Congrats, You’re Going To Disney World! Here Are 8 NEW Things You Need To Know

Yay! We are so excited for you to experience Disney World.

We know there is a lot to learn and decide as you are planning your trip, but AllEars is here to help you every step of the way.

We have pages and pages of information dedicated to helping you plan the best Disney World trip. If you are just starting to plan, check out our Disney World Planning Guide for lots of information. If it has been a bit since your last trip, we are rounding up some changes that you should be aware of!

Updates to the Park Pass Reservation System

The Park Pass Reservation System was introduced after the pandemic to help control crowds in the parks when reopening. It ended up sticking around, and while certain ticket types will still need to make reservations, many tickets will no longer need to worry about it. You will still need to make a reservation if you are an Annual Passholder OR if you have a non-date-based ticket.  If you purchase a ticket for a specific date, you will no longer need to make a park pass reservation. 

New Rules for Park Hopping

The days of waiting until 2pm before you can head to another park are a thing of the past! You can now park hop at any time during the day as long as the park you are headed to has not reached capacity. As long as you have a ticket with park hopping, you can move around as much as you want within operating hours.

Genie+ Has Changed

With the updates to park hopping, changes have also been made to Genie+. You can now select to purchase either a single park or multi-park Genie+. Pricing will vary based on which park you select. If you select a multi-park, you can reserve Lightning Lanes at multiple parks. You will also be able to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes at multiple parks. Find our full guide to Genie+ right here. 

Getting Dining Reservations Has Gotten Easier

If you have ever been frustrated by making dining reservations for your Disney World trip, you are not alone. But there has been a recent update that has made booking dining reservations so much easier. Previously you needed to look at a particular restaurant a day at a time to view availability. However, you can now view availability for up to 10 days at a time.

Watch Out for Virtual Queues and Mobile Orders

Virtual queues are still around, and you will need to grab one in order to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (unless you opt to purchase an individual lightning lane instead). However, we have also noticed more and more virtual queues popping up. Disney World has introduced virtual queues for merchandise events such as Hollywood Studios 35th Anniversary and Star Wars Day Merchandise. You may also find that some popular items, like newly released popcorn buckets, can be purchased on mobile order so you don’t need to wait in an hours long line.  Both virtual queues and mobile ordering can be accessed on the My Disney Experience app.

Disney Dining Plan Has Returned

We had been waiting for the Dining Plan to return for a while, and as of January 2024, you can once again purchase a Disney Dining Plan. You must have a resort package booked in order to purchase the dining plan and you will need to purchase it before you arrive to Disney World. There are various options when booking the Disney Dining Plan, and you can learn more about it here. 

Star Tours Has New Scenes

The Star Tours attraction over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios recently got some new scenes. On April 5th, new scenes that included characters and locations from Ashoka, The Mandalorian, and Andor debuted. So don’t forget to check out Star Tours on your next trip to Disney World. 

Smell Your Way Through Storybook Circus

Finally, don’t forget to check out a new experience that just debuted in Storybook Circus in Magic Kingdom. You can smell you way around the area as you hunt for elephant statutes that are themed to various food items. Each one looks like the item and smells like it too! You will come across scents like churro, snow cone, popcorn, and more.

There are always changes happening at Disney World, and this year will also see the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and more!

Make sure you check out our video of EVERYTHING you need to know about Disney World:

Also, stay tuned to AllEars for more tips for your next Disney World vacation!

Check out our guide to planning your trip to Disney World!

Do you have a trip to Disney World coming up soon? Let us know about it in the comments!

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