This year marks Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, and many tourists from all over the world can’t wait to celebrate in Orlando, Florida. However, with COVID-19 restrictions, the Disney Park Pass System has become trickier to navigate than ever. With the latest from the CEO, it looks like the Disney Park Pass System is here to stay into 2023.
To make sure you’re aware of what you need to do before arriving for your vacation in Walt Disney World, I’ve gathered all the steps here! In this article, I’ll cover how to get a Disney park reservation.
Check Theme Park Availability
With the pandemic, park attendance is limited every day so that the Disney experience is safe for everyone. Therefore, you must reserve which park you’re attending in case it reaches capacity.
I recommend checking the Disney park reservation system before purchasing your tickets to see which parks are filing up, even if you don’t know the exact date you’re going yet.
For example, let’s say your only goal is to visit Hollywood Studios, but this theme park is already booked up for the month you were planning on going. It might be best to move your Disney vacation or consider attending another park instead.
Purchase Park Admission
There are plenty of Disney park ticket options to choose from. A one-day, standard theme park ticket starts at $109 that is valid for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom. This ticket can be upgraded to a Park Hopper, which means you can visit multiple parks on the same day. You can also upgrade to include a water park admission, in case you want to cool off from the Florida heat one day of your visit.
If you purchase multiple tickets at once, the price per day goes down. For example, if you purchase a 6-day ticket, you will only have to pay $75 per day. If you speak with a Disney agent, they will find a good resort and park admission bundle based on your interests. You can choose to print your tickets, obtain a physical card, or store them on your mobile device.
Keep in mind that if you decide to visit Disney World during peak season, you might have to pay more. Tickets are competitive for holiday seasons such as Christmas, Columbus Day Weekend, and spring break, so plan your budget accordingly!
Florida residents should look out for a good discount on a bundle! Annual passholders can reserve tickets 5 days at a time or for the length of their stay at a Disney Resort.
Before You Make a Disney Park Reservation
First, you’ll want to make a Disney account, if you don’t already have one. Ensure that your park admission is linked to your Disney account for everyone in your group. Be sure that your resort information shows up there as well. If not, link it.
How to Get a Disney Park Reservation
Make sure all the Guests you want to be at the park with you are on the My Disney Experience app and are friends with you. Guests ages 3 and up must have valid park admission. Select the friends going with you that day and the date you wish to visit a Disney theme park. After selecting a time to check in, you can reserve your spot at the park! If no times are shown for that park on the day you want, that means it is booked and you’ll have to select another day.
You’ll need to repeat this process each day you visit a park. You can change your reservations or party members at any time, but know if you change it close to your day of arrival, you might not find another spot.
Troubleshooting
If you are having any issues navigating the Disney Park Pass System, you can never be too safe calling the Disney Reservation Center. They know how to sort everything out for you, and their services are free! If talking to people makes you shy, then you can check Disney’s impressive FAQ section to resolve your problem or find tips.