Reservation expansion

[nickys]

How would this restrict park hopping more than now? If a park is at capacity than you can’t park hop to it. It also means there are no park reservations available for that park. But if a park isn’t at capacity there will be park reservations available, and you can park hop to it? Nothing changes except maybe having to whip out your phone and click a button.

You can currently hop to any park every day, even if that park has no park reservations available.
If you are forced to book your second park then your chances diminish.

They don’t have a way to accurately determine park capacity once people start leaving, because an unknown number of those guests could be planning to return after a meal, a midday break etc. That isn’t an issue currently because it’s easy to simply stop park hopping if the park starts to fill up. But if they have people booking for the park later in the day, there’s nothing they can do except refuse entry or re-entry for people with reservations.

 

[Toblerone]

Bob chapek must be a fan of the old tv classic the prisoner

 

[Tha Realest]

If this really does come about….wouldn’t this also limit you to two parks per day? I know many hit upwards of 3 in a day. I know growing up we would often knock out MGM->MK->EPCOT. If you need a reservation for your “second” park, it stands to reason you wouldn’t be able to book a third?

Here’s why I think there may be something to this. Let’s assume the true reason for the park reservation system is so they could staff each park based on known, quantifiable numbers of guests. Like, they know 26,000 have an AK reservation that day. But that’s only the case for the early shift. Come midday, it’s anyone’s guess as to where they may hop next. So the mid afternoon/evening shift needs are still unknown.

Locking in morning and afternoon/evening reservations is a solution to that problem.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

So the mid afternoon/evening shift needs are still unknown.

This “issue” and their use of Park Pass to “solve” it is vastly overstated (and is really their number one lie as to why reservations exist). Reservations are simply to ensure demand doesn’t exceed a level that they can handle while they restore staffing levels specifically at the gate and in quick service restaurants.

They’ve operated their theme parks for 50+ years without such granular data. Park Pass data is too volatile to reliably schedule CMs in a timely fashion.

CMs aren’t robots. They are people with specific schedules and trained to a specific need. The ability to move them around so freely is also vastly overstated. In fact, there’s no proof they do this at all because of Park Pass.

All the gates, restaurants, quick service options, shops need CMs regardless of if one park is a little busier than the other. What CMs are we suggesting they move to another park? Those roles all need to be filled on slow days and busy days. Even on Disney’s “slow” days, every park is still mobbed. There’s no significant slow time at any park that would warrant such dynamic scheduling.

 

[bhg469]

CMs aren’t robots. They are people with specific schedules and trained to a specific need. The ability to move them around so freely is also vastly overstated. In fact, there’s no proof they do this at all because of Park Pass.

Tell that to the guy in the Dockside Margarita's shirt making my drinks at Jock Lindey's the other day!!

Im kidding of course.

 

[Weather_Lady]

serious question.... do alot of people park hop and actually get to their 2nd park prior to 2pm... i always get a park hopper and honestly probably only use it 2 days maybe 3 but i dont think ive ever gotten to my 2nd park that early... possibly on my last full day before leaving if there are some rides we want to hit up before ending the trip at MK but for most part always after 2pm.....

YES. When we used parkhoppers prior to the 2pm limit, we were typically arriving at Park 1* at rope drop and hopping elsewhere by 11am, often with a lunch reservation waiting in Park 2. We'd leave Park 2 after a couple of hours, go back to the hotel for a break, and head out to Park 3 for dinner and the rest of the evening. (*Granted, Park 1 was often a "morning EMH" park, back in the days when that amenity was offered, and Park 3 was often the "evening EMH" park. Now that the morning "perk" is 30 minutes at every park for onsite guests, and evening extra hours are only for deluxes and only for 2 of the parks, there's very little touring advantage to be had by hopping, period, and thus, less need for parkhopper tickets at all.)

