It appears that the Park Pass Reservation System at the Walt Disney World Resort is not going anywhere for at least another two years.
Disney Fanatic heard word that would-be Guests could start booking trips into late 2023 and early 2024, but they are required to make Theme Park Reservations. We went to the Walt Disney World Resort Website to investigate, and we can confirm that the Theme Park Reservation Availability Calendar goes as far into the future as Mid-January 2024 for Theme Park Ticketholders and Guests of Select Resort Hotels. The availability calendar for Annual Passholders–with blackout dates for select tiers–only extends to January 31, 2023. (For context, this article is being written and published on January 24, 2022).
For those Disney Fanatics beginning to plan their own Walt Disney World Vacation for later this year or next, you would be pleased to know that all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom) are available at this time.
Disney’s Theme Park Reservation System has been a part of Disney-goers lives since Disney World reopened in 2020 after the pandemic-induced lockdown. Originally purposed to hold back the tide of returning Guests to meet certain health and safety guidelines like physical distancing and limited Park Hours, the policy has remained in place as Disney World executives steadily increased capacities closer towards pre-pandemic levels and revitalized Park Hopping. Only the Water Parks, and Typhoon Lagoon, were left out of the System.
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However, 18 months after the reopening, the restrictions remain in effect. Face masks are still required in some areas, Park Hopping is not allowed until after 2 pm, and certain experiences remain closed. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refuses to impose further overreaching government restrictions on the people and businesses of his state, leaving Disney to continue restrictions and mask mandates of its own free will.
But who knows what will happen between January 2022 and January 2024? Perhaps Disney looks to adapt the reservation system and operation of Park Hopping to a post-pandemic approach to crowd control. Perhaps it is better business to assume that life will be the same tomorrow as it is today, just in case it actually is. Whatever the case may be, it is very clear–if it wasn’t already–that the Disney World Park Reservation system is not going anywhere.
