Disney World Park Pass & Resort Reservations Now Available Through January 2022
Earlier this summer, Walt Disney World released vacation packages beginning January 1, 2021 and with checkout dates before September 27, 2021. As of today, resort hotels and Disney Park Pass reservations are available to book through January 14, 2022. In this post, we’ll take a look at some details, price increase analysis, what to expect, and what’s not back…yet.
Before we get started, a couple of reminders about the status quo and changes coming in 2021. First, Walt Disney World will unveil a new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to your smart phone, building on the app’s existing digital key feature.
With these new features on the way, Walt Disney World will be retiring complimentary MagicBand distribution to hotel guests for new reservations with arrivals beginning January 1, 2021. MagicBands will still be available to purchase at a discount, via the MagicBand Upgrade Program. That was announced back over the summer, but sort of got lost in the shuffle with a sea of other cancellations…
Also in that same sea was the temporary suspension of the Disney Dining Plan, FastPass+, Extra Magic Hours, Park Hopping, a range of experience bookings, and pretty much all entertainment.
We traded all of that for the Disney Park Pass reservation system. In hindsight, that was sort of like trading the Olympic Dream Team for a car with the strong smell body odor deeply embedded in its fabric. Sure, the car still works, but at what cost?!
We’ll circle back to the pressing questions about if/when the Disney Dining Plan, FastPass+, Park Hopping, and more will return.
Let’s start with resort hotels and vacation packages, which can now be booked for check-in dates through December 31, 2021–and checkout dates through January 2022. The following resorts are available to be booked:
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Kidani Village
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (for July 2021 and beyond)
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
This means that the following resorts are not available for booking:
- Disney’s All Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — Jambo House
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Note that it might appear that Animal Kingdom Lodge — Jambo House appears on both lists. However, the first entry is the villas, whereas the second is the regular hotel rooms.
No huge revelations here, as this list simply mirrors what has previously been announced. That only encompasses the properties currently scheduled to open between now and Summer 2021. The remaining resorts will return as demand dictates.
While weekday occupancy has been low since the parks reopened, it’s starting to pick up and we expect that to further accelerate this Christmas season. After that, Spring Break and Easter 2021 will be the next big tests, and we wouldn’t be surprised if a couple more resorts returned then, again for summer, October 2021, and finally for Christmas 2021.
In short, we are not expecting that entire list of resorts to remain closed through January 2022. We wouldn’t be surprised if some of them remain closed until some point in 2022 (prime candidates are one of the All Stars and one or both Port Orleans Resorts). Rather, it’s likely that Walt Disney World simply isn’t offering reservations yet because their status remains uncertain.
One of the things we normally do on resort reservation drop day is some price analysis of rack rates. I’ve only had a chance to take a cursory look at this, but it looks like there are across the board increases.
Take a look at the rate chart at Disney’s Pop Century Resort for November & December 2021:
All of those $175 weekday nights in early November and that bookend Thanksgiving (which falls on November 25, 2021) in mid-November and early-December would be $172 per night this year. That’s a pretty insignificant increase as compared to normal years.
More noteworthy, peak holiday dates go from $306 per night this year to $290 per night next year. You’d still have to be crazy to pay $290 per night for a motel room–even at Pop Century–but it’s good to see a downward trend.
(Correction: when originally published, we erroneously compared standard pool view rooms for November/December 2021 to standard view rooms for November/December 2020, resulting in a larger year over year price increase. The above has been updated to reflect a standard to standard comparison.)
Above is the same thing for Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.
We thought it would be worth looking at the standard rooms here since there is no “Skyliner premium” to take into account, which could mean less of an increase. That certainly appears to be the case, as those same November and early December dates went from $263 per night this year to $265 per night next year.
As a quick aside since it’s a common question, you can find the rate calendar by searching for availability on DisneyWorld.com, then clicking the “Rate Details” button on the resort/room combination that interests you. (See above.)
From there you’ll see a weekly breakdown. For the calendar view, click “View Rate Calendar.” (See below.) Hope that helps!
We’re hesitant to do a ton more pricing analysis, as a lot of this could end up being rendered meaningless. Very few of you will end up paying rack rate due to inevitable discounts, so the final prices are much more relevant. With so much uncertainty, it’s tough to say what those will end up being.
