WDW to prevent AP holders from visiting parks many mornings

[WxKristin]

I wonder if this is tied somehow (in a very convoluted way) to dropping the 2 pm wait for park hopping? (In reference to the faux Epcot reservation mentioned above).

I would be happy if they at least allowed park hopping to begin at 11 am or noon, b/c there are days I just want to ride a few rides at Hollywood studios then grab lunch at Epcot.

 

[Disneykate605]

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.

This is what I was thinking ( and hoping). I guess we will find out soon enough. Hopefully this will be a change in our favor.

 

[DLgal]

This sounds like a way to fill the parks when people no show their reservations. Or because they are finding that the reservation system is making it so that people feel the need to arrive early and are leaving the park before dinner time because they are tired, and they want to recoup some of that lost nighttime revenue.

Any change to the system at this point has dollar signs behind it.

 

[DaveNan]

This also is consistent with the "need to reserve your second park when hopping" rumor. Disney can give an AP holder "additional" reservations spots later in the day. They can use/limit the number of "second park" for hopper reservations plus "later in the day" AP to control crowds throughout the day and "offer" AP holders more "reservations". On the plus side, it appears they are working on the AP process, which gives me hope they may start offering new AP's (beyond Pixie) soon.

 

[LYSE]

Can they at least rip me off but let me have a good time?

Just increase the prices by a lot already but stop downgrading the experiences.

 

[limace]

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.

I admire your ability to always attempt to find a silver lining or a positive motivation!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

If reserving park hopping becomes yet another thing I need to explain to friends who come to me for help with planning a visit to Disney, I'm sending them to Universal.

 

[DL1WDW2]

If Disneythinks their problem is with those AP guests not spending enough money… Why don’t they get rid of the real freeloaders that are going to Disney Springs :Free parking , free bus service , free transfer to free SkyLiner, free boats , free monorail ..
hang out at the resorts Free , ask for free water with ice and leave trash on table in lobby.
Really nice way to enjoy free stuff at Disney .
So the DVC members and the Annual Pass Holders are their problem ? I don’t understand … and it seems like Disney doesn’t either.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[fumanchu2488]

Regardless of the impact to AP or standard tickets, adding another step in a Disney trip with mid afternoon reservations for park hopping is awful. What is triggering this? Do they just still have too many people wanting to come? Too many APs?

So let me get this right.

Since there are no APs available for purchase we have to buy ticket package? Okay

Then I need to figure out what parks I want to go to what day ahead of time? Okay

Then at 60 days I need to choose dining reservations that may or may not line up with my park reservations?

Then I need to change my park reservations based on dining availability?

Then I need to make sure my park hopping availability is open with my reservations?

Then I need to check it back and if hopping isn’t available change my dining?

Then at midnight the night before I should purchase Genie+? But make sure your up by 6:30 to get your devices lined up for 7 am selection?

Sounds like a nice relaxing vacation!

 

[Sandisw]

I just read another report that this is supposed to be an enhancement for APs..similar to what I mentioned above..to give them a way to use it when the parks are filled for the morning but guarantee an AP holder the ability to go..

Given the lawsuit in play currently, this move..if that is what is is… would allow them to respond to that in a way that no longer blocks APs out any day of the year that’s not an official block out day, but still use the whole bucket system for ticket holders.

Basically, it would give APs priority to hop, even though in theory they never have had to limit.

Can’t find anything official yet though so all just rumor.

 

[fumanchu2488]

I just read another report that this is supposed to be an enhancement for APs..similar to what I mentioned above..to give them a way to use it when the parks are filled for the morning but guarantee an AP holder the ability to go..

Given the lawsuit in play currently, this move..if that is what is is… would allow them to respond to that in a way that no longer blocks APs out any day of the year that’s not an official block out day, but still use the whole bucket system for ticket holders.

Basically, it would give APs priority to hop, even though in theory they never have had to limit.

Can’t find anything official yet though so all just rumor.

Maybe I’m missing something but this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Since the reservation system has been active there have only been a very few amount of days where hopping wasn’t available for anyone. Is this just to make it so if you want to go to EPCOT in the afternoon and the reservation for the day isn’t available, you don’t have to make an AK reservation, go and check in, then go to EPCOT? That makes sense. I wouldn’t call that an advantage.

