CEO Bob Chapek Praises Park Pass Reservation System As ‘Backbone’ Of National Theme Parks

Today at Goldman Sachs’ 30th Annual Communacopia Conference, Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke about theme parks. He praised the Park Pass reservation system instituted by national parks when it reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As he previously mentioned, the company saw the temporary shutdowns as an opportunity to “redesign the customer experience and increase shareholder returns.” Chapek sees the reservation system as the “backbone” of operations and praised the increased performance it has produced.

While the bookings themselves are not profitable, they allow the business to better allocate resources. By requiring every guest to have reservations, including annual pass holders, Disney can know precisely how many people will be at each park each day. They use this information for a myriad of things, from scheduling Cast Members to stocking food and drink. With the “right mix of guests in the park,” Chapek said (referring to the mix of pass holders, resort guests and regular guests (they can “control demand”.

Chapek specifically mentioned the pass holder programs, noting that restarting programs in both national parks to incorporate bookings lets them know “who is coming on what day.”

As Chapek has already confirmed, the Park Pass reservation system is here to stay.

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