Disney on Friday released details about its new Disney Park Pass system, which guests will need to use to secure an admission spot at its parks when they reopen.
The company also said it will stop distributing free MagicBand wearables to resort guests, instead encouraging them to use to-be-introduced features on the My Disney Experience app to replace the bands.
Disney's theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando will begin to open to the public July 11, while its parks at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., are expected to open July 17. The parks have been closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To use the new reservation system, guests need a My Disney Experience account and a valid theme park ticket or annual pass. The ticket or pass needs to be linked to the My Disney Experience account, which can be done online or on Disney's park-specific apps.
Once the ticket has been linked, Disney said, users will be able to access a calendar with available reservation dates for each park. Multiday ticket holders will have to make a park reservation for each day of their visit. Groups will be able to link their tickets together to search for entries at the same time.
For the time being, only one park can be chosen each day. Disney said it hopes to bring back the option of visiting multiple parks per day and will continue to sell its Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus ticket add-ons for 2021 ticket purchases.
Reservations are limited. While Disney hasn't released specific numbers, the company has said capacity will be reduced.
Disney said it will reach out to existing ticket and annual pass holders with information on when they can make reservations starting this week. The reservation system will then be opened to others in a phased format, first with those staying at Disney resorts or other select hotels in the future. Sales of 2020 tickets and resort hotels will be resumed later this summer, Disney said.
Additionally, by June 28, reservations can be made for 2021 trips. Park reservation availability will be viewable online before purchasing tickets.
Next year, Disney will stop distributing complimentary MagicBands to resort guests. The company said the move comes as consumers' use of phones and apps evolves. The bands act as room keys, a form of payment, park tickets and more.
"In 2021, we plan to unveil an innovative new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to your smart devices, building on the app's existing digital key feature," Disney said.
MagicBands will still function and be available for hotel guests to purchase at a discount, with more colors and designs introduced in the future.
If a guest doesn't want to use the My Disney Experience app or purchase a MagicBand, they will be given a key card to use.