If you mention the Parks Pass Reservation System to any Disney fan it is usually quickly followed by huffing, puffing and general unhappiness. The Parks Pass System was brought in to manage capacity when Walt Disney World reopened after the theme park shut downs due to COVID-19 in July 2020.
Now, two and a half years on, we still have the system in place at Walt Disney World when most other theme park operators deemed their similar systems as unnecessary and disregarded them many months ago.
In a recent Q&A session with Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, Josh D’Amaro he reiterated that the Parks Pass Reservation System will remain in place but indicated that steps will be taken to reduce the restrictions.
There have been cries from Disney fans that the system only still remains in place to benefit the shareholders and to help the company’s bottom line and is extremely detrimental to guests.
D’Amaro made a comment which turns this point on its head and says that the system is in place to make sure guests have a “better experience”. Now, a great many Disney fans may disagree with this but the positive is that alterations appear to be promised to make this system work better for everyone.
D’Amaro said that some days there are just too many people and by having Park Passes it enables guests to have a “better experience.” The theory behind this we are guessing is that through the system it ensures that crowd levels can be managed although many Disney fans would probably say the parks feel busier and more crowded than ever in the last year. Disney can better manage staffing levels and should be able to ensure the parks run as smoothly as possible through knowing the numbers of guests they have attending. Others think this is a way of reducing experiences on slower days which would certainly not make a better experience for guests.
It is clear that Disney is aware that majority of guests are still very unhappy that The Parks Reservation System is in place and they are trying to alleviate this by promising alterations for the future to a system they appear to have absolutely no plans of getting rid of.
As a positive, we heard last week that Annual Passholders will have the ability to enter the parks after 2PM without a reservation. This will be the case for all days at all four theme parks, apart from at the Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.
We are hoping to bring you further news regarding these alterations to the Parks Pass Reservation System which should ensure a better experience for guests in the coming weeks and months. Are you happy that the Parks Reservation System is here to stay? What alterations should be made to it? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
