Are You Ruining Disney World for Someone Else?

Disney World presents itself as a magical, happy place where everyone’s having a great time, and we can all just enjoy the wonderful park together. What they DON’T show you is that a Disney World vacation is really an intense competition with ruthless players and limited prizes.

Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom

Have you ever woken up super early to get dining reservations, only to find that your favorite restaurant has already been booked solid? Maybe you’ve been ready right at 7AM to reserve a Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane on Genie+ only to see that the coaster is already sold out for the day? And we’ve all stressed about getting in the virtual queue for Disney World’s newest rides, hoping that the technology all works out so that we can ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind without having to pay extra for the Lightning Lane. It’s time to admit it: Disney World is a zero-sum game. If you’re not winning, you’re LOSING.

High Demand

The main reason the Disney World experience is so competitive is that a LOT of people want to experience the parks. We’ve seen big crowds almost all the time in Disney World since the parks reopened after the pandemic closures, and those crowds don’t seem to be slowing down much at all.

Nope, still crowded

The fact that Disney World is more crowded than ever isn’t just an estimate by our reporters, who are in the parks every day. No, The Walt Disney Company confirmed our suspicions during their recent 2022 Q3 Earnings Call. Disney reported that consumer demand was exceeding the number of park pass reservations that were available — in other words, Disney World is consistently filling up with people, and still more are being turned away.

Crowds in Hollywood Studios

We’ve seen that park pass reservations for Disney World can and do run out pretty frequently. For example, there are already several days in October 2022 when Magic Kingdom is sold out. On one day, both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT have filled up. This seems to confirm what Disney claims about consumer demand exceeding availability.

©Disney

According to Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek, Disney has not seen demand abate at all, even though it’s been over a year since the parks reopened. Chapek said, “For all visibility, we have into the future, we’re not seeing any softening of our demand” (CNBC). Chapek predicted that this demand is a long-term change, not just a result of the pandemic closures: “We have enough data/research to suggest that this is going to be a resilient trend.”

Look at those crowds!

Not only did the company report that there is plenty of demand for the parks, but they also confirmed that guests seem to be willing to spend more than ever during their vacations. The Disney parks made $7.4 billion in revenue during the 3rd quarter of 2022 (compared to $4.3 billion this time last year), and Disney attributed much of that change to increased guest spending.

Guests are willing to spend more.

We’ve seen many price increases in the Disney parks, on tickets, hotel reservations, snacks, merchandise, and more. According to Chapek, high guest demand has driven price increases, and more price increases could be on the way as demand continues. He said, “We always watch demand. When you’re playing a yield game like we are right now and you have the flexibility with our reservation system, we can move on a dime. We read demand, and if demand goes up, then we have the opportunity to [raise prices]” (CNBC).

Magic Kingdom Crowds on Main Street

Much as we may dislike it, Chapek is correct. Despite all the price increases at Disney World, the parks continue to fill up and people continue to pay the higher prices.

All this to say that demand for Disney World is high — maybe even higher than it’s ever been.

Limited Supply

As we mentioned previously, the demand for Disney World currently exceeds the supply. Park Pass Reservations can and do sell out, and they’re not the only limited commodity.

Getting Into Hollywood Studios

Hotel rooms, dining reservations, and Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations are also in limited supply, with many hotels, restaurants, and rides filling up to capacity more often than not. Following the basic rules of economics, Disney has continued to raise prices to balance supply and demand, but guests continue to be willing to pay more.

Jungle Cruise Lightning Lane entrance

So how do you get some of those limited reservations? It’s not just based on how much you’re willing to pay, because a lot of other people are willing to pay the same amount or even more. Instead, this survival-of-the-fittest game is dependent on how well-informed and tech-savvy you are.

EPCOT entrance

You need to know how the system works in order to get all the reservations you want. You need to know when dining reservations really open up, when to book your hotel to get a good deal, how to take advantage of all possible discounts, and how to use the My Disney Experience app. Once you master all of those skills and successfully book the reservations you want, you will likely feel elated! You’ve done it! You’ve won Disney World!

Wilderness Lodge

As you celebrate, it may not occur to you that your success doesn’t just mean you’ll have a good time. It also means that someone else won’t have quite as good a time as you. You got that last ‘Ohana reservation, which means someone else didn’t. You booked Park Pass Reservations for Magic Kingdom for your whole family, which means there are that many fewer spots available in the park.

