Disney is removing the requirement for park pass reservations in 2024 for select ticket types.
Park Pass Reservations No Longer Required Beginning 2024
Beginning January 9, 2024, date-based tickets (the standard ticket option) will not require theme park reservations. If guests purchase tickets with a start date of January 9, 2024 or later, they will be all set to visit the park of their choice without an additional step.
This does not apply to open-dated tickets, including Annual Passes. Annual Passholders and Cast Members will see the addition of “good-to-go” dates in 2024 which will allow them to visit without a park pass reservation.
Park Pass Reservation System
Introduced when the parks reopened in summer 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the system requires guests to make reservations for a specific Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort theme park. Guests must have valid theme park admission to make a reservation, which allows for planning ahead but also potentially limits guests who buy their tickets last-minute.
Disney CEO at the time Park Pass Reservations began, Bob Chapek, claimed that the park passes “guarantee a great experience” for all guests. He referenced the past system where the parks would close for capacity on particularly busy days, such as Christmas Day. If a “family from Seattle” visited Disneyland for a two-three day visit and arrived at 10 a.m., they may have been turned away at the gate due to capacity limitations, he cited. Now, the pass system requires advance reservations that guarantee admission for the date of the reservation (with valid ticket media).
According to Chapek, this created the same “magical” experience for a guest who visits on Thanksgiving and a guest who visits on the second Tuesday of September.
This system, he noted, is the same as other fixed-capacity businesses such as airlines, hotels, and cruise lines. It gives guests confidence that the parks won’t be “overcrowded.” He also mentioned that it has the added benefit of maximizing shareholder value.
Despite these claims, many guests find the reservation system to be confusing, cumbersome, and a detractor from the special “magic” that Disney is famous for.
Chapek and Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro have continuously reiterated that the park pass system were here to stay. Other reasons given have cited the ability to plan staffing and supply needs based on the expected amount of guests per day.
Bob Chapek was unceremoniously fired as Disney’s CEO in November, 2022. Previous CEO Bob Iger returned from retirement to reprise the leadership role for two more years, hopeful to prepare a better-performing executive.
Make sure you check out our other recent coverage regarding upcoming park changes using the links below:
- BREAKING: Disney Updates Lawsuit Against Ron DeSantis Using Latest Comments as Proof of Unconstitutional Retaliation
- BREAKING: Annual Passholders & Cast Members Will Not Need Park Pass Reservations for Select Dates at Walt Disney World in 2024
- BREAKING: Disney Dining Plans Will Return to Walt Disney World in 2024
- Disney Plans to Simplify Genie+ & Lightning Lane Services for Planning Visits in Advance
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