While our recent “Revenge Travel” in 2021 at Walt Disney World post covers a phenomenon that could cause a spike in guest numbers next year, we think it’s more likely that bookings are depressed for next year.
Accordingly, the true test is going to be in terms of what discounts end up being released. If bookings are down because of the lingering effects of a recession, travel fears, and who knows what else, these rack rates could end up being like Kohl’s sticker prices. That’s to say, totally meaningless, as discounts are so ubiquitous that no one is paying full price.
On the other hand, if Walt Disney World keeps supply low by shuttering resorts for the duration of 2021, pent-up demand leads to even more bookings, or the 50th Anniversary draws even more guests, those rack rates could end up being very meaningful. It’s truly too early to tell. Our guess is that 2021 is going to be a slow year for travel as a whole, but we’ve been wrong before.
Next, let’s quickly touch upon if/when certain ‘temporarily suspended’ offerings will return. Three of these things are inquired about more than anything else right now: Park Hopping, FastPass+, and the Disney Dining Plan.
Many (many) readers of this blog have already indicated that they won’t return to Walt Disney World until some or all of that trio is restored. If we’re hearing that, Disney is certainly hearing it. Some of that sentiment is undoubtedly bluster, but some is also genuine. Between guest demand and the reality that those offerings are profitable for Walt Disney World, we expect all of it to return ASAP–it’s just a question of when that is…
Walt Disney World has already stated that their aim is to restore Park Hopping as soon as possible, and you can purchase it on 2021 tickets. However, that does not mean it’ll return on January 1, 2021. It has sort of been Walt Disney World’s MO throughout this to err on the side of “selling stuff” and offering refunds as necessary.
Our expectation is that Walt Disney World will reintroduce Park Hopping as soon as it finds a way to integrate that into the Disney Park Pass reservation system–the January/February 2021 offseason seem like a solid time to roll this out, test & adjust, and fine tune it. As with all of this, that’s just a guess.
Next up, FastPass+ or virtual queues. Even before the parks reopened, we went on record with the prediction that FastPass+ won’t be back, and instead will be replaced by a different form of virtual queue–likely something like MaxPass that can be given to on-site guests as a perk, along with an upcharge component. This is covered in What Will Replace FastPass+ at Walt Disney World?
I’m less confident in that prediction than I was at the time it was made. Walt Disney World is trying to juggle a lot right now, and investing in new tech infrastructure seems increasingly unlikely. I’d give it a 50/50 shot at this point, with equal likelihood that Disney will just restore FastPass+ once health experts drop or relax physical distancing requirements. Our guess for that is Spring 2021 at the earliest.
Finally, the Disney Dining Plan. As we explain in our When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return? post, we do not expect that offering to be gone forever—or even until September 2021.
Instead, we break down what needs to happen for it to come back, why Walt Disney World wants it back ASAP, and when that’ll probably occur. Our guess for that would also be around Spring 2021.
At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the thing guests would like to go away but Disney would like to keep around. Along with the new dates for booking resort hotels, Walt Disney World has also quietly extended the Disney Park Pass reservation calendar through January 14, 2022. (It previously ended September 26, 2021.)
The park reservations aid Disney with staffing, other resource allocation, and crowd distribution. However, guests do not like having to make these reservations. We break down this tension in When Will the Disney Park Pass Reservation System End?
That’s pretty much all of the commentary we have about Walt Disney World’s release of hotel reservations through January 2022. Normally, our advice is to book Walt Disney World vacation packages when they go on sale to lock-in ticket and component pricing as a safeguard against the inevitable price increases. That’s normally especially true if there’s a certain hotel or room type that’s a must-have for your trip.
If you’re planning on visiting for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary on or around October 1, 2021, that remains our advice. Everyone else can probably wait–unless you’re really excited and just want to lock-in a hotel now so you have something to look forward to. (We cannot blame you there!) As you can see from the previous several paragraphs, there are still a ton of unknowns, fluidity, etc. to the Walt Disney World experience in 2021. A ton is changing on a weekly basis, and it’s truly impossible to say today what things will look like in Fall 2021 and beyond.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you already booked a Fall or Winter 2021 Walt Disney World vacation package? Planning on visiting for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary on October 1, 2021? Notice anything interesting about hotel room or package prices? Anything surprise you? Thoughts on the restoration of the Disney Dining Plan, FastPass+, Park Hopping, or anything else? Will you be booking soon, or taking a wait and see approach? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Resort guest could always book park passes in late January and beyond. We’ve had park passes for the end of January for over a month now since they no longer count as our 3 annual pass reservations.
