Is Disney getting rid of park reservations?

Visiting Disney is about to get a lot simpler. In news that Disney fans everywhere are likely to appreciate, the entertainment giant has announced that as of 2024 it will no longer require advance reservations in order to visit Disney parks with date-based tickets.



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Theme park reservations are required to enter a theme park through January 8, 2024. Beginning January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. For other admission types, theme park reservations may be required. Learn more about theme park reservations.

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Today, Disney is still using the park reservation system, presumably to continue tracking the expected number of guests in each of its parks on a given day to better plan for staffing, food needs and more logistics.

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It's actually fairly unusual for Disney World tickets to be completely sold out. Even if a specific park's reservations are sold out, other parks are typically available. For example, Magic Kingdom reservations may be sold out, but Animal Kingdom may have reservations available.

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If you don't see availability for a theme park you were hoping to visit, consider the Park Hopper Option (if it's not already added to your existing Theme Park Ticket).

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Standard tickets for Disneyland Resort don't really sell out, however, theme park ticket reservations do fill up for dates. Theme park ticket reservations are needed along with a valid ticket for entrance to either of the Disneyland Resort parks.

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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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Yes, you're reading that right, Disney REDUCED capacity during certain holiday periods in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 (which covered from around October 2nd to December 31st, 2022) by 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

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Theme Park Reservations are required for every day you wish to visit the Parks- except for the two Water Parks. You will have to visit your My Disney Experience account and pick the Parks you wish to visit and on which day. Don't delay as the Park reservations can fill up!

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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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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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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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Beginning January 9, 2024, guests with a ticket with Park Hopper benefits or an Annual Pass will be able to once again visit another Walt Disney World theme park at ANY TIME OF DAY during park hours. As a reminder, since returning in 2021, Park Hopper access has only been available after 2 p.m. each day.

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In general the best days of the week to visit the Disney World parks are Tuesday and Wednesday. The reason being is many families find that you need an entire week for a Disney vacation and typically arrive on Saturday or Sunday. We find weekends and Monday to be the busiest days at Walt Disney World.

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Walt Disney World announces 3 new changes coming in 2023 to benefit guests
  • Free self-parking when staying at a Disney Resort hotel. ...
  • Park reservation requirements relaxed for annual pass holders. ...
  • Attraction photo downloads will be included with Disney Genie+


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The answer is the MagicBand! Your resort reservations are linked to your MagicBands through your My Disney Experience account, and, during Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand to enter the park early. Or, during evening Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand at any rides or attractions.

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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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Can Genie+ sell out? Yes. It can. Although it isn't common, we've seen it happen a few times during busier times of the year (like over the holidays and Spring Break).

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Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

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What happens if I miss a Disney Park reservation? Whether you have a regular theme park ticket or an Annual Pass, if you miss a Disney Park reservation at Disney World, you won't be penalized in any way. But, Disney does encourage you to either cancel or modify your reservation if you know you won't make it.

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Modifications and cancellations will need to be done by 11:59 PM PT the night before a Disneyland Resort reservation date to avoid being considered a “no-show.” If a Magic Key holder has three “no-show” dates within a 90-day window, they will be unable to make new reservations for 30 days.

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