food IS a theme park
Disney World has been full of changes lately, and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon, especially when it comes to their hotels, and this winter is no different.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
If you’re traveling to Disney World this winter, keep these 10 changes in mind, so you aren’t met with any surprises and can have a smooth and worry-free vacation!
Disney World is a BIG place, and that means that it takes a lot of work to keep it up and running in tip-top shape. While seeing construction on your trip can take you out of the magic a little bit, it ultimately leads to new improvements that enhance the overall vacation experience.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
And, sure, construction can certainly complicate things, but that’s why we keep up with all of the projects so you can be prepared ahead of your next trip. Over at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, there’s a new way to enter by car, and it can be a little confusing if you’re not prepared for it. Here’s everything we know!
If you don’t know, Disney is cracking down on resort hopping. It’s been a big deal in the Disney community, although it hasn’t made resort hopping impossible.
BoardWalk’s Luna Park Pool
The biggest change is that guests can no longer hop on a Disney resort bus or boat at Disney Springs unless they have a hotel or dining reservation. The crackdown began in July 2026, and now Disney is getting even stricter about checking out different hotels. This time, the issue lies with the pools!
Staying at a Disney World hotel on your trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth comes with a TON of perks.
Typhoon Lagoon
When you stay on-site at Disney, you can get benefits like Early Theme Park Entry each day, plus Extended Evening Hours depending on which at which hotel you stay, and the 7-day booking window for Lightning Lanes. Being closer to the parks is a huge perk, and you can enjoy free transportation as well. Hotel guests could also take advantage of free tickets to Disney’s water parks throughout this summer, but that perk is ending soon, and Typhoon Lagoon is also closing for annual refurbishment soon!
There are a number of advantages to staying at a Disney Resort during your Disney World vacation.
Beach Club Resort
If you stay onsite, you can get benefits like Early Theme Park Entry each day and the 7-day booking window for Lightning Lanes. You’ll also be closer to the parks, and you can enjoy free transportation. But this summer, there was another added perk for Disney Resort guests, and soon it’s going away!
Surprise, surprise! Even MORE construction has made its way to Disney World, and this time, it’s blocking a form of transportation for TWO hotels!
FriendShip Boat at Yacht Club Resort
There are several hotels currently undergoing construction, including Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House, BoardWalk Inn, and Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. And although this project isn’t on the resort itself, it does affect the way guests staying there are getting to the parks.
Disney World is home to SO MANY beautiful resort hotels, and even more are on their way!
Coronado Springs
With over 30 hotels, it can be hard to choose where to stay. But the best part about these hotels is that you don’t have to be staying there to visit them! There are some we’d actually rather not stay at and just enjoy without the expense of staying over. For us, there is one specific answer to the following question: Which Disney resort is better for visiting than staying?
We’ve got exciting news out of Disney World, especially if you’ve been as excited to stay at the newest hotel, Lakeshore Lodge, as we’ve been!
©Disney
This new hotel is expected to open in the summer of 2027, though no official opening date has been announced yet. It’ll be a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) hotel closest to Magic Kingdom, and will “celebrate the beauty and magic of nature as seen through the eyes of Disney artists and storytellers.” We’ve been anxiously awaiting more news about the hotel, and now we’ve got NEW concept art to get excited about!
We’re big fans of saving money everywhere we can, especially when it comes to Disney World vacations, and we know a lot of you feel the same way.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
That’s a big part of our job — finding all the latest deals and discounts to help you not break the bank on your upcoming trips. If you’ve been thinking about staying on property at a Disney World hotel but have been shying away from the price tag, there’s a sale going on for this week ONLY that you can’t miss!
It’s HOT out there this summer, and that means sometimes you’re looking for a sweet treat to cool yourself off.
Who’s ready for a new DOLE Whip?
While we’ll never say no to ice cream, sometimes we don’t want dairy on a hot day, and that’s where DOLE Whip comes in. Many guests believe you can only find it in the Disney World parks, but that’s not true. You can also head over to Pineapple Lanai at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for some DOLE Whip, and right now you DEFINITELY will want to, because this new treat is everything!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
