UPDATED: April 10, 2024
Are you gearing up for a 2024 Disney World trip? Watch out for some huge CHANGES that will affect the parks and hotels next year!
The Disney Dining Plan is back, Park Hopping has changed, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s dig into all the BIG CHANGES at Disney World in 2024.
Resort-Wide
Disney Dining Plan
One of the BIGGEST changes in 2024 is that the Disney Dining Plan IS BACK as of January 9th. If you’re not familiar with Disney Dining Plans, they’re essentially a way to pre-pay for your meals and snacks in Disney World. You can purchase them as part of a vacation package.
Two plan types are available: the Standard Dining Plan and the Quick Service Dining Plan. Click here to see a list of ALL the Disney World restaurants participating in the Disney Dining Plan.
Click here to learn all about the Disney Dining Plan!
New Park Pass Reservation Rules
You may know that all Disney World ticket holders were required to make a park pass reservation for each day they planned on being in the theme parks since July 2020. That also changed on January 9th, 2024 — park pass reservations are NO LONGER NEEDED for those who purchase date-based tickets. This means that guests who buy theme park tickets tied to specific dates do NOT need to make a reservation.
Guests with tickets that are not based on specific dates still need to make Park Pass Reservations. This includes Annual Passholders (unless you’re visiting the parks after 2PM), Cast Members, and other non-date-based ticket types.
Learn all about Park Pass Reservations here!
“Good to Go” Days for Annual Passholders
Even though Annual Passholders usually still need to make Park Pass Reservations, there’s another way they can get around this rule (besides just visiting after 2PM): “Good to Go” days! As of January 11th, 2024, Disney is offering “Good to Go” days for Annual Passholders and Cast Members. On these days, these visitors can enter the ANY of the four theme parks without a Park Pass Reservation.
The circled dates that appear when an Annual Passholders is logged into their My Disney Experience account denote the date as Good-to-Go! Keep an eye on the Annual Pass and Cast Member calendars throughout the year to find out each date they’ll be offered (on a rolling basis).
Click here for more details about “Good to Go” days.
Park Hopping Rule Change
Also as of January 9th, 2024, all-day Park Hopping is BACK! Anyone who has a park ticket with Park Hopper or an Annual Pass can visit another theme park at any time of day during park hours.
When Park Hopper returned in 2021, it was limited to after 2PM each day. That restriction ENDED on January 9th.
Learn more about Park Hopper here!
Genie+ Changes
There are some big Genie+ changes in the works for 2024! Disney has heard guests saying they wish they could “plan with Disney Genie+ service and Individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit.” Disney shared that they’re “working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024.”
Currently, you cannot buy Genie+ or make Lightning Lane reservations before the day of your visit. Genie+ becomes available at midnight each day, and Lightning Lane reservations can be made starting at 7AM each day.
Disney’s goal is apparently to “give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family.” Could we see some options for planning ahead with Genie+ soon? We’ll have to wait and see!
Click here for our ultimate guide to Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes.
Magic Kingdom
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
A new ride is coming to Magic Kingdom! Splash Mountain closed in early 2023 to make way for a NEW ride themed to Disney’s animated film The Princess and the Frog.
The new attraction is called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and is set to take visitors through the bayous of Louisiana to help Tiana with her new business endeavor, Tiana’s Foods.
The ride will bring in existing characters from The Princess and the Frog, as well as introduce some new characters. It’s set to open in SUMMER 2024!
Learn more about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure here!
Country Bear Jamboree Transformation
A NEW SHOW is coming to Country Bear Jamboree in Magic Kingdom! The beloved bears are learning an all-new act — they’ll sing their classic songs in NEW styles like country, rockabilly, and bluegrass.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree will be a take on the classic variety shows found in Nashville, Tennessee, and Nashville musicians are involved in the new arrangements. For instance. we’ll be hearing a new version of “Bare Necessities” in a rockabilly style! A Disney Imagineer has shared, “The music is going to be amazing, and the show will still have the fun and friendly tone that we all love about the Country Bears.”
And these changes are coming SOON… Country Bear Jamboree officially CLOSED on January 27th, 2024 for the refurbishment. Disney announced that the new show will make its debut THIS SUMMER.
See the surprising ending to the classic Country Bears show HERE!
EPCOT
CommuniCore Hall and Plaza
EPCOT’s historic — and lengthy — transformation is at last coming to a close! The final touch will be the opening of CommuniCore Hall and Plaza on June 10th, 2024!
CommuniCore Plaza will provide an outdoor space where guests can come to relax and experience all that the Festivals have to offer.
CommuniCore Hall will be housed within the plaza and will be the first fully-purpose-built structure in Festival programming! The hall will boast a demonstration kitchen, a mixology bar, and exhibition and gallery space.
In addition to providing dedicated spaces for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals, CommuniCore Hall will also be the location of a new Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet!
