Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2023 Edition

Disney World Removes Ability to Modify Last-Minute Dining Reservations on My Disney Experience

Disney World has quietly made an update to the My Disney Experience app that removes the ability to make last-minute modifications to dining reservations. Previously, guests could make in-app modifications to dining reservations up to about 20 minutes before the dining reservation time.

Now, Disney World has removed the ability to modify a dining reservation within 2 hours of the dining time (h/t Scott Gustin). Guests are now forced to call Disney to make any last-minute reservations. Here’s the updated policy:

“Restaurants offering advance reservations do not allow modifications within 2 hours of the reservation time and most charge a $10 per-person fee to cancel within 2 hours of the reservation time, or if you don’t show up for your reservation. Each restaurant’s policies are provided when you make your reservation.”

*I did this over the weekend and had a pretty short wait on hold to change a dinner reservation to later in the evening.
 
@HokieRaven5 based on your new profile picture, I'm thinking you did the Wild Africa Trek. We did it in March. How did you like it?
Loved it!! So cool to be able to get closer to the hippos and crocs. Really had fun on the bridges and may have danced a few times while making the bridge sway.

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Also stopping off on the safari to hang out with this friend and get some good group photos was an added bonus:

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Really enjoyed the food, especially the tandoori shrimp and the granola bar!

Top it off one of the couples that was on our tour while we were at the boma went off on the boardwalk and got engaged and the kitchen made them a special dessert to congratulate them!

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Also had another couple on the tour who had the same names as myself and DW!
 
Loved it!! So cool to be able to get closer to the hippos and crocs. Really had fun on the bridges and may have danced a few times while making the bridge sway.

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Also stopping off on the safari to hang out with this friend and get some good group photos was an added bonus:

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Really enjoyed the food, especially the tandoori shrimp and the granola bar!

Top it off one of the couples that was on our tour while we were at the boma went off on the boardwalk and got engaged and the kitchen made them a special dessert to congratulate them!

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Also had another couple on the tour who had the same names as myself and DW!
Amazing! We loved it as well. And how funny about the names!
 
Disney Dining Plans Returning, Exciting Park Reservation Updates and More at Walt Disney World

Every guest who visits Walt Disney World has a completely unique experience. The magic of these experiences comes from the little moments, the ones we don’t quickly forget. Like the décor when you step into a Disney Resort hotel, the smell of your favorite Disney treat as you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., the cast member who went out of their way to help you, or feeling the thrill as you race across the Grid on TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise at Magic Kingdom Park.    

Thousands of these unique moments happen every day, creating a deeper connection with Disney. We care about that and continue to listen to your feedback. That is why we recently rolled out updates to improve the guest experience, like bringing back complimentary overnight self-parking at our Disney Resort hotels, adding attraction photos taken in the park on the day of your visit to Disney Genie+ service and more.

And today we’re thrilled to share some more exciting news just in time for the launch of 2024 bookings for theme park tickets, Disney Resort hotel stays and packages at Walt Disney World on May 31. These updates will make planning your future Walt Disney World visits simpler and easier, so you can further enjoy all we have to offer and make more memories:  

Removing theme park reservation requirements for date-based tickets: Starting with park visits on Jan. 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. You heard that right! When getting your ticket, you will simply select a start date for Jan. 9, 2024 or later, complete your purchase and then you will be all set! For reference, date-based tickets are the standard ticket option we offer to guests. For other admission types, including non-dated tickets, theme park reservations may be required to help us continue managing attendance and delivering a great experience for everyone. You can check which admission types require park reservations by visiting DisneyWorld.com/ThemeParkReservationsbefore you purchase.

Introducing “good-to-go days” for Annual Passholders* and cast members: In 2024, we plan to offer select days on which our Annual Passholders* and Disney cast members may visit Walt Disney World theme parks without needing a park reservation. Once introduced, we will roll out these good-to-go days on an ongoing basis. This will be in addition to the recent update which offers Passholders the opportunity to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Good-to-go days may vary by park, and pass block out dates and capacity limitations continue to apply like they do today. Please stay tuned for more details on good-to-go days.

