There are some new Disney World hotel rules to prepare for ahead of this Christmas season!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
The holiday season is one of the busiest times in Disney World, and for good reason! Between the seasonal events, gorgeous decor, and special treats, the vibe around the resort is extra-festive. But before you plan the itinerary for your Christmas vacation in Disney World, we expect that some new hotel rules will be in place, which might mean you need to adjust your holiday traditions!
Disney Springs Hotel Transportation Restrictions
Earlier this year, Disney officially implemented a new rule that the Disney Springs buses and boats are only available to guests with a hotel stay or a reservation for a meal or experience at one of the Disney hotels.
Disney Springs Transportation Rule
Reservations must be within two hours in order to be granted access to the buses and boats, and Cast Members near the entrances of the transportation areas will scan Magic Bands and passes to confirm a valid hotel stay or reservation before letting people enter.
Disney Springs transportation rules.
If you’ve previously visited Disney Springs to do some holiday shopping, then hopped over to the hotels to check out the Christmas decor from there, heads up that you’ll no longer be able to access the Disney Springs transportation unless you’re a hotel guest or have an upcoming hotel dining reservation!
Christmas Decorations Intended for Hotel Guests Only
Another major holiday tradition that’s getting a shake-up this year is hotel holiday decor. Disney recently announced that the iconic life-size Grand Floridian gingerbread house is officially retired. In its place, the hotel will feature a few small gingerbread displays made by Disney’s culinary team.
Grand Floridian Gingerbread Display (2024)
But while the end of the era that was the Grand Floridian gingerbread house got most of the hype, there was another detail in Disney’s recent announcement about holiday festivities that also caught our eye. In a post about the upcoming holidays, Disney said, “For guests staying at the resorts or for those with valid dining reservations, the Disney Resorts Collection offers a wide array of bright and merry holiday decor.”
Christmas Tree at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
The inclusion of “for guests staying at the resorts or for those with valid dining reservations…” at the start of that statement makes it look like Disney is pretty serious about cutting down on guests “resort hopping” to take in the various Christmas displays. If you typically look forward to visiting different hotels to soak in the details of their holiday decorations, beware that you’ll need to have an Advance Dining Reservation if you aren’t a hotel guest!
Limits on Mobile Ordering at Hotel Restaurants
Disney World’s My Disney Experience app recently added a major new mobile ordering change that has restricted mobile ordering at certain locations. There are currently several Disney World hotel restaurants that don’t allow mobile ordering unless you’re physically at the restaurant, including Gasparilla Island Grill at the Grand Floridian Resort, Capt. Cook’s at the Polynesian Village, Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary Resort, and Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge.
Chocolate Mickey Choux from Gasparilla Island Grill
If you try to place a Mobile Order at one of the restaurants included in the restriction, the app shows an error message that says “You’re too far away” and prompts you to move closer to the restaurant to place an order.
Cupcake from Capt. Cook’s
Disney didn’t make an announcement about this change, so it’s possible that it might be either a glitch or a temporary restriction. But considering Disney’s other attempts to cut back on non-hotel guests visiting the hotels, we think it’s definitely possible that this change has a similar intention! With that in mind, we’re preparing ourselves for the potential limits on Mobile Ordering at hotel restaurants, especially during the busy holiday season.
Don’t let these Disney World hotel changes catch you off guard during your Christmas vacation! We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more news about other rule updates from the hotels and beyond, so stay tuned for the latest info!
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Will any of these rule changes impact your Disney World vacation plans? Let us know in the comments!
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My family enjoys doing a Monorail Pub Crawl during the Christmas season to enjoy a cocktail at our favorite bar at each resort.
Will we have to have a reservation at each resort in order to continue our family Christmas tradition ?
Good afternoon. I have a quick question. We are staying in a three-bedroom Villa at the Riviera from December 16th through the 23rd. Would we be able to go to other resorts to see Christmas decorations, especially the Grand Floridian? We are DVC owners at Riviera, the Grand Floridian, and the Beach Club. Additionally, would we be able to take buses from Disney Springs to other resorts or only the riviera? Thank you so much!
You ask: Will any of these rule changes impact your Disney World vacation plans? Let us know in the comments!
Yes, after 55 years of visiting wdw (since year one!) and even moving to central Florida and buying APs, we won’t be visiting or spending money at wdw anymore. We are heartbroken over the new leaders in charge betraying the very ideals that led Walt to build Disneyland and Wdw which is that EVERYONE was welcome!!! While they say we are still welcome they have effectively shut down easy or convenient access to enjoy everything that is still teased in our face. These policies and attitude will not only affect an inordinate number of guests who thought they were loved by Disney as much as we loved them (and locals often do stay at resorts every month as well as being day guests) but all the bloggers and influencers who make their living telling us about all the new food and attractions and how special and fun wdw is and will be. Things we will not be able to do anymore….so why follow them online? It’s not a good feeling to watch from the outside looking in at what we can no longer have and enjoy without spending tons to park or stay at a resort…and no amount of persuasive assurances that we’re not being locked out will convince us that we are welcomed and valued. It’s been made clear we are not. These are very sad times for local and middle-class Americans who grew up loving and trusting Disney. I think they will lose a lot of guests who will cancel their passes and never return, not just because of the ridiculously high prices or the nickel and diming or even all the perks taken away, but because they are being told they are now second class citizens and not good enough for wdw unless they are wealthy enough to stay onsite. Wdw was always open to everyone and blaming crowded buses and boats is laughable. They are only crowded when parks open and close and that’s not when most locals ride them. And why shouldn’t we be welcomed at Xmas to see all the beautiful decorations at the resorts, again during the day when an overwhelming majority are in the parks. We weren’t hurting anyone! This all smacks of something else….we’re not stupid and no amount of trying to convince us otherwise will be successful. The Disney corporation may survive all this but the relationship Disney lovers have held these many decades, believing Disney held them in the same high esteem, will not. And like any relationship that breaks and ends, it’s time to realize that life, expectations, traditions have also changed. It’s time to say goodbye and move on…. 😔. I hope Disney corporate, who only thinks and acts for the bottom line and making stockholders rich, will be happy in the end knowing they destroyed the real spirit and legacy of Walt and his dream.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, with the new rules in mind, will you be able to visit other resorts to see holiday decorations for example?
We’re Floridia Resident Annual Passholders. Will this holiday change impact how we do the monorail pub crawl at the three hotels ?
No, at this time you will only need to show proof of reservation if you are attempting to access the busses from Disney Springs.
I still am confused if you are staying at a Disney resort, can you take the boat, monorail or buses from a theme park to another deluxe resort to enjoy the holiday decorations without a dining reservation? I know you can’t drive and park there anymore at Christmas without a dining reservation.
Hi Linda! Yes, if you are staying at a Disney Resort, you CAN take the boat, monorail, or busses from the theme parks to any other resort. This rule only applies to Disney Springs, but even then, as long as you are a guest at any Disney Resort, you will be able to use the transportation anywhere. The rule mainly applies to non-Disney Resort guests and ONLY at Disney Springs.