Is Disney’s Park Reservation System here to stay? It certainly sounds like it following new comments from Disneyland President Ken Potrock.
Potrock spoke with the OC Register about the current state of Disneyland, touching on the polarizing Park Reservation System. When asked about how reservations have changed the Disneyland experience, below is how Potrock responded.
“It’s been an extraordinary change. People ask me if reservations are going to go away. I don’t think so. Reservations create a really important opportunity for us to be able to manage the demand more effectively than we ever could.
If you remember the days where we would have huge quantities of people coming into the park — wall to wall and cheek to cheek. Then you remember days where we didn’t have as many people. The objective here is to spread that demand, whether it’s a Tuesday or a Saturday.
If we do that, a couple of really good things happen. One, it’s a better experience for all. Two, we can better manage the labor scenario in a more efficient way.”
Summarized, Potrock highlights the ability to control crowds and the ability to manage staffing as two key reasons the park reservations will likely stick around. This matches previous comments made by Josh D’Amaro, Chair of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.
The Park Pass Reservation System used at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World has changed the way guests plan their Disney vacation. After purchasing tickets, guests must first select which theme park they want to visit each day of their trip – subject to availability. Guests may find select parks are unavailable, or are not available until park hopping is allowed (1pm at Disneyland, 2pm at Walt Disney World). The system cuts down on the ability to have more flexible, spontaneous Disney vacations.
Seeing as Disney extended its Theme Park Reservation Calendar into 2024, we should all plan on it sticking around.