I could see hopping working if they could figure out how many guests left and those guests could effectively swap reservation slots. I can’t see a non messy way to do that particularly without everyone having magic bands.
The previous cut-off for Disney Park Pass reservations was September 26, 2021. The new cut-off is January 14, 2022.
How will park hopping work if you are still required to make a reservation for only 1 park per day?
Thank you for all of the valuable information. I’m in the group that does not plan to return to WDW until it’s relatively back to normal. Park Hopper is a must for us as we always stay at the Boardwalk Inn or Yaht Club and we like to end our nights at Epcot, regardless of where we start our day. We also usually do really well with Fast Passes and we’ve taken advantage of Free Dining a number of times, so having those back would be great as well. And of course not wearing a mask all day. =)
Wow, wondering if I’ll ever go back to Disney World. Aside from not returning until a vaccine is available, no value resorts does it for me. I don’t go to DW for the resort, I go for the parks. Plus cheaper resort means more days I can stay. I feel Disney is going to out price me very soon, and that bothers me. We fans are the ones that “made” Disney become the huge success it is, and it seems they only want to cater to those with the most money now. I was starting to become disillusioned before the pandemic, and now I’m seeing more and more reasons not to return.
I totally agree with everything you said!
Personally, I’ve enjoyed pandemic Disney because it seems like the rolled at lot of the high price changes back. I like not having FP and I like not having a rigidly scheduled day. I appreciate the open space in the park and in line. The capacity feels right. I prefer the cavalcade to the full parades (I hate all but the holiday parades).
And it’s the first year the cost of an AP hasn’t gone up! I could stand to have meet & greets back but that’s about it. Pandemic Disney is the best Disney.
Maria – that’s fine, I suppose, if you’re a local with an AP. For those of us flying into FL for dream vacation, it’s terrible. I haven’t seen any prices that have been rolled back. The cost of tickets the resorts are the same, if not more. It hasn’t reflected the amenities we have to give up. It’s like paying $150 for a $75 dress. Not being able to park hop means we won’t be going to all 4 parks. We usually only spend 1/2 day in Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios, so it’s a waste of money to use an entire day’s ticket for either of those. If you stay at the Jambo House villas, there’s no place to eat – quick service or table. Seems like about half the restaurants are still closed. And crowd levels are picking up. So without a FastPass, you have to skip rides if you don’t feel like standing in line for an hour which is a waste considering the parks close way earlier than pre-pandemic. Disney isn’t what it used to be, value-wise, if you’re flying in from out of state
@Marie, we are here now and see no distancing except in line (assuming you have people around you who are respectful) and in rides. The parks are crowded and the lines for popular rides are immediately 60 min or more at rope drop. Posted wait times are accurate this week. Frankly it’s been miserable in this heat and I wish we had waited.
APs didn’t raise in price and hotels through the holidays are 40% off for AP and 35% off for Florida Residents. AP discount is 30%. That’s pretty generous compared to what it has been. And you can use the discount on Shop Disney and you can stack it Disney Visa codes (some of them) I got my kid a $20 parks toy for $9.
We use a touring plan and don’t ride at popular times. For me it’s like Disney a couple decades ago. It’s a blast. I hope some more quick service will open but otherwise I’m in no rush to go back to fast pass.
I don’t agree with Maria’s assessment. To each his own. Yes, there are perks at times for AP and Florida residents. But the resorts are still expensive compared to what they used to be, the parks are still too crowded, and I would rather have the “FULL” Disney experience, not half the experience. I go because I’m local, but those of you who aren’t shouldn’t feel discouraged if you decide to wait until it’s worth it. It’s definitely not the same right now.
Thanks for another great article, Tom! We are planning a big family trip for the 50th in late October/early November 2021. What about the Disney Genie? Has that been scrapped? Also, any idea when the 50th celebration will be announced? So strange that we are less than a year out and aren’t hearing any promotions/new offererings for the 50th. Of course, this is far from a normal year!
Nothing official on Disney Genie, but I wouldn’t be surprised if whatever ends up being released is dramatically different from the concept art and initial pitch on that.
