News Round Up 2020

[rteetz]

The dates are in there.

Booking Dates for Park Reservations

The Disney Park Pass system will be available soon to select Guests. Booking dates vary based on your plans.

Beginning June 22, 2020, Disney Resort and other select hotel Guests with valid theme park admission can make reservations.
Beginning June 26, 2020, Annual Passholders without a Resort stay can make reservations.
Beginning June 28, 2020, existing ticket holders can make reservations.

Reservations go through 9/26/2021. So as a local I’m now supposed to plan every visit for the next 14 months?! That’s crazy! And they’ll probably limit how many we can make though no word on that. And no hopping is awful. Part of the pass benefits is unlimited admission with hopping when you’re not blacked out, so where is the compensation for the terms changing? A bit of extra time for some passholders but not others, judging by the extension thread in this forum, is not enough.

I believe they will be rolling so someone planning for September 2021 won't have to make a reservation just yet. That part seems a little unclear though.

 

[CastAStone]

There's not much there other than "soon" and they seem to hint that people with hotel/resort stays will get access first.

• Certain other hotels will have the same priority as on site (presumably Swolphin and Four Seasons; I'd put the DS hotels as probably)
• RIP Free Magic Bands
• Soon is Monday
• 2021 Packages on sale 6/28
• Tickets for 2020 back on sale 6/28
• Park hopping suspended, likely through year end
• Your phone will be your magic band

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, I don't like this. I'm curious why the heck they got rid of KTTW cards if they are just going back to them? And yes, I know they never fully got rid of them. Frankly, yes, phone usage is up and their apps are HUGE battery drains, now they want us to use them more? That's ridiculous.

I think it's more related to budget than anything else. I'm not sure how profitable the sale of MagicBands are, but giving away a $15-$20 item to every single hotel guest is costly. I'm bummed too. I have a few MagicBands I can use, but I preferred to use the new ones as it feels like a new trip every time.

My thoughts are I think it's to help with contactless options as well as probably the costs associated with manufacturing and distributing MBs to all guests who stay at their resorts.

My thoughts are with the investment in MBs, the Magickeepers, etc that this is really more related to the virus changing things than Disney deciding to do it. I could have seen phasing out free ones eventually though so the virus may have sped that along quicker but to put the technology onto an app that does the same things when they could have just forced people to purchase them (which off-site guests had to do) means to me (IMO) it's more than just dollars and cents. Going forward there's probably a desire to have as little contact as possible. With things being on your phone that can be done more. (Editing for clarity in my thinking as I thought about it more).

Now my next thought is is Disney looking at adjusting FP for the future for both parks phasing out the kiosks..that would be a bigger step for DLR than WDW since the means to do FP on your phone is only reserved for those who purchase MP.

 

[Helvetica]

I think it's more related to budget than anything else. I'm not sure how profitable the sale of MagicBands are, but giving away a $15-$20 item to every single hotel guest is costly. I'm bummed too. I have a few MagicBands I can use, but I preferred to use the new ones as it feels like a new trip every time.

Yeah, I think I was part of the problem. Every trip I always got one even if I didn't need one because it's "free." If they expand the premium offerings, that would be great. I now pay for the premium band every time.

I guess it won't be so bad if they let you use your dining credits on your iPhone/Apple Watch and get the Fast Pass / Entrances to work on your phone. I get in my local park with my phone and use my dining plan with it too.

 

[nkosiek]

The dates are in there.

Booking Dates for Park Reservations

The Disney Park Pass system will be available soon to select Guests. Booking dates vary based on your plans.

Beginning June 22, 2020, Disney Resort and other select hotel Guests with valid theme park admission can make reservations.
Beginning June 26, 2020, Annual Passholders without a Resort stay can make reservations.
Beginning June 28, 2020, existing ticket holders can make reservations.

Reservations go through 9/26/2021. So as a local I’m now supposed to plan every visit for the next 14 months?! That’s crazy! And they’ll probably limit how many we can make though no word on that. And no hopping is awful. Part of the pass benefits is unlimited admission with hopping when you’re not blacked out, so where is the compensation for the terms changing? A bit of extra time for some passholders but not others, judging by the extension thread in this forum, is not enough.

It's a way to get rid of APs. They have been trying to limit/slash the number in Cali, seems like they want to do it in FL as well. I agree with the PH aspect. We are non-local but schedule 2-3 trips over a 12 month period and utilize PH almost every day, especially with little kids. Start at one park, pool time, finish at another park.

 

[siren0119]

The dates are in there.

Booking Dates for Park Reservations

The Disney Park Pass system will be available soon to select Guests. Booking dates vary based on your plans.

Beginning June 22, 2020, Disney Resort and other select hotel Guests with valid theme park admission can make reservations.
Beginning June 26, 2020, Annual Passholders without a Resort stay can make reservations.
Beginning June 28, 2020, existing ticket holders can make reservations.

