Planning a Disney World vacation these days looks a bit different than it did prior to the closures in 2020! Now, it’s not enough to simply purchase theme park tickets — those tickets need to be accompanied by a valid Park Pass Reservation in order to enter the theme parks! And these Park Passes DO fill up, so it’s important you grab ’em!

And with park capacity on the rise, in addition to the anticipating park capacity increase in response to the CDC’s latest guidance on social distancing and fully vaccinated individuals, it’s more important than EVER to make sure you get your Park Pass Reservations as soon as possible!

Which dates will fill up quicker than others? While we think you should treat every day of your upcoming vacation as if it will run out of Park Passes (translation: book your reservations NOW), there are several dates and periods of time that we want to call attention to when it comes to dwindling Park Pass availability.

July 4th, 2021

Independence Day is always a popular holiday in Disney World, especially Magic Kingdom. While we do not expect there to be a big 4th of July fireworks celebration as we’ve seen in the past, we still expect many guests to head to the parks this year!

If you plan on being in Disney World over the 4th of July holiday and have yet to book your Park Pass Reservations, be sure to grab those fast before the park you wish to visit fills up.

Still considering a trip to Disney World this 4th of July? You’ll want to book your trip ASAP!

Summer

Disney World could be preparing for a really busy summer! With interest in travel on the rise, summer 2021 crowds will likely look wildly different than what we saw in the summer of 2020 right after the parks reopened (remember when Flight of Passage had a 5-minute wait? Yeah, those days are over!).

Right now, the further you look out in the summer season, the greater chance you’ll have at first dibs on a Park Pass Reservation. But if your trip is right around the corner, passes are starting to thin out. Even with Disney World expected to continue to raise park capacity, it’s still a good idea to grab those summer park passes as quickly as you can, given the rise in interest to travel.

Heading to Disney World this summer? Read this first!

EPCOT Park Pass Reservations during the Food and Wine Festival

We have another EPCOT festival to look forward to this summer! The 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival will officially kick off on July 15th! EPCOT festivals tend to draw bigger crowds, especially right at the start, so you’ll want to make sure you secure your EPCOT Park Pass Reservation during festival season.

If this summer wasn’t popular enough, EPCOT is about to get a BIG addition this fall that, in combination with Food and Wine, could spell trouble for those looking to grab a Park Pass Reservation late in the game.

Click here to read all about the 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival!

October 1st, 2021

October 1st is a REALLY important date in Disney World history! It is, of course, Magic Kingdom’s opening date, and this year the park is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary! Not only that, but EPCOT opened on October 1st as well in 1982.

This year, in addition to marking the start of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, October 1st is also the opening date for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT! Remember just a moment ago that EPCOT could be a popular Park Pass destination this fall? Yeah, this is why!

Once the 50th Anniversary Celebration officially kicks off, it’s possible that we could see even MORE guests arriving to Disney World, so consider this your warning to book those fall and winter Park Pass Reservations ASAP!

Click here to learn more about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Halloween

Like the 4th of July, Halloween is a popular holiday where guests love to visit Disney World! What sets Halloween apart from most other holidays is that the celebrations start VERY early — that’s right, we’re closer than you think to when we’ll start to see pumpkins lined up along Main Street, U.S.A.!

This year, Disney World is introducing a new after-hours celebration called Disney After Hours Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom! The party will include Halloween-themed cavalcades, candy treat trails, and the opportunity for guests to dress up in their favorite spooky costumes!

Whether you choose to attend the party or not, the entire Halloween season is a popular time for guests to visit the parks, specifically Magic Kingdom. So grab those Park Pass Reservations from mid-August through late October soon!

Click here to learn more about Disney After Hours Boo Bash!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time of year where families are able to take vacations more easily without taking additional time off from school or work. So, the week of Thanksgiving is often a busy week in the parks. If you’re planning to travel to Disney World in late November, be sure to book your Turkey Day Park Pass Reservations soon (and be on alert for Thanksgiving Dining Reservations to open up in late September).

Conversely, the time right before Thanksgiving is often a quieter time of year, so if you’re able to book a trip during a different week in the month of November, you may want to consider doing so!

Click here for some awesome dining options on Thanksgiving in Disney World!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

If you’ve ever been to Disney World during the holiday season, then you likely remember how busy all four theme parks are during that time. This year should be no different, especially if guests chose to skip out on their Christmas trips to Disney World last year as a result of the pandemic.

In general, it’s a good idea to prepare for a Christmas trip to Disney World as early as possible, and this year is no exception when it comes to Park Pass Reservations. Assume that they will run out early so grab them now while there’s still plenty of availability to go around!

Click here to see what limited capacity Christmas Eve crowds looked liked last year in Disney World.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Finally, like Christmas, the New Year’s holidays are wildly popular in Disney World. Though there’s no indication yet that we’ll see midnight fireworks (or if the parks will even remain open until midnight this year), many guests will still choose to ring in 2022 at Disney World.

Now is a great time to start planning your end-of-the-year vacation to Disney World, and if that vacation stretches across New Year’s, be sure to grab those Park Passes first, especially if you’re planning on visiting either Magic Kingdom or EPCOT.

Already thinking of skipping the vacation for New Year’s Eve? Here are some fun ways to celebrate at home!

No matter when your next Disney World vacation is, we highly suggest you book your Park Pass Reservations the moment you book your vacation and purchase your park tickets. That way, you’ll know that you have the Park Pass Reservations for the dates and parks that you want! In fact, you can check Disney World’s availability calendar even before you book to make sure the dates you want are open and available! Be sure to check back as we provide the latest Park Pass availability on a weekly basis.