Everything Park Reservations - Please Read Post 1

[scrappinginontario]

Update- (like I said I'm new to the system)- I found out that if I purchase a park hopper and choose any available park, I can then park hop to any park I want after 2pm. Animal Kingdom was the only park showing available for the day I am going BUT when I bought the ticket and made my reservation it let me select Hollywood Studios instead even though it didn't show as available. So now my plan is to go to Hollywood Studios in the morning and Magic Kingdom after 2pm.

Just a bit of clarification, the 'Park Reservation Availability Calendar' is not updated real time.

If you were able to book a park reservation for AK even though it was showing as not available on the calendar, is because there was space available, not because PH was on your ticket.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just a bit of clarification, the 'Park Reservation Availability Calendar' is not updated real time.

It sure isn’t! Someone just joined me for my trip in a few weeks. I’d been watching the calendar for non-AP availability the last two days and was going to have to way modify plans because EP wasn’t available the 3 days I had it booked on my AP. Low and behold when I bought her ticket yesterday I was able to get her EP for 2 out of those 3 days despite the calendar still saying no availability

 

[golferronnie]

I have to admit I am totally baffled by this park availability thing, I'm in my 60s and just wanting to go to Epcot for a day on 16 May with a friend - a Monday as I thought Mondays would be quietest for Epcot. But there appears to be only availability for Animal Kingdom that day, which sounds absurd. Does that mean I can't buy a single day ticket for Epcot? Help!

 

[Meglen]

I have to admit I am totally baffled by this park availability thing, I'm in my 60s and just wanting to go to Epcot for a day on 16 May with a friend - a Monday as I thought Mondays would be quietest for Epcot. But there appears to be only availability for Animal Kingdom that day, which sounds absurd. Does that mean I can't buy a single day ticket for Epcot? Help!

As of right now just grab the animal kingdom park pass to have something. Worst case you head to AK tap in turn around and head to Epcot at 2pm(if you buy a hopper). May is the guardians ap previews so the park passes are gone due to that. Did your friend get a pass for Epcot?

 

[golferronnie]

As of right now just grab the animal kingdom park pass to have something. Worst case you head to AK tap in turn around and head to Epcot at 2pm(if you buy a hopper). May is the guardians ap previews so the park passes are gone due to that. Did your friend get a pass for Epcot?

Okay thanks very much - I'm presuming AP = Annual Pass?
So it's likely because of demand for previews of the new rides?

 

[golferronnie]

Okay thanks very much - I'm presuming AP = Annual Pass?
So it's likely because of demand for previews of the new rides?

What I don't understand is why there is still availability for the weekend? I thought that would be much busier?

 

[Meglen]

What I don't understand is why there is still availability for the weekend? I thought that would be much busier?

8,9,10,15,16,18,19,20,21 were the AP(yes annual pass) preview days so maybe see if the 11-14th are available and go those days?

 

[PolyAddict]

I was thinking of switching parks on May 3 but calendar shows unavailable for MK. When I pretend to make ressie it shows as an option but of course won’t let me change because I already have a park ressie for that day. So does that mean I can cancel what I have and book MK?

Thanks

 

[Meglen]

I was thinking of switching parks on May 3 but calendar shows unavailable for MK. When I pretend to make ressie it shows as an option but of course won’t let me change because I already have a park ressie for that day. So does that mean I can cancel what I have and book MK?

Thanks

If one is showing full and another with availability.. it might be risky. If you cancel and than its not there you wont have anything

 

[Paging Mr. Morrow]

Does anyone know if park capacity/reservation availability is higher on the weekends? I am confused because if I look at the weekdays in early May they are almost completely sold out for every park already but the weekend has full availability? Am I missing something? Was planning to do a resort day on the weekend to avoid major crowds but maybe the weekends are less busy for some reason ?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just in case people are wondering about Epcot in May it's going to probably look weird because there's a slew of various previews. The previews are not requiring a park reservation but it appears *observationally* Disney is accounting for the extra people in the park reservation system.

The list of Previews is Cast Members have already started theirs but they have Friends and Family events:
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 22
May 23
May 24

AP previews are
May 8
May 9
May 10
May 15
May 16
May 18
May 19
May 20
May 21

DVC previews are
May 9
May 18

D23 preview is May 15th

Media event may be early part of May (I mention on another thread speculating May 6th but that's my speculation, only information I could find is likely first week of May but I looked at park reservations for my guess, do not use my word for gold on media previews).

 

[scrappinginontario]

Just helping with further information re: day of the week. Expanding on post above:

The list of Previews is Cast Members have already started theirs but they have Friends and Family events:
Wed, May 11
Thurs, May 12
Fri, May 13
Sun, May 22
Mon, May 23
Tues, May 24

AP previews are
Sun, May 8
Mon, May 9
Tues, May 10
Sun, May 15
Mon, May 16
Wed, May 18
Thurs, May 19
Fri, May 20
Sat, May 21

DVC previews are
Mon, May 9
Wed, May 18

D23 preview is Sun, May 15th

Does anyone know if park capacity/reservation availability is higher on the weekends? I am confused because if I look at the weekdays in early May they are almost completely sold out for every park already but the weekend has full availability? Am I missing something? Was planning to do a resort day on the weekend to avoid major crowds but maybe the weekends are less busy for some reason ?

