No reservation NO admittance ⛔
Disney's non-negotiable entrance requirement you NEED to know about
UPDATE - Disney has announced that beginning in 2024, park reservations will be no longer needed at Disney World. Yippee! But you still need them at Disneyland.
Everybody's gotta have one
Hi everyone,
Today's topic is one of those 2am-OMG-don't-forget-that-thing kinda things. It is my core mission here at Go Informed to make sure you guys are in the know, and this is something you absolutely must know.
Disney will not let you into their parks without an advance reservation.
Luckily, park reservations aren't tricky, just one more logistical hoop. I know you've got this, and to be sure, I've put together a quick guide to get you on your way.
Wait, are you only going to Universal? Lucky you! All you'll need is a ticket to get into the gates at Universal Orlando or Universal Hollywood. Universal's ticket options can be a bit tricky though, so be sure to check out the posts I've linked to below.
Disney theme park reservation quick guide
1 - Every guest must have an advance reservation to enter a Disney park.
2 - This is an important early step in your touring planning. For every day you visit, you'll need to decide which park you're going to first, and you'll need to make a reservation to confirm this.
3 - If you have park hopper tickets , you only need to reserve your first park of the day. You are free to hop to any other park AFTER you have entered the one on your reservation.
Quick note: Park hopping begins at 2pm at Disney World and at 11am at Disneyland. You MUST enter the park where you have the reservation first, even if it's after 2pm/11am.
4 - You'll make your reservation online on the Disney website. And you'll make one reservation for each day you're in the parks.
5 - Reservations can be made as soon as you have your tickets. Yes, some days/parks can book up, so it's best to make your reservations soon after you have your tickets. Guests who book in a Disney package have a big advantage here - you can make your park reservations as soon as you pay the deposit for your vacation. Here's more about that.
6 - Yes, you can modify your park reservations as long as there's availability in the park you want to switch to.
7 - Check the park reservation availability BEFORE you finalize your trip dates. You'll want to be sure your first choices are open before purchasing tickets, flights, etc.
8 - Breeze up to the gate at your reserved park and have a magical day!
Choosing your Universal Orlando tickets
With two theme parks, plus the Volcano Bay water park, Universal Orlando has a rather bewildering array of ticketing options. Find out how to navigate the choices, and why tickets is one of the first things you should look at - BEFORE you finalize your dates - in my step-by-step guide to Universal Orlando's tickets right here.
Want a super-powerful Universal Orlando hack? Consider an annual pass for one member of your group! Annual passholders get perks, including substantial hotel discounts, that can really add up. Here's my post about how you can save money on your entire vacation with just one annual pass.