Disney Cancels Park Passes For Ineligible Guests  - Inside the Magic

Comments for Disney Cancels Park Passes For Ineligible Guests 

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27 Comments

  1. Bryan

    We got this email notification and it makes no sense. We bought the 4 day park hopper via Shades of Green. Linked it in our Disney account and then reserved the parks on various days. I just returned from a 7 month deployment and I’ve planned this vacation for almost a year.

    It makes no sense because we followed all the rules, linked to our account and reserved a park, but now we risk losing that reservation because of some glitch Disney has? Makes no sense…spent over 60 minutes on hold trying to talk to someone @ Disney to clarify but no one answered. Emailed them today for clarification…this Is a poor way to treat a customer and military family.

    1. Michelle Phillips

      I have the same situation. I have a paid confirmed DVC reservation, purchased and linked 2- 5 day park tickets and made my reservations. I don’t know what else they want me to do, I followed all the steps but received the email they were canceling my reservations for my Oct 12-17 trip. I’ve already paid for plane tickets, hotels, car and I am expecting to visit the parks on the day I reserved very far in advance. Calling disney isn’t working as hold times are so long and I sent an email.

  2. Wendy

    This system has to go. I lost a few hundred bucks back in March because of this system. Checked days for reserve, bought tickets, returned to reserve & reservation system wouldn’t allow me to reserve correctly. Waited in hold for over an hour to get help. Once talking with someone it was reiterated that one if the tickets was reserved but I needed to go back & reserve for 2nd one. Website still wouldn’t stop with the glitches. Contacted Expedia who sat on hold with Disney for over an hour with me on the phone & she finally had to hang up & said she would request that they contact me. Never happened. So basically Disney just stole money from me. I understand “non refundable” but stop catering to your season ticket holders & at least reverse your non refundable stance as long as people who want to patronize “The Magic” ( magic my ass) have to jump through hoops & wait on hold for hours while the reservations are being taken & never make calls back to people. Weird, the 1st time I went there (in the 70’s), I was a kid, and brought scabies home along with a stuffed animal that was won there & I get ripped off now as an adult by them. I know my lack of presence won’t bother them either way but the way they’re doing business is wrong & at this point, I’ll give all my business when in Orlando to Universal & all of the other “magical” Florida sites.

  3. Kelly

    This system is b.s! I am a huge Disney fan and have held an annual pass for over 20 years. Passes are over $800.00 these days. And I can’t go to park of my choice with a reservation because they only allow a certain number of passholders per day. I am paying just like anyone else, yet I am being penalized for paying for a year at a time. This is not how you treat long time dedicated guests.

    1. Htk

      I paid $1200 for my season pass but have been forced to buy regular day tickets due to the limit on season ticket admissions. Meanwhile they continue to sell regular tickets for that same day.

    2. Eva

      I, too, have had my AP for over 20 years. When I moved out of San Diego (born and raised) to another state I upgraded to a Premier so I could go to either side of the country. I traveled to San Diego often for work and would pop into Disney for my fix. Now, I can’t do that so I gave up my AP and will just wait it out the 5 years or whatever until Disney gets its act together.

  4. marco p

    The system is completely backwards, they take your $$ up front and you think you can just ‘go to disney’, then make you jump all these obscure hoops to figure out what park you might feel like going to in a couple months time. We spent nearly $800 and then were made to feel guilty because we hadn’t worked out the reservation system. Pure predatory BS, they don’t care about their customers and we won’t be going again.

  5. Sue

    In the State of Florida ALL businesses are now at full capacity and ALL mask mandates have been lifted. Why isn’t Disney catching up to this?

    1. Andre

      And yet we are all still wearing masks and business are still at limited capacity. Why? Because the virus is still very much a threat and not all citizens of the world have been vaccinated. Let’s not forget that WDW is a global tourist destination. As travel restrictions begin to lift, Disney has to do everything they can to protect their reputation and that starts with avoiding any chance of the spread of the virus on their property.

    2. Manny

      @Sue because it makes business sense not have to your venue connected to COVID infections. Mask mandates have not been lifted they just cannot be enforced due to our governor.