I think adding days of the week to @Mackenzie Click-Mickelson's post shows why it may appear there are more reservations available on weekends. There is only 1 Saturday in the entire month with GotG previews.

 

[Paging Mr. Morrow]

Just helping with further information re: day of the week. Expanding on post above:

The list of Previews is Cast Members have already started theirs but they have Friends and Family events:
Wed, May 11
Thurs, May 12
Fri, May 13
Sun, May 22
Mon, May 23
Tues, May 24

AP previews are
Sun, May 8
Mon, May 9
Tues, May 10
Sun, May 15
Mon, May 16
Wed, May 18
Thurs, May 19
Fri, May 20
Sat, May 21

DVC previews are
Mon, May 9
Wed, May 18

D23 preview is Sun, May 15th



I think adding days of the week to @Mackenzie Click-Mickelson's post shows why it may appear there are more reservations available on weekends. There is only 1 Saturday in the entire month with GotG previews.

I was more questioning may 2-6 (mon-fri) being sold out at most/all of the parks and then the 7th and 8th (sat/Sunday) having full availability at all parks. Doesn’t look like any of those days intersect with gotg previews. Can’t wrap my head around it! New to the park pass stuff so just wondering out loud, I was checking wait times this past Saturday at HS too and they were less then when I looked during the week. So odd

 

[scrappinginontario]

I was more questioning may 2-6 (mon-fri) being sold out at most/all of the parks and then the 7th and 8th (sat/Sunday) having full availability at all parks. Doesn’t look like any of those days intersect with gotg previews. Can’t wrap my head around it! New to the park pass stuff so just wondering out loud, I was checking wait times this past Saturday at HS too and they were less then when I looked during the week. So odd

This is just a guess on my part but I wouldn’t be surprised if a week from now things will look very different. I could be wrong but Disney is extremely busy right now and as dates get closer more and more fill up.

Or it could be those dates are just quieter from those around it for no particular reason. It’s really hard to tell especially since Disney does not release official numbers.

 

[lilkuf10]

Just curious if the Park Reservation System is still opening spots up real time when somebody cancels. If I sit here and refresh the date I want repeatedly when trying to book a reservation, would I eventually get it if someone cancels? or does Disney pool all of the cancellations and potentially open them up at a later time? Thank You!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Just curious if the Park Reservation System is still opening spots up real time when somebody cancels. If I sit here and refresh the date I want repeatedly when trying to book a reservation, would I eventually get it if someone cancels? or does Disney pool all of the cancellations and potentially open them up at a later time? Thank You!

I’m not sure we know how Disney loads cancellations. We only know the calendar is not updated real-time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was more questioning may 2-6 (mon-fri) being sold out at most/all of the parks and then the 7th and 8th (sat/Sunday) having full availability at all parks. Doesn’t look like any of those days intersect with gotg previews. Can’t wrap my head around it! New to the park pass stuff so just wondering out loud, I was checking wait times this past Saturday at HS too and they were less then when I looked during the week. So odd

DHS will be Star Wars stuff and that park has been booked up for normal park tickets for more than month or so. Epcot could be media previews but don't have concrete dates on that, a CM friend did tell me he thought first week of May for media previews.

Because Disney uses their own metric now it's hard to know if they've lowered capacity for any given day but allowed higher capacity on another day. They do also float the park reservation available now with sometimes adding to the normal park ticket bucket or adding to the AP bucket.

I agree on the perhaps frustrating process but check back from time to time. As my friends who live down there and my CM friend say old crowd patterns don't matter anymore.

 

[lilkuf10]

I’m not sure we know how Disney loads cancellations. We only know the calendar is not updated real-time.

Appreciate the honesty. Any advice on getting a reservation for a full park without the hopper pass? Has anyone noticed that things open up closer to the arrival date?

 

[Aubrav]

Just a bit of clarification, the 'Park Reservation Availability Calendar' is not updated real time.

If you were able to book a park reservation for AK even though it was showing as not available on the calendar, is because there was space available, not because PH was on your ticket.

Yes, I understand that. It had nothing to do with the park hopper, just that in real time HS happened to be available when the static calendar only showed AK. I'm sorry if I made that unclear for anyone!

 

[jnfr2424]

Appreciate the honesty. Any advice on getting a reservation for a full park without the hopper pass? Has anyone noticed that things open up closer to the arrival date?

Im hoping for the same result I’m bringing my mother as a last minute Mothers Day present but I can’t add her to DHS on the 9th. Hoping something opens up soon