The New Disney World Normal: What has Changed Post Pandemic

When Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020, after a four-month closure, the park operated in a “phased reopening.” Many offerings were suspended, and certain operations were modified. Slowly over time, restrictions have eased, many offerings have been brought back, and nearly all restaurants have reopened. So while Walt Disney World may be out of its “phased reopening,” visiting Walt Disney World in the post-pandemic era is still different than those blissful pre-Covid days.

Some restrictions, closures, and modifications appear to be here to stay, or at least, there is no indication that things will entirely go back to the way they were before the parks closed in March 2020 (at least not anytime soon). When planning a visit to Walt Disney World, we want you to be aware of these “new normal” operations. Here’s what you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World in the near future.

1 – A My Disney Experience Account is Absolutely Essential

We have always encouraged guests to have the latest version of the My Disney Experience app for the Walt Disney World vacations but now having an active account has become essential for planning and enjoying your Walt Disney World vacation. You might be able to get by without the app on your phone, but you must have the account. You’ll need an account to make park reservations, dining reservations, and use Mobile Order service. Also, now that Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane are here, you’ll need an account for those services. You can use the web version of My Disney Experience at home to set up your account and make reservations. While at Walt Disney World, you’ll use the app inside the parks for all of those services mentioned above. We certainly are fully in the digital age, and a vacation to Walt Disney World is no different. When planning a Walt Disney World vacation, your first step is to set up a My Disney Experience account.

2 – Disney Park Pass Reservation System

When the parks reopened in July 2020, Walt Disney World introduced a new Disney Park Pass reservations system to monitor and limit park capacity. Guests were thrilled when Disney announced that most guests no longer need to make park reservations (since January 8, 2024). However, annual passholders must continue making park reservations for most visits. That’s because, with the annual pass program, park pass reservations are an integral benefit of the annual pass program. But Disney has rolled out “Good-to-go-days,” and passholders do not need to make reservations on those dates. Also, reservations are not needed for passholders who enter a park after 2:00 pm, with the expectation of Magic Kingdom on the weekends.

3 – All Day Park Hopping is Back (with one big change)!

Park hopping was initially suspended when the parks reopened in 2020. From January 2021 to early January 2024, guests could only park hop after 2:00 pm. This was really restrictive, and guests hated it. Thankfully, since January 9, 2024, all-day park hopping has been back. There is one major post-pandemic change that annual passholders need to be aware of. Because annual passholders still need park reservations (see #2), annual passholders need to visit the park they have a reservation at first before they can park hop to different parks.

4 – Normal Character Greetings (Mostly) Back!

Part of the magic of visiting the theme parks is getting an autograph and a hug from your favorite Disney character. Thankfully, the return of “normal” character greetings, including hugs and autographs, returned to many locations, including dining locations. However, some meet-and-greet locations and character dining meals have yet to return, such as 1900 Park Fare. Thankfully, Disney recently announced a new character dining experience will be coming to 1900 Park Fare when it reopens on April 10, 2024. To find the many different locations and times of the character greetings, be sure to check the My Disney Experience app.

5 – Favorite Live Entertainment Is Back, But Some Offerings Appear to be Gone Forever

Most of the fan-favorite live entertainment shows returned to Walt Disney World in 2022. Favorites such as the Festival of the Lion King and Beauty, the Beast Live on Stage, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond!,” the Festival of Fantasy parade, and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire have all returned.

However, some entertainment offerings have been removed from the Walt Disney World website, and it appears that these offerings will not return. The Jedi Training Academy is an example of removed offerings. It also does not look like Citizens of Hollywood, Citizens of Main Street USA, and the Main Street Trolley Show are returning. These Cast Members made visits so special and really added to the magic of being in the parks. We really hope they eventually come back! When visiting, be sure to check the My Disney Experience app if you’re looking for your favorite entertainment offering.

6 – Extra Magic Hours and FastPass+ Have Been Retired; Genie+ and Lightning Lane are Now Available

By now, you’ve likely heard that Extra Magic Hours were suspended during the phased reopening, and Disney announced Extra Magic Hours would not return. Since October 1, 2021, Disney resort guests have had an early entry benefit that works differently than Extra Magic Hours. All resort guests are allowed to enter all parks thirty minutes early, all days. This option is available every day and at every park. Deluxe resort guests get some extended hours at select parks on a limited basis.

Also, the FastPass+ service was suspended during the phased reopening and has also been retired. A new option, called Genie+ and Lightning Lane, is now available. Click here for more details on Genie+ and Lightning Lane. 

7 – Dining – New Reservation Window and Other Changes

The dining reservation window has been reduced from 180 days to 60 days. This is another one of those changes that were made during the phased reopening that appears to be here to stay. With the much shorter reservation window, guests should make dining reservations as soon as their reservation window opens at 60 days. Resort guests still have the added benefit of making reservations for their entire length of stay for up to ten days, potentially allowing them to make reservations 70 days out. Dining reservations are still in short supply, and it is very difficult to get reservations at popular restaurants, especially for non-resort guests.

If you can’t get a dining reservation for a restaurant of your choice, there is still a walk-up option. One new feature that was rolled out during the phased reopening is the ability to join a walk-up waitlist in the My Disney Experience app. This alleviates the need to walk to the restaurant to check availability. In the app, simply click on the plus button on the bottom of the screen, then click “Check Dining Availability,” enter your party size and the day of the visit, then click “Now” instead of a time of day. This will give you a list of restaurants that are accepting walk-ups. It’s a great feature that really is convenient for guests.

Another added feature was the ability to check in for a dining reservation through the app instead of visiting the hostess stand. We used this feature at Topolino’s Terrace and could enjoy drinks at the lounge and check in from our seats. It’s another great feature.

Be aware that because most restaurants encourage Mobile Ordering through the My Disney Experience app, getting your food can take a long time, especially on busy days. Click here to learn more about the service.

Finally, at this time, the Disney Dining Plan is back for guests who purchase certain resort packages.