Reservations needed through 2023: Utilizing Disney World's Park Pass reservation system

While Disney's CEO recently indicated that he doesn't anticipate the continuation of face masks and pandemic-related measures at Disney World as we progress toward full vaccine rollout in 2022, it appears that park reservations will remain a necessity at least until early 2023.

Disney World has announced its hotel booking window for 2022, which includes the option to secure your Park Pass reservations for entry into the theme parks until January 2023.

Prior to the reopening of Disney World following the pandemic shutdown, there was no requirement for reservations to enter the Disney theme parks. However, this became mandatory when the park reopened in July 2020, along with face mask mandates for guests aged 2 and older, the (temporary?) suspension of FastPass+, social distancing measures at character dining, and various operational adjustments within Disney resort hotels.

To access any of the four Disney World theme parks, you'll need to utilize the Disney Park Pass system. Here's how to secure your essential Disney World Park Pass reservation.

The various park pass calendars for different guests

First and foremost, to visit a Disney theme park at least until early 2023, you’ll need either a Disney World theme park ticket or an annual pass to book a park pass reservation. Here’s how to utilize your points to obtain Disney World tickets.

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There are actually three distinct Disney World park pass reservation calendars: one for guests with both theme park tickets or annual passes and a Disney resort hotel booking, another for those with an annual pass but no Disney hotel reservation, and a third for those with only individual theme park tickets. It has been repeatedly noted in various Disney earnings calls and reports that guests with individual or multi-day tickets generate significantly more revenue per visit compared to those with annual passes. In fact, new annual passes are still not available at Disney World, and it has been confirmed that annual passes will not return in their previous format at Disneyland.

You'll see that park availability varies for each group of guests. Some guest categories have access to a larger inventory than others at different times.

If you can't find the desired hotel for sale directly from Disney, remember that you can rent Disney Vacation Club points to make a reservation at a DVC Disney resort. In some cases, like at the partially closed Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the DVC rooms may be the only options available for booking.

Alternatively, if you book a room at one of the Bonnet Creek or Disney Springs hotels that typically provide Disney benefits (like 60-day FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours) and link it to your My Disney Experience account, this should also count as your required Disney resort booking to access that category of Park Pass inventory.

When you can book a Park Pass reservation

You can secure a Disney World Park Pass reservation as soon as you have a theme park ticket or an annual pass for visits beginning on or before January 14, 2023. If you wish to book under the resort guest availability, you'll also need to have that reservation made and linked to your My Disney Experience account.

You can check park reservation availability online before buying tickets.

How to secure your Disney Park Pass reservation

If you have your My Disney Experience account ready, along with your theme park tickets and any hotel reservations linked, simply log in and choose "Disney Park Pass reservation" from the menu.

On this page, click on "Make a Disney Park Pass Reservation" highlighted in blue at the top right corner.

You can also go directly to this link to begin the process.

Next, select the group of people you want to take to the park on a specific date. Keep in mind that everyone you choose must have a valid park ticket or Disney annual pass linked to their account, except for children under 3 years old, who do not need a ticket or Park Pass reservation to enter Disney World.

Next, choose the date and theme park you want to visit among the four parks at Walt Disney World.

You can visit only one park each day, but park hopping is allowed from your original park starting at 2 p.m., subject to availability. Additionally, expensive private VIP tours can facilitate visits to multiple parks in a single day. If you hold an annual pass without a Disney resort reservation linked to your account, you can only make up to three park day bookings at once.

Disney's Hollywood Studios tends to fill up the fastest on popular days, which isn't surprising given its new attractions like Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. An exception to this trend occurs on October 1, 2021, the 50th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom, which has already sold out months in advance.

After selecting your park, you'll encounter a screen prompting you to choose your entry time. While this may be used in the future to specify an exact time for park entry, currently, the options available only cover the full day.

After selecting your time, you’ll be greeted with a congratulations screen.

Initially, the park pass system faced occasional errors upon launch, but it seems the demand has stabilized, and issues are now rare.

If everything went smoothly, you’ll find your reservation listed under the "My Plans" section of your My Disney Experience account.

Summary

Visiting Disney World during the pandemic is certainly a different experience, but it’s not all negative. Currently, capacity is capped at 35% of the previous maximum visitor count. While this may change in the future, it appears the Park Pass reservation system will remain in place at least until 2023.

Aside from the reservation system, some planning aspects for Disney World are simpler now compared to the past (there are no FastPass+ reservations or the need to book dining six months in advance). Once your plans are set and you have your park tickets, you can secure your Disney Park Pass reservation and start counting down to your stroll down Main Street U.S.A.