Going for Marathon weekend in 2021 but no park ticket yet!

[RunningAriel]

So with the announcement today, anyone else feeling very uneasy about going in January and a risk of no park time available? As it stands right now anyone with a hotel reservation AND valid park media can book a park reservation on Monday, June 22. Packages and new ticket sales don't go live until Sunday, June 28. I'm staying DVC with friends who all have APs.

 

[rteetz]

It’s unclear right now if you will be able to reserve park spaces for 2021 on Monday or if it will be a rolling window. I think a rolling window would be smart because park capacity should and could be higher in January than what it is in July of this year. Your best bet is to be ready and buy tickets on June 28th.

 

[camaker]

I’m a little concerned right now with how they’re going to handle APs. Mine technically expired 2 weeks ago, but the extension due to the shutdown hasn’t been applied yet. Am I going to be able to reserve for W&D and MW based on the current pass? Will I have to have it renewed to cover the reservation date range before I can reserve park time? I’m already less than thrilled with the elimination of park hopping and I don’t really want to spend the time and $$$ going down to the races if I won’t have park time.

 

[rteetz]

I’m a little concerned right now with how they’re going to handle APs. Mine technically expired 2 weeks ago, but the extension due to the shutdown hasn’t been applied yet. Am I going to be able to reserve for W&D and MW based on the current pass? Will I have to have it renewed to cover the reservation date range before I can reserve park time? I’m already less than thrilled with the elimination of park hopping and I don’t really want to spend the time and $$$ going down to the races if I won’t have park time.

They just started applying extensions a couple days ago. I haven’t gotten mine yet either.

 

[1lilspark]

As an AP i won’t be able to even attempt to book park days until November weather I book on/off site for Marathon cause of restrictions

 

[creativeamanda]

I believe that when you book tickets now, you have to choose which parks you will be in which days for 2021, so you won't be able to buy tickets and not get into parks. The downside to that of course, is that you are kind of blocked into where you are going to be.

I'm hoping to be able to add days to my trip in January/change resorts/add tickets. Praying it will work for me!

 

[shellott-hill]

I can relate to your concern as well. I am in a similar boat right now and have room reservations at "good neighbor" hotels and a plane ticket. Not sure how to deal with the parks yet. The "rules" are changing from day to day right now and it is not clear what it will be like in January.

I did see a post related to a park availability calendar, but it is on the UK website: Availability Calendar

EDIT: Saw a link in MDE today with the US version: Availability Calendar US

I will remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to get in the parks in January, but will not commit to park tickets until I get a better understanding from Disney.

 

[SL6827]

Are the parks over the top crowded during race weekends? I am thinking yes? I have been so spoiled to going during the slower times in the past 15 years I am not sure I would even enjoy the parks that much with crowds like that. So do any of you head down for the race and then not really enter the parks that much?

 

[camaker]

Are the parks over the top crowded during race weekends? I am thinking yes? I have been so spoiled to going during the slower times in the past 15 years I am not sure I would even enjoy the parks that much with crowds like that. So do any of you head down for the race and then not really enter the parks that much?

The crowd levels vary widely across Marathon Weekends. I’ve been every year from 2016-present and the closer the race weekend falls to New Year’s and schools still being out the worse the crowding. It’s been everything from relatively light crowds to very crowded. I expect 2021 to be pretty light, though, all things considered and hoping the race weekend goes forward as scheduled.