UPDATE August 23 - The Parks Pass Reservation system has been controversial since it launched at Walt Disney World in July 2020, when theme parks reopened after the closures due to COVID-19. Starting today, Disney has made the following changes to the Parks Pass Reservation system which all fans should be aware of:
Guests can now book a park reservation for regular visitors and Annual Passes at the same time PROVIDING there is availability on both calendars.
You can continue to book a park reservation for a linked family member/friend but they must have "All My Plans" enabled in their account not "only plans we share" which was needed previously.
Something else I noticed:
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 23, 2022
PREVIOUSLY: You could book a park reservation for a linked family/friend if they had "only plans we share" enabled in their account.
NOW: To book a park reservation for a family/friend, they must have "All My Plans" enabled in their account. pic.twitter.com/egXOH1G543
You can now book Park Passes for 30 tickets rather than 12 which was previously the maximum which will help when it comes to larger parties.
The most significant change is that guests can now modify park reservations without having to cancel and re-book (in most cases). The only exception to this is for Park Reservations for Annual Passholders staying at a Disney Resort or Other Select Hotel. This has been confirmed by the tweet below from Scott Gustin.
Walt Disney World made changes to park reservations - and the biggest change is the ability to modify a park reservation.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 23, 2022
However, not all park reservations will be eligible to be modified. Some will need to be canceled first.
(thread) pic.twitter.com/yzPYaEl4mf
Do these changes make the Park Pass Reservation system better? What other improvements would you like to see? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
May 15 - Ever since the Disney Parks Pass system was introduced when the parks reopened in 2020, it has been divisive among fans. However, during the recent Q2 financial results call, it was reiterated that Disney has no plans for getting rid of this system at all and it will continue to be in use for the foreseeable future as Disney continues to focus its efforts on controlling crowd levels in its parks.
We found out back in January that new dates had been released for January 2024 on the Park Pass Calendar meaning we knew that the system would remain until then. However, many guests were likely hoping this may be reviewed once the parks saw further COVID-19 restrictions lifting. From this recent presentation it is definitely confirmed that Disney has absolutely no plans to return to normal regards to this with the Disney Parks Pass system set to continue long into the foreseeable future.
January 25 - Since Walt Disney World and Disneyland reopened after closures due to COVID-19, the Disney's Park Pass Reservation System has been in place to manage capacity.
Many thought that when measures were eased and capacity increased that we would see this system disappearing. It has become clear in recent months that Disney likes this system in order to be able to plan ahead and cater more effectively for guest numbers at each of the theme parks.
Good news for Disney, not so good news for guests. Many have complained that with this system in place it takes away the spontaneity they enjoyed before the pandemic especially for Annual Passholders. Well, it looks like Disney's Park Pass Reservation System is here to stay until at least 2024.
New dates have been released for January 2024 on the Park Pass Calendar. So it seems that we have no choice but to accept that we will have to continue to use this system for at least the next couple of years.
For Annual Passholders it can become a little complicated as to exactly how many theme park reservations you can hold at a time based on the Annual Pass you hold. Check out the frequently asked questions section on the Walt Disney World website to confirm what you are currently allowed. Let us know what you think about this news by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Comments
My husband and I are disabled due to chronic pain, so days on which we feel well enough to be spontaneous about ANYTHING are not frequent. When we go to amusement parks and such we use motorized scooters, still, chances are, we won't be going to a Disney park again (nor taking any of our grandkids back). Not until they stop requiring reservations for the parks, anyway.
So VERY disappointing.
I dont like it because we can't just get up and go.....we do live in Orlando and it's sad that we can't just get up and go whenever we would like..... I want to say that Disney cares very little about passholders, that's why we now frequent Universal studios much more than Disney its way more relaxed and no reservations plus the express pass after 4 is super!!! Over all Universal is a much better experience. So thank you Disney for pushing us away we are now having some real fun.
I'm not sure how much spontaneity it actually takes away. If I were an Annual Passholder in the Orlando area, I can see how it might limit "It's Saturday, let's go to Epcot!" but I imagine most travelers, when planning a Disney trip, at least have some idea of where they'd like to go on a given day.