Disney World: What if I forgot to make a park reservation?

You are required to make theme park reservations for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Theme Park Reservations are made on the Walt Disney World website only, not on the mobile app. 

But what happens if you forgot to make a reservation and the parks are at capacity? Can you still get into the park?

Sometimes same-day availability opens up, so keep checking the website everyday.

Do not show up without a reservation expecting to plead your case to the Cast Member at the gate. You will be denied entry without a reservation, assuming reservations are at capacity. Disney is firm on this. I see it happen all the time - heartbreaking!

One solution might be to add the Park Hopper option to your ticket. If you see availability at other Disney parks, make the reservation then park hop to the park you really want to visit.

Just keep in mind that park hopping begins at 2 pm.

The fee is approximately $100 per ticket, but on multi-day tickets, it will be valid for all your remaining ticket days.

I was hoping that Disney would eliminate the need for park reservations in 2023, but it appears leadership is just getting started. There are rumors that premium (paid) park reservation options may be coming.

Park reservations are subject to availability and they do book up on certain days - especially weekends.

It’s best to make your reservations as far in advance as possible. They can be adjusted later if there is availability. 

Have questions about planning your Orlando vacation? I have answers! Contact me now to get more out of your vacation.

Darren is a Disney-focused travel agent with Magical Vacations Travel and has over 13 years of experience. Readers of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World rate him as a Best of the Best Disney Travel Agent. Darren is also an Orlando-based travel writer with topics ranging from theme parks to cruise lines.

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Theme Park Reservations Becoming Limited

To help manage attendance after reopening, all guests now have to make a reservation to visit one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks. Now more than ever, it’s critically important that you check the availability calendar prior to booking anything that is non-refundable, as the system is beginning to show signs of reaching capacity. One important note, you must use the Walt Disney World website, Park Pass is not available on the My Disney Experience mobile app.

Until now, theme park availability for Disney World hotel guests and day guests hasn’t been an issue. Annual Passholders are having a different experience (but that’s another article).

And for the first time [in forever] I’m now starting to see Park Pass availability reach capacity even for hotel guests and day guests. This is consistent with new bookings on the rise and more people keeping their fall reservations. It appears the tide is turning!

Here’s a look at theme park availability as of today, September 19, 2020. Yellow indicates that some parks have reached capacity. On the live website, you can click on a date to see which parks are still available.

View fullsize

October 2020 availability as of September 19, 2020

November 2020 availability as of September 19, 2020

Annual Pass availability for October 2020, as of September 19, 2020

A strange thing happened after Labor Day: there are noticeably more people in the parks, at a time when crowd levels typically drop off significantly. Wait times for attractions are longer too. 80 minutes for Test Track and 60 minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight are typical now. I think we’re ready to have FastPass again. Restaurants are busier and it’s more difficult to get a last-minute reservation. It seems more and more people are venturing out now.

There are numerous offers available for fall travel to Walt Disney World in 2020. Check them out on the Offers Page

For over 12 years Darren Wittko has been helping people save money at Walt Disney World as both, a travel writer and a travel advisor with Magical Vacations Travel. He’s featured in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World as a Best of the Best Disney Travel Agent. Darren resides in Celebration, FL.

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