Can I say again how much I HATE park reservations!

[Narcoossee11]

The park reservation systems has been in the works for over ten years.
It is not going anywhere .
It is the backbone of how the parks are To be run.

In a few years you won't even notice it.

 

[McCrae]

You'd have issues only if you don't tap in in your reserved park before hopping.

I didn’t do that on a couple of days… no issues.

 

[BeachClub2014]

In a few years you won't even notice it.

Let's connect a few years from now to see if this holds true. I am a little dubious that patrons will embrace the idea.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

The park reservation system is one of several reasons that we have decided not to vacation at WDW after our upcoming trip in September. But it's a BIG reason. For years, I dreamed of my retirement trips where we could stay for 10 nights and just go with the flow and be relaxed. Disney says G+ allows for spontaneity but then demand you to make a park reservation in order to enter a park. Nope! Not for me!

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

The park reservation system is one of several reasons that we have decided not to vacation at WDW after our upcoming trip in September. But it's a BIG reason. For years, I dreamed of my retirement trips where we could stay for 10 nights and just go with the flow and be relaxed. Disney says G+ allows for spontaneity but then demand you to make a park reservation in order to enter a park. Nope! Not for me!

This!

 

[corpcomp]

Back in January at BWV I had reservations for MK but was so tired after 3 days, DW and I stayed in and then entered EPCOT about 2pm. We were stopped telling us since we did not go to MK we could not enter. My mouth must have looked like a fish breathing and the CM then managed to cancel the MK reservation, make a new reservation for EPCOT and let us in. Perhaps there are getting more strict. I did notice there were fewer servers in the quick service restaurants and one Manager of a French QS said they are having a hard time finding people willing to work. They were down about 30% of staff and of the 5 there, only one had worked there longer than 3 weeks.

 

[MinnieSueB]

Back in January at BWV I had reservations for MK but was so tired after 3 days, DW and I stayed in and then entered EPCOT about 2pm. We were stopped telling us since we did not go to MK we could not enter. My mouth must have looked like a fish breathing and the CM then managed to cancel the MK reservation, make a new reservation for EPCOT and let us in. Perhaps there are getting more strict. I did notice there were fewer servers in the quick service restaurants and one Manager of a French QS said they are having a hard time finding people willing to work. They were down about 30% of staff and of the 5 there, only one had worked there longer than 3 weeks.

This! It's become -- you have a pulse, you have a job because no one wants to work. CRAZY!

 

[AdamsMum]

I understood that park reservations were to control the numbers in the parks when they reopened. However, it doesn't give any control over the park being hopped to. So they have no control over the numbers after 2 pm, so how does it help with staffing shortages?
This business of not letting people in who haven't tapped into their reserved park, makes no sense to me. They've already controlled the capacity in the early part of the day. After 2 is a free for all anyway, what benefit do they get from turning away guests who paid for this add on. As a person who always park hopped, I find it very frustrating.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm trying to understand why it matters that we didn't tap in at first park if it's after 2:00 & park hopping can occur?

I think because tapping in to park one requires you to have a park hopping option on your ticket to actually hop.

If you don’t do that, then in essence you are getting around needing a reservation for the day or to avoid a hopper ticket by just showing up after two.

If one books park one and never taps, then they get to enter the other park under the park hopping rule…when the park is booked…without actually needing a park hopper pass.

But, i think there should be an easier way to do it so that it can record you as having entered park one and then allow you in as someone who hopped without necessarily going to park one if something happens.

 

[Sandisw]

I understood that park reservations were to control the numbers in the parks when they reopened. However, it doesn't give any control over the park being hopped to. So they have no control over the numbers after 2 pm, so how does it help with staffing shortages?
This business of not letting people in who haven't tapped into their reserved park, makes no sense to me. They've already controlled the capacity in the early part of the day. After 2 is a free for all anyway, what benefit do they get from turning away guests who paid for this add on. As a person who always park hopped, I find it very frustrating.

They control how many people they will let hop so they can adjust it if they don’t think they can staff that day.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I guess Disney has a reason for Park reservations .

Dont forget cast schedules for late night transportation as we all depart…

I recently read an article that DisneyLand was even stricter to control availabilty against the No Shows with their Park Pass system .We don’t want that !

 

[AdamsMum]

They control how many people they will let hop so they can adjust it if they don’t think they can staff that day.

I'd be interested to know how they do that. I've never had to register anywhere to hop, or to buy the park hopper option. I don't think they control it. JMO

 

[Sandisw]

I'd be interested to know how they do that. I've never had to register anywhere to hop, or to buy the park hopper option. I don't think they control it. JMO

They know how many staff they have for the day.

So, if they don’t feel the staff they have can support too many hoppers then they can close down hopping as the day goes on.

You still scan in when you hop so they know you did it and can keep count in real time, even without a reservation.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Just need to vent & say again how much I HATE park reservations! Attended MK Extended Hours Wed & didn't get in until 2:00am.

Next day we had Epcot reservations & wasn't feeling well at all & with the heat we decided to skip it and then head over to HS for Moonlight Magic around 4:00 for our dinner reservation.

I knew our MB would flag us at entrance so told a "plaid" our situation. I don't think I've ever been talked to the way I was talked to. She scolded me like I was a child stating the park hopping rules back to me & that they would ONLY make this one time exception for us.


I could understand a little more if I were trying to get in before 2:00pm but this was after park hopping was allowed.
Park Reservations only serve Disney not the guest.
I will end on a positive note. Moonlight Magic was awesome after the storm cleared out at 7pm. DVC did do a great job & highly recommend.

I am 100% there with you! Hate them. Perhaps more than any other change.

And that's a lot since I'm not a fan at all of paying for FP's or Genie+ either. That I can learn to deal with though.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'd be interested to know how they do that. I've never had to register anywhere to hop, or to buy the park hopper option. I don't think they control it. JMO

From what I've seen hopping has only been restricted maybe a handful of days. And I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was done just to test it out even if they state otherwise.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I mean, that's the only "somewhat sensible" reason...the only other thing I can come up with is they want to make hopping even more difficult and discourage you from coming at all if you don't come to your park early...

Wouldn’t the simplest solution for that be to just eliminate park hopping all together?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This! It's become -- you have a pulse, you have a job because no one wants to work. CRAZY!

No one wants to work for Disney's wages. Other employers are offering more and Orlando is expensive to live in.

Disney have to get away from historical reliance on people's wanting to work for Disney and ignoring the wage.

 

[BeachClub2014]

Wouldn’t the simplest solution for that be to just eliminate park hopping all together?

Simple solution, yet a horrible decision should that happen.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Simple solution, yet a horrible decision should that happen.

Agreed. I just don’t think everything Disney does is a Rube Goldberg-esque web of obtuse machinations overly convoluted to hide an otherwise straightforward decision.

If they don’t like park hopping, why go through the bother of making it increasingly more difficult instead of just ending it? Either route leads to the same horrible decision.

I will say Disney definitely wants you to park hop the way THEY want you to do it.

 

[Sandisw]

Agreed. I just don’t think everything Disney does is a Rube Goldberg-esque web of obtuse machinations overly convoluted to hide an otherwise straightforward decision.

If they don’t like park hopping, why go through the bother of making it increasingly more difficult instead of just ending it? Either route leads to the same horrible decision.

I will say Disney definitely wants you to park hop the way THEY want you to do it.

But if you haven’t yet visited a park, how can you park hop?

Since park reservations are not time based, it makes sense why they have you do it.

I just think they should be able to tap your MB, check you in for park 1 on their iPad, and then let you tap at the second park without physically going to park one.