You’re rushing out of your hotel room in the morning and forget something important. You realize your mistake only after you arrive inside a theme park at Walt Disney World. Or let’s take another scenario. Like many guests, you are staying at a Walt Disney Resort hotel and want to take mid-day breaks.
Can you leave and return to a Disney park the same day? The good news is yes, you can return to a Disney World theme park the same day, provided you have valid park admission. In other words, your admission ticket allows you to enter one park per day as many times as you want.
However, there are some rules to park re-entry after you leave the park. Today, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about leaving and returning to a theme park at Disney World.
Can You Re-Enter Disney World The Same Day?
Yes, your basic one-day park ticket to one of the theme parks at Walt Disney World allows you to come and go as many times as you want until the park closes for the day.
You can leave and return to the same theme park on the same day for free. There is no limit on the number of times you can do this.
Is Re-Entry Allowed At The Same Park?
As noted above, you can leave and come back to a Disney theme park multiple times a day. Same-day re-entry is free.
Many guests use this facility to take a mid-day break, returning to their resort hotel for a nap or a swim. They are then able to visit the same theme park later in the evening for some more fun at the attractions.
This not only makes the day less tiring but also keeps you out of the Florida sun when it is hottest around midday.
You can also come and go if you forgot something in your hotel room.
Can You Re-Enter A Different Walt Disney World Park On The Same Day?
To enter more than one Disney park on the same day, you need a special type of ticket called a Park Hopper ticket.
A Park Hopper ticket costs more than a basic day ticket. However, it allows you to visit more than one theme park at Walt Disney World on the same day.
People who are in Orlando for a shorter vacation and want to see all the Disney theme parks can make use of the Park Hopper option. This way they can go to more than one park per day, say Magic Kingdom in the morning and Epcot after lunch or Animal Kingdom in the morning, followed by Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the evening.
Can You Leave Disney World Parking And Come Back?
Yes, it is allowed to leave the Disney parking and then come back.
When you pay for parking at any theme park in Disney World, the fee allows you unlimited coming and going all day long at all four parking lots, i.e., Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot.
How Has Re-Entry at Walt Disney World Changed During The Pandemic?
When the Walt Disney Company reopened Disney World after the COVID-19 shutdown, there were many changes in the working of the attractions, entertainment, dining, and transportation.
One of the main things that changed was the process of entering the Disney parks.
Before the pandemic, you could simply show up at one of the Disney theme parks and enter using your day ticket. Now, things are different. I discussed this in detail on this blog post: Can You Get Into Disney Without A Reservation?
To manage capacity and keep crowds under control for social distancing purposes, Disney is doing things differently during the COVID-19 pandemic. You need valid park tickets and a Disney Park Pass reservation for that day to enter a particular theme park.
Also, park hopping is permitted for guests who purchased a ticket with Park Hopper benefits. However, the Park Hopper hours start only at 2 pm (this can vary from park to park and from day to day).
This is to make sure Disney can manage attendance in the theme parks for the sake of the health and safety of all guests.
Per official Disney information, here’s how the new system works now:
- You purchase a Park Hopper ticket and make a Park Pass reservation for the first park you want to visit.
- Then you check the Park Hopper hours for the second park you wish to visit and go there after these hours start. Note that you don’t need a park reservation for the second theme park.
Additionally, keep in mind that while you can come and go from the Disney theme parks as many times as you want, you will be subject to temperature screening and bag checks by cast members every time you leave a park and come back again.
These restrictions will likely stay in place until the pandemic is completely over.
Final Thoughts
We’ve been to Disney World a several times (and once during the pandemic) and one thing I can assure you is that you can re-enter the park as many times as you want throughout the day.
While the pandemic has added a few extra health and safety measures, you’re still able to enjoy your favorite parks without having to worry about needing a mid-day break on your hotel room!
If you’ve got more questions, ask me in the comments below.