Hi Marisa,
I'm so glad you stopped by planDisney. I would love to help straighten these details out so you can get back to dreaming your Disney dreams and looking forward to experiencing "The Happiest Place on Earth" where all your dreams can come true!
First, there are two different calendars, and you're right; they do show different availability. The first calendar is the
Tier calendar. Because ticket prices vary by date, this calendar will show you which Tier of ticket you'll need to purchase to be able to visit on your preferred date. Tiers are ranked by number, 1 - 5, and the higher the Tier, the more flexibility you'll have to use your tickets. For example, if you want to visit on Saturday in the near future, you'll need to purchase a Tier 5 Ticket, whereas if you want to visit on a Thursday sometime soon, you'll want to check the calendar because you could save a little money and use a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Ticket instead.
Now, please keep in mind that this is separate from the
theme park reservation availability calendar. It's not enough to just have a valid ticket; all Guests also need a reservation to enter a theme park. Under the phased reopening, capacity is limited in order to allow for physical distancing, and the reservation system is how Disney is managing how many Guests will be in the parks on any given day. This second calendar will show you which park still has reservation availability each day. The reason it says "Starting Park" is because if you have a Park Hopper Ticket, you only need to make a reservation at the
first park you plan to visit. You'll be able to hop over to the other one at 1:00 PM or later, pending availability.
As you're making your plans, you'll need to make sure that you check both calendars ahead of time. Then, you'll want to
buy a ticket that is valid on the day you plan to visit
and make your theme park reservation to guarantee your place in the park. Thanks so much for visiting us at planDisney, Marisa, and I'm sending pixie dust that your plans all come together perfectly and you have a truly magical visit!
Missy