Check out EVERYTHING coming to CommuniCore HERE!
NEW Encanto Show Debuting in EPCOT
As part of the CommuniCore opening celebration, also kicking off on June 10th will be a BRAND NEW Encanto stage show! ¡Celebración Encanto! is a sing-along that includes popular songs from the movie.
The show will be running several times a day and will take place on the CommuniCore Plaza stage. You’ll even be able to see Bruno and Mirabel throughout this show, which will run through September 6th, 2024.
Find out MORE about the new Encanto show HERE!
Test Track Reimagining
On June 17th, Test Track, which is located in EPCOT’s World Discovery, will temporarily close so the ride can be — in Disney speak — reimagined!
Disney hasn’t released too many details about what the updated ride experience will be like just yet, but they did mention that it will take inspiration from World of Motion, the ride that was originally there when the park opened in 1982! At this time, a reopening timeline has not been announced, but we’ll keep you posted!
Find out more about the NEW Test Track HERE!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
New Scenes in Star Tours
On April 5th, NEW adventures made their debut at Star Tours in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios (along with Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris) featuring NEW-to-the-ride characters!
The new adventures feature characters and locations from Ashoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian. Parkgoers can now experience over 250 different adventures with a plethora of different characters, locations, and experiences!
Click HERE to check out the CHANGES at Star Tours (though beware of spoilers)!
Disney Springs
“Disney Dreams That Soar” Drone Show Debuts in Disney Springs
Starting on May 24th, make sure you head to the West Side of Disney Springs to catch a BRAND NEW Drone show above Lake Buena Vista: “Disney Dreams That Soar” is inspired by Disney stories showcasing flight!
These drones are programmed to create designs in the sky and will be accompanied by a beautiful musical score that includes memorable movie quotes. The show will run through September 2nd, and is planned to be a late-night perk for those still hanging out at Disney Springs, so be sure you plan your next park day accordingly!
Click here for MORE on Disney Dreams That Soar!
Disney World Hotels
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
1900 Park Fare reopened at long last on April 10th, 2024! This restaurant, which is located in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, is one of a few that had yet to reopen since the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort in 2020. But now, it’s back… with an entirely new Character Dining experience: Wish Makers Enchanted Dining!
During a buffet-style Breakfast or Dinner, guests enjoy tableside visits by characters including Aladdin (in his Prince Ali look), Cinderella, Mirabel from Encanto, and Princess Tiana in her new look for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure “as they celebrate the power of a wish.”
Click HERE to step inside the reopened — and refreshed — 1900 Park Fare!
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
New Disney Vacation Club villas are currently under construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The new villas are set to open sometime in 2024.
The new rooms will feature waterfront views with most, if not all, also offering balconies.
The new structure will also include new dining and recreation options, as well as new pools.
Click here to check out construction progress at the new villas.
Disney’s BoardWalk
A new bakery and restaurant is coming to Disney’s BoardWalk. It’s The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, and it will be made up of two different sections: a bakery with lots of treats and other baked goods and a table service restaurant.
This spot will even serve an afternoon tea. Cake Bake Shop is set to open in early 2024.
Speaking of Disney’s BoardWalk, a Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs stand is also in the works!
Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is already a beloved snack spot in Disneyland, but soon visitors will be able to try these hand-dipped corn dogs on the East Coast. Like Cake Bake Shop, this stand was originally slated to open in 2023, but it was delayed until next year. Here’s hoping we’ll see it early in the new year!
We ate at an existing Cake Bake Shop location — Read our full review here!
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Disney Vacation Club has announced its plan to redesign the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The proposal calls for more than 350 refreshed cabins to replace the existing cabins at the resort.
Although the new cabins will be part of the Disney Vacation Club resort lineup, the proposed cabins will be open for reservations to all guests, including those who are not DVC Members.
So far, the concept art shows modern cabins “inspired by the resort’s idyllic setting.” Disney is hoping that the new spaces will pay “homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling.”
Cabins will sleep up to six adults and feature a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and private patio. Disney noted that a select number of cabins will be dog-friendly. These refreshed cabins will make their debuts starting on July 1st! The opening will take place in phases — the first loop will open on July 1st, and the second will follow later in the month. More will continue to open throughout the year.
Click HERE to find out how to book a NEW Fort Wilderness Cabin!
We’ll likely see even MORE changes in Disney World next year, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest updates!
Click here to see the 5 big decisions you need to make FIRST when planning a 2024 Disney World vacation.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by how many changes there are to keep track of, consider talking to our friends over at Small World Vacations. Their travel agents can help take the headache out of planning your upcoming trip!
DON'T DO IT ALONE!
Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise.
Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!)
So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you 🙂
Are you visiting Disney World in 2024? Let us know in the comments.
TRENDING NOW