One thing that has majorly changed at Disney World due to the pandemic is the Disney Park Pass Reservation System, which requires guests to make a theme park reservation in order to enter any of the theme parks, even if you have a ticket.
Disney World
This is a new system to people who haven’t visited the parks since the pandemic began, and it seems like it’s going to stick around for a while, as based on what Disney CEO Bob Chapek had to say about them recently. Our readers understandably have a lot of questions about how it works, so, we’re breaking down the answers to your frequently asked questions!
Remember ALL of this is subject to change. Disney can make changes at any time, so these are the best answers we can give you right now; but you should always ask your Disney representative when you call to get confirmation.
General Questions
This section takes a look at several general questions about the Disney Park Pass System.
Can we leave the park and come back later in the day?
Yes! As long as you have a park pass reservation for the day, you can leave and return later in the same day. You just can’t hop to a different park than the one you have a pass for unless you have a park hopper ticket and it’s 2PM or later, which is when park hopping starts. If you plan to park hop, you must also have been to the park you have a pass for before you can hop to the next one.
Hello from Hollywood Studios!
What if a linked member of my travel party has a regular ticket and another has an Annual Pass?
When making park reservations for multiple people, everyone in your party has to have the same type of admission, according to Disney. So, this means reservations for Annual Passholders and regular theme park ticket holders can’t be made at the same time. You may meed to make more than one theme park reservation to include all members of your party.
Walt Disney World Annual Passholder
Also, if you’re staying in a Disney Resort or other select hotels with a package that includes tickets, everyone in your party must also have a hotel reservation. If you do not, you will have to make separate theme park reservations.
If someone in my party isn’t going to the parks. Do I need to remove them from my account before I try to book my Disney Park Pass reservation?
No, you DON’T need to remove them from your account — just don’t include them in the “party” you’re booking Disney Park Pass reservations for.
The Tree of Life
Is there a limit on the number of days I can make park reservations? So, if I have a three-week trip planned, can I book a park for 21 days?
The number of theme park reservation days you can hold at one time varies based on your plans. Let’s break it down:
- People staying at Disney Resorts and other select hotels can make park reservations for dates during their stay for the number of days that they have valid theme park admission.
- Annual Passholders staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels can make theme park reservations for each day of their Resort stay(s). In addition, they can make park reservations up to the maximum number their pass can hold at a time on a rolling basis. You can read more about park pass reservation limits for Annual Passes here.
- Existing ticket holders can make park reservations for the number of days of valid theme park admission.
Tower of Terror
Note that if you booked a vacation package, your ticket eligibility is tied to your package travel dates. To make a park reservation for a different date, be sure to modify your vacation package dates.
If we need to change our reservations, can we? Without penalty?
Guests can cancel Disney Park Pass reservations in their My Disney Experience account. Just go to the My Plans section and hit Reservation Details, where you’ll see your reservations and be able to cancel. There is no penalty for canceling.
Expedition Everest
As of now, guests are unable to modify their Disney Park Pass reservations. To change them around, you will need to cancel your existing Disney Park Passes and rebook — all subject to availability, so make sure you check that the parks you want are available before cancelling your existing reservations.
Can I have a park pass reservation if I don’t have an on-site or affiliated hotel room?
Yes, Annual Passholders can hold varying amounts of reservations at one time depending on their pass type.
New Passholder Logo
Guests with other ticket media can make park pass reservations for their park ticket dates.
Click here for more information on the Disney Park Pass system!
Resort Guest Questions
The following section takes a look at questions that are specific to resort guests.
If our friends who we add to my account are not actually staying in a Disney Resort, can we still get a reservation for them, too?
All guests in your travel party will need to be added to the hotel reservation.
Beach Club Resort in Disney World
Also, if you’re staying in a Disney Resort or other select hotels with a package that includes tickets, everyone in your party must also have a hotel reservation. If you do not, you will have to make separate theme park reservations.
If you make your Disney Park Pass with a Resort reservation and later cancel the Resort reservation, will you lose your DPP?
All park reservations made in connection with tickets included in a room and ticket package will be automatically cancelled in the event that the package is cancelled.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Any park reservations held by an Annual Passholder which exceed 3 days will be automatically canceled if the Disney Resort hotel reservation which allowed the Annual Passholder to hold more than 3 park reservations at a time is canceled.
