Hi Carla,
Thanks for bringing this excellent question to planDisney! I'm also an
Annual Passholder and like you, I want to be sure I understand all the ins and outs of the theme park reservation system. Let's discuss the details!
As you mentioned,
theme park reservations are no longer required for guests with date-based tickets. Additionally, Annual Passholders won't need a reservation on
Good-to-Go Days, or when arriving after 2 p.m. on most days. Saturday and Sunday visits to Magic Kingdom Park are the exception. I reached out to a Cast Member to ask about weekend visits when starting at another park. They indicated that you would be able to hop over to Magic Kingdom Park, subject to capacity, after first visiting another park but strongly recommended making a theme park reservation for that first park.
My buddy
Elaine answered a similar question and was given the same advice. Annual Passholders planning to visit Magic Kingdom Park on a Saturday or Sunday would need a theme park reservation for
Magic Kingdom Park OR a theme park reservation for another park. You'd need to visit your reserved park first before heading over to Magic Kingdom Park for the late afternoon/evening hours.
I'm heading down this weekend and want to begin my time in the parks bright and early so I went ahead and made a theme park reservation for both days. I'd recommend securing a reservation for your weekend visits just to be on the safe side. I haven't had too much trouble getting my preferred park reservations for any of my visits, but you'll want to review the
Annual Pass Admission Calendar as part of your planning process.
I hope this helped, Carla. Please come back and see us again with more planning questions.
Magic and memories,
Amy