Eliminate the Park Reservation Requirements

[Disneylover99]

This is why I don't get why some people seem to have such a large problem with it. Other than APs who have a limit to how many they can hold at a time, that frustration I totally understand. But you had to essentially reserve a park with FPs, I really don't see how this is any different from that.

Totally different. You’re not reserving a park with fp. You could go to any park. Switch your fp’s to another park If you want. Or make your fp’s for the evening at one park and come and go at the other parks throughout the day.

 

[Miffy]

Yep fair point. I should have been clear-I think "try to get it" could be why the made it an hour earlier for DHS guests-but I as I mentioned "I'm not positive".

I know I would prefer a smaller group trying to get the 2PM RotR if it's my DHS day, not happy with thousands more rolling in to try and get it.

Yes, good point.

The entire RotR system is so insane. The BGs at 7 a.m. are gone in maybe 2 seconds. That might be an exaggeration. They might be gone in 1 second. Let's hope that eases up a little as park capacity increases, though.

 

[jade1]

On our DHS we have always hopped to Epcot for lunch around 12. This hopping after 2 pm really messes that up for us.

I honestly think EPCOT should be an earlier Hop-esp during food booths.

But maybe its just conformity and lack of confusion, and the possibility of the VQ for Rat and/or GotG upcoming.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I don't like the new reservation system, but I could learn to live with it (I'm an out-of-state PAP holder.) assuming we're going to true 100% capacity and match that with the reservations system.

What has to go though is the 2:00 hopper limitation, and the touch reserved before hopping entry thing. That is not a sustainable model to provide the true benefits hopping is supposed to provide. If we have a morning reservation for MK, and we decide to sleep in and go to HS after pool time in the afternoon, I have to go all the way to MK and touch a turnstile and then go to HS. This problem is amplified if HS is "full" for the day and I can't even change my park reservation after the fact. This part of the system is broken and needs fixing.

Will it mess up the staffing benefits they are getting from the reservation system? I would contend not, and that the number of people that do what we do is negligible in the scheme of things, and that the ones doing it are likely offsetting each other at the various parks anyway. This needs to be fixed, and sooner rather than later.

 

[Brett Wyman]

But wouldn't they know if you hopped and could restrict the VQ to only those with Park Pass for the day? It seems like it already does that anyway, so I don't think it's a concern for the time.

I would like to see all of these Park Passes, Mobile Order (reqired), and Virtual Queues go away!

Their systems are sophisticated enough to prevent a hopper from booking a 1pm boarding group. Assuming they take the time to set it up of course. But a single ride, no matter how popular, should not be creating a hopping restriction for all of the other parks. Block it until 2pm at HS only if thats the case.

 

[disny_luvr]

I hope they do away with the hopping time. Please. If we’re having a bad start at a certain park we’ve been known to abort mission and go to a different park. Sometimes before 10 am.

This 100%! Does anyone know why we can’t park hop until 2:00?

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I honestly think EPCOT should be an earlier Hop-esp during food booths.

But maybe its just conformity and lack of confusion, and the possibility of the VQ for Rat and/or GotG upcoming.

Agree 100%. Epcot should be off limits.

What about guests that stay at the Epcot resorts who would run into Epcot for breakfast and then go to their park of the day. I actually had it planned on one of my trips to go into Epcot and grab breakfast in France and bring it back to the room before we started our day. It's not so much an issue with their 11 am start time but I'm sure they plan on going to a 9 am start soon enough.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

Not everyone likes the same things. My two trips in the last year have been about 99% normal. Would be 100% without the masks, which I can now pretty much almost do without. So nope, definitely not getting ripped off, not even close.
Fireworks would be the one single thing that I do some trips that isn't back yet, but I don't see them every trip anyway.

If you don't want to go to the parks now, that's fine, nobody's making you. But don't lump everyone into the same group, that's grossly inaccurate.

So you are saying that over the last year you feel your recent trips have been 99% of what you would have expected on a normal visit? Over the last year you have seen prices rise, the elimination of park hopping, the majority of resorts shut down, large numbers of restaurants shuttered, the elimination of live shows, the elimination of fireworks, mask mandates, the inability to walk through world showcase while drinking or eating, the requirement to use an app to order and eat awful quick service foods, the closing of water parks, and shortened park hours. All of this and you are still 99% satisfied? Congratulations you are the exact customer that Disney is seeking. Overcharge and under deliver! If they could clone you there would be hundreds of thousands of you. I’m not attacking you but trying to point out that you should expect more.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

A lot of people are locked in as owners at DVC. Sure they can still go to the overpriced timeshare and just stay there. But the reason people pay big bucks for them is to be close to Disney world. So they go for the water downed experience since they have to travel there once every year or two anyway. That group is probably a much larger percentage of attendance than usual right now.

