Disney World is a place that’s forever changing. Sometimes those changes are due to unforeseen circumstances like we saw last year, and sometimes those changes are a part of the natural evolution of the parks.
You’ll find a good mix of both for these types of changes in the ones we’ve got coming our way in at Disney World in 2021.
Some of these changes are small but worth mentioning. Others may impact the way you plan your trip and the choices you make for 2021 and beyond.
Here are nine ways Disney World will be different in 2021.
Park hopping is back
Park hopping was suspended when the parks reopened in 2020.
This was in an effort to keep crowd sizes manageable and implement appropriate health and safety guidelines.
But as the health and safety guidelines evolve and vaccines start to roll out, Disney has been able to reintroduce this guest favorite option.
However, even though Park Hopping is back, there are still some restrictions.
This includes the fact that you can’t park hop until 2 PM. You’ll also have to have made a park pass reservation for the park you’re going to start your day at and have shown up there in order to move to a different park.
Additionally, you can only visit another park if capacity at your second park allows it. For more, check out this Disney Parks Blog article.
Magic Bands aren’t complementary
For years now, if you’ve been staying at a Disney Resort, you’ve been able to receive a free Magic Band.
Starting in 2021 you’ll no longer be able to receive that Magic Band for free with your stay.
This is likely partially due to cost cutting and partially due to Disney’s technology push. The My Disney Experience App now offers your the ability to unlock your door and it’s believed that they’ll be offering the same option to access your park ticket (if they’re not already.)
However, if you’re a fan of the Magic Band, you can still add them for a discount. (At the time of writing this, the cost of a basic, solid color Magic Band is $5.) You can also reuse bands from previous trips.
Additionally, if you don’t want to pay extra and you don’t have a smartphone, you’ll still have the option to pick up a free key card at check-in, which will allow you to access your room and park tickets.
Luggage tags won’t be shipped to you ahead of time
Another small perk of staying at a Disney Resort was getting free luggage tags mailed you prior to your trip. This is something else Disney is discontinuing this year.
However, if you really like the luggage tags, you should be able to ask for them when you get to your hotel.
I suspect this move is purely cost-cutting. It will save postage and most people likely won’t need or ask for a tag once they’ve arrived with their luggage.
It’s the last year for the Magical Express
Okay, the actual change doesn’t take affect until 2022, but it’s kind of a big one, so I wanted to cover this now.
The Magical Express has provided complimentary transportation between the Orlando Airport and Disney World for Resort guests for years.
2021 will be the last year guests have that option.
While this is sad to me, I think it’s in part the result of the high-speed railway that’s being constructed between the airport and Disney World.
My personal theory is that this railway will be Disney’s future official transportation method to move guests between the airport and the parks.
The linked article says there isn’t a timeline for the Disney station, but lately, I’ve been hearing it’ll be 2023.
Does this mean we’ll be completely stranded at the airport for a year?
I highly doubt it, but I think we’ll have to get closer to 2022 to know for sure.
In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about using the Magical Express through the rest of this year. Keep in mind, some changes may be in effect due to health and safety guidelines.
Early park entry
When the parks reopened, Disney did away with Extra Magic Hours, which allowed resort guests into a specific park one hour early or two hours late.
Disney has announced that Extra Magic Hours won’t be returning. But instead, they’ll be rolling out Early Park Entry.
This will allow resort guests the opportunity to get into ANY park 30 minutes prior to official opening every single day.
You can check out this Disney Parks Blog post for more.
Lots of new things opening
Everything opening in Disney World this year could easily be its own post (and it just might be in the future).
Projects got delayed with the closers last year, but many of them are expected to open in 2021. There are also projects that were planned to open this year, which seem to be on target.
This includes things like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the expanded Epcot France Pavillian, The Star Wars Hotel, and Space 220 Restaurant just to name a few.
So if you’re planning to head to Disney World in 2021, definitely keep an eye out for the new options!
Harmonious should be opening
It’s looking like Disney has been testing and prepping for their new Epcot Nighttime show Harmonious.
This is exciting for two reasons.
First, this show has been highly anticipated since Illuminations closed in 2019. Any time Disney introduces a new show, it’s always exciting.
Second, the fact that Harmonious seems to be moving closer to debuting also may mean we’re getting closer to nighttime shows returning to all the parks, which is something I really can’t wait for.
I expect the Dining Plan to return
I want to be clear about something with this one: this is my own educated guess. To my knowledge, there’s nothing from Disney that suggests this.
Despite that, I really do expect we’ll see the Disney Dining Plan back at some point in 2021.
The Dining Plan was discontinued when the parks reopened and suspended through September of 2021.
While there haven’t been any official plans to reintroduce it, as vaccination ramps up and park and dining capacities increase, it’s likely that Disney will be able to support this option again.
The option is wildly popular, so I do expect to return as soon as it’s feasible.
For more on the Disney Dining Plan, check out this post.
Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom has closed
This is one that I know my sister in particular is heartbroken over.
The Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom was a free interactive game that allowed players to go to various “portals” around the Magic Kingdom and use Pokemon style cards to defeat Hades and other Disney Villains from conquering the Magic Kingdom.
The game was a good option to get moving after a stretch of waiting in line, and a lot of guests did seem to enjoy it.
It closed in January and as of now, that closure is reported to be permanent.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What are some Disney World 2021 differences you’ve heard about? Tell us about it in the comments!