Do you guys remember how the previous WDW announcements re: re-opening stated stuff like "A resort hotel reservation does not guarantee admission into a park"?
So with this system, that still remains true. Just having the on site hotel reservation doesn't GUARANTEE you admission into a park. It DOES guarantee that at WDW, you'll have an opportunity to make a park reservation before AP holders do. BUT if you do nothing and you do not actually make the park reservation, then you don't get in.
I think it's a pretty fair way of doing things. It puts some responsibility in the hands of the guest.
I also think that WDW has 4 days of on-site resort guest priority reservations before the WDW AP reservation window opens is because, frankly, there's a lot of WDW on site resorts. Just in the DVC resorts alone, they have way more total quantity of hotel rooms than all 3 of the DL on site hotels combined.
When this reservation system for DL opens up, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw something like this: (side note: this is pure speculation on my part)
- For the dates of 7/17 - 7/22, AP holders will get priority first to make a park reservation.
- I think that similarly to when SWGE opened, AP holders will be limited to a certain # of park reservations within a certain time frame (i.e., X # of park reservations per month).
- For the dates of 7/17-7/22, everyone else will then have a chance to get park reservations for those dates. On site hotel guests will not have priority for those dates because the on site hotels will not be open yet.
- For dates starting 7/23, on site hotel guests at DL will get first dibs for DL park reservations. It'll probably be 2-3 days' lead time before the 7/23 and beyond dates open up for AP holders.
- Regular park ticket holders (i.e., everybody else who doesn't have an AP and isn't staying on site) will have a crack at it after AP holders do for dates starting 7/23.
- If WDW park reservations are through about 9/21-9/23 (I can't remember the date I saw on this or the other thread on the WDW side), then the DL park reservations will probably be through 9/30.
Taking WDW's other announcements about special 'add on' cancellations, I think that DL will follow suit with stuff like:
- no WOC, fireworks, or Fantasmic through end of September.
- no Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique through end of September.
- no tours, with maybe the exception of VIP tours
- no special dinner packages (not necessary since there's no night time shows)
- no character meals. Or if they do have a character meal, it's only at ONE location and it'll be at the GCH (since Goofy's Kitchen will be closed due to DLH closure through some date in October). WDW is only going with ONE character meal at the Riviera resort during the initial opening period.
- Plaza Inn will probably still serve breakfast, but it'll be cafeteria style (including the pastries section where you could serve yourself) and the serve-yourself drinks will be replaced with drinks provided by servers or you just get one drink with no refills like at other regular Quick Service locations.
- ALL dining locations will have reduced seating capacity, including QS locations. QS locations will have some tables blocked off for social distancing. BUT with reduced park capacity, it probably won't be a big deal.