Bringing back our fan-favorite Disney dining plans: Time to eat! Disney dining plans will be coming back as an option for those staying at Disney Resort hotels who purchase a vacation package with us starting with stays beginning Jan. 9, 2024, which will also open for bookings on May 31. We know our guests – and families in particular – have missed dining plans, which offer guests the convenience and peace of mind of pre-paying for their meals and snacks. Guests will be able to choose from two popular options: Packages that include either the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan. Both plans will be a great value for families with young children with access to many spectacular food and beverage offerings across Walt Disney World.

Continuing to provide extended park time to Disney Resort hotel guests:For those planning to stay at a Disney Resort hotel, we will continue to offer the popular early theme park entry for visits through 2024 – every day, across all four theme parks. This great benefit gives you a jump start on your day. For those staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas, we’ll also be continuing to offer extended evening hours on select dates at select parks through 2024. Early theme park entry and extended evening hours require valid theme park admission and a Resort ID.

Simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience: We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family. While we are not yet able to share specific details, we look forward to sharing more information at a later date.

Whether you’re getting ready to experience the feelings of a Disney thrill or counting down the days until your Disney visit, we hope these updates make you feel as excited as we are. We look forward to welcoming you to Walt Disney World real soon!
 
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Simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience: We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family. While we are not yet able to share specific details, we look forward to sharing more information at a later date.

What if we fixed the Fast Pass problem where passes were all taken before arrival, only to then bring it back but keep the $30 charge....
 
Simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience: We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family. While we are not yet able to share specific details, we look forward to sharing more information at a later date.
Super curious to see what this means. Will it be Fastpass+ but a paid version? So we're back to the 2019 problem where Slinky and FOP were completely gone before offsite guests had a chance to book them?
 
Simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience: We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family. While we are not yet able to share specific details, we look forward to sharing more information at a later date.

Whether you’re getting ready to experience the feelings of a Disney thrill or counting down the days until your Disney visit, we hope these updates make you feel as excited as we are. We look forward to welcoming you to Walt Disney World real soon!
This sounds interesting, wonder what that means
 
Super curious to see what this means. Will it be Fastpass+ but a paid version? So we're back to the 2019 problem where Slinky and FOP were completely gone before offsite guests had a chance to book them?

What they should do is have you able to select which ride you want a ILL / LL for and it automatically grabs it at 7, allowing you to sleep in / not wake up. You're not guarantied the time, but you get more sleep
 
Super curious to see what this means. Will it be Fastpass+ but a paid version? So we're back to the 2019 problem where Slinky and FOP were completely gone before offsite guests had a chance to book them?
Yeah I’m not that excited about switching back to pre-booking attractions.

What they should do is have you able to select which ride you want a ILL / LL for and it automatically grabs it at 7, allowing you to sleep in / not wake up. You're not guarantied the time, but you get more sleep
That I’m good with, pre-purchase G+ and set a first attraction and for ILL pick 1 or 2 attractions and a preferred time range.
 
What they should do is have you able to select which ride you want a ILL / LL for and it automatically grabs it at 7, allowing you to sleep in / not wake up. You're not guarantied the time, but you get more sleep
That's interesting in concept but unsure if the execution would be any better. I feel like A LOT of people would complain about the time they received conflicting with an ADR, special tour/experience, etc.

I wonder if Disney is receiving lots of complaints about the current system being too confusing and not letting them be flexible. I've been getting a lot of surveys from Universal recently that ask to compare the "stressfullness" and "lack of flexibility" between them and WDW.
 
Disney Dining Plans Returning, Exciting Park Reservation Updates and More at Walt Disney World

Every guest who visits Walt Disney World has a completely unique experience. The magic of these experiences comes from the little moments, the ones we don’t quickly forget. Like the décor when you step into a Disney Resort hotel, the smell of your favorite Disney treat as you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., the cast member who went out of their way to help you, or feeling the thrill as you race across the Grid on TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise at Magic Kingdom Park.    

