Welcome to planDisney, Stephanie! I'm so glad to hear that you're planning to visit Walt Disney World next spring. I'll be there right around the same time because it's such a lovely time to visit! Since tickets are such an important part of your trip, I'm happy to walk you through exactly what you need to do with yours when you get them.
The good news is that you most likely will not need
park reservations at all. Most standard tickets that are purchased directly through Disney on their own or as part of a vacation package are date-based, meaning you choose a start date for your trip when you're buying them, and they automatically include your theme park access with no reservation required. Super easy!
There are a few types of specialty tickets that do require reservations, like
Annual Passes,
Military Salute Tickets, and group tickets, so unless you're using one of those, you're in the clear.
And yes, even with
Park Hopper tickets, you're still covered under the same policy. If your ticket is date-based and includes Park Hopper, you'll be able to head to your first park of the day whenever it opens and hop to another park later in the day whenever you feel like it!
So, if you're planning to purchase standalone tickets or book a regular vacation package with your
Resort Hotel and tickets bundled together, you can skip worrying about making park reservations. Just make sure everything is linked to your
My Disney Experience account and you're good to go!
I hope this answers your question, Stephanie, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation.
Jessica