I have questions…The announcement that starting April 18 Annual Passholders will no longer need a Disney Park Pass Reservation if they don’t visit until after 2:00 is a welcome one. The exception is the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll still need a reservation there. Even though I’m happy about this change, I do have a couple of questions.
What if an Annual Passholder makes a Disney Park Pass Reservation, but changes his or her mind and wants to visit a different park after 2:00 without scanning into that one? Currently, you’re required to scan into the park with your reservation before Park Hopping. Will people be turned away because they have a reservation elsewhere and didn’t use it? My guess is that if this turns into a problem, the Cast Members will have the ability to override the issue. We can do something on our end as well. If you have a Disney Park Pass Reservation but decide to head to a different park after 2:00 instead, just cancel the reservation first.
If an Annual Passholder doesn’t have a Disney Park Pass Reservation on a Saturday or Sunday and enters Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom after 2:00, will they then be able to Park Hop to the Magic Kingdom? I know that’s a long question, but it’s something that I hope Disney deals with. I don’t want people to head to the Magic Kingdom for fireworks, only to discover that they can’t enter on a technicality.
One more thought; what about the busiest days of the year? In 2023 July 4 is on a Tuesday, and the Magic Kingdom is the place to be. I will not be surprised if Disney adds a few dates to the rule about needing a Disney Park Pass Reservation at the Magic Kingdom. This is just speculation on my part, but reservations are supposed to help control the crowds. I can see exceptions being added for a few peak dates.
The good news is that Disney has time to address these issues to ensure that everything runs smoothly. I’m sure that they’ve thought of these questions and many others. I realize that this will not affect many Walt Disney World Annual Passholders, because they’ll head to the parks long before 2:00. If that’s you, you’ll still need a Disney Park Pass Reservation, the change is only for after 2:00. But this is great for someone like me. I love to run to a park for a couple of hours in the afternoon or evening. I have a feeling that I’ll take advantage of this change often!