Theme Park Reservations still required in 2022?

[taterheads]

I am looking at scheduling a trip in March of 2022. If you look at the park reservations calendar it shows it extending way out into 2022. Is this something that is going to stick past covid regulations? I am trying to figure out the changes to making reservations but I am suprised to see this for March of next year like parks may still not be functioning at full capacity. I used to know all the ins and outs of planning but I need a run down of how to do it with all the covid changes apparently. I make my resort/ ticket package reservation and then immediately decide what park on what days and make a reservation? Then at 60 days out I can make ADRs, but no meal plans, so unless that changes plan on OOP? So far I do nothing about fast passes because there are none? I'm nervous to make reservations and then everything be upended because they change to a differnt park or ride system. I had a trip scheduled June last year that was cancelled because the parks were closed. A years worth of work down the drain. I still have the specialty magic bands we ordered for that trip, do I even need them anymore, will they even work? I am just trying to figure out what I need to do. Am I missing anything I need to know or do? I used to be a super planner now I feel like a newbie.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I think you have it all down. You don't necessarily have to book your parks right away, but doesn't hurt. I don't think they'll switch to a different reservation system as this one is doing just fine, though they could do away with it if they choose to, but that shouldn't affect you too much, other than your ADRs would tie you to a specific park rather than the park pass.

Your old magic bands should still work, but with the shift to mobile magic, you may just need your smart phone. Though in all honesty, I wouldn't want to get it out every time I needed to do something and would prefer the band.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Park Reservations are required in 2022. I would recommend booking park reservations sooner than later. You can always try to swap them around later if your plans change but at least you will have something in place.

 

[taterheads]

Thank you for your replies. I am trying to keep up with the changes and make sure I don't miss anything. Also, does anyone know if they will be allowing for resort swaps without penalty as other resorts open? We would very much like to get a family suite at ASM but they aren't booking for March right now.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thank you for your replies. I am trying to keep up with the changes and make sure I don't miss anything. Also, does anyone know if they will be allowing for resort swaps without penalty as other resorts open? We would very much like to get a family suite at ASM but they aren't booking for March right now.

Can you please help us understand what you mean by 'without penalty'? If there is a difference in cost of the room you wish to book, my understanding is you would need to pay the upgraded cost. As for park reservations, if you keep your existing reservation and change resorts (keeping the same confirmation number) I don't believe it would affect your park reservations.

 

[taterheads]

I assumed if there was an increase I’d have to pay it. I meant that if you didn’t get the optional insurance and then made a resort change would they charge you a fee like you are canceling then rebooking. We are planning on getting a package, so I was unsure. Also, what that would do to our then linked park reservations. I imagine that is something you’d have to do over the phone and not on MDE. I’m also hoping the dining plan will become available again and we can add that. I don’t expect that to be an issue but wasn’t sure if we completely changed resorts as more resorts open up if that would be a change that can be made without canceling (incurring a fee) and just rebooking.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Disney does not charge you a change fee if you change a resort. You are only charged additional costs if the new resort is more money than the original reservation.

When you purchase a package from Disney you pay a $200 deposit. That deposit is fully refundable until 30 days prior to your visit when the balance of your trip payment is due. (Not positive about these dates as I know they changed last year but have heard they're moving back towards the 30 days again.)

The main thing you will want to do is 'change' your existing reservation as opposed to cancelling and rebooking.

 

[taterheads]

Ok, I knew that’s how it used to be but with all the changes from covid I wasn’t sure if that still held true. Thanks!

 

[Shellyred8]

In regards to park reservations, I would recommend booking more HS days than you think you might do. Then as you get closer, you can drop the days you don't want and add the other parks. HS almost always books up first and it's harder to get those park reservations as you get get closer to your travel dates. Based on how things booked up for this past march, you will not want to wait until the last minute to be trying to make park reservations.

In regards to dining plans, I don't think they will be back until 2023. I have no inside information driving this thought. This is just my thought based on how things have been going at the parks thus far. I would actually recommend buying discounted Disney Gift Cards to use for meals if you want to start paying for your trip ahead of time. You can get 5% off at Target if you use their Red Card to purchase them. I usually start buying a couple of gift cards a month in the few months leading up to our trips. This helps spread out the cost of the trip.

 

[Shughart]

I honestly would take a hard look at what/where you eat at Disney. There are calculators that let you do your dates, party size, etc and price out the diff DDPs and OOP and hands down, it we always save money paying OOP. DDPs are too much food. Granted I know some people try to score it for free, which is cool, but we're not much for on-site anyways which is a requirement. But we've done the dining plan ONCE and it was too much sitting, too much food.

 

[LiteBrite]

I honestly would take a hard look at what/where you eat at Disney. There are calculators that let you do your dates, party size, etc and price out the diff DDPs and OOP and hands down, it we always save money paying OOP. DDPs are too much food. Granted I know some people try to score it for free, which is cool, but we're not much for on-site anyways which is a requirement. But we've done the dining plan ONCE and it was too much sitting, too much food.

Agreed. I know lots of people love the DDP, but for us, the couple of times we used it (both times when it was free), we thought it was super fun at first, and gradually came to almost hate it - waaaaay too much food for us, we felt super full and bloated all the time, just not pleasant. We weren't able to appreciate all those meals the way we do when we only book and eat the way we normally do.

 

[taterheads]

I honestly would take a hard look at what/where you eat at Disney. There are calculators that let you do your dates, party size, etc and price out the diff DDPs and OOP and hands down, it we always save money paying OOP. DDPs are too much food. Granted I know some people try to score it for free, which is cool, but we're not much for on-site anyways which is a requirement. But we've done the dining plan ONCE and it was too much sitting, too much food.

Agreed. I know lots of people love the DDP, but for us, the couple of times we used it (both times when it was free), we thought it was super fun at first, and gradually came to almost hate it - waaaaay too much food for us, we felt super full and bloated all the time, just not pleasant. We weren't able to appreciate all those meals the way we do when we only book and eat the way we normally do.

Thank you for the advice on dining plan. We have been many times, our family is 2 adults and 2 teens. We tend to like the disney dining plan because we can prepay everything and then don't have to worry about it, Everyone has freedom to just get whatever they want without worry about dollars and cents while in the park. I will say we are not the average planners though, we plan hard and know where to go and what to get to make it worth it. My son also eats like a supermetabolized bottomless pit, so it makes it worth it for us. I do however think were going to end up oop for this next trip because of all the changed at the parks due to covid. Not excited about that as my kids will constantly be asking for money for food. I have never attached a card to our bands before for security resons but might do it this time just to not have to deal with money. Time will tell.