The lingering impact of the covid pandemic still casts a shadow over Disney World.
Though mask requirements, health checks, and social distancing have gone away, some effects of those bleak days are still felt.
Some of the changes are positive. The Walt Disney (DIS) theme park improved its digital-ordering system and changed how casual dining works in ways that make things easier for visitors.
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In addition, Disney has also kept capacity at its Florida theme parks somewhat constrained. It's certainly not limiting crowds to where they were during the worst days of the pandemic, when social distancing required keeping attendance very low. But it has capped capacity below where it was before covid.
That limit, however, has forced the theme-park giant to require visitors to have not only tickets but also reservations for the specific parks they intend to visit. That's not popular with visitors, but the company has stuck with it nonetheless.
The problem is that without a reservation system, the company's four Florida theme parks might hit capacity. When that happened back before reservations, people had to wait in line for other people to leave. That's fine when there's a small overflow, but it's not tenable if the line is long.
Disney World isn't getting rid of the reservations system -- at least not yet -- but it does have some good news for summer visitors.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
It Might Be a Good Time to Visit Disney World
Disney World uses reservations to control the crowds at its four Florida theme parks.\
When crowds are down, the company makes more reservations available to annual-pass holders. That's not just a good thing for the locals who hold those passes, it's also a sign that it's a good time to visit the theme parks because crowds are down from their normal highs.
"The month of May is off to a quiet start at Walt Disney World, with average wait times at some of the lowest averages we’ve seen since September 2022," Blog Mickey reported.
"To that end, Disney World has made additional Bonus Reservations available for Annual Passholders on Tuesdays and Wednesdays over the next three weeks. These midweek Bonus Reservations are in addition to the weekend Bonus Reservations that are in place through the end of May."
Disney World has generally been at near-capacity at all four parks, so a slowdown, even just for a few weeks, is unexpected. This might suggest that the company will have a slower summer due to people being concerned about the economy and perhaps being more careful with their spending.
More likely it's just a slight break from the norm, and both locals and potential visitors can take advantage.
Disney Will Keep Tweaking the Reservation System
Disney CEO Bob Iger understands that people don't like the reservation system and he is continually evaluating it. He addressed that during his company's first-quarter-earnings call.
"Speaking of our parks, we had an outstanding quarter in Q1, while we continued our purposeful efforts to control capacity to preserve guest experience," he said.
"Last month, we also announced some price adjustments in our parks. We're listening to guest feedback, and we are continuously working to improve the quality and value of their experience."
That's not a promise that the reservation system will go away, but the company has steadily been making changes. Passholders, for example, can enter any park, except Magic Kingdom on the weekends, after 2 p.m. without a reservation.
