Big Disney World News You Don’t Want To Miss

Walt Disney World seems to be updating and constantly changing since they reopened in July 2020. When planning a magical Walt Disney World vacation, it can be hard to keep up with all the information. Don’t worry, though- we have a quick rundown of some of the biggest Disney World news that you don’t want to miss.

Rise of the Resistance- No Virtual Queue

This information surprised us all in September. Disney’s most popular ride in any Theme Park is Rise of the Resistance, found in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When Rise of the Resistance first opened, Disney rolled out the first ever virtual queue. Guests could try at 7 am and 2 pm (and then later at 1 pm) through the My Disney Experience app to join the virtual line by getting a boarding group. This allowed Guests to enjoy other parts of Disney’s Hollywood Studios or even a Disney Resort while they waited. However, a big announcement came at the end of September that announced Rise of the Resistance would no longer be using the virtual queue but instead standby only. This lasted only until October 19th, however when Disney then rolled out their new Disney Genie system. This has been a big change to the process for riding Rise of the Resistance, and we look forward to seeing if Disney decides to return to the virtual queue option at all moving forward.

FastPass+ is Gone and Genie is Here

FastPasses have been gone from the Theme Parks since Disney reopened. This wasn’t a major concern with limited capacity in the theme parks as wait times remained low. As Disney Park capacity increased and we saw crowds and wait times increase, many of us were left wondering when Disney would bring back FastPass+. This system allowed Guests to pre book three attractions per day, basically reserving a spot in line. Well, we didn’t get FastPass+ back, but we did get a whole new system. Disney Genie was rolled out to Guests in Walt Disney World on October 19th. We have a lot of information on this system HERE and HERE if you are still unfamiliar with these new options. There are three parks of this new system: Disney Genie (a free option that provides up to date wait times as well as suggestions), Genie+ (a paid option $15/day/person that provides Guests access to the Lightning Lanes of over 40 attractions), and Individual Lightning Lane (a pay per ride option for two main attractions in each Park that aren’t part of the Genie+ option). This is a very new system and one that many are still trying to figure out strategy and ideas for getting the most out of Park days and not spending more than needed. We are sure we will have a lot more on this new system moving forward.

Masks Indoors

Disney World’s mask policy has changed a few times as Walt Disney World continues to adjust to the state of the world while keeping Guests and Cast Members safe. Currently, Guests are required to wear masks indoors throughout Walt Disney World. This means throughout Disney Resorts, on Disney transportation and any indoor rides or attractions and queues that are indoors. When heading down on your Walt Disney World vacation, keep this in mind, and make sure you pack those masks.

Character Meet and Greets are BACK!!

This is one that we have been anxiously awaiting! We are so thrilled that character meet and greets are back in Magic Kingdom. Disney has done a fantastic job during these times making sure our beloved characters were out and seen in the Parks, but nothing compares to one-on-one time with Mickey Mouse. These meet and greets are still modified, so keep that in mind. You will need to remain distant from the characters, but you can take selfies and have a great conversation with them once again. We are thrilled to see Mickey Mouse looking fancy in his 50th Anniversary Celebration EARidescent suit welcoming Guests in Tony’s Town Square Theatre. In Fairytale Hall, our favorite princesses are back as well. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, and more have been saying hello once again. This is so exciting, and we hope more open back up throughout the other Theme Parks.

Things Remain Closed- Some for Good

If you haven’t been paying close attention, you might have missed that a few experiences are closing for good in Walt Disney World. Magical Express, the complimentary transportation from Orlando International Airport to Disney property and back again, will be done on January 1st, 2022. Although MEARS will continue to provide transportation for a fee, this is a big adjustment for many families. Over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, many Guests were sad to see Primeval Whirl closing for good. This ride had various issues, and finally, Disney has decided to shut it down for good. We are interested to see what they do with the space in Dinoland moving forward. We also were sad to see Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom light up the sky for the last time at the end of September. This show had brought magic to many throughout the years. All Star Sports was scheduled to reopen; however, it remains closed indefinitely. We assume that Disney has plans to reopen this Value Resort moving forward, but there is no word on when. Finally, we learned the Finding Nemo the Musical would be closed for a while as it goes through some adjustments. We aren’t sure exactly what this means, but we hope the unique music gets to stay. We know Disney is constantly working to be better, but it is hard to see favorites leave.

A Parade is Coming Back

We will have our first parade back when the Very Merriest After Hours Event comes to Magic Kingdom for the holiday season. This special ticketed event will have a new parade called Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. We can’t wait to see what magic this brings, and we hope the toy soldiers and dancing reindeer are back!

These are just some of the big news stories that Disney has released recently. We hope that they help you feel more prepared as you plan for your Walt Disney World vacation.