Also no word yet on the 50th offerings. I think a lot depends on where things stand with physical distancing, etc.
Do you expect any bounceback offers available for next year? We are staying at Pop in December and just wondering if any might be offered for 2021.
I wish they would open the all star resorts then I would book. Having a family of 6 its hard to pay 500 a night for a room.
I’m searching right now for November 2021 for 8 people (hoping for beach club villas) and it is saying that nothing is available except for campsites and Contemporary?
If you’re renting a DVC villa through a site like Dave’s or The DVC Rental Store, you can’t until it hits the 11 month mark. Owners can’t reserve rooms until 11 months out for their home resort of 7 months for any resort. Not sure how it works with reserving through Disney, though. I’ve never done it that way because it costs twice as much
Try searching for 4 and booking two rooms.
That price increase, wow. I originally had a booking for 2 persons from 30 november 2020 for 8 nights at All Star Sports, park hopper tickets. Total cost was €1842. Our tickets were actually for 14 days though, so we could visit the parks a few days afterwards as well if we wanted.
If I try to book pretty much the same but from 29 november 2021 and at Pop Century (cheapest available), it costs me €2605. I knew it was gonna be more expensive, but I really wasn’t counting on an increase of over 40%. And that doesn’t even include the extra days we had for 2020.
Really not sure if I’ll be visiting the park next year, unless I’ll be able to book with a promotion/discount.
What do you think Disney will do about the Park Pass reservation system if they do indeed (and hopefully!) have Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party next year? For example, the party is only on certain days, and what if I reserved different parks for those days? This is my case – I booked a vacation package this June for next August 2021 because I like to have plans set, but what if when they dole out party dates, I can’t then change my park pass reservation because it is full? Or do you think there is no chance of a party next August?
I’m not sure I totally understand the question, but I’ll answer what I think you’re asking…
1) If current physical distancing projections are accurate and all goes well, I expect MNSSHP to happen next August to October
2) I do not expect MNSSHP to also require Magic Kingdom Park Pass reservations. The dated ticket purchase will suffice.
3) I do not expect *any* Park Pass reservations to fully book for August through October 2021 before MNSSHP dates are released, with the possible exception of October 1, 2021.
Let me know if that doesn’t answer what you’re asking and I’ll try to clarify.
We bought a DVC for Animal Kingdom Jambo House back in January and haven’t been able to use it yet 🙁 We are planning on booking a trip for the week of Thanksgiving 2021. I believe that limited amenities are open at Jambo House right now including dining. Do you think they will open more dining in Jambo House sometime before the end of 2021?
“Do you think they will open more dining in Jambo House sometime before the end of 2021?”
Yes. Restoring the Disney Dining Plan pretty much requires reopening many more restaurants.
One big discount that Disney didn’t offer this year was its annual military discount. That’s usually released the end of September but wasn’t this year. If military personnel want a discount on tickets, they have to purchase the 2020 tickets and go to Disney before they expire on Sept 26th. If they want the resort room discount, too bad. We’re not getting it for 2021. This will bite them, as military families will just choose to stay at Shades of Green or visit Universal Studios instead. Disney seems to be shooting itself in the foot.
I still think the Disney Armed Forces Salute deals will return for Fall 2021 and beyond. Pretty much everything has been released on a delayed timeline, so the same is probably true there. Alienating military families would not be a smart move or good look for Disney.
Great post, Tom … thank you for the updates. To flag I do show Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort not reopening until summer of 2021 and it is now listed that way on their home page and not available via Expedia, etc.
Thanks for the heads up–added that notation for clarification.
Confused. Trying to plan Halloween trip 2021. If we book will there even be a party.?? How do we reserve park days not knowing what day a party might be offered. Love your posts. Read them always.
Sounds like you’re going to have to wait to find out
My guess is that MNSSHP will return next August through October. However, don’t expect dates to be released until Spring 2021–probably later than normal as they need ‘clearance’ from health authorities on physical distancing.
In short, you’re not going to know for a while–but you’re also not going to “need” to book Park Pass reservations for a while, either. (If the system is even still in use then.)
You won’t know if there will be a Halloween party until, at the earliest, spring 2021 (imo). Disney can’t predict that until it sees how the pandemic is going. But the party has traditionally been on Sundays, Tuesdays & Fridays with more scheduled in October as it gets closer to Halloween.