 

[Lisse24]

If reserving park hopping becomes yet another thing I need to explain to friends who come to me for help with planning a visit to Disney, I'm sending them to Universal.

My friends are coming down to do 1 day at the park in a couple of weeks. The conversation started with me asking "Do you have park reservations yet?"

And them replying, "Reservations???"

There's also been a few, "Wait, explain lines again ..." conversations. They want to do the Star Wars stuff at HS so it's not like they can afford to ignore G+ and ILL.

I really did beg them to consider Universal instead.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Sandisw]

Published intent has an odd way of disappearing. Down the road a few months some Disney employee working the "buckets" may decide to make all day reservations open to ticketed guests, except a token few and limit AP guests to noon and later.

So, it then becomes an issue of "partial-day" additional block-outs. But, the AP calendar is a picture of days only. It doesn't say anything about hours of block-out.

I am just not that cynical that they will eliminate APs from getting reservations for the morning, assuming they don’t revamp the AP program. It would be too hard to do it without notice.

I guess we will see.

 

[Miffy]

Two days ago, my sister and I--both of us have APs-- booked our December stay. We started thinking that discounts would never be available and we'd better reserve our resort now.

Yesterday, my sister booked our park reservations. It took her forever to figure out how to book these reservations as resort guests instead of AP holders, because our APs were worthless for booking dates in December

The one thing I really do not understand at all about WDW lately is how difficult they're making everything. I'm on these boards practically every day and have been to WDW 3 times in the last year, and even I think that WDW's rules are crazily complex.

Remember how G+ and ILL$ were going to "level the playing field." The playing field is a chaotic mess of rules, rules, and more rules.

Disney, if you're listening--we are going to WDW to have a vacation! Not take a final exam.

ETA: I've been thinking about this and, assuming WDW doesn't change its park reservation policy for resort guests, regardless of what kind of ticket media they have, they're making it very unattractive to be an AP holder and stay off-site. Why would I plan a week-long vacation at WDW when I couldn't enter the parks until noon?

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Can they at least rip me off but let me have a good time?

Just increase the prices by a lot already but stop downgrading the experiences.

Chapek: "How about both?"

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

If Disneythinks their problem is with those AP guests not spending enough money… Why don’t they get rid of the real freeloaders that are going to Disney Springs :Free parking , free bus service , free transfer to free SkyLiner, free boats , free monorail ..
hang out at the resorts Free , ask for free water with ice and leave trash on table in lobby.
Really nice way to enjoy free stuff at Disney .
So the DVC members and the Annual Pass Holders are their problem ? I don’t understand … and it seems like Disney doesn’t either.

You left out the part where they also go to the quiet pools for free.

 

[Marionnette]

I am just not that cynical that they will eliminate APs from getting reservations for the morning, assuming they don’t revamp the AP program. It would be too hard to do it without notice.

I guess we will see.

To me it sounds like an expansion of options for AP holders, particularly the locals.

See if this makes sense. Mr. X, a local passholder, would like to visit the MK on a Saturday. All MK "park opening" reservations are full but he can book one for Epcot. So he books it. Since it's his day off, he wants to sleep in and arrives at the TTC around noon. He jumps on the Epcot monorail and taps in there, maybe rides SE and then leaves before 2:00 in order to hop to MK.

With the rumored plan, he still cannot get a "park opening" reservation for MK but there are noon reservations available. He makes that reservation, sleeps in, arrives at the TTC around 1:30 and heads directly to the MK.

Sounds like a win for Mr. X and other passholders who don't feel the need to rope drop but have been getting shut out of reservations at their first choice of parks. It's kind of like park hopping after 2 PM except it's now at noon for the AP and he doesn't need to jump through hoops to tap in at his unwanted reserved park first.

The downside is that Disney could use this to shrink the "park opening" bucket of reservations for passholders. If they do, it will have an overall negative impact on all AP holders, but will be especially hurtful to those who come from out of town and actually want to rope drop or arrive during morning hours.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Published intent has an odd way of disappearing. Down the road a few months some Disney employee working the "buckets" may decide to make all day reservations open to ticketed guests, except a token few and limit AP guests to noon and later.

Yeah this is the problem. "Good news AP holders, you can make afternoon reservations when your days aren't available! Ooh boy, total coincidence that all your full days at MK and HS are no longer available even though they're still green for ticket holders."