Park Admission process could be easier

[MrToadsWildRide]

The other day we went to Hollywood Studios and we were denied entry.
(insert your preferred language here)

Why?


Well, here’s what Disney knew about me at that time:
They knew my name.
They knew my home address.
They knew my mobile number.
They knew my email address.
They knew I am Annual Pass Holder.
They knew I have a Sorcerer’s Pass.
They knew that day was not blocked out for my AP.
They knew I was a current Hotel Guest at Disney World.
And they knew I had a Lighting Lane Premier Pass for HS for that day.
(h$ly c$w !!)

They knew I had been to both the MK and Epcot the prior two days.
They knew I was let into the MK and Epcot, no questions asked.

Here’s what Disney knew that I did NOT know:
Disney decided, on that particular day, to require a park reservation.
Keep in mind I had not needed one the prior two days.
They knew there were park reservations available for HS for that day.
In fact, not a single date for the rest of 2025 is blocked out for Hotel guests.
Not ONE date is blocked for this year.
(I didn’t bother to check 2026)
All Parks are available.
For ALL dates for the reset of 2025.
No exceptions.

What could Disney have done (based on what they knew) when I tapped my MagicBand+?

Well, they could have automatically given me one of the available park reservations, and then reduced the number of park reservations by one. Disney could do all this, without my knowing what’s being done in the background for me.

That would have been Magical.

Instead, my wife, my niece and myself were all denied entry. We had to pull out our phones and begin the complex series of steps to open their App, then a web browser and secure a park reservation. (you can’t do all this in their App) Our son, Daughter-in-law and three grandkids all walked in without any issues. Why? They had park hoppers and we were just people who went to Disney World all the time thoughout the year, hence the need for an Annual Pass.

It's at this this point, you become “that guy” who’s holding up the entire line. What an unavoidable, embarrassing experience.

I don’t doubt that this is something the vast majority of you are aware of. I’m sure many of you are like me and have been coming to Disney for decades through generations. They’re making things more complicated and they’re not using their own data to make our experiences Magical.

So, what’s my point?

Perhaps we could all send Disney feedback and ask that they start using all the (meta) data they know about all of us, and make the park entrance a Magical experience. (link below) Rather than just rant, maybe some of us could try and make a difference. I believe Disney does listen. Though I’m sure they gots more than a couple of suggestions a day, hour, minute. So, if more than just me makes the suggestion, maybe they’ll implement some changes.

Below is the link for Disney World Feedback, along with some suggested text to paste into your suggestion.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/help/email/

Please automate the park entrance experience by automatically make the necessary park reservations for us. Also, please add the necessary info to the home page of the Disney World App so that we know if we need a reservation for that day and if there are any available. (maybe even highlight when reservations are limited for that day) Finally, please make the same day park reservation process easier than it is today.

If you made it this far in the too long of a post, here’s a bonus MagicBand- experience.

The first part of this particular family experience started with one of their Cruises. We got to the boarding terminal (what mess that was) and I hold out my arm with my Luke Skywalker limited edition MagicBand for the guy, to ensure I’m all linked up. He say, “I have no idea what that is or where you got it, but there is no way you can use that on this ship.” Okay, that’s not what he said, that’s what I heard. Basically, I couldn’t use my MagicBand- (that’s not a type-o) to get in my Stateroom. When I got on the ship, I had to buy a MagicBand++. Disney’s FAQ page for MagicBand+ does not say we can’t use all the bands we previously bought. But that appears to be the case. Why they won’t accept the non-Plus band is a mystery. Other than maybe they just want us to spend more money on their ships. The band works in Disney World, but not on a Disney Ship.

 

[Dave006]

The other day we went to Hollywood Studios and we were denied entry.
(insert your preferred language here)

Why?

Simple answer you were in the wrong in this specific case. You are an AP holder so by know you should know that a Park Reservation is required. It is not optional to enter before 2 PM.

Wow you were put out by needing to spend 120 seconds to comply with the clearly know rules for AP holder. Were all members of your party AP holder? If not they could have entered while you resolved your non-compliance with the rules that have posted since January 2024.

You were not Denied Entry, you entry was only slightly delayed until you conformed to the AP ticket rules. The fact that you had purchases a LLPP is a non-issue.

Note: there are additional limitations / requirements for MK due to the new nighttime parade.

Dave

 

[PollyannaMom]

you should know that a Park Reservation is required

I didn't know that. I thought reservations were a temporary thing when the parks reopened after covid, and that the policy was no longer in place.

 

[bdrex28]

I won't be as harsh as Dave, but he's right in that as an AP holder you "should" know you need to check for a park reservation and lock it in. there are very few exceptions. Unless , as stated, you are entering after 2pm or it's a "good to go day" which is rare.

You need not hold others up, rather than setting up the park reservation that all AP holders "should" know they need, you could have stepped out of line while you set it up then get back in line.

Easy, now no one else was inconvenienced. If you did stay in line while fixing something that should have been done prior to getting into line? Well, then that's just rude to others.

I would imagine your long post was:

A) more time consuming than setting up your park reservation prior to arrival
B) more time consuming than setting up your park reservation at the park entrance

For future reference; here's the Sorcerer's pass dates for reservations:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/calendar/disney-sorcerer-pass

the positive of it all? Now you know.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Sorry that happened to you. The park reservations are beyond annoying for resort guests. I can understand if you are a local or off-site guest, it makes sense to control crowds. But if you are staying at a Disney resort, AP holders should not have to go through this. I sent an email stating this recently.

 

[erionm]

I didn't know that. I thought reservations were a temporary thing when the parks reopened after covid, and that the policy was no longer in place.

