WDW to prevent AP holders from visiting parks many mornings

[AnnaKristoff2013]

This was posted by one of the insiders on another forum. Apparently it looks like WDW is going to change it’s reservation system (only for AP holders) such that “full day” reservations will be hard to come by and prioritized for ticket holders, but AP holders may be able to get reservations starting at noon, or on really high crowd days, 5:00 pm. It’s not clear how this will effect AP’s staying on site on DVC points. If you have trips coming up on AP’s you may want to make your park reservations before this change is implemented.

Edit: Not sure if the site is blocked, I’ll post a link though to check: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/reservation-expansion.977913/page-31

Screenshot from the insider:

 

[bluecruiser]

The entire park reservation system needs to go away NOW. Using it to improve staffing costs at the expense of customer satisfaction is not the way to woo customers.

 

[Spivey378]

 

[CarolMN]

It may not be clear yet, but I would be very surprised / actually shocked if any park reservation restrictions for passholders included passholders who are actually staying at an on-site resort.

If they do that, I hope they are prepared for the onslaught of letters, emails, phone calls and social media bad press that is sure to follow.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

It may not be clear yet, but I would be very surprised / actually shocked if any park reservation restrictions for passholders included passholders who are actually staying at an on-site resort.

If they do that, I hope they are prepared for the onslaught of letters, emails, phone calls and social media bad press that is sure to follow.

Unfortunately as someone who stays onsite on dvc points, but also sometimes stays offsite, this is a terrible change even if it doesn’t effect on-site stays. Not shocking since Disney apparently hates repeat customers, but still terrible.

 

[Bmramaut]

 

[Smugpugmug]

Edited my post since I misunderstood the post. So this sounds to me like they're going to add an afternoon/evening admission option rather than make it so AP holders can't enter for a full day at all. That doesn't sound that bad but I do wonder like everyone else how this will impact those staying onsite and/or DVC members that have an AP.

I don't love making the park reservation system even more complicated though.

 

[CarolMN]

Unfortunately as someone who stays onsite on dvc points, but also sometimes stays offsite, this is a terrible change even if it doesn’t effect on-site stays. Not shocking since Disney apparently hates repeat customers, but still terrible.

Yes, I hope the rumor is not true. It is a terrible change for local passholders.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Yes, I hope the rumor is not true. It is a terrible change for local passholders.

Unfortunately, unless that screenshot is a forgery, it looks like this is at least something that has been developed. I really hope they change their minds.

 

[cm8]

This was posted by one of the insiders on another forum. Apparently it looks like WDW is going to change it’s reservation system (only for AP holders) such that “full day” reservations will be hard to come by and prioritized for ticket holders, but AP holders may be able to get reservations starting at noon, or on really high crowd days, 5:00 pm. It’s not clear how this will effect AP’s staying on site on DVC points. If you have trips coming up on AP’s you may want to make your park reservations before this change is implemented.

Edit: Not sure if the site is blocked, I’ll post a link though to check: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/reservation-expansion.977913/page-31

Screenshot from the insider: View attachment 682592

Wow what! No way. Local or not, we stay off property when we run out of points and this would make me really upset.

 

[Marionnette]

This was posted by one of the insiders on another forum. Apparently it looks like WDW is going to change it’s reservation system (only for AP holders) such that “full day” reservations will be hard to come by and prioritized for ticket holders, but AP holders may be able to get reservations starting at noon, or on really high crowd days, 5:00 pm. It’s not clear how this will effect AP’s staying on site on DVC points. If you have trips coming up on AP’s you may want to make your park reservations before this change is implemented.

Edit: Not sure if the site is blocked, I’ll post a link though to check: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/reservation-expansion.977913/page-31

Screenshot from the insider: View attachment 682592

It sounds like AP holders would have a choice of park opening, noon or 5:00 PM for their reservations. The theory is that instead of making a faux Epcot reservation in order to hop to the desired park at 2:00, the passholder could book noon or 5 PM for their first park entry at their preferred park (i.e. No need to tap in at Epcot first in order to hop to MK. Just book MK for noon or 5:00 instead of Epcot at park opening)

 

[jujubiee4]

They really are trying to box in AP holders.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

It sounds like AP holders would have a choice of park opening, noon or 5:00 PM for their reservations. The theory is that instead of making a faux Epcot reservation in order to hop to the desired park at 2:00, the passholder could book noon or 5 PM for their first park entry at their preferred park (i.e. No need to tap in at Epcot first in order to hop to MK. Just book MK for noon or 5:00 instead of Epcot at park opening)

This presupposes that they can’t get MK in the morning in the first place. The only reason why this would be true is if they once again start prioritizing ticket holders for morning reservations, making it difficult to get morning reservations at the rope drop parks if you are an AP.

 

[New Mouse]

What song does everyone think will be playing as the ship sinks?

I thought the park reservations system was to help during covid times.

 

[a1tinkfans]

It may not be clear yet, but I would be very surprised / actually shocked if any park reservation restrictions for passholders included passholders who are actually staying at an on-site resort.

If they do that, I hope they are prepared for the onslaught of letters, emails, phone calls and social media bad press that is sure to follow.

Or a class action suit lol

 

[Sandisw]

This presupposes that they can’t get MK in the morning in the first place. The only reason why this would be true is if they once again start prioritizing ticket holders for morning reservations, making it difficult to get morning reservations at the rope drop parks if you are an AP.

Right now, AP holders who are not staying onsite, are limited to booking X days at once. Maybe this option allows them to book additional days but start later. I could see that being in response to the lawsuit in which they sold ticket holders but not AP's. They increase the number of park reservations AP holders can have by offering them these in addition to the normal number.

So, the change is you get X days at once for park days starting at opening, but can add more days in the afternoons as well. It could end up being a benefit for AP holders if it was something like that.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Right now, AP holders who are not staying onsite, are limited to booking X days at once. Maybe this option allows them to book additional days but start later. I could see that being in response to the lawsuit in which they sold ticket holders but not AP's. They increase the number of park reservations AP holders can have by offering them these in addition to the normal number.

So, the change is you get X days at once for park days starting at opening, but can add more days in the afternoons as well. It could end up being a benefit for AP holders if it was something like that.

Hopefully you’re right, but when was the last time they made a change solely to benefit AP’s? They’re not even selling AP’s right now. If I had to gamble on this I’d say it’s going to be a net negative for AP’s, not a positive.

 

[Doug7856]

Perhaps timed entry is a means to offer more availability, not less. Disney surely knows the ebb and flow of crowds and this may be a way to increase evening slots as crowds reduce or space increases at restaurants.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’m waiting for more information from more official sources. I can’t help remembering when the earliest reports of FP+ came out - the word was “You can only get 3 a day!!” And of course that turned out to be incomplete - you could only book 3 a day in advance but weren’t limited to a maximum of 3 each day. So I’m not getting all riled up yet, even though we too often stay offsite.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Perhaps timed entry is a means to offer more availability, not less. Disney surely knows the ebb and flow of crowds and this may be a way to increase evening slots as crowds reduce or space increases at restaurants.

If they already know the ebb and flow (which I’m assuming they do with all the data collected from magic bands over the years), why do they need park reservations at all to predict where they need resources? They should already know this. Their whole explanation for requiring them is hooey and is purely to control the number of ideal customers vs thrift guests in the park, overtime and to squeak by with the smallest amount of cast members that they can manage.