Last time we went, the 2pm limit was in place, and we tried to use parkhoppers anyway. It was a giant pain in the rear end. We were nearly always done with our first park long before that time, and were left twiddling our thumbs back at the hotel for a couple extra hours every day. I think parkhoppers are pretty much a waste of money now. If I was planning a WDW trip for my family of 4 at present (which I'm not), I'd stick to standard, 1-park-per-day tickets: coincidentally, the money I'd save would be sufficient to pay for the renewal of my Universal 2-park annual pass, with no need for reservations, and unlimited hopping.

 

[castlecake2.0]

This “issue” and their use of Park Pass to “solve” it is vastly overstated (and is really their number one lie as to why reservations exist). Reservations are simply to ensure demand doesn’t exceed a level that they can handle while they restore staffing levels specifically at the gate and in quick service restaurants.

They’ve operated their theme parks for 50+ years without such granular data. Park Pass data is too volatile to reliably schedule CMs in a timely fashion.

CMs aren’t robots. They are people with specific schedules and trained to a specific need. The ability to move them around so freely is also vastly overstated. In fact, there’s no proof they do this at all because of Park Pass.

All the gates, restaurants, quick service options, shops need CMs regardless of if one park is a little busier than the other. What CMs are we suggesting they move to another park? Those roles all need to be filled on slow days and busy days. Even on Disney’s “slow” days, every park is still mobbed. There’s no significant slow time at any park that would warrant such dynamic scheduling.

Thank you! I’ve been trying to explain this. There isn’t really any hours to cut based on reservations, they’re using reservations to make sure they don’t get more guests than they can handle right now. Anyone here witness what the first 24 hour party looked like at MK? At about 7pm the park was about to self implode, it could just not handle the amount of people that descended on it. Disney is still actively hiring, I’ve been working 6 and 7 days a week for the last two months. I totally get that the park reservation system is annoying. But, at this moment, it really is more about preserving the guest experience and operation over trying to cut hours.

 

[jpeden]

This “issue” and their use of Park Pass to “solve” it is vastly overstated (and is really their number one lie as to why reservations exist). Reservations are simply to ensure demand doesn’t exceed a level that they can handle while they restore staffing levels specifically at the gate and in quick service restaurants.

They’ve operated their theme parks for 50+ years without such granular data. Park Pass data is too volatile to reliably schedule CMs in a timely fashion.

CMs aren’t robots. They are people with specific schedules and trained to a specific need. The ability to move them around so freely is also vastly overstated. In fact, there’s no proof they do this at all because of Park Pass.

All the gates, restaurants, quick service options, shops need CMs regardless of if one park is a little busier than the other. What CMs are we suggesting they move to another park? Those roles all need to be filled on slow days and busy days. Even on Disney’s “slow” days, every park is still mobbed. There’s no significant slow time at any park that would warrant such dynamic scheduling.

I agree with this in principal, but Chapek has stated multiple times that Park Pass is here to stay, so the excuse for using this due to staffing issues doesn’t really hold water.

I would love to eat crow if they got rid of this thing once they were fully staffed, but it gives them data and they won’t want to give that data up. The only way they will is if guests continue to complain about it AND stop coming - if they complain but keep paying there is no incentive to remove park pass even though guests universally hate it.

 

[Phicinfan]

I'll save you the scrolling but I still maintain this. I am aware of changes that are coming that resemble this in a way but are not what is being described/rumored here.

I wonder and let me ask....
As it is, I am pretty sure when we went last august you could park hop to any park as long as that park still had capacity. If that is the case, maybe all they are requesting is you pre-mark your hopping by going in and making a second or may third depending on how much hopping, just to make it easer to track?
I get this is a complication...but all it really is, is formalizing what we have been doing already?

 

[monothingie]

Seems like the simple answer to this would be to pay CM more and make WDW a desirable place to work….again which would in turn lead to improved service and higher guest satisfaction, which would lead to more guests wanting to patronize their theme parks and resorts.

Isn’t that right Uncle Contract Extension?