New date based tickets don't require park reservations. Nearly every other ticket type still does.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Mad because you were rightfully denied entry due to your failure to read the rules of your annual pass. Right.

 

[Mommb]

The first part of this particular family experience started with one of their Cruises. We got to the boarding terminal (what mess that was) and I hold out my arm with my Luke Skywalker limited edition MagicBand for the guy, to ensure I’m all linked up. He say, “I have no idea what that is or where you got it, but there is no way you can use that on this ship.” Okay, that’s not what he said, that’s what I heard. Basically, I couldn’t use my MagicBand- (that’s not a type-o) to get in my Stateroom. When I got on the ship, I had to buy a MagicBand++. Disney’s FAQ page for MagicBand+ does not say we can’t use all the bands we previously bought. But that appears to be the case. Why they won’t accept the non-Plus band is a mystery. Other than maybe they just want us to spend more money on their ships. The band works in Disney World, but not on a Disney Ship.

The FAQ on the Disney cruise site (https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/bands-cards/using-magic-band) does say that MagicBands do not work on the ships:

DisneyBand+ & More – Frequently Asked Questions​

Q:
Will my existing MagicBand work on Disney Cruise Line ships?
A:
No. Previous versions of MagicBand are not supported on Disney Cruise Line ships at this time. However, you can use MagicBand+ as a DisneyBand+ on your Disney cruise.

I agree that this answer is not easy to find, but it is there. Also, of course, it is not necessary to have a MagicBand+ or DisneyBand+ on the ship, because the free Key to the World Card will work as a room key and for payments.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

This thread is not going the way you wanted it to.
You're in the wrong.

 

[DaviVascaino]

That is a long thread just to say " I made a mistake, it was my fault I did not know the rules of the service that I signed up for".

 

[ellbell]

I didn't know that. I thought reservations were a temporary thing when the parks reopened after covid, and that the policy was no longer in place.

As an AP holder it is your responsibility to know the requirements you have to follow to use your AP. As you said you've been going to Disney for a very long time so you should be aware of the rules.

This embarrassment that you claimed you suffered was completely of your own creation. Next time be better informed.

 

[Dave006]

I didn't know that. I thought reservations were a temporary thing when the parks reopened after covid, and that the policy was no longer in place.

Are you an AP holder, if not then there is no reason for you to know or care about this restriction if you only purchase the newer Date Based tickets.

Yes the initial requirement for requiring a Park reservation applied to all guests when the parks initially reopened. On January 9, 2024 the requirement was eliminated for guests that purchase new Date Based tickets. Other ticket types have different restrictions.

Dave

 

[Brian Noble]

As a fellow Passholder, I think Park reservations are a drag. I'm even willing to let them know I'd rather not have to deal with them.

But I absolutely know that I need them, and not knowing that is 100% on you. Being upset with Disney that you were That Guy Holding Up The Line is putting the blame where it doesn't belong.

 

[fla4fun]

Were your other two days where you did not need a park reservation Good To Go days? Or did you enter the park after 2pm? Either of those two scenarios will not require a park reservation for APs. APs need a park reservation to enter any park before 2pm and to enter MK after 2pm on the weekend as your first park, unless it’s a Good To Go day. I just automatically assume I will need one, and make it anyway, if it allows me to (you can’t make one on a GTG day-the system won’t let you).

It’s not Disney’s fault that you didn’t make the appropriate park reservation, but I can understand why you felt embarrassed. It never feels good when we get tripped up by something when we should have known better. I don’t see the need to contact them about the situation either. If they did as you suggest, it would be the same as not requiring park reservations at all, and they aren’t going to do that yet. I don’t see that happening unless travel to WDW tanks and they need an incentive for passholders to visit.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Well, at least the OP now knows the requirements when using an AP in 2025. They seemed to get lucky the first 2 days, either going after 2PM or perhaps hitting the occasional Good2Go day when no one needs park reservations. But there are plenty of places on the web site and app explaining when an AP holder still requires a park reservation. Just like it explains block out dates for most APs.

At least it only took a couple minutes to set it up so they could get in. And at least they'll be better prepared for future days they plan to use their AP.

 

[Dug720]

Also, of course, it is not necessary to have a MagicBand+ or DisneyBand+ on the ship, because the free Key to the World Card will work as a room key and for payments.

Absolutely this. No one is forced to buy a DisneyBand+ for the cruise.

 

[PollyannaMom]

New date based tickets don't require park reservations. Nearly every other ticket type still does.

Oh, that explains it. The only time I've been since then, I'm pretty sure it was a package with date-based tickets.

Are you an AP holder, if not then there is no reason for you to know or care about this restriction if you only purchase the newer Date Based tickets.

Yes the initial requirement for requiring a Park reservation applied to all guests when the parks initially reopened. On January 9, 2024 the requirement was eliminated for guests that purchase new Date Based tickets. Other ticket types have different restrictions.

Dave

No, I am not an AP holder. Thank you both for the kind explanation!

As an AP holder it is your responsibility to know the requirements you have to follow to use your AP. As you said you've been going to Disney for a very long time so you should be aware of the rules.

This embarrassment that you claimed you suffered was completely of your own creation. Next time be better informed.

I am not the OP.

 

[Dave006]

That is a long thread just to say " I made a mistake, it was my fault I did not know the rules of the service that I signed up for".

At this point even the Subject is very misleading, and confusing since @MrToadsWildRide was not Denied Admission but only delayed by a minute or two when attempting to enter without following the rules for admission.

Dave

 

[Genie+]

We ran across some really annoying issues as well trying to use our APs as onsite guests so I understand where you’re coming from.

 

[wdwfan94]

They should have 100% sent you out of line to make the reservation and had you rejoin at the end of the line instead of holding everyone else up.