Disney World Just Made It Easier for Annual Passholders to Visit the Parks
Walt Disney World just updated the Annual Passholder calendar with additional Good-to-Go Days, giving passholders more opportunities to visit theme parks without advance reservations.
The New Dates
January 26, 28, and 29 are now designated as Good-to-Go Days for Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. These dates allow pass holders to visit any of the four theme parks without needing to make park reservations in advance.
The Good-to-Go designation applies to all Annual Pass types and all four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Passholders can arrive at any time during regular operating hours on these dates.
How the Disney World Reservation System Works
Annual Passholders typically need to make park reservations before visiting Walt Disney World. This system was implemented during the pandemic and has remained in place as a tool Disney uses to manage and predict daily attendance.
However, Disney has created some flexibility within this system. Passholders can visit any park after 2 PM without reservations on most days. The exception is Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays, which requires reservations regardless of arrival time due to high weekend attendance.
Good-to-Go Days eliminate reservation requirements entirely, allowing Passholders to arrive at any time without advance planning.
What Good-to-Go Days Mean at Disney World
The designation of specific dates as Good-to-Go Days typically indicates that Disney expects lower than average attendance on those days. By removing reservation requirements, Disney encourages Passholders to visit during periods when parks might otherwise operate below desired capacity.
This creates potential benefits for both Disney and Passholders. Disney fills parks during slower periods, generating revenue from food, merchandise, and other purchases. Passholders potentially experience lower crowd levels and shorter wait times compared to peak attendance days.
The late January dates recently added fall during a typical post-holiday lull when many families have exhausted vacation time and budgets, and children are back in school.
All Disney World Pass Types Qualify
One notable aspect of Good-to-Go Days is that they apply equally to all Annual Pass tiers. Walt Disney World offers multiple pass levels with different price points, blockout dates, and benefit packages.
While higher-tier passes generally provide more flexibility and perks, Good-to-Go Days are available to all pass holders regardless of which tier they purchased. This represents one benefit that doesn’t scale with pass price.
Planning Your Visit
For Passholders with scheduling flexibility, organizing visits around Good-to-Go Days provides reservation-free access while potentially enjoying better park conditions. If you can adjust plans to visit on January 26, 28, or 29 instead of dates requiring reservations, you eliminate planning friction.
It’s worth noting that Good-to-Go designation doesn’t guarantee the slowest possible crowds. Weather, special events, and overall tourism patterns all affect daily attendance. But the designation at least signals Disney’s expectation that these dates won’t reach capacity requiring reservation management.
Checking for Updates
Disney typically announces Good-to-Go Days with relatively short notice, adding dates to the calendar for the near future rather than months in advance. Annual Passholders should regularly check the Good-to-Go calendar through their My Disney Experience account or the official Walt Disney World website.
New dates can appear suddenly, providing opportunities for spontaneous visits that otherwise wouldn’t be possible under the regular reservation system.
The Value Proposition
Good-to-Go Days represent Disney’s attempt to restore some spontaneity to Annual Passes after the reservation system reduced flexibility. While they don’t fully recreate the pre-pandemic experience where every day allowed walk-up visits, they do provide periodic opportunities for reservation-free access.
For Passholders evaluating whether their annual pass provides sufficient value, Good-to-Go Days factor into that assessment alongside park-hopping rules, discount levels, blockout dates, and other benefits that vary by pass tier.
Taking Advantage
With January 26, 28, and 29 now designated as Good-to-Go Days, Annual Passholders have three upcoming opportunities to visit Walt Disney World theme parks without dealing with the reservation system.
These dates offer the closest approximation to pre-pandemic Annual Pass flexibility, allowing the kind of spontaneous park visits that once defined pass ownership before reservation requirements changed the experience.
