Disney's "No Show" Policy Forces Guests to Rush to Park to Avoid Getting "Banned" - Inside the Magic

Comments for Disney’s “No Show” Policy Forces Guests to Rush to Park to Avoid Getting “Banned”

Crowds at Disneyland Park in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Credit: Inside the Magic

31 Comments

  1. MIA

    As a Magic Key holder, I don’t think it is a bad thing. They should enforce the no-shows’ punishment because every unused reservation means someone else who could have attended could not attend.

    They could literally cancel the day before if they can’t make it, there are a lot of options here.

    1. Maryetta

      I hate the new way I like getting up and just doing what ever we want we are on vacation after all. If it’s all planed out it’s like work . Just let people enjoy their vacation and stop with all the unnecessary changes.

    2. Dawn

      That only works if you know you can’t make it ahead of time. I missed a day a couple of weeks ago because I woke up with a swollen and sore throat and fever. Felt fine when I went to bed…. So some days you can’t cancel prior to the day. I wish you could cancel on the day of, if it’s prior to park opening.

      1. EJ

        This would have only been 1 strike against you because you had time to cancel the other reservations. I don’t see this happening 3 times for someone in a 90 day period.

        1. Jean

          Tell me you’re an ableist w/o telling you’re an ableist

          1. K-oz

            lol so being an “ablist” is being a responsible adult who’s able to attend reservations, or cancel them within 24hr of the reservation? Tell me you’re irresponsible without telling me you’re irresponsible.

  2. Passholder

    Can we get this in Orlando?

    1. Scott

      Thank you MIA. This article (or one like it) comes on here every month or so, and by-and-large people hate the rule. But they don’t appreciate that their decision to reserve blocks someone else from going. Thats what is unfair! Plus, it’s not that draconian anyway – cancel before midnight they day before. NOT tough to do. You can fail twice with no cost too. Again, not that difficult a bar to achieve.

      1. Disnoidb

        Thank you for bringing that up. What these articles fail to mention is that it is only upon your 3rd no-show that you are restricted. And if you can’t manage to cancel by the prior midnight 3 times, then you’re just taking a spot from another unfairly.

        1. Liliana

          Actually, this is one of the only times the article actually provides that info.

  3. pattimarie

    I’ve had this complaint since the beginning–if you are handicapped with certain diseases, you just can’t tell until the morning of if you’ll be able to go or not. Before reservations, I had to do this many times–but I could just go the next day if there was improvement. Not so possible now. What really bugs me is the constant reports I hear of how crowded the parks still are–so if there’s no point to reservations, why do something that keeps handicapped people out? This affects kids too, and parties where only one member has medical issues. It seems to me that Disney should address this issue–before the lawsuit preferrably.

    1. SMH

      Absolutely agree!! The idea that Disney is doing this is honestly ridiculous. They should have returned to the pre-pandemic system. The reservation system is asinine, people get sick, people have issues. We are not freaking robots! A lot of us seek Disney to “get away from problems and reality” this only amplifies their draconian rules. Imagine having a family member not feel well the next morning and takes a test only to find out they have Covid? Yeah, send them into the park so they won’t get banned. Disney is stupid!

    2. Liliana

      If you’re handicapped or have certain desease, then you shouldn’t even be stepping into the cess pool of humans that is a theme park. Putting Covid to the side, you really want to risk your own health trying to go to a place where it could potentially exacerbate it?

      1. SleepingBeauty

        Oh, thank you for your concern, Dr. Liliana!

    3. SleepingBeauty

      Same boat.

  4. jep jep

    So basically what Disney is saying is even if you’ve tested positive for covid, you’re still obligated to keep your reservation if you want to avoid the no-show policy. How short-sighted, greedy and stupid of them.

    1. Isabella Espinoza

      Again, the penalty is only for the 3rd no show. So honestly they’re being pretty lenient. It’s pretty inconsiderate to hold that spot anyways when another family could go. Missing one day won’t hurt you.

    2. EJ

      No. It is saying you get one strike against you if you didn’t know by midnight the day before and cancel. And no one is getting COVID 3 times in 90 days. Stop looking for excuses. There is no reason for that many no-shows.

      1. R

        I like to make 2 reservations in a row….. In a scenario like this…. that’s 2 strikes

    3. Liliana

      Yeah, it has nothing to do with Covid. People are literally reserving and no showing. Although, this system is hysterical and I want to see it in play in Orlando and watch the chaos ensue.

  5. Nolan

    I think the concept of the reservation system is good, but the execution has failed.

    My friend went to disneyland and checked in after testing positive for covid that morning to avoid getting his 3rd strike. The fact that there is a 0-tolerance policy has reverse effect on Disney

    1. Isabella Espinoza

      Come on the 3rd no show? How bad of a planner does someone have to be to miss that many days? Why reserve in the first place if you’re that unsure? Ive had various last minute trips to Disney and there has always been a reservation to make one. The fact that they’re willing to risk so many lives because they’re a terrible planner is so wrong. These penalties are honestly godsend for entitled a-holes who are inconsiderate of others. Just cancel the reservation it’s not that hard. I doubt every single time someone has to cancel it’s because of Covid and if that were the case then maybe they shouldn’t have gotten the pass in the first place. Don’t penalize others for your own negligence.

    2. Liliana

      Your friend should’ve canceled on the same system they reserved.

    3. K-oz

      It’s not zero tolerance, you literally have three chances. It’s just like when you were five years old & made a mistake. Grow up.

  6. Chris Wood

    Guest aren’t forced to do anything. They choose to go there and make matters worse or they can go else where.

  7. Brandon P.

    I wish they would tighten up the policy and ban people after 1 no-show. Currently, to be banned, a person has to no-show THREE times in 90 days! Anyone that’s a no-show 3 times is obviously abusing the reservation system. It’s not hard to cancel, and the people complaining about the policy are likely the ones that hoard reservations “in case” they want to go, keeping others from taking that spot. Crack down more, Disney!

  8. Heidi

    Well cry me a river Just think about all the people who pay through the nose for a once in a lifetime vacation only to realize that the parks are full and they cannot make a reservation. There should absolutely be consequences for no shows. Realistically, no one will get sick on the day they wanted to go to a park 3 times In a row in 90 days.

  9. Ray

    I hate the reservation system….. if you are on Vacation I don’t want the stress of having to jump over hoops. I want the relaxation, worry less to go at my leisure. The Reservation should be GONE!!!!!

  10. Toemassr

    Why is the Majerk Kingdum still utilizing a reservation system? All the other theme parks are no longer using a reservation system! If Dizzy wants to limit guests then they should not be allowed to sell a ticket to a park without first allowing the purchaser to see if in fact they will be able to utilize what they are spending their money on! Why would anyone spend their hard earned money on something they may not be able to use? That would be like buying a vehicle but being told you can only drive it when they tell you can drive it, but make sure you make your payment even if you can’t use it! Disney wants your money and wants to dictate what you can and can’t do after they have it in there greedy little hands!

  11. K-oz

    lol so being an “ablist” is being a responsible adult who’s able to attend reservations, or cancel them within 24hr of the reservation? Tell me you’re irresponsible without telling me you’re irresponsible.

  12. SleepingBeauty

    Ableist rule. No two ways to interpret it. You know how you get people to stop hoarding reservations and not make it impossible for people with “issues” to visit? Just get rid of reservations and whatever the capacity was in 2019; make it so. Also, not fair socio-economically speaking. Who the heck knows their days off far enough in advance to be able to successfully make a res that you don’t have to cancel? Then if you guess wrong the day you could have made a res for is booked.

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