ALERT. A big change has hit the Park Pass system in Disney World.

While Park Passes are still required for most guests, the system just got a little bit easier for Annual Passholders (just in time for the return of new Annual Pass sales). But how exactly does it work? We found out and now we’re sharing ALL the details with you.

Step 1: See If the Updated Rules Apply to You

The first thing you need to do is review the updated rules and see whether they apply to your situation.

As of April 18th, ALL Annual Passholders can visit the Disney World theme parks after 2PM WITHOUT a Park Pass, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom.

So there are a few key things to note here. First, the updated rule only applies to Annual Passholders. It does NOT apply to those with regular tickets.

Second, it ONLY allows Passholders to enter the parks without a Park Pass after 2PM. So if you want to go to any park on any day sooner than 2PM, you WILL still need a Park Pass.

Third, there is an important exception — Annual Passholders wanting to go to Magic Kingdom on Saturdays or Sundays. If you are a Passholder and you want to go to Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday, you WILL need a Park Pass, regardless of what time you want to visit the park.

So the first thing you’ll need to do is review those rules and see whether this updated rule will or won’t apply to your park plans. If you review the rules and realize you WILL need a Park Pass for some or all of your trip plans, be sure to book those ASAP.

Click here to learn more about the Park Pass system

Step 2: Make Sure a Blockout Date Doesn’t Apply

Let’s assume you are a Passholder, you want to go to a Disney World park after 2PM, and that park is not Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday. If so, good news — you fall into this updated policy and can visit the park WITHOUT a Park Pass. But you need to be careful.

Disney has noted that applicable pass blockout dates still apply.

So if your pass is totally blocked out on a particular date, you will NOT be able to visit the parks. Be sure to check your pass blockout dates before finalizing your trip plans.

Learn about Disney World’s Annual Passes here

Step 3: Enter the Park AT/AFTER 2PM on the Appropriate Day

Assuming you are a Passholder, you want to enter a park after 2PM, that park is not Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday, AND a blockout date doesn’t apply, then you should be able to enter the park of your choosing without a Park Pass.

To do so, you’ll simply visit the park you want to go to at/after 2PM and scan your MagicBand/MagicBand+, Magic Mobile, or Passholder card when you arrive at the Mickey-shaped scanners. We tried out the system on April 18th at Magic Kingdom and found that the system is strict on the 2PM rule.

While Annual Passholders who had Park Passes from earlier in the day and were park hopping at that 2PM time could enter the park a few minutes before 2PM hit, a Cast Member indicated that Annual Passholders waiting to get in at 2PM without a Park Pass could not enter until exactly at 2PM. In fact, we tried to scan our ticket about 1 minute before 2PM and the Mickey scanner turned blue on us, indicating there was an issue.

But we tried again once 2PM hit and we were able to get in! From what we saw, things were running fairly smoothly with this process at Magic Kingdom on its first day. There were multiple managers present at the scan point to monitor the process.

And that’s it! The main thing here is remembering what rules apply and when you can and can’t enter the parks without a Park Pass.

Note that these Park Pass changes might only be the beginning. Back in January 2023, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, talked to us about how Park Passes do remove some of the “serendipity” of a Disney trip. He indicated that Disney is “trying to create ease” while also making sure they maintain a good guest experience.

D’Amaro said that the changes announced for the Park Pass system and Passholders are “just the start” of changes to Park Passes. He shared that they are working to “make that reservation process as easy and flexible” as possible. 

We’ll just have to wait and see what changes are ultimately made but we’ll be interested to see how the situation evolves. For more news about changes being made at Disney World, click here to see some news about big restaurant menu changes, or click here to learn about some permits that could signal changes at Disney World rides and hotels.

And stay tuned for more news!

Click here to see why 47% of Disney fans say they WON’T buy an annual pass

What do you think about this Park Pass change? Tell us in the comments.