Today is a BIG day for Disney fans, even though it might seem like just a random Wednesday.

That’s because today (February 8th) is Disney’s 2023 first-quarter Earnings Call. During this call, Disney executives comment on the state of the company, share updates on current projects, and sometimes announce MAJOR news. But, Bob Iger failed to comment on a controversial part of the Disney parks: the Park Pass Reservation system.

Park Pass Reservations were introduced to Disney World and Disneyland when the parks reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic-related closures. The reservations were originally intended to keep capacity down and allow for more social distancing, but after distancing requirements were removed, those reservations stuck around.

Executives have commented that having these reservations allows guests to secure their spot in the theme parks ahead of time so that fewer people arrive at the entrance only to be turned away due to the parks being at full capacity that day.

Now, if you want to visit Disney World of Disneyland, you must have both a park ticket and a reservation. Those reservations are free to make, but they are mandatory. Without one, you can’t get into the parks. Annual Passholders can hold a certain number of reservations at any given time, and that number varies depending on which pass you have.

Some guests have complained that this system makes it harder to go on spontaneous trips to the parks, and it limits the value of Annual Passes. When CEO Bob Iger returned to the position last November, he was asked about potential changes coming to the park passes. At the time, he said he had not used it himself. He also said that he wanted to hear from Josh D’amaro about the system before he made any more comments. (D’amaro is currently the Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.)

But, Iger didn’t exactly comment on the Park Pass Reservation System during the call.

In today’s earnings call, Iger once again made some comments about park passes and park capacity. He first noted that he is “very bullish” about the Disney parks, and that they’re still a top priority for him. He then went on to mention that over the past holiday season, Disney reduced capacity in the parks in order to create a better guest experience — and still “maintained a robust bottom line.”

Iger said that Disney is able to manage capacity “very very carefully and shift the mix from Annual Passholders to those who may come once in a lifetime or just once.”

And for those once in a lifetime guests, Iger remarked, “It’s clear that some of our pricing initiatives were alienating to our consumers. We were not perceived to be as accessible or as affordable as we probably should have been,” and steps have already been taken to change that — like with more low price tickets in Disneyland, for example.

As far as plans to increase capacity in the parks, Iger didn’t say anything for certain, but mentioned that in the past, Disney has been able to increase park capacity by building new lands like Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge. Whether or not these changes might be on the horizon for Disney remains to be seen.

Want to know more about upcoming changes at Disney? Check out these posts:

• 3 Nasty Surprises Waiting for Disney CEO Bob Iger in 2023
• Can Activist Investors Derail Disney’s Board of Directors?
• Why a Random Date in April Will Be CRITICAL to The Walt Disney Company

We’ll continue to watch for more updates from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news.

Check out our FULL GUIDE to Park Pass Reservations here.

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What do you think about Iger’s comments? Let us know below.

The post Something BIG Was Missing from Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Announcements Today first appeared on the disney food blog.