Planning a trip to Disney World can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time.
There are so many different things to consider, from where to stay and what tickets to buy to which rides and attractions you want to see.
It’s important to do your research and create a plan before you start booking anything; otherwise, you could end up spending too much money or not seeing everything you wanted to.
One of the best ways to ensure a magical vacation at Disney Parks is to plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need, including a park pass!
A park pass gives you access to the park you want to visit on any particular day. You need this in addition to your park ticket. Without it, you will not get into the park. I can’t stress this enough.
With a little bit of advance planning, it’s easy to get one. You reserve them online in advance as long as you have your ticket.
If you’re visiting during peak times, it’s a good idea to make a reservation for your park pass as advance as possible. Once you have your park pass, all that’s left to do is get to the park!
Disney Park Pass Reservations
If you’re a Disney fan, you know several different parks to choose from. Each park has its own unique features, rides, and atmosphere.
One question that often comes up is whether or not the park pass is available. Here’s what you need to know about Disney park pass availability.
How To Get A Park Pass Reservation When They’re Unavailable
I have been here many times. In addition, I have been in a situation where everyone except one person in my group has a park reservation.
So frustrating.
Please don’t call or chat with the internet help desk or cast members, as they, unfortunately, won’t be of any more assistance than the online portal.
The key is to be persistent. You can get a park pass in one of two ways: by Disney opening up additional availability or if someone cancels their pass for the day.
The goal is to learn how to keep an eye on the park reservation system so that you can secure one asap.
Disney Park Pass Cancellations
Your best option is to check back often and refresh the page constantly in hopes of a cancellation.
This will be important as you get closer to your trip – people are much more likely to rearrange plans and therefore cancel existing reservations at that time.
Something important to note regarding the reservation availability calendar – this shows which park are available at any given moment.
However, it does NOT consider cancellations that cause availability to pop up momentarily.
You need to be attempting to book and come upon something that is being canceled. We’ve obtained SOMETHING many times through personal experience, but it does take effort!
In other words, do not use the availability calendar to determine if someone has canceled last minute; go through the booking process until it doesn’t let you confirm there are no spots.
Disney Opening Additional Availability
Follow WDW Stats (@WDWStats) on Twitter for 25/7 up-to-date information on ride wait times and unexpected closures, as well as alerts for when park passes become available again.
I also recommend following Walt Disney World News Today (@WDWNT) on Twitter to stay updated of new park pass availability – they generally will post immediately when something drops.
Disney randomly adds park passes, so it is hard to track this, but I have had success at midnight the night before and the night of.
Here are a few tips we’ve heard from friends and followers (not verified or tested by us) about when Disney might open passes: midnight, 4 AM, 7 AM, and 1 PM.
We’ve also been told that Disney will extend capacity two weeks before a date when they convert some of the yearly Passholder reservation availability into general park/resort guest availability.
They also typically open up more availability at the beginning of each month, so people can book further in advance. For example, at the beginning of May, they will have plenty of openings for June and July.
Summary
- Follow @WDWStats
- Follow @WDWNT
- Check at 2 months before you visit at the end of the month (May 31st for July visit)
- Check at the end of the month before your visit (April for May visit)
- Check two weeks before your visit.
- Check the day before you visit at midnight
- Check the day you want to visit at midnight
Additional Disney Park Pass Reservation Tips
#1 Refresh often for new availability
#2 Book at another park and use the Park Hopper option to get into the park of your choice.
#3 Set a time block of 30 minutes to an hour to check over and over again.
Outline
- Does Disney Park Pass Availability Change?
- Is Disney Park Pass the Same as a Reservation?
- Is Disney World at full capacity?
Does Disney Park Pass Availability Change?
Yes, Disney Park Pass availability does change. The key is to be persistent and check back often. You may be able to get a park pass by Disney, opening up additional availability or if someone cancels their pass for the day.
Is Disney Park Pass the Same as a Reservation?
Yes, a Disney Park Pass is the same as a reservation. You will need to have a valid park pass in order to enter any of the Disney parks.
Is Disney World at full capacity?
Disney never disclosed its full capacity numbers during this time, but the CEO Bob Chapek once said the parks were operating at around 35%. It is said that Disney World is currently at full capacity.
Modifying Your Disney Park Pass
The worst feature of the park pass reservation system is that it may not be updated for NON-Annual Passholders.
So, if you find that one park is available, but it isn’t the park you wanted to visit on that day, you have to decide whether to accept the change and the planned shift or keep looking.
Unfortunately, it does not work that way. If you can maintain your pass for a certain amount of time and switch to a different one, fantastic! However, in practice, it doesn’t always go so smoothly.
Disney World is currently at full capacity, making it difficult to get a Disney park pass. However, by following the tips in this article, you should be able to increase your chances of getting a pass with Disney park pass availability.