NEWS: Some Park Pass Reservations Phasing Out, Dining Plan Returning
While were are in the middle of a series about resorts, we found this news too impactful to let sit, so we're taking a detour to talk about two major announcements from Walt Disney World this week. Both should be pleasing to most guests, who've been asking for these things for a while.
Park Pass Reservations Phasing Out for Some Types of Tickets
Park Pass Reservations have been a cause of woe for many Disney guests. This reservation system requires guests to reserve their park for the day, regardless whether they had tickets (though when buying tickets directly from Disney, guests are prompted to do this as part of the process). Further, admissions to any given park were limited by guest type. For example, a guests with a Florida Resident pass might have seen no availability for the Magic Kingdom while a guests with a Walt Disney World Resort reservation might have still seen availability.
We personally have seen guests turned away at the turnstile because while they had a ticket, they did not reserve a park pass for the park they showed up at. And we, personally, have not enjoyed how the system limited spontaneity. If we woke and weren't feeling like EPCOT that day but that's where our Park Pass reservation was, it was either show up at EPCOT anyway, or take a major risk by trying to drop and then get a new park pass for a different park (which is not always possible). Even with a park hopper, a person had to enter the reserved park first, and could only hop after 2pm. If you showed up at the park you were hopping to without entering the first park, once again, you'd be turned away.
We thought, though, that because this system, instituted during the pandemic, helped Disney monitor guest distribution and crowds ahead of time in order to help them make staffing decisions, that this system would never go away. We were wrong! Disney announced that beginning January 9th, 2024, certain tickets would not require a Park Pass Reservation.
Opening time at Disney's California Adventure at Disneyland. While at Disneyland in 2021, we saw guests turned away due to no park reservation almost every day.
There have been false claims that the system was ending before, so here's a link to Disney's site with that information for the doubters: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/park-reservations/
Two key things:
This change will not take effect this year. It does not begin until January 9th, 2024. Do not think you're going to be able to enter a park on January 1st without a Park Pass reservation. That being a holiday, you're going to need one to secure your chances of getting in.
The requirement is only waived for date-based tickets. That category encompasses most tickets you can get through the Disney web site where you select your starting day of visit. A single day ticket must be used on the day you specify. A multi-day ticket builds in some additional days into the window in which the ticket must be used. Annual passes, sport and convention tickets, student group tickets, and tickets other than single or multi-day tickets may still require park pass reservations in 2024. (And yes, we know this is bad news for Annual Passholders who have been getting the short end of the stick with this system).
Multi-Day Ticket Validity Windows
If you purchase a multi-day ticket, you get some extra days built in in which to use your ticket. These are included in ticket types that will not require a Park Pass Reservation beginning January 9, 2024, because you do select the start day of your ticket window. However, if you have a 9-day ticket, you do not have to visit Walt Disney World for 9 days straight.
Here's the length of the window, from your starting date, for multi-day tickets:
1-day – The ticket expires on the selected start date.
2-day – The ticket expires 4 days after the selected start date.
3-day – The ticket expires 5 days after the selected start date.
4-day – The ticket expires 7 days after the selected start date.
5-day – The ticket expires 8 days after the selected start date.
6-day – The ticket expires 9 days after the selected start date.
7-day – The ticket expires 10 days after the selected start date.
8-day – The ticket expires 12 days after the selected start date.
9-day – The ticket expires 13 days after the selected start date.
10-day – The ticket expires 14 days after the selected start date.
Disney does not sell multi-day tickets that span beyond 10 days. At that point, you might save money by getting an Annual Pass.
One Bit of Good News for Annual Passholders
We're not certain if this is a change or not, but Disney's site now has language that we think changes the game a little bit. We know that park hopping (for those that have purchased that option, and for Annual Passholders) begins at 2:00 PM. And we know that when using a single- or multi-day ticket to park hop, we have had to enter the park in which we've made a Park Pass Reservation before we could be admitted to the park we plan to hop to. But this language has appeared on Disney's site:
"Annual Passholders may visit the theme parks after 2:00 PM without a theme park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom park."
We read this to mean that an Annual Passholder who did NOT make a Park Pass Reservation can still gain admission to a theme park after 2:00 PM, unless it's a blackout date or a weekend at the Magic Kingdom.
Additionally, in 2024, Disney will begin rolling out "Good-to-Go" days for Annual Passholders, which are specific dates in which an Annual Passholder or Cast Member can visit the theme parks without needing a Park Pass Reservation.
