Josh D’Amaro Says Disney Wants to “Simplify” Park Experience, These Are the 2 BIG Steps They Can Take

Things have changed a lot at Disney theme parks over the past few years. Disney seemed to have things down to a science, but then the pandemic hit. The company was forced to shut down all its theme parks, some for more than a year. When they finally reopened, things were a lot different. While many of the COVID protocols are no longer in place, things are still not the same. Guests are not thrilled with a lot of the changes. Many of them frequently voice their frustration and say that planning a Disney vacation has become too complicated.

It appears that Disney has been listening to its Guests and is planning on making some changes. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro recently spoke at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference and said that Disney was actively working on making changes to simplify the Disney experience.

If D’Amaro and Disney really mean that, and really want to make things easier for Guests, there are two simple changes they can make.

Get Rid of Theme Park Reservations

If there is one thing that is at the top of the frustration list for Disney Guests, it’s making theme park reservations. When the Parks opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations made sense. Disney had to keep the Parks at just 25% capacity. However, those capacity restrictions are no longer in place and the Parks seem busier than ever. So, it’s time to say “bye-bye” to reservations.

Disney has recently made some changes to its Walt Disney World Resort reservations that do signal the end may be near for reservations altogether. Beginning in January 2024, Guests who purchase date-based tickets will no longer have to make theme park reservations. This goes along with new reservation requirements for Annual Passholders, who will no longer need reservations to enter the theme parks after 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In addition to not needing reservations after 2 p.m., Annual Passholders will be given more “Good to Go” Days. Those days, certain Disney World theme parks will not require reservations at all.

All of these changes seem to indicate that, before long, reservations will be completely gone. But why make people wait? Just get rid of the reservation system and make things easier on Guests who want to visit.

End Disney Genie+

While theme park reservations are nearly guaranteed to fall by the wayside, this one is a little bit of a fantasy. But it would still make things A LOT easier on Guests. Disney Genie+ was revealed back in 2021, and Disney said that it was becoming the replacement for Disney’s FastPass system. Guests were angry from the start, mainly because Disney was replacing a very popular free system (FastPass) with a system that each Guest would have to pay for if they wanted it. Many accused Bob Chapek of being greedy, since Disney park prices were also drastically increasing.

Despite the fact that Guests seem to despise Disney Genie+, the service frequently sells out. Guests have admitted that they feel they have to purchase Genie+ in order to experience everything they want to while visiting the Parks. Disney makes millions off of Genie+, so the likelihood that it will go away is pretty slim. However, since its introduction, Lightning Lanes (former FastPass lines) have become longer than ever. The FastPass system worked incredibly well, but Genie+ has appeared to cause nothing but problems and longer lines.

So, if Mr. D’Amaro is truly serious about making things easier for Guests — and he should be — then he has just been given a solid place to start. Taking a trip to Walt Disney World vacation has always required a bit of planning, but now, things are more complicated than ever. Add to that, a lot of Guests are tired of relying so much on their phones to do everything.

So, let’s try to manifest these changes and make Disney an easier place to visit!