NEW for 2024 - Disney Dining Plans Returning, Exciting Park Reservation Updates, and More

[AnnaKristoff2013]

1) l think APs that stay on site qualify as dated tickets. They already separate these from regular AP reservations, so this should be no different.

They would have announced this if this was what they were doing. Maybe they will change their minds, but as of right now, this isn’t what they announced.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

this. Infuriating. So, a ticket holder staying offsite is more valuable to them than an AP onsite?

Welcome to the “unfavorable” mix!

 

[xipotec]

All good news, really glad to see a FP+ option added to G+, as we ran that thing perfectly I loved the idea of scheduling rides. It allowed us to have general plan of where we would be in the park and we could coordinate our dining, shows and shopping with our FP reservations. It was the thing I hated most about G+, no idea where or when you would be in the park at any given time.....constant walking back and forth to get good G+ time for rides on busy days.

Also, I figure this will help keep me off the phone all day. THAT was the most annoying part, checking the phones all day....

Dining? Well I expect that to be an unaffordable over priced option. It was always WAY too much food also....

Early admission? Not sure of that is worth to exorbitant prices they now charge for ANY level Disney property.....Rope Drop / afternoon chill / and close the parks still works well to get just about everythign done....

 

[ChipTheRescueRanger]

Why has DDP turned in to a cult ?

https://www.disneyholidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world/dining-plans/disney-dining-plan/

It seems that you can't use the Dining Credit to pay for the Dining Plan, but Disney mention "boost it", hmm, not sure what this means. Any ideas?

Maybe it is just literally you get the Dining Plan and the Dining Credit completely separate from each other, and there's no other benefit?

For UK guests it's basicly you can buy it separate. Nothing more nothing less.

Credits is the "free" offer on your booking. If you want DDP you have to pay separate

 

[sponica]

While I like scrapping the park reservation system, it's pointless to me if I can't park hop before 2. If there's going to be a restriction, at least make it 11AM or Noon.

 

[kylenne]

I know I’m most likely in the minority here and that’s fine but I absolutely hate that they’re bringing the dining plan back. I was really hoping it wouldn’t come back at all tbh but Disney were never going to realistically leave money on the table like that and that was just my wishful thinking. It’s already hard enough sometimes getting the more “popular” restaurants as an offsite guest and that’s only going to get worse again now when the dining plan returns with people feeling like they need to get their moneys worth with table service restaurants.

I’m not feeling it at all either. I feel like it’s going to kill walk up availability but even worse I am not looking forward to the impact on food quality and selection. Menus have pretty much recovered since the covid supply issues and cutbacks, the last thing I want or need is to see them mangled again for DDP.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Waking up I still find it hilarious they are doing this in 2024 and not right now. Disney needs a new PR person and they need to wake up to what people actually want and implement now. Nobody is going to say " oh man! 2024 is when we gotta go now! Awesome changes! " Just pisses off people who actually spent money now and are ready to go

Use to be: Coming soon next year- Pandora! Coming soon- Tron! Coming soon- Guardians!

Now its: Soon no reservations and you can get genie and lighting lanes early, and the Disney dining plan coming after so much hard work to implement what we previously had in a minimum of 8 months!

Give me a break

 

[Jrb1979]

All good news, really glad to see a FP+ option added to G+, as we ran that thing perfectly I loved the idea of scheduling rides. It allowed us to have general plan of where we would be in the park and we could coordinate our dining, shows and shopping with our FP reservations. It was the thing I hated most about G+, no idea where or when you would be in the park at any given time.....constant walking back and forth to get good G+ time for rides on busy days.

Also, I figure this will help keep me off the phone all day. THAT was the most annoying part, checking the phones all day....

Dining? Well I expect that to be an unaffordable over priced option. It was always WAY too much food also....

Early admission? Not sure of that is worth to exorbitant prices they now charge for ANY level Disney property.....Rope Drop / afternoon chill / and close the parks still works well to get just about everythign done....

It's not really going to be a full FP+ option. It's most likely the ability to pre-book your first LL each day. It's not going back to 3 per day.

 

[Jrb1979]

Waking up I still find it hilarious they are doing this in 2024 and not right now. Disney needs a new PR person and they need to wake up to what people actually want and implement now. Nobody is going to say " oh man! 2024 is when we gotta go now! Awesome changes! " Just pisses off people who actually spent money now and are ready to go

Use to be: Coming soon next year- Pandora! Coming soon- Tron! Coming soon- Guardians!

Now its: Soon no reservations and you can get genie and lighting lanes early, and the Disney dining plan coming after so much hard work to implement what we previously had in a minimum of 8 months!

It's hilarious but there is a reason behind it. They have already done their discounts to draw guests this summer. These announcements are to draw guests for next year. A lot of that is they don't have any major attractions coming to draw guests. As I said before iMO bookings a forecasted to be low for next year as well. It's not about the guest anymore, it's all business now.

 

[easyas123]

We booked a trip for next late Jan. a week ago, and I'll readily admit I was a bit blah about it. But now that I know that I don't have to make park reservations and Genie might be tweaked I'm actually looking forward to it a bit!

I'm so glad the park reservations are going to be gone. It helps put a little bit of the spontaneity back into our trip!

 

[Sacahara]

lol I'm just happy that they finally announced when 2024 bookings are going to open, I got plans for next year!

 

[crazycatlady]

I am an out of state AP holder as of a month or whatever ago, and I always stay onsite, usually CL. I feel duped.

Scott Gustin specifically posted on Twitter that APs, even those staying onsite, will require park reservations. I assume he specifically asked this. Infuriating. So, a ticket holder staying offsite is more valuable to them than an AP onsite?

That said, I care more about rolling back parkhopping at 2 than anything else.

I just sent an e-mail to Disney with this same sentiment. I just bought DVC and APs, and feel like I should have the same flexibility as regular ticket holders.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

It's hilarious but there is a reason behind it. They have already done their discounts to draw guests this summer. These announcements are to draw guests for next year. A lot of that is they don't have any major attractions coming to draw guests. As I said before iMO bookings a forecasted to be low for next year as well. It's not about the guest anymore, it's all business now.

Yes, considering Epic Universe, an entire new huge theme park will open in 2025, and the best Disney can do is say in a year, we will bring back the stuff you use to have, that they can probably switch within a few days. LOL

 

[focusondisney]

If the bucket fills up, our option is purchase date-based tickets.

I never saw date-based tickets coming with a perk over AP.

Or don’t go to the park until after 2, except MK on the weekend. . I never saw regular ticket holders get more perks than APs either. Especially AP holders staying on site.

 

[focusondisney]

Welcome to the “unfavorable” mix!

That’s what I was referring to when I said they were trying to discourage APs. They’re happy to take our money but don’t really want us to use our admissions.

 

[snikki]

If they will allow prebooking of G+ they are essentially locking you into a park reservation. There’s no need for both systems. Disney knows what they are doing.

We basically know where we are going each day but there were two times last trip that we switched up our park reservations the night before. Luckily the park had opening. In the past we wouldn’t have been able to do this with FP+ since I wouldn’t want to lose those hard to get rides.

I would prefer G+ stay the way it is and decide what park I want to go to that morning. We got way more bang out of G+ than we did FP+ since we booked FP+ for our PM park.

Whatever Disney decides I will roll with it when we decide to go again and figure out how to utilize it to get the most out of the system.

 

[Maria_Ohana]

Having an AP not requiring park reservation wont affect me much. However, being an out of state AP it would be nice for Disney to make some concessions for those with out of state AP, and staying on site.
Dining plan - we'll see the cost. Sometimes it's cheaper to just pay out of pocket. However, it all depends on where you eat and how you can maximize the cost, ie Character Meals, and nice sit down meals.

 

[rmclain73]

It's not really going to be a full FP+ option. It's most likely the ability to pre-book your first LL each day. It's not going back to 3 per day.

They could always offer tiered pricing where there is an option to pick 3 prior. Tier 1 would be to pay and pick the day of, tier 2 could be pick 1 per day prior, and tier 3 you could pick 3 prior.

 

[Jrb1979]

They could always offer tiered pricing where there is an option to pick 3 prior. Tier 1 would be to pay and pick the day of, tier 2 could be pick 1 per day prior, and tier 3 you could pick 3 prior.

You think availability day of is bad now. If they do what you suggest there would be next to nothing day of.

 

[HopperFan]

I don’t think resort guests are excluded from park reservations. Just if you have a specific date based ticket, like a 1 day MK ticket for sample. If you are a resort guest with a multi day ticket, you still need to make park reservations. Otherwise they won’t know attendance at each park, which defeats the whole purpose of the reservations. At least that’s what was announced previously. So unless it’s one of the special access day or after 2, I think APs will still need them.

As an AP holder everything they just shared is of no value to me. May even be a detriment to me.

I also am questioning the ticket thing. They keep calling it "date based ticket" but I'm not sure they have defined what that means right now. Some date based tickets mean on that date you are choosing to go to this park. Lots of vague info being put out there by Disney. I'd rather no info than cryptic info, as folks will run with it in whatever direction they want.

I get many don't like reservations. I wasn't thrilled but made it work. Disney did it to move people into parks that were never crowded, allowing more tickets to be sold so all parks were full. $$ How is this going to help them? Are they going to actually close parks each day to move people? Worse PR than reservations. Or are we going to experience even more crowded parks? that won't turn out well.

Well that may be a good thing. No word on pricing yet. Could be scary.

DDP is HIGHLY profitable for Disney. Given the last few years guests have proven they will spend endlessly to go to Disney I wouldn't be surprised to see it become even more pricey.

I am an out of state AP holder as of a month or whatever ago, and I always stay onsite, usually CL. I feel duped.

Scott Gustin specifically posted on Twitter that APs, even those staying onsite, will require park reservations. I assume he specifically asked this. Infuriating. So, a ticket holder staying offsite is more valuable to them than an AP onsite?

That said, I care more about rolling back parkhopping at 2 than anything else.

Every one of these announcements are worthless to me, an AP holder. Are they back door punishing us? I honestly think much of their public bad PR comes from AP holders ~ this might make it worse. I agree the best option they could put out there is hopping earlier. I think noon is fair enough to get you to a nice meal, parade or VQ option.