If you’re planning a vacation to Disney World soon, there’s one thing you CAN’T forget to do!
That’s right, we’re talking about Disney Park Pass Reservations! In order to visit any of the four theme parks, you’ll need to make your reservation in advance…for EVERY member of your party with a theme park ticket. And we’ve shared in the past what the hardest days to snag reservations for are, but which are the EASIEST? Well, we’re breaking it down so that your reservation-making can be hassle-free!
Magic Kingdom
Let’s start things off with Magic Kingdom! This (surprisingly!) isn’t the park that typically fills up the fastest, but it is VERY hard to get into on the weekends. Guests coming into town for a weekend getaway often prioritize Magic Kingdom since it’s the OG Disney World park, so you’ll find it to be much busier on Saturdays and Sundays.
So what’s our advice? Well, if you’re trying to snag a park pass for Magic Kingdom, aim for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. That’s avoiding most guests’ first and last days in the parks (which are popular times to visit Magic Kingdom), and it’s also avoiding holiday weekends or weekend events (like runDisney races). Also, you’ll definitely want to book Magic Kingdom more than a few weeks out in the off-season, and possibly a few months out during the busy season, considering it’s a hot commodity.
If you’re trying to book some last-minute Disney Park Passes, there’s a good chance that Magic Kingdom is already filled up.
EPCOT
This may come as a surprise, but EPCOT seems to be the park that is the EASIEST to get into, based on our research. It’s available for most days of the week fairly frequently, although we have seen it fill up on Fridays and Saturdays from time to time, especially for Annual Passholders who like to stop by for a quick stroll around the World Showcase and a bite to eat.
However, if it’s not a runDisney race weekend or the beginning or end of an EPCOT festival, you should be able to consistently score EPCOT park passes within a few weeks of your visit for Sunday-Thursday. It’s often the last pass available, so sometimes you may find that the park empties out in the afternoon, considering some guests just book EPCOT to get into a park, then hop over to the one that they REALLY want to visit.
Basically, EPCOT is going to be busier (and probably a little rowdier) on Friday and Saturday nights. Visiting during the daytime during any other part of the week is usually a good move.
Hollywood Studios
Okay, now it’s time to talk about the hardest-to-get Park Pass in Disney World — Hollywood Studios! Why is this one so popular? Well, with heavy-hitters like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, this is a must-visit destination for many. In fact, for many guests taking short trips, this park is landing as a priority, getting chosen alongside Magic Kingdom over Animal Kingdom or EPCOT.
So how do you score a Park Pass for Hollywood Studios? Well, first of all, you ESPECIALLY need to avoid weekends and any holidays when booking here, unless you’re making your reservation several months in advance. (And even then, you may want to avoid it for crowds’ sake.) Like Magic Kingdom, your best bets are Tuesday-Thursday for the lowest crowds. If you visit on the lower crowd days, you also have a better chance of getting the Genie+ selections you want or spending less time waiting in line.
Hollywood Studios can be a tricky reservation to snag, so we recommend making this one at least a month in advance for the off-season, and ASAP for the holiday dates or summer break.
Animal Kingdom
And finally, let’s talk about Animal Kingdom. Even though this one is more popular than EPCOT, it seems to be the easiest of the four to score on the weekends. While locals flock to EPCOT for dinner on the weekends, Animal Kingdom crowds are spread pretty evenly throughout the week.
Animal Kingdom will usually fill up a week or two ahead of time, starting with the Friday-Monday dates. If you’re booking farther in advance, you should easily be able to pick any day of the week, but when it gets down to the wire, you’ll be left with mid-week options.
So that’s a full breakdown of the four parks and what days are easiest to book their Park Passes. Keep in mind that in general, holidays, Federal holiday weekends, weekends in the summer, and dates during Disney events fill up quickly. We pretty much always recommend booking your Park Passes as soon as you purchase your tickets, just in case.
For more planning tips and tricks you need to know for Walt Disney World, keep following DFB!
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