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Agree with you all. Park Pass is here to stay in some form but the long term goal of it is really two fold:

- end the days of phased closures and ensure crowd levels are somewhat tolerable (based on what they can handle)

- ensure that higher value guests have access with little to no friction

Park Pass (long term) is about maximizing the value/guest ratio in the parks and controlling/limiting access to low value guests. From what I am hearing, I think this will finally unfold in roughly 6 months time.

 

[GhostHost1000]

This “issue” and their use of Park Pass to “solve” it is vastly overstated (and is really their number one lie as to why reservations exist). Reservations are simply to ensure demand doesn’t exceed a level that they can handle while they restore staffing levels specifically at the gate and in quick service restaurants.

They’ve operated their theme parks for 50+ years without such granular data. Park Pass data is too volatile to reliably schedule CMs in a timely fashion.

CMs aren’t robots. They are people with specific schedules and trained to a specific need. The ability to move them around so freely is also vastly overstated. In fact, there’s no proof they do this at all because of Park Pass.

All the gates, restaurants, quick service options, shops need CMs regardless of if one park is a little busier than the other. What CMs are we suggesting they move to another park? Those roles all need to be filled on slow days and busy days. Even on Disney’s “slow” days, every park is still mobbed. There’s no significant slow time at any park that would warrant such dynamic scheduling.

I’m curious how much variation there is in staffing on less crowded days vs crowded days. Obviously things like transportation (bus drivers) would be impacted but that can be known mostly based on resort occupancy…. but for other park cast members, how does that work exactly and where? Less ride attendants, dining crew, cleanup crews, etc?

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I’m curious how much variation there is in staffing on less crowded days vs crowded days. Obviously things like transportation (bus drivers) would be impacted but that can be known mostly based on resort occupancy…. but for other park cast members, how does that work exactly and where? Less ride attendants, dining crew, cleanup crews, etc?

Right now, little to none. They barely have enough staff at each park even for their “slow” days.

 

[Jrb1979]

Agree with you all. Park Pass is here to stay in some form but the long term goal of it is really two fold:

- end the days of phased closures and ensure crowd levels are somewhat tolerable (based on what they can handle)

- ensure that higher value guests have access with little to no friction

Park Pass (long term) is about maximizing the value/guest ratio in the parks and controlling/limiting access to low value guests. From what I am hearing, I think this will finally unfold in roughly 6 months time.

Basically DVC and Deluxe guests will end up with the benefits again. The rest of the plebs are left with reservations.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Basically DVC and Deluxe guests will end up with the benefits again. The rest of the plebs are left with reservations.

Eh, most likely anyone who isn’t an AP.

 

[Touchdown]

Eh, most likely anyone who isn’t an AP.

I still think they would give some friction to drive people to resorts or Good Neighbor Hotels.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I still think they would give some friction to drive people to resorts or Good Neighbor Hotels.

I thought the same as well but am hearing no.

 

[crazy4disney]

Agree with you all. Park Pass is here to stay in some form but the long term goal of it is really two fold:

- end the days of phased closures and ensure crowd levels are somewhat tolerable (based on what they can handle)

- ensure that higher value guests have access with little to no friction

Park Pass (long term) is about maximizing the value/guest ratio in the parks and controlling/limiting access to low value guests. From what I am hearing, I think this will finally unfold in roughly 6 months time.

How often did we really get phased closures?!? And no offense when they happened it was on days you could not have been shocked if they did unless you lived under a rock…

 

[matt9112]

I can't see this being true for resort guests, it would greatly devalue park hopper.

I could see it being true for AP at some point.

Do they care if they devalue it? Lol they keep devaluing things and y’all keep coming lol

 

[correcaminos]

Eh, most likely anyone who isn’t an AP.

Cue florida lawsuit then. Why punish people who actually pay more than day guests. Who come only every 5 years for a day or two? They're really doing a bang up job to lose long time fans.