DVC resale market is on fire right now. I have no problem selling out of my DVC and making a quick profit if Disney doesn't turn things around.

 

[monstermash23]

I don't like the new reservation system, but I could learn to live with it (I'm an out-of-state PAP holder.) assuming we're going to true 100% capacity and match that with the reservations system.

What has to go though is the 2:00 hopper limitation, and the touch reserved before hopping entry thing. That is not a sustainable model to provide the true benefits hopping is supposed to provide. If we have a morning reservation for MK, and we decide to sleep in and go to HS after pool time in the afternoon, I have to go all the way to MK and touch a turnstile and then go to HS. This problem is amplified if HS is "full" for the day and I can't even change my park reservation after the fact. This part of the system is broken and needs fixing.

Will it mess up the staffing benefits they are getting from the reservation system? I would contend not, and that the number of people that do what we do is negligible in the scheme of things, and that the ones doing it are likely offsetting each other at the various parks anyway. This needs to be fixed, and sooner rather than later.

Agreed fully.

Especially for Epcot resort guests. One of the best benefits of staying at any of those resorts was the ability to freely walk into epcot whenever we wanted with our park hopper.

If I were to redesign the current reservation system, with the logistical staffing benefits in mind, I would do it as follows:

- Keep the reservation system in place for any non-resort guests and any non-ap pass holders as it stands currently.
- Keep the reservation system in place for any resort guest with base day passes or AP pass holder without a hotel reservation, but with the benefit of being able to change reservations last minute.
- Remove the reservation system entirely for any resort guest that has park hopper option. Disney can rely on dining reservations (and fastpass+ reservations if it ever comes back) to better predict where those people will be.

This would create even further value for the park hopper option and for staying on property. And would allow Disney to still have greater insight into predicatble attendance metrics then they did pre-covid. At least I would think.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Who is going to buy airfare and pay for a vacation and tickets if access isn’t assured

When you buy you tickets you make the park reservation. I don't know why you would buy the airfare without having tickets purchased. I kinda like the park reservations - at least I know when I buy the tickets that I won't be denied entrance day-of because the park reached capacity.

 

[Lilsia]

So you are saying that over the last year you feel your recent trips have been 99% of what you would have expected on a normal visit? Over the last year you have seen prices rise, the elimination of park hopping, the majority of resorts shut down, large numbers of restaurants shuttered, the elimination of live shows, the elimination of fireworks, mask mandates, the inability to walk through world showcase while drinking or eating, the requirement to use an app to order and eat awful quick service foods, the closing of water parks, and shortened park hours. All of this and you are still 99% satisfied? Congratulations you are the exact customer that Disney is seeking. Overcharge and under deliver! If they could clone you there would be hundreds of thousands of you. I’m not attacking you but trying to point out that you should expect more.

It really does depend on how people tour WDW. Not everyone does the same thing, which is why WDW is great for so many people. I can tell you that my trips have been pretty darn close to what I usually do. The exception is a couple of places that I usually eat are closed, which has happened in the past in normal times. The lack of park hopping when I want is a bummer, but workable. Having to wear masks stink but that is not a Disney problem. I never walked and ate anyway, I like to be stationary when I eat. And as a solo traveler, I LOVE the fact that I can order my food and be guaranteed a seat in the quick service restaurants. In the past, it was me, walking around with a tray of food getting cold, looking for a seat. Why would I want to go back to that? I did not watch the live shows or the fireworks because I have seen them many times already. You do see how everyone is different. I am not making excuses for what they are lacking, just that not everyone misses what is gone.

 

[jade1]

This 100%! Does anyone know why we can’t park hop until 2:00?

My best guess is the data they have collected shows the AM crowd thins out after lunch. Going back to hotels to rest or swim then is very popular.

So they probably have a lot of availability starting around 2-coupled with a limited pool of available guests (ones that were at a different park in the AM) interested (or paid for) in hopping.

Also guessing that evenings are for sure slower without the night shows etc.

So it's likely these factors that tend to keep the "reduced capacity" mostly in check.

