How early do you need to make Disney park reservations?

Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel can make reservations 60 days in advance for their entire trip up to 10 days. Guests not staying at a Disney Resort hotel may only make reservations 60 days in advance, one day at a time.



As of 2026, the "Park Pass" reservation system at Walt Disney World has been significantly relaxed for most guests. If you have a date-based 1-day or multi-day theme park ticket, you no longer need to make a park reservation—you simply show up at the park of your choice. However, reservations are still a high-value requirement for Annual Passholders and guests with non-date-based tickets on most days. For these users, it is a peer-to-peer essential to book as soon as your travel dates are confirmed, especially for high-demand periods like Christmas, Spring Break, or the opening of new attractions like Tiana's Bayou Adventure. At Disneyland Resort in California, the reservation system remains mandatory for all guests. In that case, you should aim to book 60 to 120 days in advance to ensure your preferred starting park isn't at capacity. Always check the "Availability Calendar" on the official Disney website before purchasing tickets to ensure your desired dates are open.

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Ideally, you should have your reservation set at least two months ahead of time, and the reason why is next. Continuing the crowd control measures made necessary by the global pandemic that began in 2020, Disney now says it's no longer enough to buy a park ticket.

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Guests with a Valid Disney Resort Hotel Reservation: Make reservations for your entire length of stay (for up to a 10-night stay) up to 60 days in advance of your arrival!

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You don't need a parks pass reservation for any parks you visit after 2PM after you visit your first park, however you do need to start your day at that first park with a parks pass reservation. You cannot simply show up at any park after 2PM if you haven't first used a park pass reservation to visit a park.

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How to get Disneyland reservations when sold out
  1. Choose an alternate reservation date. The simplest, but probably not the most ideal, option is choosing another date that's available for your visit. ...
  2. Regularly check for updated availability. ...
  3. Get a park hopper ticket.


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To enter one of the parks, each Guest is required to have a theme park reservation in addition to a valid ticket for the same park on the same date. Please check below to see if your desired date and theme park are currently available before purchasing your ticket.

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Because the number of park reservations is limited, they can occasionally run out. If you have found that the date you wish to visit no longer has reservations available, it's still worth checking the theme park reservation availability calendar often. You never know when other Guests may need to change their plans.

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Park reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance of a visit, but can also be made on the same day you hope to visit — they're only subject to availability. So, feel free to make your reservation a couple months before your visit or on the morning you plan to enter the park, as long as there are still spaces left.

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You now can only park hop AFTER 2PM. So you'll have to wait until well after lunchtime if you're planning on visiting another park. However, this rule is different for Annual Passholders.

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Disney will typically hold your dining reservation up to 15 minutes after your scheduled dining time. However, any later than this, they reserve the right to reallocate your table to other diners.

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Because the number of park reservations is limited, they can occasionally run out. If you have found that the date you wish to visit no longer has reservations available, it's still worth checking the theme park reservation availability calendar often. You never know when other Guests may need to change their plans.

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Walt Disney World Park Reservation Tips for Passholders You can only hold 3 park reservations at a time (unless you have a resort stay booked). It's recommended you book Disney's Hollywood Studios first, as this reservation goes the quickest.

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The best discounts are almost always offered 3 - 6 months in advance. Because Disney World is such a popular location, planning early also helps you get your first choice in hotel accommodations and restaurant reservations.

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The 2024 Walt Disney World vacation packages and hotel rooms became available for booking beginning on May 31, 2023, with arrival dates starting on January 1, 2024.

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The Genie 120-minute rule says that you can make a new reservation at most 2 hours from when you made the last one, and this countdown timer doesn't change if you modify the reservation. If you made it at, say, 11 a.m., then your two hours will be up at 1 p.m. even if you modify the reservation at noon.

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Off-peak times fall around January, February, September, and early November. Discounts on vacation packages booked directly through Disney (which combine park tickets and hotel stays) can be found year-round, though they're most common at these less-crowded times.

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If a Magic Key holder has a reservation and does not show up for that reservation date, you do get a strike. According to the Magic Key Terms and Conditions, if you are a no-show for three reservations in any 90-day period, you will not be able to make any new reservations for 30 days.

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In 2021, when the parks reopened after being shut down due to the pandemic, the Register reported that the monthly average attraction wait times was 21 minutes. In 2022, the average wait time was consistently above the 25-minute mark.

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With a Disney base ticket, you're welcome to leave and re-enter the same theme park as many times as you like during the same day. So, if you want to visit the Magic Kingdom in the morning, go back to your hotel room for a nap, and return to the Magic Kingdom in the evening, then you do not need a Park Hopper ticket.

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