Walt Disney World sued by passholders over reservation system

Locals with passes. 🙂 Although I often wonder how many there are. The window to buy after the pandemic was pretty short.

Why does Disney hate spontaneous people?

I have heard that enough people are confused by the hopping rules and are directed at the MK gate to go tap in to Epcot and then come back that the CM's at Epcot recognize it when they see it coming.

^^ We were wondering about that as well. I believe we got our passes in September of 2021, but didn't activate them until May of this year. There was a pause in pass sales and then they opened them up for a brief time. I swear the next morning after i bought ours people were reporting that they had already stopped again.

Before the pandemic we'd let our passes expire when doing other vacations. Now I am going to tell them to put us on auto renewal. Our visit a few weeks ago they gave us bonus days that I was able to make park reservations for our eight day stay ahead of time, and I'm ok as long as I know I have access when we're visiting.

ApolloAndy:

I have heard that enough people are confused by the hopping rules and are directed at the MK gate to go tap in to Epcot and then come back that the CM's at Epcot recognize it when they see it coming.

That just seems like an unnecessary hassle (and poor guest service) if the end result is still having the ability to go to any park after tapping into the first one, but forcing folks to go through this process.

^ I wouldn't want to be the one explaining that to the customer.

And the thing is, if you're not being an asshole, they almost always make exceptions. My MIL got tickets for next day, in July, just by calling and being polite and explaining that friends from Norway were here and had a narrow window to visit. They probably make hundreds of accommodations daily for people who can't figure out Lightning Lane.

But I HAVE AN ANNUAL OR DVC GIVE ME ACCESS is a sure way to get nothing.

Which again leads to the question: if exceptions can be (and are being) made and the workaround for getting into a full park is to simply enter Epcot (or another open park), turn around and go to the park that's "full", is there a genuine benefit to these park pass reservations as far as the guest experience is concerned?

I feel like it just creates inconsistencies that hurt the guest experience. Like Jeff said, and I have seen it first hand they will let you slide(a lot of the time,) when you're courteous.

The other side of that we were almost 2 hours late(verifiable dinner reservation,) for our check-in to ride Guardians of the Galaxy(lightning lane purchase,) and when we told them they wanted us to go to guest services to get them to reset it for us. That's when I said, "We've paid for our spot to ride we are riding. I apologize that we're late, but we are not walking to front of the park because we are late." They then let us scan our bands and on the ride.

Speaking of pass renewals I just got the email to renew ours. Our Sorcerer pass will now become Incredi Pass when we do renew, and I have until November 5th to decide. Interesting that pass shows reservations available for every park through the end of the year including today.

BrettV:

is there a genuine benefit to these park pass reservations as far as the guest experience is concerned?

I don't think the reservation system benefits guests at all, since the attendance cap is still "crazy ass crowded." But really, how many pass holders are really going to park hop? I imagine it's mostly a deterrent. And again, let's not lose sight of the fact that the remedy is to plan ahead a few days.

In eight years, I've park hopped exactly twice, so that's my anecdote.

The hopping after 2 is the thing that bothers me the most, mainly on DHS mornings. That park gets so packed so quickly that I’m ready to leave by noon. What makes it even worse is that DHS has crappy food, and in the before times I would simply hop to Epcot to go eat lunch at the festival now I can’t. I really wish they would at the least roll this back to noon.

^^ Typically we pick a park and spend the day at that park. We arrive between 1000 -1100 and stay until dinner time. We usually eat right before we go to the park, and then make reservations for a restaurant at the park we're at or somewhere else on property.

This past visit was the first time we park hopped for dinner at the Magic Kingdom from Epcot. It was fine.

^ I understand Touchdown. Other friends of ours are the opposite of us. They are older and don't really care to ride much. They enjoy the events, food, concerts, etc. They used to park hop(sometimes multiple times a day.)

In the past few years they've stopped going altogether, and put their son on the DVC deed. Now they just let him take his girlfriend and friends down, or they rent out the points. They were the people that really talked us into joining DVC.

