Guest Forgets to Make Park Reservation, Takes It Out On Cast Member

Via DisDining.com

Disneyland Resort was closed for more than one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Disney officials decided to make a lot of changes to how Guests would be able to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. For one, the traditional Annual Pass system was done away with and a new Magic Key Pass Program was introduced. Second — and possibly the most important — all Guests ages two and up are now required to make a theme park reservation before they head to The Happiest Place on Earth.

Guests who want to visit Disneyland and California Adventure must not only select which day they would like to visit the Resort, but also what Park they would like to spend their day in. Even Guests with a Park Hopper ticket must select which Park they would like to start in. The reservation system — which is also in place at Walt Disney World Resort — has been a controversial one. While many Guests have become used to it, there are still times when some people forget about those essential reservations, which can become problematic on especially busy days.

On some days, there are still reservations that can be made the day of. However, during busier times of the year — like summer and the holidays — if you head to the Parks and you don’t have a reservation, you may be out of luck. Most people would realize the error was theirs and lay the blame at their own feet. However, one Guest did not lay the blame on himself, instead, he took it out on a Cast Member operating a ticket booth.

TikToker John Tovarr was also in line at the ticketing area and recorded the Guest’s outburst. You can watch the video of the incident below.

As you can see, the Guest informed the Cast Member that everyone in his party had a theme park reservation, except for a young boy. While we cannot hear what the Cast Member says, they seem to indicate that the young boy’s ticket is not valid for that day and the angry man says to upgrade the boy’s current Magic Key. Unfortunately, it does not look like that solution would have worked. The man gets angrier as he yells at the Cast Member, seemingly shocked that the boy can’t get in when everyone else in the party has a reservation.

Here is what you need to know about Disneyland Resort’s new theme park reservation system — which applies to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure:

All Guests (ages 3 and older) are required to have:

  • Valid admission and park reservation, for the same date and same park, for each day of their visit
  • An approved face covering for each Guest age 2 and older, as applicable. Please check current face covering requirements.

Theme park reservations can be made up to 120 days or more in advance, subject to availability. To accommodate as many types of ticket holders as possible, reservations for select dates may be made available on a rolling basis. Different types of admission may have different reservation date availability. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability, and availability can change until the park reservation is finalized. Check for updated availability.

Before you take your own magical Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort vacation, it is important to make sure that you have all of your theme park reservations made. While Cast Members will do their best to help you if you find yourself without one, if the Parks are at capacity, their hands are tied. Guests need to remember that making a reservation is their responsibility.

If you are struggling to make your theme park reservations, or need help planning your Disney vacation, you can chat with a representative through either Resort’s website — just make sure you chat with a representative from the correct Resort. Both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort websites also have phone numbers you can call if you need additional assistance.

Disney Runs Out of Park Reservations for Major Upcoming Holiday

One Disney Park is already booked solid for a major upcoming holiday.

There is no denying that since 2020, the Disney Parks and Resorts have been completely different. When the Parks reopened in 2020 we saw a lull in Guests as there were very few who were traveling as well as Disney has a very small capacity limit. Since that point in time, we have seen borders reopen and travel become a more “normal” part of life for many. Along with that, we have seen Disney open their capacity more, remove mask mandates, bring back a lot of entertainment, and head towards an operational schedule that reminds us of a pre-pandemic Disney.

Despite how crowded the Parks are, they are all still operating under a reduced capacity. At the moment, Disney will not release what that number is, but it is likely in the higher range as shoulder-to-shoulder crowds are back. Guests must still collect and obtain a Disney Park Pass to enter a theme park, and as we noted, those do not seem to be going anywhere soon as you can currently make Park Passes through to 2024.

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom

We recently noticed that one Disney Park is completely full in a few months. As you can see in our screenshot from the official Disney World website below, there are no more reservations available for Magic Kingdon on the 4th of July this year:

magic-kingdom-capacity

To enter a park, both a park reservation and a valid ticket or pass for the same park on the same date are required. Upon reopening, certain parks, hotels, restaurants, attractions, services, experiences, amenities, and other offerings will be modified or unavailable, will have limited capacity, and will be subject to limited availability or even closure, and that park admission and offerings are not guaranteed.

magic kingdom

In addition to riding rides such as Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, “it’s a small world”, Space Mountain, and others, Guests can also catch what many refer to as the 3 o’clock parade, Festival of Fantasy, which just recently returned to the Park.

At nighttime, Guests can watch the newly debuted fireworks show, Disney Enchantment, which replaced the now retired, Happily Ever After, for Disney World’s 50th anniversary.

Walt Disney World Parks at Capacity Through April 8 for All Except Passholders

If you’re planning your visit to Walt Disney World, you likely know by now that you must have a Park Pass reservation to access any one of the four parks. Snagging a Park Pass reservation as soon as possible is increasingly important, as we’re starting to see more and more capacity days as Spring sets in and Disney fans flock to the parks. Currently, the Park Pass calendar is showing all Walt Disney World parks are at capacity through April 8 for all except Passholders.

