Can we just....go?

[Kim&Chris]

We haven't been to the parks since Covid, so we are so far out of the loop it isn't even funny. I almost feel like I'm starting from fresh, so to speak.

We're going to Vero Beach in May, and we would like to drive over to the parks IF we get a day with clouds or poor weather. So my question is: can we just get up in the morning and .... go? Without reservations? Can we hop to another park if we want? At any time of the day?

Also, I still have a bunch of non-expiring tickets on my magic band, so I'm not sure what rules apply to me.

Sorry, I know these are such crazy questions at this point. Thanks!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm hoping @lanejudy will respond here as some of your questions are not simple ones re: park tickets.

IF you purchase a new ticket for the day - yes, you can go without a park reservation. You can hop at anytime IF the ticket you purchase, you add PH to it.

BUT,

If you are using the non-expiry tickets that's where things get tricky and lanejudy will be able to help you out a bit. Those tickets have rules and she's our resident expert.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We haven't been to the parks since Covid, so we are so far out of the loop it isn't even funny. I almost feel like I'm starting from fresh, so to speak.

We're going to Vero Beach in May, and we would like to drive over to the parks IF we get a day with clouds or poor weather. So my question is: can we just get up in the morning and .... go? Without reservations? Can we hop to another park if we want? At any time of the day?

Also, I still have a bunch of non-expiring tickets on my magic band, so I'm not sure what rules apply to me.

Sorry, I know these are such crazy questions at this point. Thanks!

It depends on capacity. The park you may want to visit may hit the max allowed guests by the time you get to Orlando. Factor in traffic both directions too… and the EZ Pass. Sorry to hold the unpopular call, but I don’t recommend this. I’d fully devote your Vero Beach stay to any attractions or other activities within vicinity. If you're staying at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, I think you’ve got plenty of pixie dust in there. You can always come back soon…

 

[Tom_E_D]

We haven't been to the parks since Covid, so we are so far out of the loop it isn't even funny. I almost feel like I'm starting from fresh, so to speak.

We're going to Vero Beach in May, and we would like to drive over to the parks IF we get a day with clouds or poor weather. So my question is: can we just get up in the morning and .... go? Without reservations? Can we hop to another park if we want? At any time of the day?

Also, I still have a bunch of non-expiring tickets on my magic band, so I'm not sure what rules apply to me.

Sorry, I know these are such crazy questions at this point. Thanks!

When you say the non-expiry tickets are on your "magic band," do you mean you can see them in MDE? If so, I think you may just need to make a theme park reservation to go on a particular day. Even if you need a theme park reservation (I think you do need one, but I'm not sure), it shouldn't be hard to get one even at the last minute in May, unless perhaps if you're going on the Memorial Day weekend. You get them at this webpage: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/a...kets,resort,passholder&defaultSegment=tickets

The "no park hopping before 2:00 PM" rule has gone away. If your ticket allows park hopping, you can park hop at any time of the day. If you're using Disney transportation, I believe the park-to-park buses start around 10:00 AM.

To make the most of your day, you might want to look into how Lightning Lane purchases work, although it is definitely not required that you buy any.

Edit: The link in the above paragraph to the wdwinfo.com page is inserted by disboards; that page is outdated. Don't rely on it. Some things have changed since July 24, 2024 (although the basics are the same).

 

[Dave006]

I think you may just need to make a theme park reservation to go on a particular day.

Yes @Kim&Chris will need to make a park reservation for their old non expiry tickets. And they will need to enter the park they have a reservation first if they have park hopper tickets before hopping to another park.

If you're using Disney transportation, I believe the park-to-park buses start around 10:00 AM.

You are correct the Park to Park buses start at 10 AM daily.

Dave

 

[scrappinginontario]

@Tom_E_D or @Dave006, if OP has a multi-day non-expiry ticket, is there any concern that using one day of such ticket could start the clock and the rest of the days expire?

 

[lanejudy]

I still have a bunch of non-expiring tickets on my magic band, so I'm not sure what rules apply to me.

How old (when purchased)? With the official “no-expiration” add-on? Or fully unused tickets? Or much older partially-used? Since you have them on your MDE I’m thinking you may have looked into how many days remain and type of ticket (base, PH, plus).

GENERAL:

• You will need a theme park reservation. You can probably grab one the morning you go. That needs to be your first park, but assuming you have a hopper ticket you can park-hop.
• IF you have multiple different tickets — you may want to have Guest Relations prioritize the right ticket — such as if you have a mix of base and PH tickets.

@Tom_E_D or @Dave006, if OP has a multi-day non-expiry ticket, is there any concern that using one day of such ticket could start the clock and the rest of the days expire?

Depending on when the ticket was purchased, and whether the “no expiration” option was added, that could be a consideration.