Welcome back to planDisney, Lynn! We are counting down the days until your trip to Walt Disney World at the end of this month, and I hope you're so excited. The
holiday season is a fast-paced and energetic time of year to be at The Most Magical Place On Earth, and that can require a bit of extra planning sometimes, so I'm happy to walk you through everything you need to know about tickets, reservations, and capacity around the end of the year.
Great news: you're still good to go! When you see posts saying Walt Disney World is "sold out," that language only applies to people whose
tickets require a park reservation, like Annual Passes, single-day tickets, and some other special ticket types. Your date-based tickets don't use the reservation system. If your tickets don't require a reservation, you can simply arrive at the park you want to visit on your valid date, scan in, and enjoy the fun.
The only wrinkle to be aware of during the holidays is phased capacity closures, which are rare but can happen at
Magic Kingdom, and much less commonly at other parks, on the busiest days of the year. Here's how that works in plain English: if a park gets very full, Disney may temporarily pause new entries in phases. Each phase limits who can enter based on certain priorities, starting with people already inside the park and then expanding outward to other groups as space allows. While a phase is active, new entries or re-entries can be restricted, even if you have a valid ticket. Once crowds thin out, the phase is lifted and admissions resume.
I have a few friendly tips to sidestep any interruptions to your day! Arrive early, and once you're in, plan to stay if it's a must-do park day. Leaving midday and trying to come back during a capacity phase isn't always guaranteed. Make sure to turn on push notifications in the
My Disney Experience app so you'll see real-time updates if a park implements or lifts a phased closure. If you're flexible, consider visiting
Animal Kingdom or
EPCOT if Magic Kingdom gets too busy! You can always hop back later in the day if the app shows your target park is open.
I hope this answers your question, Lynn, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation!
Jessica