As you’ll see in the March screenshots below, of the three ticket tiers (Theme Park Tickets, Select Resort Hotels, and Annual Passes), only Passholders have the option of going to select parks for some of the remaining March dates.

March

March “Theme Park Tickets” tier showing at capacity.

March “Select Resort Hotels” tier showing at capacity:

March “Annual Passes” tier showing select March dates/parks available.

April

As we turn the calendar into April, the same happens for the first part of April, leaving April 1-8 closed to all guests, except Passholders.

April “Theme Park Tickets” tier showing at capacity through April 8:

April “Select Resort Hotels” tier showing at capacity through April 8:

April “Annual Passes” tier showing select April dates/parks available.

As previously shared in February, Bob Chapek, confirmed the park capacity will remain at 35% with a rise depending on the COVID-19 public vaccination rate. We haven’t heard an update from Disney regarding any new park capacity insight, but we’ll be sure to share if Disney decides to increase capacity. In the meantime, don’t forget to snag those Park Pass reservations ASAP!

Disney Park Pass Theme Park Reservation System Will Remain Through January 2023

Introduced with the reopening of Walt Disney World theme parks in July, the Disney Park Pass reservation system requires guests to book a specific park per day ahead of their trip, based on availability—which varies depending on whether you’re a ticket holder, Annual Passholder, or Disney Resort hotel guests. Previously, the Disney Park Pass availability calendar extended through September 2021, but was then extended until January 2022. With 2022 resort and vacation bookings now open, it seems Disney has updated the calendar to cover that period of time.

The Disney Park Pass calendar now extends through January 2023, meaning that the theme park reservation system is here to stay for quite some time.

A valid Annual Pass or theme park ticket is required to make a Disney Park Pass reservation. As a reminder, Annual Passholders are limited to three rolling Park Pass reservations at a time, in addition to any acquired via a Disney Resort hotel stay.

To check for the most current and up-to-date Disney Park Pass availability, you can take a look at the calendar here. 

Shanghai Disneyland Opens Park Reservation System To General Admission Guests

Shanghai Disneyland became the first of the Disney Parks to reopen its gates following the COVID-19 pandemic back on May 11th, debuting new protocols on ticketing and reservations which have potentially been paving the way for the rest of the parks to follow suit.

When the park first reopened, new measures were implemented to help control and limit the capacity levels in the new, socially-distanced park. Therefore, guests were only given the option to purchase specific-day tickets, and Annual Passholders were required to apply for a reservation into the park each day. Today, after three weeks of this procedure, Shanghai Disneyland has announced the option for guests with General Admission Tickets to also apply for a reservation, too. This reservation-only system is a must for park admission, so it is encouraging to see that the option has been extended to guests holding tickets without specified dates attached. The details, as per the Shanghai Disneyland reservation website, read as follows:

One-Day General Admission Ticket Advanced Reservation Procedures and Requirements

  • Guests who have purchased but have not used their one-day General Admission tickets must make a reservation for their visit date and time by clicking here, prior to their visit to the park.
  • To make a reservation, guests must enter the order number and the government ID number that were used when purchasing their tickets. Paper ticket holders must provide the ticket number which is either in 19 or 22 digits printed on the back of the ticket. If an accompanying guest is a child under the age of 3 years old or with a height of 1.0 meter and below on the day of their visit, his/her name, government ID, and a phone number of the ticket holder are required for advanced reservation.
  • Beginning at 13:00, June 1, 2020, reservations will be available to guests for park visits from June 3 through June 7. From 13:00, June 2, reservations for park visits on June 8 will be available to guests. From 13:00 every day starting June 3, we will open a six-day reservation calendar. Guests cannot make a reservation for a visit on the same date as the reservation. The reservation system will be updated at 13:00 each day, with a limited daily quota.
  • Park entry times offered will vary based on daily operations. Please visit the Advanced Reservation page for further details and to select available visitation dates and park entry times.
  • Only one reservation per time per ticket is permitted. The reservation may be cancelled or modified subject prior to activating the ticket at park entry. Available dates and times for reselection are subject to calendar and park daily operations.
  • Guests under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by a guest aged 16 or older in order to enter the park.
  • Guests who fail to make reservations during the Advanced Reservation Period will still be able to visit the park after the Advanced Reservation Period and before the end of the validity period*.
  • Guests can call the Shanghai Disney Resort Reservation Center (400-180-0000) for more information regarding the One-Day General Admission Ticket Advanced Reservation.

*The validity period of a One-Day General Admission Ticket will be extended for the number of lost days falling between the park’s closure date of January 25, 2020 and the end of the “Advanced Reservation Period.”

Guests wanting to reserve their entry must ensure they have their government ID number handy, alongside the details of the ticket. The reservation system can be accessed here, and the verification form looks like this: