When Disney World reopened in July 2020 after a short closure through the pandemic, the Central Florida resort did so with a prolonged listing of procedures meant to regulate and monitor crowds for well being and security functions. Most have been accomplished away with way back, like temperature checks on the entrance gate and six-foot distance markers in trip queues. However a number of have caught round because the park reopened…till now.
Starting Jan.9, 2024, Disney World kicked off some main adjustments. Most company will now not have to make a theme park reservation to get into the parks and company with Park Hopper tickets now not want to attend till 2 p.m. to go to a second park.
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Now, Disney is returning to the previous means of doing issues and, in doing so, giving company way more freedom and adaptability — two issues all of us need extra of once we are on trip.
I visited the parks on the primary day these adjustments went into impact to see if it actually did really feel like “the great previous days” at Disney World. Here is what I skilled and what you should know earlier than your subsequent go to.
The foremost adjustments at Disney World
The tip of theme park reservations
Theme park reservations are formally a factor of the previous for many Disney World company. In case you have a date-based ticket, you now not want to decide on which park you need to go to forward of time. You may nonetheless have to buy tickets, however you will not have to take the additional step of constructing a reservation for one in all Disney’s 4 theme parks every day of your go to.
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The foremost exception to this rule is Disney World annual go holders. Annual go holders will nonetheless have to make a theme park reservation on most days, although Disney is introducing “Good-to-Go” days on choose days starting Jan. 11, 2024. On today, annual go holders can go to any of Disney’s 4 theme parks with out reservation. Even on days requiring a reservation, annual go holders can go to a park with out making a reservation after 2 p.m. (besides Magic Kingdom on Saturdays or Sundays).
Theme park reservations can even nonetheless be out there for sure promotional ticket sorts.
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The elimination of park-hopping restrictions
In case you have a ticket with the Park Hopper choice or are an annual passholder, you now not want to attend till 2 p.m. to go to a second (or third, or fourth) park. Earlier than this modification, you needed to wait till 2 p.m. to go to a park aside from the one you had made a theme park reservation for that day. Now, you possibly can go to extra parks any time you want all through the day.
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This makes Park Hopper tickets extra helpful as a result of you possibly can spend way more time visiting extra parks as an alternative of being caught at one park till 2 p.m. If you’re solely at Disney for a brief time frame and need to go to all 4 parks in at some point, it simply bought a lot simpler.
The return of the Disney Eating Plan
Jan. 9 additionally marked the reintroduction of the Disney Eating Plan, this pre-pandemic perk permits you to prepay for a set variety of meals and snacks throughout your go to, giving your journey the sensation of an all-inclusive trip.TPG has a complete information that may show you how to decide if the Disney Eating Plan is price it to your journey, so I will not spend an excessive amount of time on it right here.
How these adjustments improved my go to
Much less stress and extra flexibility
Earlier than I left for the airport the morning of Jan. 9, I believed I might need to begin my day at Magic Kingdom. I had an 11 a.m. lunch reservation at Hollywood Studios, although, and by the point I landed in Orlando and dropped my baggage on the resort, I knew I might be reducing it shut. As an alternative, I went straight to Hollywood Studios, realizing I would not be caught there till 2 p.m. if I did not need to be.
After lunch, I made a decision to fulfill a pal at Animal Kingdom and was in a position to hop proper over there. After already visiting two parks by midday, I believed I’d be capable to go to all 4 parks in at some point, however a late afternoon storm foiled my plans. As soon as the rain moved out, I did make it to Epcot simply in time for the brand new nighttime spectacular, Luminous.
Merely put, my day felt extra relaxed. I did not need to plan out my whole day forward of time and was in a position to go wherever my little coronary heart desired.
Much less ready round
When park hopping restrictions have been in place, there have been many instances that I felt “caught” at my first park, ready for two p.m. to hit so I may go to one other park. Particularly when you prefer to rope drop, you may get quite a bit accomplished within the first couple hours after a park opens and be prepared to maneuver on to one thing new. Now, you are able to do simply that.
I beloved realizing I may go to one other park as quickly as I used to be prepared as an alternative of watching the clock (one thing Cinderella ought to have accomplished extra intently).
Tomorrow, I plan to get up and check out for a digital queue reservation for Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom, however I plan to spend the remainder of my day at Epcot and Hollywood Studios. If I snag that early morning queue spot, I can trip one in all my favourite coasters after which go straight to a different park.
Completed extra
With the aforementioned flexibility and fewer ready, I felt like I noticed and did a lot in at some point. Previous to this modification, I often selected one park for the morning and one for the night or solely visited one park per day. With my newfound freedom, my day felt extra fulfilling.
It wasn’t even concerning the variety of rides I went on, it was extra that I felt like I may do precisely what I wished to do after I wished to do it as an alternative of getting to play by a sure algorithm. I rode two rides at Hollywood Studios and two at Anmal Kingdom, took a break from the storm, had an extended dinner at Disney Springs and ended the night time at Epcot. It was fulfilling and, most of all, enjoyable.
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Modifications to how you utilize Genie+
The adjustments to theme park reservations and park hopping can even change how you utilize Genie+. Now, when you’ve got a ticket with the Park Hopper choice, you should use Genie+ to make Lightning Lane reservations for points of interest at any park for any time of day. Be sure to give your self sufficient time to get from one park to a different when you make Lightning Lane reservations at a number of parks.
All different guidelines concerning how typically you may make reservations utilizing Genie+ nonetheless apply.
You continue to need to have a plan
I all the time advocate folks go in with a unfastened plan fairly than a minute-by-minute itinerary, which continues to be true. Though you now have extra flexibility, when you do not make any sort of plan, you could possibly end up wandering round aimlessly with out getting a lot accomplished.
I might advocate you continue to have an thought of which park (or parks) you need to go to every day and a listing of must-dos, however take into account that you possibly can change that plan at any time when you aren’t feeling it.
Benefit from early entry or prolonged night hours
Although you do have extra freedom in your day, Disney continues to be huge and sometimes busy. If you’re staying in one in all Disney World’s on-site accommodations, you continue to need to make the most of early theme park entry when you can. This gives you a one-hour headstart on different company, permitting you to knock out one or two headliner points of interest earlier than the crowds roll in. That is particularly useful when you begin your day at a park with the earliest opening time (often Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom) after which hop to a different park as soon as it opens.
Even when you aren’t an early chicken, company of Disney Deluxe resorts, like Disney’s Seaside Membership Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, can get pleasure from unique prolonged night hours in a particular park on choose nights. You possibly can see a full schedule on Disney’s every day calendar.
Do not attempt to do an excessive amount of
It is a piece of recommendation I’ve given anybody who asks, no matter Disney’s guidelines on the time. It may be simple to attempt to do all of it when you find yourself at Disney World, however it’s additionally actually unattainable. Disney World is huge. There are extra points of interest to trip, characters to fulfill, exhibits to see and eating places to dine at than you possibly can accomplish in a single go to.
Even with the flexibility to go to extra parks in much less time, you continue to cannot do all of it. As an alternative, make a listing of the issues which might be most vital to you at every park earlier than you go to. After you accomplish these, you should use your free time nonetheless you need.
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