Thousands of these unique moments happen every day, creating a deeper connection with Disney. We care about that and continue to listen to your feedback. That is why we recently rolled out updates to improve the guest experience, like bringing back complimentary overnight self-parking at our Disney Resort hotels, adding attraction photos taken in the park on the day of your visit to Disney Genie+ service and more.

And today we’re thrilled to share some more exciting news just in time for the launch of 2024 bookings for theme park tickets, Disney Resort hotel stays and packages at Walt Disney World on May 31. These updates will make planning your future Walt Disney World visits simpler and easier, so you can further enjoy all we have to offer and make more memories:  

Removing theme park reservation requirements for date-based tickets: Starting with park visits on Jan. 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. You heard that right! When getting your ticket, you will simply select a start date for Jan. 9, 2024 or later, complete your purchase and then you will be all set! For reference, date-based tickets are the standard ticket option we offer to guests. For other admission types, including non-dated tickets, theme park reservations may be required to help us continue managing attendance and delivering a great experience for everyone. You can check which admission types require park reservations by visiting DisneyWorld.com/ThemeParkReservationsbefore you purchase.

Introducing “good-to-go days” for Annual Passholders* and cast members: In 2024, we plan to offer select days on which our Annual Passholders* and Disney cast members may visit Walt Disney World theme parks without needing a park reservation. Once introduced, we will roll out these good-to-go days on an ongoing basis. This will be in addition to the recent update which offers Passholders the opportunity to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Good-to-go days may vary by park, and pass block out dates and capacity limitations continue to apply like they do today. Please stay tuned for more details on good-to-go days.

Bringing back our fan-favorite Disney dining plans: Time to eat! Disney dining plans will be coming back as an option for those staying at Disney Resort hotels who purchase a vacation package with us starting with stays beginning Jan. 9, 2024, which will also open for bookings on May 31. We know our guests – and families in particular – have missed dining plans, which offer guests the convenience and peace of mind of pre-paying for their meals and snacks. Guests will be able to choose from two popular options: Packages that include either the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan. Both plans will be a great value for families with young children with access to many spectacular food and beverage offerings across Walt Disney World.

Continuing to provide extended park time to Disney Resort hotel guests:For those planning to stay at a Disney Resort hotel, we will continue to offer the popular early theme park entry for visits through 2024 – every day, across all four theme parks. This great benefit gives you a jump start on your day. For those staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas, we’ll also be continuing to offer extended evening hours on select dates at select parks through 2024. Early theme park entry and extended evening hours require valid theme park admission and a Resort ID.

Simplifying the Disney Genie+ experience: We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family. While we are not yet able to share specific details, we look forward to sharing more information at a later date.

Whether you’re getting ready to experience the feelings of a Disney thrill or counting down the days until your Disney visit, we hope these updates make you feel as excited as we are. We look forward to welcoming you to Walt Disney World real soon!
They really waited until you got back to drop the news bombs!
 
That's interesting in concept but unsure if the execution would be any better. I feel like A LOT of people would complain about the time they received conflicting with an ADR, special tour/experience, etc.

I wonder if Disney is receiving lots of complaints about the current system being too confusing and not letting them be flexible. I've been getting a lot of surveys from Universal recently that ask to compare the "stressfullness" and "lack of flexibility" between them and WDW.

make it able to detect those conflicts / select time range for LL/ ILL.
 
make it able to detect those conflicts / select time range for LL/ ILL.
That would be a really good addition if they were to implement a system like that. Similar to how Genie+ operates now, I feel like it would also impact the flexibility of the mid day break crowd (I'm one of those folks!). We'll see what they end up coming up with. It can't be any worse than the 7 am rat race happening right now.
 
I wonder if the prebooking will work like the old CL FPs did and they will allow you to book a limited number of LLs in advance per day for an extra cost. Obviously at a much lower price point than the CL FPs. But I could see them doing that to limit the number of LLs taken out of the daily pool and milk it for more $$$.
 

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