Annual Passholder Questions
This section takes a look at common questions that are specific to Annual Passholders.
My Annual Pass isn’t activated. It’s just a voucher. Will I still be able to make park pass reservations?
Yes. Guests who have an annual pass voucher that hasn’t yet been activated in the parks will be able to make park pass reservations using that ticket media.
Annual Pass
Can Annual Passholders book Disney Park Passes for the length of the resort stay AND their Park Pass Reservation limit?
Annual Passholders staying at a Disney Resort hotel (or other select hotels) may also make Park Pass Reservations for each day of their Resort stay in addition to the Park Pass Reservations they may already hold with their Pass.
Annual Passholder entrance at EPCOT
We hope that this FAQ has helped to clear up some of the confusion of the Park Pass Reservation System! If you have heard different information to our answers above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your experience. Like we said, this is all subject to change, so stay tuned to DFB for more news and updates.
Click here to learn more about the Park Pass Reservation System!
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Sue, it’s up!
Thanks for all of the info really useful. We are staying onsite in Sept 2021. You can book parks in advance now. Would you recommend doing that? It just seems really advance planning but we also don’t want to miss out. I am hoping you can park hop again by then.
Emma, we will definitely be watching for updates on Park Hopping! I, personally, have plans for next September, and I did make my DPP for exactly the reason you said: I don’t want to miss out, and there’s no way to know how fast DPP will go or if it will be required then. I figured better to be safe than sorry.
Thank you. I think we will try and plan out an agenda and book some parks. Love your videos. I can’t wait to order your 2021 food book! I think it will really help with our planning. Maybe see you in Sept 😊
Hi!
I was wondering if you guys would recommend securing a spot for a possible Disney World trip in early December through the Park Pass Reservation System now when it’s available? Our trips got canceled this past March due to COVID :(, but we are still unsure if we are wanting to commit in flying into Orlando in Early December just yet… But we also didn’t want to come into the situation where we decide to go, but the capacity is full. I also did read that we are still unsure of the cancellation policy for the Park Pass Reservation.. so hopefully we get some kind of information on that soon!
Also, I would like to greatly appreciate all of your team’s work! This is my first time going to Disney World, and you guys made it very easy to plan everything!
So for an Annual passholder I m only allowed 3 day park pass? I made a two day park pass for September and one for October I cant make another one for November because I reached my limit is this true? I try to call Disney but of coarse I cant get through if this this true I m going to cancel my passholder what is the point of being a passholder if I can go only 3 times!!!!!
Jennifer, at this time, it appears Disney has limited APs to three days of Park Passes (plus the days of a Resort stay, if you were to have one).
To answer the first question I left AK and re-entered the same day with no issues. Of course I asked first.
Can you reserve a dining time for other family members or do I have to be present? My son in laws birthday is during the time they will be at Disney, and i would like to treat them! They are part of my party, from previous Disney trips.
Angie, I would think you could book his ADR. Be sure he has the confirmation number when it’s time to check in, just in case. Such a nice gesture!
Hi there , thanks for everything ! This is in regards to Jennifer’s comment. Disney is allowing only 3 day park passes but what is the time frame? How long after 3 are used can more be made? If Jennifer can’t make one for Nov when could she? We have vouchers waiting to be activated and these questions affect us as well. Hopefully “all this” will only be temporary for a few yrs, but if not it makes me doubtful about our AP’s. Maybe Disney is wanting to discontinue passes and this a subtle method to phase them out. It really isn’t right .
Linda, once you use one DPP as an AP, you can make another. So you can keep three in your account at all times.
We are coming to Orlando area to stay for 8 months and want to get an annual pass. What is the reason Disney is not allowing people that are willing to pay for the “not so special” annual passes?
Tamara, we don’t know why Disney isn’t selling Annual Passes, but we’ll keep digging into it and updating as applicable.
Do you have any advice on the use of cast member passes in the reservation system? Our daughter works at MK and says she can get us in free with her passes…but I was nervous to try it and bought/reserved to ensure we would get in over Memorial Day. Silly? Or how would we have used them to reserve?
Hi Tammy! It was definitely smart to go ahead and grab your tickets and make those reservations yourself because holidays can get really busy and at least you have the peace of mind of knowing that you will definitely be getting in. It’s not silly at all!