• On Dec 13, 2021
    Laura from TX Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi I’m from Texas and we’re planning a last minute trip to Disney world for Christmas Day, but the park we want is unavailable online. Is there a chance that we can still get a ticket for that park at the gate?

    Season's Greetings, Laura! Welcome to planDisney! 

    A last-minute trip to the Walt Disney World Resort is a magical gift to give yourself and your family! There are so many ways to get into the holiday spirit at the theme parks and Resort hotels, I just know your Christmas trip will be oh-so-merry!

    Let's take a minute to chat about Disney Park Pass reservations and how they work with your theme park tickets. When you purchase tickets, they're valid for any of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World. Then, after linking the tickets to your My Disney Experience account, your next step is to make a reservation for the specific park you plan to visit on a given day. That's when you might see that certain parks may not have availability for new reservations, particularly during busier times of the year. As long as at least one park has reservations available, you can buy tickets either online or in person at the ticket booths outside the theme park entrance. However, even if you're able to buy a ticket in person, you won't be able to use it at that park if there are no reservations left for that day.

    For example, looking at the Availability Calendar for Christmas Day, Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and EPCOT are showing reservations available, while the Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios are not. If that remains the case, you would be able to buy tickets in person outside the Magic Kingdom Park, but you wouldn't be able to use them to enter the Magic Kingdom without a reservation. I hope this makes sense!

    If the Magic Kingdom Park was your Christmas wish, may I suggest EPCOT instead? The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is a wonderful experience, with lots of holiday treats and traditions from all around the world. The soaring Christmas tree in World Showcase Plaza makes a lovely holiday photo backdrop, and there are plenty of shops and attractions to keep you busy! You can also step right out the "back door" of EPCOT through the International Gateway to explore Disney's BoardWalk and some of the beautiful Resort hotels around Crescent Lake. The gingerbread carousel in the lobby of Disney's Beach Club Resort is definitely worth seeing!

    Laura, I hope this helps you plan a jolly holiday visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. Thank you so much for stopping by to see us, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a magical New Year!

    Keep Disney Dreaming,

    Kathy K.
thumbnail image for Kathy

Meet the Panelist: Kathy, Florida

I've lived my whole life just an hour's drive from Walt Disney World, so I've been a regular visitor for as long as I can remember. Even after all these years and so many visits, I love that there's still so much to discover! Now that I'm a mom myself, seeing my favorite place through my son's eyes has given me a whole new perspective that I enjoy sharing with other parents of young children. Learn More About Kathy

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