If you used to visit Disney Springs and then hop on a Disney bus to head to a resort for even more Disney magic, your plans need to change because Disney is now enforcing a new bus rule!
Disney Bus
Disney Springs is now limiting the Disney buses to Walt Disney World resort guests only! Here’s everything you need to know about this new rule.
As of Sunday, June 28th, Disney Springs has started enforcing a new bus rule. Disney buses connecting Disney Springs to Disney resorts will only be available to resort guests or visitors with a dining reservation at the resort.
The new bus rule!
Disney has confirmed that to board the buses, guests must provide a room key, dining reservation, or experience reservation. Guests with a dining reservation must be within two hours of their reservation window to be granted access.
The new sign
When we approached the bus stop, we saw Cast Members and Leaders (the managers) at the bus line entrance. They have barricades near the entrance to form a line and scanners to scan your Disney ticket or MagicBand for resort stays or dining reservations, so this will be strictly enforced.
They’re already enforcing it!
While these bus rules are usually temporary during busy times of the year, Disney has stated that the restrictions are now permanent. No reason for the policy was announced by Disney either.
The new bus rule
The Disney World website now reflects this rule as well.
©Disney
Note that this is also impacting the boats from Disney Springs to Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Port Orleans Resort — Riverside and French Quarter. The Disney World website now notes that guests boarding a Sassagoula River Cruise from Disney Springs to one of these spots may be asked to show a valid room key, dining reservation, or experience reservation.
©Disney
Previously, Disney World visitors could park at Disney Springs and take a bus to any hotel they’d like without paying any parking fees, since parking at Disney Springs is free. You can’t drive to a Disney World hotel and pay for parking either; you’re only allowed to park there if you’re staying there or have a dining reservation at one of the hotel’s restaurants. To visit Disney resorts now, you can still get there from the theme parks, however, unless you are an Annual Passholder, you will have to pay to park at all of the four Disney World parks.
Bus Transportation at Magic Kingdom
Don’t want to pay for parking? You can take a rideshare option like Uber or Lyft, but you would still need to be dropped off at one of the parks, not the hotels. For a while now, resorts have required a hotel or dining reservation for your rideshare driver to drive you into the resorts. Occasionally, you’ll be let in anyway, but it is not a guarantee. Heading to the closest theme park is the easiest way to get to a resort while this rule is in effect.
Rideshare Pick-up and Drop-off at EPCOT
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on these new transportation rules at Disney Springs. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more Disney World news!
4 Controversial Rules Disney Is Enforcing in 2026
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What do you think of this rule? Comment below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
This is the last straw! We’ve all decided to cancel or non-renew our AP resident passes and boycott Wdw. A very tough, emotional decision but it’s clear Disney has already decided to boycott us and no longer wants our loyalty or our money. Day guests just aren’t valuable to Disney anymore. Even when we stay at a resort, about monthly, it’s an ethical stand we must take and we’re tired of all the ridiculous rules and changes. Walt always cared more about storytelling and the average, middle class American than money…he let Roy worry about that…but today’s Disney has decided to worship money and please only wealthy foreign visitors. We had high hopes for Josh but he’s even worse than Iger! From now on we go to Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Epic Universe! We’re crying and with heavy hearts saying Goodbye Wdw!
I have seen this playing out across many Disney blogs and people are making way too big a deal out of this.
Resort hopping is not going away, free transportation from Disney Springs for people who are not resort guests or have dining reservations at a resort are going away.
That’s it. No checkpoints across the World, no locked down resorts.
If you want to resort hop and you are not a guest or an AP holder, you can still park in any of the lots for the parks and take that free transportation anywhere your heart desires.
And if you are a guest or an AP holder, that parking is still free, btw.
I don’t understand the rush to doom and gloom, this is a way to close a loophole that people discovered and have been using that ended up clogging the resorts and transportation for the guests of the resorts, or in other words, the people offerd the (free) transportartion was intended for in the first place
So Josh doesn’t want me to shop, grab a cocktail, or get a Dole Whip at the Poly unless I pay for a room somewhere on Disney property? Were non-guests really taking up THAT much space at the resort quick-serve restaurants and bars?
Can you get on a bus if you are not staying at that specific resort but still a Disney resort?
I don’t understand why Disney is doing this. What about guests that want to enjoy quick service venues such as going to Port Orleans French Quarter for biegnets or the Boardwalk for cake at the Bakeshop? There is no way I am going to pay for theme park parking to then take a bus to a resort just to spend more money on food or merch. I hope this change is worth it to them although somehow I doubt it will be.
Disney just keeps finding ways to eliminate the “magic”.
DVC members and annual Passholders should be able to use buses at DS. It would be another selling point. Plus, DVC OWNERS HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE RESORTS !
P
This is the last straw! We’ve all decided to cancel or non-renew our AP resident passes and boycott Wdw. A very tough, emotional decision since we’ve been coming since 1971 when we were kids but it’s clear Disney has already decided to boycott us and no longer wants our loyalty or our money. Day guests just aren’t valuable to Disney anymore. Even when we stay at a resort, about monthly, it’s an ethical stand we must take and we’re tired of all the ridiculous rules and changes. Walt always cared more about storytelling and the average, middle class American than money…he let Roy worry about that…but today’s Disney has decided to worship money and please only wealthy foreign visitors. We had high hopes for Josh but he’s even worse than Iger! Wdw has been turned into a thrill ride amusement park for the young who really aren’t familiar with Walt and his legacy. We miss Michael Eisner!! From now on we go to Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Epic Universe! We’re crying and with heavy hearts saying Goodbye Wdw!
Yes, you can still do that!
They’ve only sapped magic out of the brand an experience since the pandemic. I hate it here. Mega rich want all our money and us to work 99% of life just to barely scrape by without health insurance. They don’t give a dannng about American families enjoying our country’s legacies 🥸
We’re planning our trip now and will be staying at Shades of Green. Do you know if we’ll be able to utilize the bus system?
This is getting out of hand. I was turned away with 90 mins to my ADR that was confirmed via email and within the MDE. I was turned away and told only people who are staying at the resort could have access to the transportation at DS. I showed them my ADR within the app and the email confirmation. They wouldn’t hear it. They refused to scan my MB either. I was charged a missing reservation fee because of this.
I’m so sorry that happened to you, Natalie. I would definitely give Guest Services a call to see if they will at least reverse the missed reservation fee.
Hi Rachel! Shades of Green is fully recognized as an eligible resort for this new policy so you shouldn’t have any issues.
I don’t get where AP holders think they’re something special over and above day ticket holders, when basically they have a year-long park hopper with some discounts attached to it. It gets you access to the parks, free parking, and some discounts. Period.
Same with DVC owners – unless you’re staying at one of the resorts, you’re just another day guest.
People at the Poly shouldn’t have to be turned away from Trader Sam’s because it’s overloaded with locals who park at DS and take the monorail drinking tour.
Guests at French Quarter shouldn’t have to wait an hour or more for a boat back to the resort they’re paying for because the boats are overloaded with locals who want a beignet.