Disney's "No Show" Policy Forces Guests to Rush to Park to Avoid Getting "Banned"

When Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort shut down during the pandemic, they planned a lot of changes. One of the changes was implementing a Park Pass System where Guests would have to make a Disney Park Pass Reservation after purchasing their ticket. If the Park they wanted to visit was not yet at capacity, they would be able to make the reservation and scan into their Park of choice.

At Walt Disney World, all Guests currently still have to do this. We have been told that Park capacity will never go back to what it was in the past, so there are many instances when Guests will be “blocked” from a Park if it already has given away all of its Park Passes. The only way around this is to own an Annual Pass or purchase a Hopper Pass, make a reservation for a different Park, and at 2:00 p.m., hop to the Park of your choosing.

When it comes to Annual Passholders at Disney, there are a variety of tiers involved, which increase the amount of Park Passes allowed to be made on each account from three to five. If a Passholder makes a Park Pass Reservation and is unable to go, there is no consequence, and they will have another day available to make a reservation once that day is complete.

At Disneyland, Magic Key Holders have a “No Show” policy in effect. The Magic Key Pass allows Guests to visit the Disneyland Resort multiple days a year and receive up to 15% off select dining and 20% off select merchandise (depending on your level of key).

There are four tiers to Disneyland’s Magic Key Pass: Dream Key, Believe Key, Enchant Key, and Imagine Key. If you are a Magic Key Holder and wish to enter a theme park, you must have a valid theme park reservation, in addition to a valid Magic Key pass. Recently, Disney enforced a policy that will block out Passholders for 30 days if they miss three reservations in a 90-day period. 

Related: Here’s When You Can Purchase a NEW Disneyland Pass!

Per the Disneyland website:

*The ability of Magic Key holders to make and hold park reservations will be impacted by the “no show” policy. Magic Key holders who are a “no show” for 3 reservations in a 90-day window will be unable to make new park reservations for 30 days. Existing park reservations at that time will not be cancelled. The 30-day period begins the day after the third “no-show,” and will continue even if the pass is upgraded to another pass during that time. A Magic Key holder who enters the designated park any time before closing on the day of the reservation is not considered a “no-show.” If the reservation is for both parks, only one park needs to be entered to avoid being a “no-show.” Magic Key holders who timely cancel a reservation are also not considered a “no-show.” Cancellation of a reservation must be done by 11:59 PM PT on the day before the reserved date. Rules and policies are subject to change without notice.

This new change has left many Passholders struggling to keep their Magic Key active, as they are not able to cancel their Park Pass once the day arrives. Then, they have the choice to either take a strike or get to Disneyland to scan in, turn around, and go home.

Joseph (@disneywjoseph) recently took to Twitter to share that he and another Magic Key Holder had to drive to Disneyland last minute, just to scan in, or else they would be restricted access for 30 days.

i forgot to cancel my Disneyland res last night & still can’t really walk much at the moment so johnny drove rn to go scan us both in so we don’t get banned for 30 days 🥲

i forgot to cancel my disneyland res last night & still can't really walk much at the moment so johnny drove rn to go scan us both in so we don't get banned for 30 days 🥲

— joseph 📸 (@disneywjoseph) May 16, 2022

Magic Keys are not cheap, and losing out on 30 days of your pass while still paying for it is a steep consequence, so we are not surprised to hear that these Guests found a way to scan into the Park. Others responded to Joseph, noting that Disney should not have a “No Show” policy that will leave Guests with this level of consequence if they are unable to go three times that they planned to, within a three-month period.

More on Disneyland

There is so much to see and do at Disney California Adventure Park! Guests can enjoy Buena Vista Street as they walk the roads Walt had in Hollywood, enjoy a hand-dipped corn dog at Award Wieners, Head to Cars Land to enjoy the neon signage and Radiator Springs Racers, check out the new Marvel-themed land in Avengers Campus, where they can meet Spider-Man, Loki, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, and so many more characters. And of course, you have to ride WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: MISSION BREAKOUT. Rock on the Silly Symphony Swings as well, and go catch Jack Jack on Incredicoaster! The list of rides and attractions never ends!

At Disneyland, there is so much for Guests to enjoy! Now that the mask mandate has dropped for fully vaccinated Guests, Guests can enter buildings without a face covering if they so choose. Walking up to Sleeping Beauty Castle is always a dream, especially when you get to go inside and relive the story of Aurora and Maleficent. Riding classics like “it’s a small world”, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, The Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Splash Mountain, and more will have you feeling the magic, and craving a churro! Toontown is currently gearing up for a massive change which will be revealed in 2023 with the reopening of the land, and the debut of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Plus, now at Disneyland, Guests can enjoy Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for some blue milk, or green milk, and ride Rise of the Resistance and Smuggler’s Run. Now, Guests can also enjoy Disneyland Forever and the Main Street Electrical Parade!

What do you think of the “No Show” policy at Disneyland? 

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!