It is hard to believe it is time to consider Walt Disney World vacations for 2024. Disney recently announced that Guests can start booking their 2024 Walt Disney World vacations on May 31.
Along with this exciting announcement came a handgun of other updates about what Guests can expect in 2024. From information on the return of the dining plan to adjustments to Genie+, Disney announced a lot of great information that excited us for the upcoming 2024 magic at Walt Disney World.
A big announcement revolved around Park Pass Reservations. We will dive into what Disney announced and what this will mean for your upcoming trip to Walt Disney World in 2024.
What Are Theme Park Reservations?
Following the reopening of the Walt Disney World Parks in 2020, Guests were required to make Theme Park Reservations. Once valid Theme Park tickets were purchased, Guests could make reservations for one of the four Disney Parks for each day of their Park ticket.
Disney used this system to help manage and limit the capacity in each of the four Disney Parks. Once restrictions were lifted, Disney continued to use the Theme Park Reservation system to address attendance and the Cast Member workforce.
During busy times throughout the year, such as Christmas, recent spring break, and Easter, Guests would see the Theme Park Reservations book up. This often happened for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Because of this, Guests would only be able to visit those Parks if they had purchased a Park Hopper. For those that don’t visit Walt Disney World often, this could cause a lot of frustration and disappointment.
As part of the announcements for the 2024 year at Disney, it was shared that Disney would remove Theme Park Reservation requirements.
No More Reservations
Disney stated that starting with Park visits on January 9, 2024, Theme Park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. When booking your tickets, you will select a start date and are all set. You will no longer need to go into your My Disney Experience account and let Disney know which Park you will visit each day of your vacation.
Remember that this is only for date-based tickets (the standard ticket option sold). For other admissions, Theme Park reservations may be required. This will continue to help Disney manage attendance and help Disney continue to provide magical experiences for everyone.
Annual Passholders/Cast Members
With no more Park Reservations, Disney announced Annual Passholders and Cast Members updates. New “good-to-go days” will be introduced starting in 2024. In addition to being able to visit any Park after 2 p.m. (except Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays), annual Passholders and Cast Members will also have good-to-go days.
These days will allow them to enter a specific Disney Park without reservation. Good-to-go days will vary per Disney Park and will be rolled out continuously.
We look forward to seeing what this will look like in 2024 for annual passholders and Cast Members.
What Does This Mean
What does this mean for Disney fans? Most of us typically have a plan of action for our days at Walt Disney World. Most of the time, we know which of the four Disney Parks we visit daily. Having to make Park Reservations lock those plans into place.
Removing Theme Park Reservations in 2024 will allow Guests to be more flexible with their plans. Now Guests can visit whatever Disney Park they wish each day of their trip. This will be extremely helpful when needing to adjust plans due to weather, kids’ meltdowns, or finding that you need additional time in a Park to experience it all.
Most of us are planners, but having more flexibility with our plans will be excellent as we head into the 2024 year at Walt Disney World.
As we mentioned earlier, a few other significant announcements from Disney will impact planning and Walt Disney World vacations in 2024.
Other Announcements
The biggest announcement was that the beloved dining plans would return in 2024. Many Guests loved being able to add this feature to their Walt Disney World Package. Disney has said that this option will be available in 2024.
Guests will choose from the Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan, including a table-service experience. The dining plans are great for families to make their Walt Disney World vacation more all-inclusive. We look forward to seeing the prices for this option in 2024.
Related: What You Need to Know about the Dining Plan in 2024
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel will continue to be able to enter the Disney Parks thirty minutes early in 2024. This is a huge perk and a great way to tour the Park with lower crowds.
Those staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts during their Walt Disney World vacation can enjoy extended evening hours throughout 2024. This allows these Guests to enjoy a specific Disney Park after it has closed to regular Park Guests. Again, a huge advantage and a fantastic way to experience the Park with low crowds.
Disney also announced that updates will be made to Genie+. No specifics were given, but we can’t wait to see what adjustments will come to this paid feature.
Related: What to Know About Genie+ in 2024
Seeing so much already being announced for 2024 at Walt Disney World is exciting. We can’t wait to begin scheduling our next trip and take advantage of all of these new features that Disney will provide guests in the coming year.
Related: Top 10 Tips for Your 2024 Walt Disney World Vacation
Related: Don’t Plan Your 2024 Disney Trip During These Times