You do what we’ve always done. Look at previous year’s party dates and see what the patterns are and book based on that for now. Then, when actual party dates are announced (do research to see when party dates are usually announced, but I’m thinking it will be around May), then you tweak your plans if your days don’t line up. Book your resort for a longer stay and then cut it back after dates are announced if you have to.
“Normally, our advice is to book Walt Disney World vacation packages when they go on sale to lock-in ticket and component pricing as a safeguard against the inevitable price increases.“
I’m no expert on Disney travel, but not a pure rookie either. In my personal experience this is the best advice for saving money on a Disney trip. I’ve always booked stupid far in advance. Maybe I just have bad luck but in my limited experience the discounts that came out later were never better than what I paid by booking really far out. As the author would say, “YMMV”.
YMMV is exactly right. It never hurts to book early (aside from the potential frustration of calling/dealing with the website) and can often help.
In the last decade, we have never saved more by booking WDW early. Of course, our circumstances are unique in terms of flexibility, having APs, etc.
Thanks for that insight. I find that you all have never saved by booking early interesting. I would guess the flexibility is key. We are normally married to a week that kind of works, and don’t have much flexibility.
I do take the time to do the analysis for all the major discounts that you post on here/it’s not just anecdotal.
Hey Tom, unless I missed your intent, it looks like you have an error in the first paragraph. You said January 14, 2020 I believe you met January 14, 2022!
Wow, yeah…pretty big typo there. Thanks for the heads up!
Is there any hint out there for when AP sales will open back up? Disney is getting so much extra money from us with buying tickets for our daughter and not being able to purchase an AP. I am hopeful that by our upcoming December trip that we will be able to purchase one! I at least know we can use that trip toward the purchase (we’ve already purchased the tickets so we can reserve park dates). But between our past August trip and upcoming DEcember, we’ve spend more on her tickets (my husband and I are already AP’s) than we would have a Gold pass. And we have small upcoming trips in 2021! Frustrating.
“Is there any hint out there for when AP sales will open back up?”
None whatsoever, sadly. 🙁
I am booked for September 2021. I will not go unless park hopping is back, FastPass would be nice. I absolutely hate park reservations, and see no purpose to it when COVID-19 is gone. They can control crowds in many other ways, but they won’t. Oh ya, there was in no way 30% crowds over the holiday weekend. It was packed, I was worried about people’s safety, and was surprised at Disney for being so wreck less .I like to pick which parks much closer to arrival time.
Thinking about going for just a day next week while in the area. I’ve heard a lot of complaints the lines for rides are long and the park (Magic Kingdom) is packed because there are no shows or restaurants to pull people into different areas. Is it worth the trade off right now to even bother going without fast pass and other restrictions?
It really depends on your circumstances, budget, etc.
Personally, I would not pay current 1-day ticket prices to visit Magic Kingdom in light of the current entertainment, crowds, etc. As an Annual Passholder, it’s a different story. (But I’m guessing that’s not the case for you given the way you phrased the question.)
Thanks Tom! I really enjoy reading your blog, even when I’m not actually planning a trip! I’m trying to book BLT for fall of next year and am flexible on dates, but am not having any luck finding availability. Is there a way to find out what dates are available, rather than continuously searching using different dates? How did you find that Pop Century Rate Calendar? Thank you!
Keep in mind DVC properties give first availability to members booking points and are not able to be booked “cash” until about 9 months prior to travel (other than Riviera). So you will see regular WDW properties such as Contemporary, but not BLT just yet.
Thanks Kayla!
Tom, thanks very much for going back to answer my question. I’m a big fan of your work and really appreciate it!
Ugh, any hope APs go on sale soon? They offered the AP refunds in August and had their YTD financial numbers released 9/30, plus APs quietly up for renewal on the DL – just need direct sales of APs! We have an early December, 2020 trip booked and plan to do the 50th in 2021. We’re new DVC owners and want that Gold pass so we aren’t paying sky-high daily ticket rates 2x in under a year.
I’m waiting for this too! We have a tentative trip planned in Feb 2021 and a bigger trip planned for Jan 2022 and it would definitely make sense to buy APs in February. (Also DVC and looking at that Gold Pass.)
Did you have an AP you cancelled? If you did, and you call and ask, they’ll sell you one. You can’t get a Platinum Plus pass since the waterparks are closed, but you can get a Gold pass.