 

[jade1]

- Remove the reservation system entirely for any resort guest that has park hopper option. Disney can rely on dining reservations (and fastpass+ reservations if it ever comes back) to better predict where those people will be.

This would create even further value for the park hopper option and for staying on property. And would allow Disney to still have greater insight into predicatble attendance metrics then they did pre-covid. At least I would think.

I like it.

Although probably may as go with no reservation needed at all if onsight as a hopper/AP.

Since you can decide which park that AM anyway.

 

[BrianL]

Their systems are sophisticated enough to prevent a hopper from booking a 1pm boarding group. Assuming they take the time to set it up of course. But a single ride, no matter how popular, should not be creating a hopping restriction for all of the other parks. Block it until 2pm at HS only if thats the case.

I agree, which is why I don't think that Rise is actually a factor in the after 2 PM restriction.

 

[monstermash23]

I like it.

Although probably may as go with no reservation needed at all if onsight as a hopper/AP.

Since you can decide which park that AM anyway.

I guess I kind of imagine there being certain capacity buckets for each of the category, to serve the last minute change of reservation freedom for that particular category. Because otherwise yea you are totally right.

But at the end of the day, if that theoretical system still forces an AP passholder that's not staying on site to make reservations for a park still, which forces them to go thru the turnstile of the first one before being able to park hop until after 2, still gives Disney those valuable metrics. Because since they aren't staying on-site, they may not have ADRs or anything to provide those metrics. But separate capacity buckets would ensure the ease of change for this category of ticket holders.

All just fun theorizing on my end though.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I don't feel like the park reservation thing is the end of the world, but I really do find it limiting and think it will change the way our vacations go in a somewhat negative way. We like to stay at the Crescent Lake resorts and I loved being able to pop over to Epcot in the morning for a pastry from Les Halles before heading to our "main" park of the day. Now we won't be able to do that. You also won't be able to just change your park on the fly. I also wonder how this will work with fastpass if fastpass ever actually comes back.

 

[luv2cheer92]

So you are saying that over the last year you feel your recent trips have been 99% of what you would have expected on a normal visit? Over the last year you have seen prices rise, the elimination of park hopping, the majority of resorts shut down, large numbers of restaurants shuttered, the elimination of live shows, the elimination of fireworks, mask mandates, the inability to walk through world showcase while drinking or eating, the requirement to use an app to order and eat awful quick service foods, the closing of water parks, and shortened park hours. All of this and you are still 99% satisfied? Congratulations you are the exact customer that Disney is seeking. Overcharge and under deliver! If they could clone you there would be hundreds of thousands of you. I’m not attacking you but trying to point out that you should expect more.

I rarely park hop, never been to a water park, was using mobile order pretty much exclusively pre Covid, all the restaurants I normally go to were open, the resorts I go to were all open, not usually at parks late at night (which is why I don't always catch the fireworks, though I did say that this is something I enjoy and do look forward to their return), I don't drink much in World Showcase, and when I do I usually like to sit and enjoy it anyway, several shows were still running, at least the ones I typically watch.
But at the risk of my posts being deleted, I'll stop there. I totally realize that not everyone is like this, was just pointing out that making a generalization that everyone is missing out on stuff is inaccurate.

 

[jade1]

It really does depend on how people tour WDW. Not everyone does the same thing, which is why WDW is great for so many people. I can tell you that my trips have been pretty darn close to what I usually do. The exception is a couple of places that I usually eat are closed, which has happened in the past in normal times. The lack of park hopping when I want is a bummer, but workable. Having to wear masks stink but that is not a Disney problem. I never walked and ate anyway, I like to be stationary when I eat. And as a solo traveler, I LOVE the fact that I can order my food and be guaranteed a seat in the quick service restaurants. In the past, it was me, walking around with a tray of food getting cold, looking for a seat. Why would I want to go back to that? I did not watch the live shows or the fireworks because I have seen them many times already. You do see how everyone is different. I am not making excuses for what they are lacking, just that not everyone misses what is gone.

Yep same.

Certainly miss things like night shows/fireworks and other entertainment, but that all seems temporary anyway.

The positive things we experienced are things will miss going forward.

 

[ChipnDale79]

When you buy you tickets you make the park reservation. I don't know why you would buy the airfare without having tickets purchased. I kinda like the park reservations - at least I know when I buy the tickets that I won't be denied entrance day-of because the park reached capacity.

in reality, how often do the parks reach capacity where you dont know if you're going to be able to get in or not? It happens maybe once a year, if that. And then its a tiered system.