Possible new reservation options for AP holders

[Jrb1979]

Disney is preparing to offer "Afternoon Entry" reservations to Annual Passholders. The reservations will be broken up into three (3) time slots:
Morning - Park Open
Afternoon - 12:00 PM
Evening - 5:00 PM
The language in the current reservation calendar has been updated to reflect this change in mentality around reservations: "Select the park where you will start your day."

These are additional reservations for APs to secure as a form of first park entry; not a requirement to hop. This should help alleviate the need to make faux EPCOT reservations and help Disney fill the parks when capacity is available after the morning rush.

 

[jade1]

We would select evenings often.

 

[jade1]

I'm assuming this would lead to more availability?

 

[Jrb1979]

I'm assuming this would lead to more availability?

Possibly. More likely just filling unused capacity in afternoon and evenings. You're more then likely not going to see much difference in morning availability.

 

[DaveNan]

My guess is this may be a "compromise" on the AP and unlimited availability. An AP holder might be allowed a number of morning reservations comparable to today's system, but allowed additional reservations at noon and a large number of evening entries. This might also be tied to the rumor about having to reserve second parks each day for hopping. Disney can understand how many guests are hopping to second park, so they can "limit"/manage the number of afternoon and evening AP holder reservations. Maybe this is a step closer to selling AP's again..... (more than Pixie)

 

[LSUmiss]

This would be great for us. We never or rarely get to the parks before noon.

 

[Liquidice]

Really interested to see how this is implemented along with the other rumored changes coming early next year.

 

[Liquidice]

I wonder if this could also create new tiers of APs similar to the Epcot After 4pm pass, but instead it is any park after 5pm Pass?

 

[Jrb1979]

Really interested to see how this is implemented along with the other rumored changes coming early next year.

From what else was said its not likely going to be offered daily. Most likely you won't see availability til day of

 

[mdoc]

Will these partial-day reservations count as one of the 3, 4 or 5 an AP holder gets?

 

[Jrb1979]

Will these partial-day reservations count as one of the 3, 4 or 5 an AP holder gets?

Probably.

 

[jade1]

From what else was said its not likely going to be offered daily. Most likely you won't see availability til day of

I know it's way early, but just conversation.

So say I have AP and am local.

We know we want Epcot tomorrow night.

Currently I can check and prob get Epcot tomorrow and go in at 5.

If not I can most likely get a different park and have to check in, then go to Epcot at 5. Stupid but worth it, esp if DHS.

Do we think this system will make the AP chance for any park including Epcot less availability in my case, but increase my "day of" 5pm chances?

Otherwise I see no reason to not play it safe and grab Epcot for tomorrow if avail.

 

[Jrb1979]

I know it's way early, but just conversation.

So say I have AP and am local.

We know we want Epcot tomorrow night.

Currently I can check and prob get Epcot tomorrow and go in at 5.

If not I can most likely get a different park and have to check in, then go to Epcot at 5. Stupid but worth it, esp if DHS.

Do we think this system will make the AP chance for any park including Epcot less availability in my case, but increase my "day of" 5pm chances?

Otherwise I see no reason to not play it safe and grab Epcot for tomorrow if avail.

It doesn't sound like it's going to work like that. The way it sounds like it's going to work is day of they may release noon and 5pm times depending on availability. So some days they may not be available at all.

 

[jade1]

It doesn't sound like it's going to work like that. The way it sounds like it's going to work is day of they may release noon and 5pm times depending on availability. So some days they may not be available at all.

Ah ok.

So we would just grab Epcot the night before (or a few days before or whatever) to be safe.

This new option would only be if we were "shut out" on a given day, and decided to check day of availability.

Otherwise there seems to no reason to wait and check, or ever use it actually.

 

[Jrb1979]

Ah ok.

So we would just grab Epcot the night before (or a few days before or whatever) to be safe.

This new option would only be if we were "shut out" on a given day, and decided to check day of availability.

Otherwise there seems to no reason to wait and check, or ever use it actually.

The new system is more to fill gaps of unused capacity.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I wonder if this could also create new tiers of APs similar to the Epcot After 4pm pass, but instead it is any park after 5pm Pass?

This is more what I was thinking. I don't see the sense otherwise in offering timed entries for APs because it won't stop the hyper-motivated AM crowd, and I don't see the difference for the noon or later crowd if AM has the highest attendance.

 

[Jrb1979]

This is more what I was thinking. I don't see the sense otherwise in offering timed entries for APs because it won't stop the hyper-motivated AM crowd, and I don't see the difference for the noon or later crowd if AM has the highest attendance.

It will cause some days all will be available is noon or 5pm to AP holders.

 

[jade1]

Yea they must be dividing by like 3, offering 1/3rd ahead of time. Then day of 1/3 at noon and 1/3 at 5.

Unless they are literally adding more at noon and 5 on days/parks they feel have room.

I prefer the latter.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yea they must be dividing by like 3, offering 1/3rd ahead of time. Then day of 1/3 at noon and 1/3 at 5.

Unless they are literally adding more at noon and 5 on days/parks they feel have room.

I prefer the latter.

It's most likely going the 2nd part. It's not going to be every day. Just on days they have unused capacity. Some days it might only be 5pm available

 

[loves to dive]

I must be dense because I'm not getting this. Is this what it means?

I'm an AP holder not staying on site. I decide I want to go MK on day x but look at the reservation calendar for APs and see there is no availability that day. Then day of I look and there might be availability to enter at 12 or 5. Could I still book another park and hop over to MK that day at 2 (If that rule still holds)

I'm assuming if there was availability in advance on the calendar I could book morning and still go to MK that day but hop to another park later. Or am I going to have to check the calendar on the day to see if there is availability and book my 2nd park to hop to say noon or 5?

Very confusing to me and makes it all the more important if you have an AP and are from out of town to stay on site, since people staying on site seem to get priority.