Hiya Karisa,
Thank you so much for stopping by planDisney with your theme park reservation question! How exciting that you’ll be visiting Disney World during the most wonderful time of the year. Between the beautiful Christmas trees at the Disney Resorts, the festive decorations, and all of those twinkling lights throughout the parks, you are in for such a magical trip.
So Karisa, let’s jump right into your question about
theme park reservations. Whether or not you need a theme park reservation depends on the type of ticket you have. Theme park reservations are no longer required for date-based tickets. These are tickets where you choose a start date when you purchase them. So, if you have a date-based 1-day ticket or a date-based multi-day ticket, you will not need to make a separate theme park reservation.
For other types of admission, including student group tickets, sports and convention tickets,
Disney Military Salute Tickets, and
Annual Passes, you still need to make a theme park reservation. I recommend checking your specific ticket details in the
My Disney Experience app so you know exactly what you need for your visit.
And Karisa, if you are a little worried about crowds during the holiday season, don’t let that take away from the excitement of your trip. There are still plenty of ways to make the most of your park days!
If you are staying at a Disney Resort, be sure to take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry. I love getting into the parks a little earlier and enjoying a few attractions before the day really gets going.
If rides are a big part of your plans, I would also recommend looking into
Lightning Lane passes. They can be a great way to spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying everything on your holiday wish list. And throughout the day, don’t forget to check the My Disney Experience app for wait times. I use it constantly while we are in the parks to help decide where we should head next.
Karisa, I hope this helps make your holiday planning a little easier. If you have any additional questions, please come back and visit us again.
See you real soon,
Christina