Unavailable ticket dates, limited park reservations and more: Why you should book your Disney World holiday trip ASAP
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.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees