4. Downside – Disney may not pass on the financial benefits to guests

Disney hasn’t had the best track record for lowering prices on… well, really anything.

Quite the opposite, one of the biggest frustrations fans have voiced is the feeling that Disney has priced out much of their target audience, to the point of nickel-and-diming guests with upcharges like Genie+, Individual Lightning Lane access, MagicBands, airport transportation, increased food costs, and more.

In truth, nothing in Disney’s recent decision-making has suggested significant savings are on the way for guests. Rather, increased demand for the parks has given Disney the greenlight to do pretty much whatever they want to keep the money coming in, even if that means losing some fan goodwill.

Another angle to consider is the fact that fine-tuned resource allocation doesn’t necessarily always work in guests’ favor. In the same way that Disney can choose to bolster resources and experiences in a park likely to be sold out, they can just as easily choose to skimp on resources for a park that isn’t at such high capacity. This could theoretically mean that guests trying to avoid crowds by visiting on less busy days may not have access to the same experiences as those visiting on high demand days. We haven’t seen this shift yet, but it is a theoretical situation that could occur.

While we do certainly hope to see any savings Disney incurs through the use of Parks Pass Reservations passed on to guests, we remain skeptical of this actually happening. If trends continue, it seems far more likely that Disney will happily take any revenue boosts into pocket without passing on meaningful savings to guests.

5. Upside – Guests have a better idea what they’re getting into

Let’s look at another positive: the implementation of Disney Parks Pass Reservations has certainly made it easier for guests to know what they are in for when it comes to crowd levels in the parks.

Prior to the pandemic, savvy guests usually had to rely on crowd prediction calendars and expert strategies to catch times when the parks were less busy. While both measures are still helpful, Parks Pass Reservation availability now provides some significant clues what guests can expect from crowd levels on a given day.

While Disney doesn’t post specific numbers regarding Parks Pass availability, they do maintain calendars that let guests view what days particular parks are sold out or nearing capacity. By checking all three reservation pools (resort guests, Passholders, and general tickets), guests can glean clues if a particular park or week is going to be significantly busy. Speaking as a Passholder, reservation levels now play a major role in whether or not I decide to visit a particular park. If I can avoid high capacity days, I usually will choose to do so.

For those looking to do the same, taking a close look at Parks Pass Reservations can certainly provide some helpful clues to help you make informed decisions about your upcoming trip.

6. Downside – Not a lot of room for spontaneity anymore

Across the board, this is probably the biggest complaint we’ve seen about Parks Pass Reservations—they’ve killed spontaneous Disney trips.

While there are certainly guests who don’t mind planning their Disney vacations months ahead of time down to which park they will visit on which day, for many longtime Disney fans, park reservations have taken a significant part of the magic out of visiting Disney parks. There are just no guarantees when it comes to last-minute trips with Parks Pass Reservations in place. I’ve had to explain to many friends visiting Florida that they won’t be able to add-on a Walt Disney World visit on the fly due to reservations being sold out.

Even for those visiting from far away, planning parks down to the day isn’t many guests’ idea of fun. In this regard, Disney Parks Pass Reservations have brought some significant negatives for those who prefer a more flexible Disney experience.

7. Upside – Guest types are mixed more evenly

I will admit, it’s unclear to me if this was a major problem before the pandemic, but some guests have mentioned they appreciate that Disney Parks Pass Reservations have helped ensure a more even balance of guest types throughout the parks.

By guest types, we mean specifically the three reservation pools: resort guests, Passholders, and general ticketholders. We do appreciate that Disney created separate pools for each type, which can help ensure an even distribution of guests throughout the parks. Resort guests get access to some advantages, but they don’t necessarily take up the entire pool of attendance. Passholders, as well, can’t necessarily all flood the park on the same days. Guests outside of these categories have their own fair shot at getting a reservation.

In the end, while the odds aren’t completely even for each group (resort guests usually get priority if a pool is increased), the system has helped ensure a somewhat even distribution of all three groups.

But what about Passholders and the ability to park hop?...