Following the pandemic, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland started requiring park reservations for guests. Without them, capacity would soar and guests would miss out on visiting their desired parks.
Making changes and modifications to your theme park reservations is simple so that you can enjoy the magic anytime!
What is a Disney Theme Park Reservation?
Disney Theme Park Reservations offer guests the unique opportunity to reserve a time and date to visit one of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks. Anyone with either a park ticket or Annual Pass that is linked to their My Disney Experience account can make reservations.
Disney implemented a reservation system in order to better manage their parks, which are running at lower capacity with lower attendance levels than usual. By restricting how many guests enter each park on any given day, they can guarantee sufficient staffing levels in each attraction so everyone stays safe.
To book a reservation, first select your admission type from the menu. You will then be presented with a calendar displaying each park’s availability on that day.
On a map, you’ll notice grey dates, yellow dates and green dates. These colors indicate whether a park is closed, full or available for different groups. If it’s yellow, that means it’s only accessible to guests staying at Disney resort hotels; similarly if it’s full then regular theme park ticket holders have priority access.
How to Make a Disney Theme Park Reservation
If you’re visiting Disney World or one of its sister theme parks, a Disney Theme Park Reservation is necessary. This requirement comes along with your admission ticket to the theme park.
Disney has implemented a Park Reservation System to limit capacity and guarantee everyone can enjoy the attractions. Guests with current theme park admission or hotel guests with valid tickets can book reservations starting June 28th up to 120 days in advance.
Keep an eye on the Disneyland Park Availability Calendar to see if any dates are selling quickly. It may also be beneficial to book on a less busy day.
Though it may seem complex at first, making a Disney Theme Park Reservation is actually quite straightforward. When you purchase either an individual 1-day, 1-park ticket or link an existing park ticket to your My Disney Experience account, the entire process is automated for added convenience.
How to Modify a Disney Theme Park Reservation
Since Disney World and Disneyland implemented park reservations on top of admission tickets, making changes to your plans has been a challenge. In the past, guests who wanted to modify their reservations had no choice but to cancel and start over – an process which could result in missing out on popular days.
Disney now allows you to modify your reservation without canceling it! This feature enables you to adjust the date of your stay and even select a different theme park!
The most essential tip is to make your modifications as soon as possible. Doing this will guarantee you get your desired date and park.
While making changes, remember to revisit the website frequently as popular dates are released in batches. A browser extension such as Easy Auto Refresh can help prevent you from missing any cancellations by refreshing your page on demand.
Why Do I Need a Disney Theme Park Reservation?
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World for the first time or have been there many times before, it is essential to understand what a park reservation is and why you need one. This is especially relevant if visiting popular parks during peak attendance times or with special needs that cannot be accommodated by standard tickets.
Since 2020, Disney has employed a reservation system to manage crowd levels in their parks. This limits capacity and enables Disney to evenly distribute guests between each park each day.
However, there are some drawbacks to this new system, one being being being turned away from a park you wanted to visit because they’re sold out for that day.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom often experiences high crowds around the holidays, so we recommend making your park reservations as soon as possible!
