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Unavailable ticket dates, limited park reservations and more: Why you should book your Disney World holiday trip ASAP

Nov. 22, 2021
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3 min read
Disney World Christmas
Unavailable ticket dates, limited park reservations and more: Why you should book your Disney World holiday trip ASAP
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It's common knowledge that planning a vacation to Walt Disney World can be a complicated matter. Unfortunately for people looking to visit in the near future, things are getting even trickier as Disney seems to be tightening up booking availability.

Multiple changes have recently dropped at Walt Disney World, starting with the suspension of sales for most of Disney's annual passes, including the Pirate Pass, Sorcerer Pass and Incredi-pass, as shown in the screenshot from the Disney website below.

(Screenshot courtesy of Disney)

When Disney first introduced the new passes, it noted that it could suspend or pause the sale of passes in an effort to control attendance. It's currently unclear when the passes will be available again, but it's safe to assume it will likely be after the busy holiday season and into the new year.

To make matters more complicated for guests planning a Disney World vacation, select dates for single-park and Park Hopper tickets are currently unavailable for a handful of dates near the holidays. Those dates, a spokesperson for Walt Disney World confirmed to TPG, have been unavailable for a while now despite internet speculation that these changes occurred overnight.

Related: Tips for visiting Disney World at Christmas

A statement on the Walt Disney World website said, "As always, we remain very focused on providing a great Guest experience. As we continue to manage attendance using our theme park reservation system, certain tickets may be unavailable for purchase on select future dates, including upcoming holiday periods, based on reservation availability."

At the time of writing, it appears that single-park tickets and Park Hopper tickets are unavailable for purchase for the following dates:

  • Nov. 22
  • Nov. 23
  • Nov. 26
  • Dec. 20
  • Dec. 28
  • Dec. 29
  • Dec. 30

The calendar below reflects the current booking options available through the Disney World website.

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(Screenshot courtesy of Disney)

Luckily for most people, the dates that are currently blocked off are mostly very busy days centered around the holidays, so chances are people planning to visit during these times already had their tickets reserved.

On the dates marked "unavailable," no tickets can be purchased for any of the four Walt Disney World parks. It's important to note, however, that on days with ticket availability, not all four of the parks themselves may be available as individual park reservations may have hit capacity.

As the screenshot shows below, on Dec. 19 — a day that is currently available to book tickets — both Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are unavailable for park pass reservations, though Epcot and Disney's Animal Kingdom are available. Note that for most of the days around and on Christmas, Magic Kingdom is not available at all.

(Screenshot courtesy of Disney)

The holiday season is one of the most magical times of the year to visit Walt Disney World, but it's also the most complicated time to book and one of the busiest times of the year in the actual parks. If you're looking to visit any park at Walt Disney World between now and the holidays, it's probably best to make your reservations ASAP (and choose potential backup dates in case the ones you want are unavailable).

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Why We Chose It

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.