Hiya, Chrystal!
From one Disney Parks fan to another, welcome to planDisney! A quick dip into one of the theme parks on a sunny afternoon is good for the soul, which is why I love my own Walt Disney World Resort Annual Pass so much. By the way, Chrystal, I’m so glad that you asked this question because I had never considered that my family could stumble onto this same dilemma. Let’s get into what I learned on this
Annual Passholder quest!
Our journey first takes us to a chat that I had with a friendly Cast Member today. They confirmed that this awesome perk of not needing a theme park reservations after 2 p.m. for Annual Passholders (except on weekends at Magic Kingdom Park) isn’t dependent on theme park reservations availability. Instead, you’ll want to check the
My Disney Experience App under Park Hours to see if your desired theme park has park hopping availability. You have a green light to visit if it hasn’t reached capacity.
Next stop: Even better news! Beginning January 9, 2024, we Annual Passholders will still have the same “after 2 p.m. perk” but we’ll be able to park hop at any time during the day! Our passes are not date-based theme park tickets, so we’ll still need to make a theme park reservation for the morning, but once you check into the reserved park, you’re free to roam as you please. I love this!
AN EXTRA GEM: Alas! I spy that after January 9, 2024, we should be on the lookout for dates marked as "good-to-go days.” So, on some days, we’ll be able to get our fill of pixie dust at any time of day without a reservation at all. Woohoo!
Thanks for joining me on this adventure, Chrystal! If you have any other questions about your annual pass or need suggestions about what to explore at The Most Magical Place on Earth,
give us a holler here at planDisney.
Magic always,
LeAndra