food IS a theme park
When visiting Disney theme parks, there are many rules – – both official and unofficial – – that guests have to follow.
Disney Springs transportation rules
That’s especially true this summer, as Disney is enforcing some new (and old) rules at both Disney World and Disneyland.
Disney World is changing daily these days. Lately, it feels like the parks are entirely new places thanks to updates like Villains Land, Piston Peak, Monsters Inc. Land, and more major changes.
EPCOT
Each week, Disney likes to surprise us with changes, news, updates, and more at Disney World and throughout the rest of the company! That’s why we like to do a weekly wrap-up of the biggest news so you don’t miss a single thing. Let’s dive into this week’s latest and greatest Disney news.
This past spring, Disney Springs started a new rule where guests using the bus system had to have a dining or hotel reservation for the resort they were going to. It was in place during a holiday weekend, likely to control the crowds and limit how many guests were able to use the free transportation and visit the hotels.
Disney Springs
While the rule stopped shortly after the holiday, we spoke to a Cast Member at Disney Springs who said it’s coming back and there’s no plan to end it.
If you’ve ever been to Magic Kingdom, then you know how amazing staying at a Monorail resort is. Not only are they gorgeous hotels, but you can get free transportation directly to The Most Magical Place on Earth!
We love the Monorail!
One of our favorite perks of the Monorail resorts isn’t actually the monorail – it’s the boat ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon directly to Magic Kingdom that takes the cake. One of these boat docks has been closed since mid-May, but it just reopened today!
Disney has announced what might be some of the BIGGEST news of the year so far!
Magic Kingdom Ferryboat
For the first time in 50 years, Disney World is expanding its fleet of ferryboats that take guests between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Magic Kingdom. This is a massive surprise, and a welcome one too! Let’s take a look at all the details that we know.
Disney World is known for the incredible theme parks, but secretly, I love a Disney Resort just as much! Resort Hopping is an entirely different side of Disney that can lead you to some amazing shopping, delicious dining, and more.
Disney Springs is full of things to do!
While you can’t park at most Disney hotels without a hotel or dining reservation, there are ways around that. One of the easiest ways is to park at Disney Springs, hop on one of Disney’s free transportation buses, and enjoy your day. But you could have a hiccup in your plans, and this is why some guests might want to avoid Disney Springs in 2026.
Traveling to and from Disney World is something the entire DFB team has become well-versed in! We have made Disney vacation planning our entire career for over 15 years, so we definitely know our way around the resort.
Mears Connect
To start off your vacation, you have to start by getting to the Disney World resort! For me, that typically starts at the Orlando International Airport before hopping on a Mears Connect Bus to head to my resort. I’ve never had many issues with this…until it took me 3 hours to get to my Disney World hotel. I’m sharing everything that went wrong right here!
It feels like Disney World is a never-ending construction site right now!
Wilderness Lodge in Disney World
The parks are undergoing some major renovations, including the addition of a new Cars land called Piston Peak, a Villains Land, and a Monsters Inc. Land! While these changes are pretty exciting, it does mean that the resort is in a bit of an “in-between” period. Not even the hotels are going unscathed! Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a temporary closure has officially begun.
2026 is the year of construction at Disney World. Some popular rides are still undergoing reconstruction, big hotels are getting some updates, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Wilderness Lodge in Disney World
If you’re headed to Wilderness Lodge any time soon, you should also know that even transportation is changing for a limited time. If you’re a fan of those relaxing boat rides to and from the park, you need to read this!
Airport transportation to Disney World can be a… touchy subject for many fans. There was a time when travel between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Disney World was built around the Magical Express. This service, included in Walt Disney World vacation packages, ferried guests back and forth from MCO while transporting their bags directly from their flight to their hotel room and vice versa. The popular service was discontinued in 2020, creating a vacuum for many guests, who have resorted to other methods.
Mears Connect
Recently, one of our team members decided to use the Mears shuttle service to travel to and from MCO, and had an… unexpected experience where they learned a few things.
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