Guests Call for an End to Disney Park “Punishment”

Once you set foot on Main Street, it’s hard for anything to rain on your Disney parade. Even rainstorms have a hard time dampening the Disney experience for die-hard Guests who know how to navigate the Parks in all kinds of weather.

The anticipation of a Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation is enough to turn a bad day at the office around, and a meticulously-planned itinerary is easy to pull off with the help of friendly Cast Members. While flexibility is a sound practice in all aspects of life, it’s hard to imagine a Disney vacation that doesn’t meet expectations. But nothing is entirely within our control; unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances can interfere with a coveted Disney trip.

What happens if you wake up unwell on the morning of your rope-dropping extravaganza? Not only will you be weighed down by the disappointment of a missed Disney opportunity, but you’ll have to deal with the repercussions from the Disney Parks.

“Punished” by the Parks

In 2021, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek introduced a Park reservation system to curb crowds and lower the COVID-19 transmission rates. Although it was a wise move for the time, the system is still in effect over two years later, and the mechanics of it have fallen short on several occasions.

Years ago, Disney Guests could show up to the turnstiles with a crumpled-up ticket from the early aughts and still enjoy a day at Disney. The tickets are expensive at both the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and an unspoken honor system allows an extensive ticket life for Guests. But after numerous changes in logistics and policies after the pandemic, that honor system has become one that seemingly “punishes” Guests.

At Disneyland Park, Magic Key holders (like Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World) can cancel a Disney reservation until 11:59 p.m. PST the night before a scheduled Park time. But life happens, and Kitra Remick (@kitra) took to Twitter to point out a flaw in the Park’s system:

I’m ready for the reservation system at Disneyland to come to an end. I woke up not feeling well today and am now going to be punished for not showing up to the Park with no way to cancel 

I’m ready for the reservation system at Disneyland to come to an end. I woke up not feeling well today and am now going to be punished for not showing up to the park with no way to cancel 😞

— Kitra Remick (@kitra) July 3, 2023

While the Disneyland reservation system allows three cancelations in 90 days without penalty, @kitra shared why that isn’t the consolation Disney intended it to be:

I know, but we don’t live close to the park and I fear within a 3 month period it could happen again!

I know, but we don’t live close to the park and I fear within a 3 month period it could happen again!

— Kitra Remick (@kitra) July 3, 2023

Walt Disney World is set to drop reservations in 2024, but Disneyland Guests are waiting for the west coast Park to follow suit. There are few fan bases as fiercely loyal as Disney Guests, and with the world returning to “normalcy,” it’s a good time for Disney to drop some of the restrictions across the board.