Rumoured changes to Reservation system

[ttintagel]

Good news - simpler and more streamlined. Bad news - even less flexibility.

I mean, ideally reservations would keep the crowds spread more evenly among the four parks, but from what I've been reading I'm not convinced it's been too successful on that particular front.

 

[jpeterson]

I don't like reservations. But I'm a passholder and most of the time they are fine, I can deal with them. I haven't really ever come upon a situation where a park is full that I didn't know that way in advance. The rule I want fixed is the park hopping rule. When I'm solo, I can easily go rope drop a park and be ready to hop well before 2pm. Especially if I'm doing early entry.

That's the one thing that really really irks me about the current situation.

 

[SCWildcat04]

I don't like reservations. But I'm a passholder and most of the time they are fine, I can deal with them. I haven't really ever come upon a situation where a park is full that I didn't know that way in advance. The rule I want fixed is the park hopping rule. When I'm solo, I can easily go rope drop a park and be ready to hop well before 2pm. Especially if I'm doing early entry.

That's the one thing that really really irks me about the current situation.

Yeah park hopping at 2 feels like a waste to me most of the time

 

[HopperFan]

I mean, ideally reservations would keep the crowds spread more evenly among the four parks, but from what I've been reading I'm not convinced it's been too successful on that particular front.

That is the plus for Disney, why the reservation system is so much in their favor, even above the staffing. The parks are clearly not uncrowded, honestly last month looked and felt as crowded as pre-COVID. But by forcing people to the less popular parks (and Epcot has a big capacity) they can keep filling parks and selling more tickets ... which in turn fills hotels. Once you have committed to a vacation and bought tickets, you are going to take what you can get. At worse you hop, again more money for hopper tickets.

I don't like reservations. But I'm a passholder and most of the time they are fine, I can deal with them. I haven't really ever come upon a situation where a park is full that I didn't know that way in advance. The rule I want fixed is the park hopping rule. When I'm solo, I can easily go rope drop a park and be ready to hop well before 2pm. Especially if I'm doing early entry.

That's the one thing that really really irks me about the current situation.

I'm an AP who is not local. I travel in for a week and I would like to book my entire trip. Only getting a few days means I risk the rest of my trip and often where I want to go is not available. It also means I've stopped booking ADRs because I don't know how my days will go ... I've eaten offsite for dinner more now that I ever have.

Yeah park hopping at 2 feels like a waste to me most of the time

Unless you have been blocked out from a park you want to go to. You can shift your reservations and hop so you get all the time you want in specific parks by hopping. Is it a plus? NO. Is it critical at certain times? Yes. And what does Disney get? ... people paying extra for park hopping. Every move has roots in not customer service.

 

[jpeterson]

I'm an AP who is not local. I travel in for a week and I would like to book my entire trip. Only getting a few days means I risk the rest of my trip and often where I want to go is not available. It also means I've stopped booking ADRs because I don't know how my days will go ... I've eaten offsite for dinner more now that I ever have.

That's also a good point. I'm a non-local AP as well, but I always stay on Disney property so I've never run into that issue. But if I were having to deal with the AP reservation limits, that would be very frustrating.

 

[HopperFan]

That's also a good point. I'm a non-local AP as well, but I always stay on Disney property so I've never run into that issue. But if I were having to deal with the AP reservation limits, that would be very frustrating.

After 130+ stays on property, I moved off property years ago. We drive. I usually stay at Marriott Vacation Club in a "condo" or in a hotel suite with bedroom/kitchen. My cost is low (compared to Disney) to nothing (points), park parking is free and that loosens up lots of cash for dining etc. Problem is now I can only reserve 3 days. I have to book MK and DHS my first few days so I have them for sure. I often get shut out of MK later so we have to hop. With my week being up in the air I've stopped booking ADRs other than something special (ex: Rose & Crown Harmonious) in evening that I know I can hop to. I've always been a planner with that little cheat sheet in my pocket ... I'm learning to be flexible because Disney is not.

NOTE: Disney's system also made Universal AP very attractive so if I can't get a Disney park I want I can just go to a Universal park. Excited for Epic Universe.

 

[Jrb1979]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1592518248393998336

Update to what I posted yesterday.

 

[sndral]

If it’s just an automatic park reservation for a 1 day ticket that makes sense, especially since you pay more for 1 park v. another - although it’s a bit confusing. I wonder how many people buy 1 day tickets?

 

[SCWildcat04]

If it’s just an automatic park reservation for a 1 day ticket that makes sense, especially since you pay more for 1 park v. another - although it’s a bit confusing. I wonder how many people buy 1 day tickets?

I have in the past when making a short weekend trip out of it. I could mainly see this as a local thing though.

 

[jade1]

If it’s just an automatic park reservation for a 1 day ticket that makes sense, especially since you pay more for 1 park v. another - although it’s a bit confusing. I wonder how many people buy 1 day tickets?

It picks for you? What if you want EPCOT and it picks AK?

 

[AmyMac1109]

It picks for you? What if you want EPCOT and it picks AK?

No, you pick the park and it automatically makes the reservation for you at that park (and charges you the price for THAT park).

 

[Lisse24]

I have in the past when making a short weekend trip out of it. I could mainly see this as a local thing though.

My friends did over the summer. They were doing their big 2-week vacation and had scheduled only a few days in FL. One of them was spent at WDW, but only one.

 

[AmyMac1109]

My friends did over the summer. They were doing their big 2-week vacation and had scheduled only a few days in FL. One of them was spent at WDW, but only one.

Same. I purchased a single day ticket just the other day. We have a 10 day road trip planned and only 2 days will be in the Orlando area, so only a one day park ticket needed.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I'm more just surprised it took this long for them to bring this back. Variable pricing by park and date for one day tickets isn't brand new.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

The question is how rigid is it, will it allow you to change parks if there is availability?

They would never have been able to make it too rigid if doing multi-day tickets. Since you can't make ADR's until 60 days out, and you purchase tickets far in advance of that, many, many people have to reschedule their days around ADR's, Savi's, Hoop Dee Doo, etc.... Any system that didn't let you change parks 60 days out wouldn't last a week based on the number of the calls Disney would receive to change their reservations since their ADR is at a different park.

 

[HopperFan]

They would never have been able to make it too rigid if doing multi-day tickets. Since you can't make ADR's until 60 days out, and you purchase tickets far in advance of that, many, many people have to reschedule their days around ADR's, Savi's, Hoop Dee Doo, etc.... Any system that didn't let you change parks 60 days out wouldn't last a week based on the number of the calls Disney would receive to change their reservations since their ADR is at a different park.

My comment was referring to the ability to change parks during your trip ... but you bring up a good point.

Will they have a deadline of when you can change parks? The point of the park system is mostly to fill all parks. It's tetris to Disney so there is no dollar untapped. If they already have your money, wouldn't they want new space to go to new ticket buyers?

As always it is wait and see because they only release partial information.