Hiya, Dirk! Welcome to planDisney!
Congratulations on your recent purchase of a
Walt Disney World Annual Pass. I recently became a first-time passholder myself, and I can’t wait to get to the parks and take advantage of all the benefits, like the discounts on dining and merchandise.
It looks like you have a summer trip to Walt Disney World in the works. How exciting! Let’s take a look at the Annual Pass and
Park Hopping rules, and get you back to vacation planning.
Annual Passes, regardless of type, require a theme park reservation to begin your Disney day (subject to availability, excluding good-to-go-days). If you are planning to hop to Magic Kingdom, then you can start at Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or EPCOT. The starting park is up to you. Once you’ve scanned in at your starting park, you are able to hop to your next location without a reservation. This is true for weekdays and weekends.
The Annual Pass rule you might be referring to—
that annual passholders do not need theme park reservations after 2 P.M. except for Saturdays and Sundays at the Magic Kingdom—doesn’t pertain to park hopping. It is only relevant for where you’d like to begin your day. For example, if you were going to use your Annual Pass to visit Hollywood Studios on a Saturday after 2 P.M., then you don’t have to worry about a reservation and you can park hop ‘till you drop. But if you wanted to start at Magic Kingdom on a Saturday, a theme park reservation would be required.
I hope this information was helpful, Dirk. With your new Sorcerer Pass, I’m sure a great year of Disney Parks fun is in store. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to come right back and ask our knowledgeable panelists. You’re as welcome as can be at planDisney!
Magical travels!
Matt