Walt Disney World has been warning guests for weeks now. They even issued a pop-up on the My Disney Experience app.
But despite all the notices and changes, many guests still found themselves shut out of Magic Kingdom over the weekend—and they were not happy.
It all centered around the debut of Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, a brand-new nighttime parade that made its dazzling premiere at Magic Kingdom. The demand to see the show was sky-high, and that led to a full-blown reservation mess that left plenty of guests—especially APs—stuck outside the gates.
A Not-So-Magical Surprise
Disney clearly said it: beginning July 20, 2025, Annual Passholders would need a park reservation to enter Magic Kingdom at any time, including after 2:00 p.m. This marked a sharp turn from the more relaxed rules Passholders had gotten used to. Under the previous policy, APs could hop into any park after 2 p.m. without a reservation—except on weekends at Magic Kingdom.
But that all changed with the launch of Disney Starlight. For the first time in recent memory, Magic Kingdom was completely closed to APs without a reservation, not just for one day—but three.
Yep, July 20, 21, and 22 were all fully booked for Annual Passholders at Magic Kingdom. Interestingly enough, all four parks actually experienced sell-outs for APs, which is the first time that has happened in quite a while.
Guests Caught Off Guard
Even though Disney issued multiple warnings in the lead-up, it seems the message didn’t fully land. Many Passholders showed up expecting the usual flexibility only to be met with blocked entry and some very apologetic Cast Members.
To make things even more frustrating, the rule change only applies to Magic Kingdom. Passholders can still visit the other three parks after 2 p.m. without a reservation. That inconsistency added another layer of confusion and disappointment for those who weren’t glued to Disney blogs or email updates.
One guest wrote on social media, “I didn’t even know there was a change. We always hop to Magic Kingdom after lunch and got turned away for the first time ever.”
Don’t Expect a Quick Reversal
If you’re hoping this would just be a few weeks, don’t bet on it. Disney didn’t just flip this rule on a whim—they knew demand for Disney Starlight would be intense, and it sounds like the policy is sticking around.
Magic Kingdom is already the most visited of the four parks, and with new expansions on the horizon—like the Villains land and the Piston Peak-inspired area—crowd control is only going to get more complicated. This reservation requirement may become the new normal, especially on high-demand days.
So, what can you do? Plan ahead. Check the Park Reservation calendar regularly, and don’t assume anything—especially when it comes to Magic Kingdom. If you’re an Annual Passholder, that 2 p.m. freedom you once had doesn’t extend to every park anymore.
A Lesson Learned (The Hard Way)
The biggest takeaway from this weekend? Don’t take your Annual Pass flexibility for granted. Disney has shifted the rules, and they aren’t making exceptions—even for their most loyal guests.
So if you want to see Magic Kingdom’s newest offerings or catch that nighttime parade everyone’s talking about, make sure your plans—and your Park Pass reservations—are locked in well in advance. Otherwise, you might find yourself on the wrong side of those gates, watching the magic from a distance.
The post After Weeks of Warnings, Disney World Makes Good on Its Threat appeared first on Inside the Magic.
