Disney World Refused To Let a Mom in With Her Children

A frustrated Walt Disney World Resort guest took to social media on Wednesday after the Central Florida theme park denied his wife entry. He identified a My Disney Experience app issue as the cause of his family’s problems.

My Disney Experience is the official name of the Walt Disney World Resort app. It lets guests control their entire vacations from their smartphones! Guests can make dining reservations, mobile order food, make Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane selections, join Virtual Queues, and even unlock their Disney Resort hotel room door via the My Disney Experience app. It also gives walking directions to locations throughout the Disney parks and Resorts.

The mobile application also provides vital information about Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, and other Walt Disney World locations. This includes hours for theme parks, water parks, restaurants, merchandise locations, pools, transportation services, and more. The My Disney Experience app also allows guests to track attraction wait times, Disney Character meet & greet times, and theme park entertainment schedules.

Before a trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth, guests can use My Disney Experience or the Walt Disney World Resort website to confirm their Disney Resort hotel reservation, dining plans, and Disney Park Pass reservations (only necessary for select guests as of January 2024). Individual Lightning Lanes and Disney Genie+ must be purchased on the day of your visit.

Despite its many advantages, Redditor u/GoingLurker found a major flaw in the Walt Disney World Resort app when preparing for an upcoming trip. Because of differing schedules, the guest and his children have Park Hopper tickets, while his wife only purchased a single-day theme park ticket.

According to the guest, none of their tickets are date-based, so they’re required to make Disney Park Pass reservations. He plans to visit one theme park with his kids in the morning, then hop to another and meet up with their mom… But My Disney Experience won’t let them book it.

“I can book the first park with just me and the kids,” the guest explained. “When I go to select ‘plan your next park’, I can’t add my wife as it says she doesn’t have Park Hopper. She isn’t hopping, but joining us for the second half of the day.”

He found a loophole, but it could impact his ability to book Lightning Lanes or Virtual Queues right at 7:00 a.m.

“I accidentally stumbled upon a workaround where I can book all 4 of us for the last park, then add the first park and set the hours for 9am – 2pm,” the guest wrote. “That seemed to work. Will this cause problems and will the tip board try to book us for morning attractions of the second park?”

The guest was frustrated, and no Disney Parks fans could offer a solution.

“Maybe the app is designed [for] families to start the day together rather than end together,” he concluded.

Guests experiencing issues booking Disney Park Pass Reservations on the Walt Disney World Resort website or app should contact Guest Services at (407) 939-5277. Disney cast members can assist in vacation planning from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST.

Have you ever experienced an issue with the My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World Resort? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments.

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.