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Why does Disney still require park reservations?

For non-dated tickets, theme park reservations may be required. Disney notes that this is so they can continue to monitor and manage park attendance to ensure they deliver a great experience to guests.



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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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Do not go to Disneyland or Disney World without doing this one thing. Going to Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California without a park reservation sets the stage for disappointment. That's because neither park tickets nor annual passes alone will get guests inside.

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The Disney Park Pass System helps Walt Disney World Resort manage attendance and ensure that every Guest has a magical experience in the four Theme Parks. At this time, there are no penalties associated with not using a Park Pass Reservation you have made at a Walt Disney World Resort Theme Park.

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Subject to change, there is currently a $10 per person cancellation fee for dining reservations canceled within two hours of the reservation time, or for no-shows. I hope this information gives you flexibility and peace of mind when scheduling your park days, Sarah.

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In addition to purchasing Theme Park Tickets, Theme Park Reservations are required to enter Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Because reservations are required, if reservations are not available for a specific date you will not be able to purchase Theme Park Tickets for that date.

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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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While buying in person is possible, I highly recommend that you purchase your tickets ahead of time to avoid the worry of being able to get same-day reservations. In order to enter the parks, you need both a ticket and a theme park ticket reservation.

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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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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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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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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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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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Walt Disney World is still using Theme Park Reservations, which means you have to reserve the park you would like to visit in advance. If you see that the park you're wanting is not available, you can make a reservation for another park and, if available, park hop after 2:00 PM.

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If you plan on park hopping, please know that there is a chance that your desired park might not be available to hop to that day. Theme park reservations do fluctuate, so if you find that the park you initially want to visit is full, check back another time.

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If you are a Guest staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you receive complimentary standard parking at Disney theme parks for the length of your Resort stay. You must present valid Disney Resort hotel identification to enter the parking lots.

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If you do not see any theme park reservations for your travel dates you have a few options: Reschedule your Disneyland vacation, unused tickets often don't expire for some time. Check your ticket for expiration dates. Continue checking the Disneyland availability calendar.

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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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Second, annual passholders may enter the parks after 2PM without a reservation, except for Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays. Blockout dates still apply for these guests. Third, and most important, there is a partial exception for guests who are park hopping, which we'll discuss next.

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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 announced 2023 vacation packages, and with that, the end of the Genie+ ticket add-on. This post covers details about the length-of-stay prepaid Lightning Lane booking option, why it's being eliminated, and other thoughts.

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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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You are welcome to purchase your Theme Park Tickets at the gate when you arrive at your first theme park. While there, you can buy the total number of days you plan to visit.

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