Cinderella Castle

There isn’t anything you can do to make it possible for everyone to get what they want in Disney World. Reservations are limited, and some people are going to miss out on their top picks — you don’t need to feel guilty about that. It’s a simple rule of supply and demand. But how do you make sure it’s not YOU who’s missing out? We can help you with that.

How to WIN at Disney World

So how can you make sure you’re WINNING at Disney World? For all of these, you’ll want to book your reservations as soon as possible. Here’s a quick look at when to book and some extra tips to help you be more successful.

Park Pass Reservations

The main thing to remember with Park Pass Reservations is to book them ASAP. As soon as you know which parks you want to visit on each day of your trip (and you have purchased your tickets), book those reservations.

Animal Kingdom

We generally see at least some parks sell out of Park Pass Reservations, but usually not until a few days before the date arrives. If you’re booking those reservations at least a few weeks in advance, you’re very likely to get the dates you want. Book a few months out, and it’s almost guaranteed.

Heading into Magic Kingdom

Keep in mind that some dates will sell out faster than others. If you’re going during the holiday season or the summer (busier times for Disney World), you should book those park passes even earlier.

MagicBand Scanner

If you forget to book your passes and the park you want to visit is sold out, you don’t have to despair quite yet. One option is to purchase a Park Hopper ticket, make a Park Pass Reservation for a different park, and then hop to the park you want after 2PM. Remember that you do have to scan into the park you have a reservation for before you can park hop in the afternoon.

Click here to learn more about Park Pass Reservations.

Dining Reservations

Other reservations that fill up very quickly are dining reservations. You’ll want to book these ASAP as well. Table service dining reservations for Disney World restaurants become available 60 days before your vacation. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, you can book reservations for your entire trip (up to 10 days) 60 days before the first day of your trip. If you’re not staying at a Disney World hotel, you can book reservations 60 days before each day.

Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom

Figure out what day is 60 days out, set your alarm, and get up EARLY. Those reservations will open at 6AM ET, sometimes a little earlier. So we recommend being ready to book them at 5:45AM ET. Do you really need to get up before the sun to book your dining reservations? For some restaurants — absolutely you do. You STILL might not get the restaurants you want, because remember that other guests staying at Disney World hotels could have access to those reservations before you (if their trip begins a few days earlier than yours does).

Homecomin’

Before the day that you can make dining reservations, have a plan figured out for where you want to eat each day. Make sure to include a few backup options in case your top choice doesn’t work out. If you can’t find reservations for your top choice, book a different restaurant and keep an eye on the one you really want. More reservations might become available if other guests cancel.

Hollywood Brown Derby

It helps if you can be flexible with meal times as well. Usually reservations go faster for peak meal times (like 12PM-1PM for lunch and 5PM-7PM for dinner) than for non-peak meal times. If you can eat brunch at 10:30AM and have dinner at 3PM with a late supper at night, you’re more likely to find reservations available at those times.

Yak and Yeti

Also, watch for Disney park hours to change. If you’re looking to eat at a restaurant that’s inside a park, more reservations may become available if a park extends its opening hours. If Oga’s Cantina is booked full one day but then Disney’s Hollywood Studios changes to be open later, there may suddenly be more availability at Oga’s for those later times. Disney World park hours change frequently, and we’ll let you know when those changes are made.

Oga’s Cantina

One more tip — if you’re looking for a specific restaurant, search for reservations on each restaurant’s page rather than using the Walt Disney World Dining Reservations page. The main reservations page will make you search by date and time, and then you’ll have to scroll through all the restaurants in order to find the one you want. Instead, go to the page of the restaurant you want and search for available reservations there.

These are the hardest dining reservations to get in Disney World in 2022.

Hotel Reservations

Disney hotel reservations used to open 499 days in advance, but that policy recently changed. Now, the reservations will become available once Disney announces the vacation packages for the next year. Right now, reservations are open through the end of 2023.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Unless you’re booking a last-minute trip, you likely won’t struggle to find a room in the hotel of your choice, but you might not get the best price if you book later instead of sooner. The closer you get to the date of your trip, the more expensive these rooms usually get.

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

To get the best deals on Disney World hotel rooms, keep an eye out for limited-time discounts. We’ll let you know about any new discounts, so keep an eye on AllEars for the latest updates!

Find out why it can be tricky to get a Disney World hotel reservation.

Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes

Ah Genie+. You tricky, tricky thing.

