Disney cancels reservation requirements at theme parks

Disney will scrap its much-maligned reservation requirement that forced ticket buyers to choose specific dates to enter the four Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida, the company said.

Visitors to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios had lashed out at Disney over its policy — instituted during the pandemic — that required guests already paying huge ticket prices to book spots for the park they wanted to attend.

However, starting Jan. 9, guests will only need to buy a date-based ticket without the need to make an additional reservation, the Mouse House said Monday.

Those who have annual passes will still be forced to make reservations for most visits, but Disney said it will introduce so-called “good-to-go days” that won’t require a reservation.

Earlier this year, Disney allowed annual passholders to move freely between the Orland-based theme parks after 2 p.m. without a reservation. The perk does not include the Magic Kingdom on weekends.

Before COVID, Disney guests could freely go from one park to another.

Currently, park-hopping is banned after 2 p.m. — meaning that guests are limited as to where they can go and at which restaurants they can eat.

Disney will also bring back dining plans for those who have booked rooms at their resort hotels after Jan. 9.

Visitors to the theme parks have chafed at the amount of planning they needed to do before boarding any rides.

Guests must decide which rides they want to patronize as well which payment plan they intend to choose in order to skip lines.

A Genie Plus subscription, which replaced the old FastPass+ system, costs between $15 and $25 per day, per person.

It allows visitors to skip lines at certain rides and attractions by going through Lightning Lanes.

Guests are also allowed to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for those rides that offer the perk individually.

Those who use Lightning Lanes will have to book the times and rides in advance.

A single adult ticket can cost as much as $179 on days with the most demand.

According to the MouseHacking blog, a “baseline” vacation to Disney World that includes a family of four — two adults, one child over the age of 10, and another child between the ages of 3 and 9 — could cost a minimum of $6,320.

The sky-high price includes flights, transportation to and from the theme park, a five-night stay at a Disney hotel that charges $316 per person per night, five day tickets with no park-hopping privileges, a Genie Plus pass at two theme parks, and food.