Reservations go through 9/26/2021. So as a local I’m now supposed to plan every visit for the next 14 months?! That’s crazy! And they’ll probably limit how many we can make though no word on that. And no hopping is awful. Part of the pass benefits is unlimited admission with hopping when you’re not blacked out, so where is the compensation for the terms changing? A bit of extra time for some passholders but not others, judging by the extension thread in this forum, is not enough.

it sounds like they are reopening booking for new reservations and packages into 2021 starting 6/28 too. Since they mention packages i assume they are allowing booking with tickets as long as your dates are in 2021, and then later in the summer folks traveling in 2020 will be able to purchase tickets again. Stinks for people with July and early August reservations but no tickets.

 

[dina444444]

I think it's more related to budget than anything else. I'm not sure how profitable the sale of MagicBands are, but giving away a $15-$20 item to every single hotel guest is costly. I'm bummed too. I have a few MagicBands I can use, but I preferred to use the new ones as it feels like a new trip every time.

And for the past year I’ve been declining new bands on my trips and they still send grey ones to the resort front desk.

 

[BrianR]

It would be very nice to alter the policy and comp say anyone on a child ticket at the resort a MB (so under 10). To use a phone then slap the kids key cards and everything else seems like inefficiencies abound vs. just a magicband.

 

[Brocktoon]

BREAKING
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...heme-park-visits-to-walt-disney-world-resort/

I'm really surprised Disney didn't wait until the end of the day for the ubiquitous Friday News Dump ...

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

Hmm. Interesting that they don't specify any priority access for Room-Only Reservations in 2020 (only a mention that room-only reservations for 2021 can call on June 21 to upgrade). We have a DVC reservation this December and planned on upgrading our Disneyland Signature Pass to a Premier Pass when it expires in November. Now I guess we'll have to buy park tickets and then use that towards the cost of upgrading to the Premier Pass once we arrive? But we won't be able to buy tickets/make reservations during the priority period, if I understand this correctly.

 

[rteetz]

Hmm. Interesting that they don't specify any priority access for Room-Only Reservations in 2020 (only a mention that room-only reservations for 2021 can call on June 21 to upgrade). We have a DVC reservation this December and planned on upgrading our Disneyland Signature Pass to a Premier Pass when it expires in November. Now I guess we'll have to buy park tickets and then use that towards the cost of upgrading to the Premier Pass once we arrive? But we won't be able to buy tickets/make reservations during the priority period, if I understand this correctly.

June 28th 2021 packages and ticket sales open up. The park reservation system is scheduled to go until September 26th, 2021 right now.

 

[soniam]

Hmm. Interesting that they don't specify any priority access for Room-Only Reservations in 2020 (only a mention that room-only reservations for 2021 can call on June 21 to upgrade). We have a DVC reservation this December and planned on upgrading our Disneyland Signature Pass to a Premier Pass when it expires in November. Now I guess we'll have to buy park tickets and then use that towards the cost of upgrading to the Premier Pass once we arrive? But we won't be able to buy tickets/make reservations during the priority period, if I understand this correctly.

That seems how I am understanding it. We have tickets/AP for our July trip. I had planned to upgrade DS and DH's tickets to AP on this July trip. Those tickets are good until 1/2022, and we have another trip in November that had no tickets. So, I just bought them, like a minute ago, APs for this year. We will use the tickets next year for a July trip that wouldn't be covered by the AP.

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

June 28th 2021 packages and ticket sales open up. The park reservation system is scheduled to go until September 26th, 2021 right now.

Right, for 2021, but as of now, if your resort stay is in 2020 it just says "Later this summer, we will resume sales of 2020 tickets..."

 

[rteetz]

Right, for 2021, but as of now, if your resort stay is in 2020 it just says "Later this summer, we will resume sales of 2020 tickets..."

Correct

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

That seems how I am understanding it. We have tickets/AP for our July trip. I had planned to upgrade DS and DH's tickets to AP on this July trip. Those tickets are good until 1/2022, and we have another trip in November that had no tickets. So, I just bought them, like a minute ago, APs for this year. We will use the tickets next year for a July trip that wouldn't be covered by the AP.

Interesting, how were you able to buy the tickets for November just now? I might want to do that for our December trip to give us a shot at making reservations on Monday.

 

[rteetz]

Interesting, how were you able to buy the tickets for November just now? I might want to do that for our December trip to give us a shot at making reservations on Monday.

You can buy APs right now but not regular tickets.

 

[CastAStone]

You can buy APs right now but not regular tickets.

But for Disneyland you can't buy APs but 3rd party sites are still selling regular tickets.

 

[soniam]

Interesting, how were you able to buy the tickets for November just now? I might want to do that for our December trip to give us a shot at making reservations on Monday.

WDW APs, and they are already showing up in the system. Now to figure out how to not use the tickets and only use the APs in July.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1274028560181858312

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1274025265287626753