Genie+

Genie+ is the FastPass+ replacement that allows you to skip the line at some attractions in the parks. It costs $15 per person, per day, and once you buy it you can start to make reservations for Lightning Lanes (the lines you’ll use instead of the standby line). You can make those reservations one at a time, and once the window opens for you to return to a reservation, you can make the next one.

Lightning Lane sign

Sound complicated? Yep, it is. But it’s not impossible to conquer the beast that is Genie+, and the more you know, the better you’ll be able to take advantage of it and get the most out of your purchase. Here are some posts that will help you become an EXPERT on Genie+:

With close to 50% of Disney World visitors buying Genie+, you may want to consider buying it as well so that you’re not stuck waiting in long ride lines.

DINOSAUR

Remember to buy Genie+ and book your Lightning Lanes as soon as possible so that you have the best chance of getting on the rides you want. Here’s a quick schedule of when Genie+ and Lightning Lanes become available each day:

12AM — Genie+ becomes available for purchase (we recommend purchasing before 7AM)
7AM — Everyone can begin making Lightning Lane reservations with Genie+
7AM — Disney World hotel guests can begin making Individual Lightning Lane reservations (for the rides that aren’t included in Genie+)
Park opening time — Guests who are not staying at a Disney hotel can begin making Individual Lightning Lane reservations

If you’re park hopping, remember that you will have to wait for Lightning Lane reservations after 2PM to become available before you can book them in the park you’re hopping to. Because you cannot park hop before 2PM, you won’t be able to book reservations that are before that time.

Lightning Lane at “it’s a small world”

You used to be able to book a 2PM or later reservation for the park you’re hopping to right when Lightning Lane reservations opened at 7AM, but that policy recently changed.

Lightning Lane Entrance

Also, don’t forget about the 120-minute rule! If you make a Lightning Lane reservation that’s more than 2 hours away, you can book another reservation after 2 hours have passed (or 2 hours after the park opens, if you book before park opening time). So let’s say at 10AM the closest Lightning Lane reservation for Slinky Dog Dash is at 5PM. You can book that reservation, and then at 12AM (2 hours after 10AM), you can book another attraction Lightning Lane and still keep that Slinky Dog Dash reservation.

Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane

Genie+ recently added a new feature that will tell you exactly when you can book your next reservation, which definitely makes it a little bit easier to use.

Click here to learn about the recent Genie+ update that makes it easier to use!

Virtual Queues

The final limited-availability thing you need to conquer is virtual queues. For new rides and experiences, Disney World will use virtual queues to control crowds. Instead of waiting in a standby line, you’ll sign up for the virtual queue and then be called back to the attraction when it’s your turn. It sounds simple, but getting into the queue can be tricky!

Virtual Queue entrance

You’ll find the button to join a virtual queue on the My Disney Experience app. Right now, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the only ride using one. On the homepage of the app, simply scroll down and you should see it. There’s a button that says “Join Virtual Queue” — that’s your ticket in. This queue opens at 7AM each morning and again at 1PM each afternoon.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of Disney’s newest rides

Virtual queues can fill up within seconds for new attractions. For the best chance of getting into one, we recommend being ready to hit “Join Queue” as SOON as they open up. If you can, have multiple people in your party try at the same time so that you have a better chance of getting in.

Everyone wants a chance to ride.

If you didn’t make it in the morning, you can try again in the afternoon! And remember that purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane is a backup option, although those reservations tend to book up quickly as well.

Click here to learn more about virtual queues in Disney World.

All of those things can be a lot to take in, and we don’t blame you if you feel a little overwhelmed right now. Planning a Disney World vacation can be a LOT of work, so just take things one step at a time!

Disney World entrance

And remember that you don’t necessarily need a detailed plan — if you prefer a more spontaneous trip, you can still do that to a certain extent. You’ll need to buy park tickets and book park pass reservations ahead of time in order to get into the parks, but you can choose to just wing it once you get inside!

A sunny day in Hollywood Studios

Just set your expectations accordingly. You may wait in long lines if you don’t rope-drop or use Genie+, and there may not be any sit-down restaurant reservations available that day. However, if you’re fine with eating at quick-service (fast food-style) restaurants and spending a little more time in line, then that may be the perfect plan for you.

Things are busy in Disney World right now

But if you’re more of a planner and want to have a detailed itinerary with all your favorite activities guaranteed, check out some of these posts to learn how to create the PERFECT Disney trip: