End of Park Reservations?

[New Mouse]

It’s not so much about knowing when it will be busy as it’s about knowing when that odd low crowd day is coming so they can cut staff.

They typically already do. They have crowd projection numbers and have had them for years. They have adjusted schedules based on this for year. It was based around hotel reservations dining reservations ticket sales and historic data.

I'd imagine this is probably more accurate but not drastically so that you would want to alienate your entire fan base.

 

[gharter]

The last Chapek said about Park Reservations was they are staying. Until he says they are gone, I'm not sure I would believe another source.

 

[SteveH]

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I wish. Or at least that they'd get rid of the 2pm park hopping nonsense. Don't see it happening, though, unfortunately, and definitely not on short notice like that.

 

[DVC Sue]

This doesn’t sound correct but I would sure live if it were true!

 

[ktlm]

I wish it were true. I wish the execs would stand outside Disneyland/CA in the plaza every morning and see what they are doing to families.

There was a video going around last week of a family at DLR where everyone had a park reservation except through some mistake (don't know if the family or Disney) a pre-schooler and they weren't being let in. It made me so sad and brought back unhappy memories because our Disneyland trip last fall we saw little kids crying every day outside the parks and stressed out adults (some also crying) trying to console them because families were turned away for no park reservations-- some had bought tickets in advance and didn't know about the system and others had expected to buy their tickets at the gates as they always did before. We saw multiple families having this happen every morning of our trip (4 park mornings). It made me feel guilty every morning for walking by them and entering the parks. We've never seen anything like it before and it was just heartbreaking every day. I still have a clear memory of a kid who looked about 4 loudly sobbing "you said we had tickets" to his parents and his Dad telling him we do have tickets, but they are telling us that isn't enough today and we can't go in, and the kid just having (as would any kid who thought they were getting to go to Disneyland and being turned away at the gates) a complete melt down.

It almost happened to a friend of mine at the beginning of this summer who was taking his 3 kids for the first time. He had no idea that in California you could no longer just walk up to the gate and buy a 2 or 3 day ticket and enter that day. Their whole California trip was booked and they had planned to spend 2 days of their trip in the parks. When I told him about reservations being required he was shocked, and then found his two dates did not have available reservations. He had to check every day for cancellations and picked up 1 day-- so the kids at least got to spend some time in the parks, and the kids never knew they were supposed to get 2 days instead of one- they only knew they were getting to go to Disneyland.

Last fall we had friends who had joined us at DLR for one day, and they really wanted to stay and spend another day in the parks with us, and they could not because there were no reservations available.

I know it is a little different at WDW, because there are less day trippers and it is more of a full trip destination, but I would like to see the park reservation system gone on both coasts.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

So many people still don't know about reservations. I was speaking with someone on the West Coast a month ago who I work with. They had no idea they couldn't just get their tickets at the park like in the past. Luckily it came up in conversation before park availability disappeared and they were able to buy tickets and book their parks.

I'd really like WDW to drop the requirement to tap into the 1st park before park hopping to another if this system is staying. For example if it's pouring rain in the morning and I have a dinner reservation at my 2nd park at 5:00 I'd prefer to just skip my 1st park that day.

 

[jo-jo]

I'd really like WDW to drop the requirement to tap into the 1st park before park hopping to another if this system is staying. For example if it's pouring rain in the morning and I have a dinner reservation at my 2nd park at 5:00 I'd prefer to just skip my 1st park that day.

Maybe that's the rumor. Dropping the "need to tap first park if after 2 pm" rule.

I'd rather no passes at all, but at least that would be something.

 

[kanerf]

Back in the 80s when I was working with the Army over in Germany we had a break-room of sorts up in the attic of one of the pre-world-war-2 buildings I worked in. There was a sign on the door, 'No one admitted without an authenticated rumor'. Just say'in.

 

[huskies90]

We have AP's and we were at the park last Tuesday (8/30) for my birthday. I hate the park reservation system and I hate Genie+ (I actually don't mind Genie+ system, I just hate having it as a pay as you go extra expense especially since we have AP's, come often and rarely do attractions that need it. Would much prefer it either included or to be purchased as a one time yearly package with the AP). But it was my birthday, and I wanted to do some attractions and I didn't want to wait on lines so I purchased it for myself and wife.

As it turned out, all the parks were dead empty. We started at MK and eventually hopped to EPCOT. At 9:30AM we were on our Jungle Cruise boat with 3 other people and the boat behind us was completely empty. Every other attraction was an absolute walk on until we left around noon. We hopped to EPCOT later on and the same was true...

So here is my question, Mr. "the park reservation system is here to stay" Chapek - Why can't our beloved Genie tell us that parks are going to be empty and recommend to us that we do not need Genie+ today? Hmmmmm? Why not? You are collecting all this park data at our inconvenience, how about sharing some of that info? Right...

 

[Liquidice]

There was a rumor floating around that sometime next year Disney would be getting rid of Park Reservations for ticketed guests and guests staying at a resort and Park reservations would only remain for Annual Passes.

The rumor also said that park hopping would become easier without the current 2pm restrictions at WDW (and 1pm at DLR).

The thought behind that was ticketed guests were still using the hastily put together park reservation system based off of the Fastpass+ reservation system - while annual passholders were using the much newer park reservation system introduced in 2021.

Of course now that ticketed and resort guests have moved over to the same system as APs it invalidates that thought process.

I do think that if Disney is trying to cater to the once in a lifetime guest because they are more profitable, they would consider getting rid of the park reservation system or making it significantly easier to use, like making the reservation when you buy a park ticket.

Maybe we'll hear some news at D23 but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Shushwap]

I do think that if Disney is trying to cater to the once in a lifetime guest because they are more profitable, they would consider getting rid of the park reservation system or making it significantly easier to use, like making the reservation when you buy a park ticket.

Maybe we'll hear some news at D23 but I wouldn't hold my breath.

This would make the most sense... u should have to book your dates before u pay

 

[dieumeye]

They will drop reservations when the following things happen:

-Attendance drops unfavorably low.

-The lost revenue cannot be made up through additional charges to existing guests.

-The internal research shows that the reservation system is causing potential guests to stay away.

This will be years from now or never.

 

[BigDaddyLaBouff]

Just saw this on FB, (I know, not the most correct news!) can anyone speak to this rumor? There were a lot of comments about others hearing the same!

"Hello! This morning a Cast Member told us that they are doing away with the park reservation system after Labor Day. That’s doesn’t sound right to me. What do you think?"
TIA

Seems to be false, it's after labor day and still the same.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Seems to be false, it's after labor day and still the same.

There was never any chance of it being true. They just majorly upgraded the Park Pass system, they weren't going to do that just to shut it down.

 

[Disturbia]

You can now modify a park pass reservation, but it’s still required. If anything, we were all fearing they would require park pass reservations for the park you’re hopping to.

With park hopping, you now need to wait until passes go past 2 pm to book a genie+ LL in your second park (can no longer select past 2 pm at 7 am) but with hoppers you can book up to 2 LLIA (vs 1 per day for base tickets).

 

[tony67]

There was never any chance of it being true. They just majorly upgraded the Park Pass system, they weren't going to do that just to shut it down.

That is a good point

 

[wildekatza]

View attachment 700122

LOL~~
I was kind of thinking this same exact thing.
Can you imagine being a CM and starting this rumor, then seeing that rumor come back around, full circle to you within a week and you see it as a news article or even better, on CNN? LOL! The pan-ultimate smack in the face when Disney underpays you for the b.s. nonsense as a CM you have to deal with on a daily basis. LOL!

 

[MJJME]

Ever hear of the chance brothers? Fat and slim?

They aren't even in this convo.........

this is ZERO

 

[SL6827]

I think Park Hopping will eventually require a reservation as well. Maybe even an extra charge too!!!!