EPCOT's quieter back entrance, the International Gateway
Disney Dining Plans Return
Also, for stays beginning January 9th, 2024, the Disney Dining Plans will be an option once again for guests to add to their vacation package if they are purchasing a package through Disney that includes a Disney resort stay. These packages will begin to be book-able on May 31st, 2023.
Two dining plans options will be offered: The Quick Service Dining Plan, and the classic Disney Dining Plan. And, remember, you can visit, and dine, without a dining plan. These plans simply help guests pay ahead for dining expenses so there are no surprises.
Whether you save money with the dining plan depends entirely on the plan you select and what you eat. Unless you are selecting some of the most expensive restaurants and dishes, we feel the dining plan is something of a wash. And if you have a light appetite and don't plan to eat all of the food that is offered on the plan, you may find it to be more expensive than paying out of pocket. Having the dining plan does not put you into any sort of preferred category for ADRs or let you skip waits for dining, or anything of the sort. It's just a way to plan for and pay for your meals ahead of time.
Galette at La Creperie
Here are the details of the two dining plans coming back January 9th, 2024:
The Quick-Service Dining Plan - 2 quick-service meals, a resort refillable mug, and 1 snack/non-alcoholic beverage per guest per night of your stay. A meal includes entree or combo meal, and a beverage (which can include wine, beer, and cocktails for adults over 21). Snacks can be food items or beverages and are typically marked with the Disney Dining Plan logo on menus.
The Disney Dining Plan - 1 table-service meal, 1 quick-service meal, a resort refillable mug, and 1 snack/non-alcoholic beverage per guest per night. Quick-service meals follow the guidelines above and include a beverage. Table-service meals include a beverage (can be alcoholic for guests over 21), entree, and dessert. Note that some fine/signature dining, character dining, or shows, may require 2 table-service credits, and that reservations are strongly recommended for table-service meals.
Other important things to know:
The dining plan must be purchased for the entire length of your stay.
The credits attributed to each guest can be used on any day during the length of stay. For example, if I had a 3-night stay, I have a total of 6 quick-service and 3 snack credits. I could use 4 quick-service credits in one day if I wanted to, and have 2 remaining for the rest of my stay.
The credits are not transferrable between guests. Each guest must use the credits attributed to them.
Every guest of your party (on your vacation package) must have the dining plan. There is no splitting and choosing the dining plan just for some guests in your party and not others.
Credits from one category can't be combined to use in another category. For example, in the past, 2 quick-service credits could have been combined to purchase a table-service meal. This is no longer the case. However, at some locations, a quick-service credit can theoretically purchase 3 snacks. Also at fine/signature dining locations, 2 table-service credits can purchase your meal.
Is it Worth It?
We like to view the dining plan as a matter of convenience rather than as a matter of cost-savings. In the last year the Disney Dining Plans were offered, which was early 2020, the prices adult/child prices for the quick-service plan were $55/$26 and the adult/child prices for the classic Disney dining plan were $78/$30.50. Expect these prices to have increased when released for 2024 due to the rising cost of, well, everything.
We have realized the most value when combining 2 table-service credits to dine at a signature dining restaurant as one can easily drop $80-$100 in a single meal at one of these. We also found ourselves stuffed to the gills when we've used the dining plan, and even so, we've had to purchase snacks to take home in gift shops with all of our left over snack credits at the end of our vacation.
For a family with children, and a family that plans to use the beverage option at meals to imbibe in an alcoholic beverage, the value can be greater.
The Big Tang at Space 220. The drink has Tang, of course, and a chunk of astronaut ice cream.
Has Disney Said Anything Else About Coming Changes?
Well, yes. And no. In the same announcement that included these changes, Disney also stated they were looking into a few additional items of feedback from guests. One piece they promised was to keep the early entry for resort guests (as it currently is), and to continue to allow the extra evening hours for deluxe and DVC resort guests (as it currently is), in 2024.
They've also addressed feedback that Genie+ and Lightning Lanes perhaps do not allow for much flexibility and/or value. The statement is that they are looking for ways to allow guests to make Lightning Lane reservations before the day of their visit so they can spend less time planning while in the park. (Does this sound like Fastpass Plus to anyone else?) We're looking forward to seeing what they come up with, and we hope that it's not just reverting to the old system (we prefer Genie+ to Fastpass Plus.... a lot). Guaranteed we'll write about it when we know more!
What do you think of these announcements? Let us know by commenting on this post over on our Facebook page, where you can also follow us to see when new articles drop each week. Until next time...
Comentarios