      1. Andre

        Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday again extended Florida’s coronavirus pandemic state of emergency for another 60 days.
        “The impact of COVID-19 poses a continuing threat to the health, safety and welfare of the State of Florida and its residents,” the executive order states. – ORLANDO SENTINEL
        APR 27, 2021 AT 1:46 PM

  6. Andre

    I can understand the frustration for those who the system has failed, but the privilege being thrown around by pass holders is ridiculous. Did we forget the reason this system is in place? Reduced capacity for the health and safety of all guests and cast. Perhaps it would have been better if WDW was completely closed all of this time just as Disneyland and DCA has been. Those parks are only just now opening. Personally I appreciate the efforts Disney is making to keep the park capacity at a safe level. The crowd levels haven’t felt this comfortable in decades. As much as I love Universal, it seems that park capacity isn’t as important to them and to me that shows a blatant disregard for guests heath and safety but rather a greater level of importance put on their own profit. I like this reservation system and for the times we are in now it is the right thing to do to allow guests to enjoy the parks without going to the other extreme, closing the parks.

    1. CristinB

      FINALLY, someone who gets it! Both comments are very well put – I agree with you Andre.

    2. Melanie Durham

      Amen to this comment! I agree wholeheartedly!

    3. Trish

      @Andre. I agree as well! Very well put!

    4. Joe

      Wow.. u must work there .. bring back fastpass.. get rid of the reservation system….

      1. Andre

        I don’t work there but Disney is very special to me and is one of my greatest passions. However, I’d be happy if the fast pass reservation system never comes back. Virtual Queue and Standby only as far as I’m concerned.

  7. Fives

    Not letting people without tickets hog park passes away from people who do have tickets is the… right choice? Like of course there’s going to be a few glitches, technology isn’t perfect, but the people traveling to WDW and buying tickets for their vacation deserve priority when it comes to being allowed to actually spend that vacation in the park.

  8. Van Hamlin

    I am a Disney regular, unfortunately, I have a large family who loves the place. To its credit Disney got open early in the Pandemic and has continually upgraded it systems over the course of this disease. I have been there three times since COVID-19 was identified.

    The parks should get back to a greater capacity. They should increase the crowd size over the summer and be at 100% of capacity by their fall 50th Anniversary. The hotels need to be fully open and the concierge levels need to be operating. Disney World IS located in Florida and can therefore press on with normalization.

    Since the park entry system has changed so many times, everyone must be patient. Remember, they screwed up people’s vacations before the Pandemic too. I like the idea of of only allowing the park to be filled to capacity. I get the concept of first you buy the ticket and then you get to pick both your park and the rides you want to go on. YES, we must bring back the FAST PASS! Remember, those long lines waiting for rides is a COVID-19 spreader, for sure.

    Those famed Disney imagineers must use the old computer to prioritize the allocation of access to parks and access to rides. I suggest we prioritize this task by what you are paying Disney for that “WONDERFUL” vacation. Those staying at a Disney Resort must get first choice for both parks and ride times. Of course there is always a first come first serve aspect to this if you book early.

    Another aspect of this is restaurant reservations. These eating spots should be given a priority for entry to a park when a reservation is confirmed. We want Disney food services to make a profit don’t we? so, in addition to the 100% capacity cap, we need a reservation override that gives a party access at least an hour before their reservation time.

    These policy suggestions should be maintained in the future just to keep crowds to a tolerable limit. I have been there at peak times when you could barely weave through the crowds. There is no need for spreading all of those germs from the other flu and every other communicable disease we humans cook up.

  9. Andrea

    Just came back from Disney. The worst vacation ever. Most of the shops are closed, and the World of Disney shop at Disney springs, they make you walk around the whole building before you get in! Ridiculous! Half the restaurants closed, and some rides. You do more walking around buildings or wooden walls than anything. A big waste of money. They should charge half price admission.

  10. Andrea C

    Just came back from Disney. The worst vacation ever. Most of the shops are closed, and the World of Disney shop at Disney springs, they make you walk around the whole building before you get in! Ridiculous! Half the restaurants closed, and some rides. You do more walking around buildings or wooden walls than anything. A big waste of money. They should charge half price admission.

  11. John

    So you buy your ticket and then have to get permission to use it. Makes no sense to me. Besides the cost for all of that is ridiculously stupid.

    1. So you buy the ticket and then try to choose a park that has available space?? What happens if there is NO park available?? Do you stay at your hotel and forfeit thg h ed money you spent on a ticket??
      Makes no sense.
      I’d appreciate if someone could explain this

      1. Fives

        Most people with common sense check park pass availability during their trip before they book that trip.

  12. Mike

    AP’s are still around? Thought they got rid of them. Had my Disneyland one canceled last year.
    Oh and COVID is never going away.

    1. Melanie Durham

      Yes, I have an AP

  13. Gregory james Svendgard

    Was a passholder for years. I have been loyal to disney and have had two age groups of kids and now grand kids go to the park with me. I am so upset with what they have done. I have read all the clown apologists above and cant believe the crap they are spewing. FL residents and all those with annual passes are getting screwed and they simply ignore it.

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