Walt Disney World Launching New Reservation System | FastPass+ & Extra Magic Hours Suspended
Walt Disney World Resort is planning to begin a phased reopening of its theme parks beginning on July 11th, pending state approval.
When guests return to the park, they will notice new health and safety procedures, including social distancing markers, temperature checks, and mandatory face masks for cast members and guests ages three and up.
Disney World will also begin a new reservation system that will require advance reservations for theme park entry.
Here’s what we know about this new reservation system so far:
FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours will be temporarily suspended.
Disney’s FastPass+ service will be suspended so that the parks can use additional queue space to maintain physical distancing. Extra Magic Hours will also be discontinued until a future date.
Walt Disney World has begun reaching out to guests affected by these updates to provide additional information and to offer refunds for those who would prefer to cancel or delay their visit.
New ticket sales and hotel reservations are temporarily paused.
Guests with existing tickets and reservations will be prioritized for entry into the parks when they reopen. If you already have tickets or an Annual Pass, you’ll soon receive additional details regarding how to make your theme park reservations.
New ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations will open up after existing ticket and Passholders have had a chance to make their reservations. Theme park reservations will be limited by attendance restrictions during the first phase of reopening and subject to availability.
Dining will be limited, and many experiences will be unavailable.
In order to maintain physical distancing, restaurants and other experiences such as behind-the-scenes tours will be limited in capacity. Other high-touch experiences (makeovers, playgrounds, character meet and greets, etc.) and anything that is known to draw large crowds (parades, nighttime spectaculars, etc.) will remain closed.
All existing dining reservations and experience bookings, including Disney dining plans included in packages, have been canceled. Limited dining and experience bookings will become available closer to when the parks reopen, and guests will now have a 60-day booking window rather than the usual 180 days to make their reservations.
Guests are encouraged to visit Disney’s new Know Before You Go hub to find the latest updates and instructions for modifying travel plans.
Make your favorite Disney Parks foods at home with these official recipes!
As expensive as Disney is, I don’t see why anyone would go while all these restrictions are in place.
I figured as much! Not surprised to be honest. Changed world!
They’ve suspended all dining reservations too. It sounds like torture to me to have to wear a mask on vacation in the Florida heat.
Oh I didn’t even think about that! It’s hot enough in SC when I walk out of Target I have to peel mine off 🥵 Yeah that doesn’t sound super fun!
That’s exactly what I thought. The Florida heat & humidity, forget it. California heat is also a definite no for me as well when you have to add a mask to that, omg! I agree with everyone, there’s no point in spending an endless amount of money during this time. I’d just wait to go when the pandemic is over, so you can get the real Disney experience.
It might not be over. For 15 years or in our lifetime. You could go when the weather is cooler or spend money on something you enjoy more. I won’t be going to Disney anyway. Because there are things I would enjoy more.
As of the heat and masks were not bad enough, I couldn’t imagine going without fast passes or dining reservations. Walking around all day hoping to get on a ride or finding somewhere to eat.
Maybe it’s time for Disney to experience a reality check or maybe consumers need to re-prioritize how they choose to spend their precious family time and money. Prior to the pandemic, we would hear about how bad the economy was, yet the Disney parks continued to be wall to wall people. As if the admission prices weren’t expensive enough, once inside the park, Disney continues to bleed it’s guests of money. I use to really love Disney vacations, but during my last visit in January of this year, while eating at a restaurant seated by a window and watching the crowds, I couldn’t help but think about how wacked out and out of hand the whole Disney thing has gotten.
Agreed!
People love Disney, its nostalgic. People have the free will to spend their money as they choose. Disney isn’t forcing anyone to buy their tickets, mouse ears, princess dresses, etc. People do it voluntarily because they want to. I’d wager to say that with all the current restrictions in place, people will be less willing to spend their money if they’re not getting the experience they’re expecting or had hoped for.
Thank you!! My last couple vacations there, I had the same feeling in my gut. Why am I spending my money on this? We’re now an avid camping family to pump that money into our national and state parks.
You already know what you are getting into when you make the decision to ho to Disney. They aren’t doing anything but what is expected of them. I don’t get why people get upset about the prices but make plans to go.
Prior to the pandemic the economy was booming! Unemployment was at its all time lowest.
It was bad during the Obama years.
We cancelled our trip in August. Aside from all of this, you also lose the fireworks, parades, character meets, character meals and access to part of Epcot. For all that we pay. We are willing to wait it out until we can take advantage of everything again. We are a hardcore Disney family but we will just wait until we can really enjoy it all.
Well at lower capacities certain things like waiting on rides won’t be that long. At this point if you aren’t local or an AP/DVC member it won’t be the best trip.
Even with reduced capacity, I think the waits for many rides will still be quite long because they will have to run most rides less than half full, for social distancing.
Definitely going to wait until you can experience it all, not worth paying that much for a ticket with no fireworks, character meets and parades.
It actually sounds like a good time to go with a group of teens or adults. Last time we went, my teens didn’t care about meeting characters or standing in the sun for parades anyway. We watched the fireworks from the boat on the way out.
I’ll be going as soon as they open. I respect everyone’s decision on how safe or non-safe they feel. Disney will make the experience magical like they always do. I’m an annual pass holder and have gotten an email that they will let me know when I can go. I hoping to be able to go when they open in July 11th. Everyone be safe ☺️
I don’t have passes, but with living 60-90 minutes away many of my friends do – they’ve all been itching to go back, even with the mask requirement. For those with annual passes it would be a great time to go and just wander (which I actually enjoy more than the rides sometimes). Generally I don’t want to be outside in the summer in Florida though lol.
Just curious after reading the comments – if Disney offered discounted rates while some experiences are unavailable would that persuade you to go? Like if you still couldn’t have parades or character experiences but tickets were 25-35% off…
(I live in Central Florida so we only go to theme parks when we have annual passes, which we currently don’t. We also avoid all theme parks during the hottest and most crowded times. But as locals our view of the parks isn’t the same as a family who spends hundreds on air fare, lodging, etc.)
We’ve been saving for 3 years to go. I’ve been running a lot of after school clubs to save money. I finally booked the trip for June back in January. We also booked the flight tickets… which makes this really stink. My flight tickets have to be used by December otherwise we loose the $1600 spent on them. I really hope all this craziness settles down. We want the full experience of Disney especially since for us, this is a lot of money. Hopefully by the fall there won’t be all these restrictions and things will be up and running like they were before.
Maybe you could check with the airline and they may be able to extend the deadline by which you have to use the flight funds? So sorry. I’m disappointed for you.
I go to Disney World every year! Won’t be going with all this! NO DINING, NO SHOWS, NO CHARACTER EXPERIENCES, FACE MASKS REQUIRED, SO NO THANK YOU!!! Save your money and wait until this all gets back to normal. Hopefully soon!!! 😡😰😢😥😪