-go days” for Annual Passholders* and cast members: In 2024, we plan to offer select days on which our Annual Passholders* and Disney cast members may visit Walt Disney World theme parks without needing a park reservation. Once introduced, we will roll out these good-to-go days on an ongoing basis. This will be in addition to the recent update which offers Passholders the opportunity to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Good-to-go days may vary by park, and pass block out dates and capacity limitations continue to apply like they do today. Please stay tuned for more details on good-to-go days.

Disney Dining Plans Returning to Walt Disney World

We’re excited to announce the return of Disney dining plans, updates to theme park reservation requirements and more coming to Walt Disney World in 2024 to make planning your visits easier!

disneyparks.disney.go.com

 

[MAGICFLOP]

Gotto love the confusion... it will be cool to read in here that how people will show up, thinking they are good to go and show up at the gate and be denied... Trip to the DMV anyone.. do you get your parking fee back?

 

[ohioguy]

Disney needs to simplify this before implementing. Lordy.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Gotto love the confusion... it will be cool to read in here that how people will show up, thinking they are good to go and show up at the gate and be denied... Trip to the DMV anyone.. do you get your parking fee back?

The parks don't really sell out. If you show up without a reservation, the worst that's going to happen is you pop open your phone and make one. Takes 30 seconds.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

Thanks for the info.

 

[gitchard]

APs do not need a reservation to enter a park after 2pm, except for Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays. This will expand to include all day entry as good to go days starting next year. I ultimately see reservations going away altogether come 2025.

Who ever thought up this plan is an idiot. Talked to customer relations about this and park hopping on weekends.

You can park at the TTC on Saturday at 1:30, ride monorail to EPCOT, tap in at 2:00, turn right around and park hop back to MK.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Who ever thought up this plan is an idiot. Talked to customer relations about this and park hopping on weekends.

You can park at the TTC on Saturday at 1:30, ride monorail to EPCOT, tap in at 2:00, turn right around and park hop back to MK.

Or just make a reservation at MK in the first place and go in whatever time you want.

Honestly, the mental gymnastics people are doing to avoid a step you can do from your phone that takes LITERALLY one minute or less is astonishing.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Or just make a reservation at MK in the first place and go in whatever time you want.

Honestly, the mental gymnastics people are doing to avoid a step you can do from your phone that takes LITERALLY one minute or less is astonishing.

Yea, I show up to the gate at MK all the time forgetting it’s a Sunday and not a weekday. Takes me maybe 15 seconds because I have the page bookmarked…

 

[ChuckElias]

Who ever thought up this plan is an idiot. Talked to customer relations about this and park hopping on weekends.

You can park at the TTC on Saturday at 1:30, ride monorail to EPCOT, tap in at 2:00, turn right around and park hop back to MK.

My daughter and I actually did this a couple months ago. We couldn't get a MK reservation. So we took an Animal Kingdom reservation, walked through the AK gate turned back around, went back to the car and went to MK. Only took an extra 20 minutes or so.

 

[RoadiJeff]

I'm pretty sure that you do not need a park reservation for their 4 day, 4 park ticket special at $99 per day that they're currently running. I guess we will find out in 40 days when we arrive.

Okay, I just confirmed this on the WDW website. No park reservations needed.

This ticket does not require theme park reservations to enter the parks.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

I'm pretty sure that you do not need a park reservation for their 4 day, 4 park ticket special at $99 per day that they're currently running. I guess we will find out in 40 days when we arrive.

Okay, I just confirmed this on the WDW website. No park reservations needed.

This ticket does not require theme park reservations to enter the parks.

Yea, only condition I know of is that it has to be a different park every day that you use it. I didn’t look into it much though!


The January 9th date of no reservations seems more like a rebranding of reservations though, as tickets will (or already have) become park and date based. Given that the tickets are based on park and day, that’s the same as a reservation for Disney. I like the idea of AP good to go days. Again, probably just going to be what days are currently bonus days. And also, reservations don’t sell out anyways. BUT, it brings us one step closer to no reservations at all, and it forces them to work out how they will deal with virtual queues (if they don’t just discontinue them in 2024) without reservations. Could be a geofence or something else. It’ll be interesting to see!

 

[Marionnette]

If park reservations go the way of the dinosaurs, could the 2 PM park hopping restriction be far behind? Oh please! Let that be the next COVID-related change that goes bye-bye! I detest being stuck in a park that is crowded, with long lines and 2 (or more) headliner attractions down. I'm looking at you, DHS! When your only alternative is to stand in a long line for AS2 or go back to your hotel until 2 PM, you feel as though you just wasted a good chunk of your tickets value.