Seven Ways Disney Has Improved Significantly
The Disney theme park experience just keeps getting better.
We all know it’s true, but change happens so often at Disney that we sometimes take it for granted.
Photo: Disneyplanning.com
Here are several ways Disney has improved significantly over the past few years.
Better Amenities
When you stay at official Disney resorts, you pay more and should thereby expect more.
Disney officials understand this and have worked hard to provide high-quality amenities to guests.
Early Theme Park Entry
The best of them spill over to the theme park experience, and they’ll matter greatly during your visit.
Early Theme Park Entry harkens back to a previous era of Disney vacations, the days of Extra Magic Hours.
Space Mountain line
Before the parks became so crowded, Disney happily offered an extra hour of park time in the morning and evening to hotel guests.
That’s no longer feasible, as Disney dramatically increased the number of attractions. They require after-hours maintenance.
Early Theme Park Entry
Otherwise, attractions wouldn’t run smoothly while the parks are open. So, Disney eliminated Extra Magic Hours.
After a time, management recognized the need for a similar experience. Enter Early Theme Park Entry.
Peter Pan’s Flight in m
This amenity entitles guests staying at official Walt Disney World resorts to enter the various theme parks 30 minutes early.
The value proposition of this half-hour is off the charts, and it’s not even the only amenity of its kind.
Guests staying in Deluxe Tier resorts can participate in Extended Evening Hours two nights a week.
This amenity empowers the hotel guests to stay in a specific park for two hours (!) after it has otherwise closed for the day!
You can imagine how much of a game-changer this option is.
Better Restaurant Cancellation Policies
Photo: Disney
For as long as I can remember, Disney World included a rather draconian cancellation policy at its restaurants.
Whenever guests made an Advanced Dining Reservation, Disney expected them to honor the request by eating at the restaurant.
Dining Room
To increase the odds of this happening, Disney’s cancellation policy required 48 hours’ notice.
Otherwise, Disney fined the reservation holder $10 per guest on the reservation. I…got bit by this more than once.
Credit: Disney
The whole thing felt preposterous after the surge in popularity of Mobile Ordering and its offshoots.
Nowadays, Disney efficiently schedules all its restaurants, and the company has realized that.
Disney recently updated its restaurant cancellation policy to make it MUCH more customer-friendly.
Now, you have until two hours before your reservation to cancel without penalty.
So, unless you’re totally asleep at the wheel, you’ll never be charged for a change in lunch/dinner plans again. Well done, Disney!
Elimination of Reliance on MagicBands
Photo: Disney
Are you familiar with MagicMobile? This service turns your smartphone into a theme park admission ticket.
Similarly, you can use MagicMobile for other services like PhotoPass and merchandise/restaurant purchases.
Along those lines, My Disney Experience handles several of these features as well.
So, we’ve reached a point more than a decade after the introduction of MagicBands where you don’t really need them.
Image Credit: Disney
Don’t get me wrong. Plenty of guests still use them, and you’ll have to chop my arm off to take mine off me.
But MagicBands are no longer free and haven’t been for years.
Photo: Disney
Thus, you can save yourself some money by using your phone instead.
Disney has reduced the necessity of MagicBands. That’s a good thing, even though I happen to love them.
End of Virtual Queues
Disney recently announced that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind have changed their rules.
Until February 2025, guests participated in a lottery system known as a virtual queue.
When successful, guests won the opportunity to ride these two E-ticket attractions.
Otherwise, their only options were paid line-skipping tactics like Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.
Photo: Disney
Now, Disney has dropped the virtual queue entirely at Disney World.
As of this week, no theme park attraction uses one. So, you’re guaranteed to ride both attractions if you like.
Virtual Queue
All you must do is enter the standby queue line, just like any other attraction. And that is most assuredly better!
Lightning Lane Improvements
Spaceship Earth
Speaking of Lightning Lane, I recently argued that it’s better than ever, and I honestly believe that.
Disney has modified the offerings to include a new, high-end selection, Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
In 2025, Multi Pass isn’t selling out because many guests are skipping straight to Premier Pass.
That’s beneficial to those who are more budget-conscious, but it’s not the main reason why Lightning Lane is better now.
Photo: Disney
Disney changed the rules to allow guests to book Lightning Lane reservations up to seven days in advance.
By doing so, Disney finally solved the 7 AM Struggle problem that’s frustrated tourists for several years.
Now, guests know which Lightning Lane attractions should be available during a park visit, enabling them to set itineraries.
Disney just eliminated much of the stress of a vacation.
Merchandise Mobile Checkout
Spaceship Earth
The next two sections reflect how much I value my park time.
Every second I spend needlessly waiting in line is time I cannot spend doing the things I love…like riding Spaceship Earth.
So, I genuinely appreciate all the things Disney has done to increase my free time by reducing all the waiting.
For instance, with Merchandise Mobile Checkout, I don’t need to stand in line at the counter and wait for someone to check me out.
Instead, I can carry around a bag and scan in my items. In short, I can shop on my own time and check out whenever I like.
Anyone who has been 73rd in line at World of Disney innately understands the value of this amenity.
Mobile Checkout
Remarkably, this isn’t the only way Disney has reduced the time we spend standing in line to order. There’s also…
Mobile Ordering
Photo: Disney
Disney introduced Mobile Ordering in 2017, and it took forever to get going.
Before the pandemic, few tourists were interested in using this highly efficient system, which must have been maddening for Disney.
Photo: Disney
Park officials knew from the beginning the value of Mobile Ordering, but many high-quality products never find an audience.
When Disney reopened after the pandemic, everything changed as consumers had no choice but to use the app.
Photo: Disney
They quickly discovered what Disney had known all along. Mobile Ordering is a game changer.
As a finicky eater, I appreciate the ability to customize my order to my admittedly exacting standards.
Photo: Disney
For most guests, that’s only part of the appeal, though. With Mobile Ordering, the customer determines the timeline.
You signal the restaurant when you’re ready to pick up your food, which is absolutely revolutionary at Disney.
Photo: Disney
The usage of Mobile Ordering legitimately provides guests with the extra time to experience two or three more attractions daily.
That’s a massive improvement to a park visit in and of itself.
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Feature Photo: Disney