^Im a commando I’m there for Resort Rope Drop to close. However I park hop at least once a day, it helps break up the experiences and gives me a break midday. I have a Table Service meal at 5pm ish and usually a light lunch midday. Waiting until 2 is too late for that lunch ad the early dinner is to see the night shows so I don’t want to bump that later either. It’s not a problem in AK or Epcot obviously (as the in park good there is great) but it stinks in DHS which has the worst counter service food of any park (MK a little too but not as bad.)

Years ago when we would come down as a family (before I ever moved to Orlando or worked for WDW) we would often do Magic Kingdom at rope drop to get as much done as we could before the 11am crowds picked up. We would then be in another park by noon, and then sometimes a third by 6pm. This strategy got us several 2-3 hour stretches at Magic Kingdom to essentially do a "full day" over the course of 3-5 days with the early morning walk ons, and then enjoy the slower pace of the other three parks the rest of the day.

Then again, these were also the days when you could use paper Fastpass to your advantage, sometimes getting 8 or 9 Fastpass experiences a day and multiples on the same ride if they were available. And while you waited the hour or two for your redemption window, the C and D ticket rides without Fastpass would have people eating lines that never stopped.

Disney hates power riding and rerides.

I almost always agree with Jeff, but not this time.

Whatever happened to the idea of expanding a park that has growing attendance? If you don't even have the capacity to allow for spontaneous visitors, and you require reservations, even from your passholders who already paid for admission, maybe it's time to expand your offerings.

Until they get it figured out, I have no desire to visit them. Spending my limited vacation time off of work fighting other paying customers, facing the possibility of not getting the experience I am expecting... It seems so stressful and complicated.

Good for this couple. Expecting access to an amusement park you paid admission for without having to make reservations, because the park can not figure out how to provide their product to everyone who wants it, is not unreasonable.

LostKause:

almost always agree with Jeff, but not this time.

Whatever happened to the idea of expanding a park that has growing attendance? If you don't even have the capacity to allow for spontaneous visitors, and you require reservations, even from your passholders who already paid for admission, maybe it's time to expand your offerings.

Until they get it figured out, I have no desire to visit them. Spending my limited vacation time off of work fighting other paying customers, facing the possibility of not getting the experience I am expecting... It seems so stressful and complicated.

Good for this couple. Expecting access to an amusement park you paid admission for without having to make reservations, because the park can not figure out how to provide their product to everyone who wants it, is not unreasonable.

how would you suggest Disney expand the park?

build identical park next to it and balance the capacity?

build a new park somewhere else in the US?

expand the actual park by adding land space and E ticket rides?

Expand the hours of operation?

You're not wrong, Travis, but we're taking about four of the most expensive theme parks ever built, that in aggregate entertain an estimated 40 million visitor per year. I mean, that capacity is insane. It's not like they aren't trying to keep up!

LostKause:

Whatever happened to the idea of expanding a park that has growing attendance?

They've been doing this. In the past ten years, they've opened:

• New Fantasyland in MK (new sub-land, unless you want to go back to Submarine Voyage, and still an add)
• The Pandoraverse in AK (replacing a stub land, but retaining and moving that land's attractions)
• Toy Story Land in DS (new land, plus a third track on Toy Story Mania)
• A third Soarin' theater plus Rat and the France expansion in EP
• Galaxy's Edge in DS (replacing Lights Motors Action and backlot, but significantly larger)

Additionally, Tron (expansion of TL in MK) should be open "soonish" now that they are in the tree-planting phase.

That’s over 10 years, in that same time Universal has added:

-Transformers

-Diagon Alley

-Volcano Bay

-King Kong

-Jimmy Fallon

-F&F (or should I say “subtracted”)

-Hagrids

-Veliciocoaster

-Bourne Stuntshow

-And they’re building a third park

Disney is not keeping up with the industry

To be fair, Universal was stagnant for the better part of a decade plus before HP.