The year of Disney World’s 50th anniversary has arrived, and we have been HIGHLY anticipating all the possibilities in store for celebrations.
We’ve already been waiting for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, La Crêperie de Paris, and MORE projects to debut in 2021, but it looks like Disney World will be restoring a familiar feature in honor of its anniversary!
Since the parks reopened last summer, the parks has been operating with the Disney Park Pass system in order to control the traffic flow and limit capacity in the parks. However, Disney promised some BIG things as a part of this year’s celebration, and we’re getting just that!
Disney has shared that Disney Resort hotel guests and other select hotels will soon be able to take advantage of early theme park hours again for the 50th anniversary!
The option will be available exclusively to Disney World Resort hotel guests, who will be able to enter the theme parks with 30-minute early entry. You will be required to have a Disney Park Pass for the park you are visiting with early entrance. While the start date and what attractions, restaurants, and stores will be open haven’t been confirmed yet, we will be sure to keep you updated!
The news of Early Theme Park Entry comes as Disney has also revealed that the Magical Express service will be discontinued in 2022. In a statement, Disney said, “As consumer needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service starting with arrivals in 2022. At the same time, we’re also introducing new ways for guests to enjoy their visits, including early theme park entry for Disney Resort hotel guests.”
This new service is not the same as Extra Magic Hours, which was suspended earlier this year when the parks reopened, and Disney has stated that as they “continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return.”
As Disney World releases more details about planned 50th anniversary festivities, we’ll be sure to keep you updated!
Take a peek inside Disney World’s Cinderella Castle Suite here!
Will you be going to Disney World during its 50th anniversary? Let us know in the comments below!
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I can’t wait for us to arrive in July. I will be there with my 2 grandchildren and my great granddaughter who will be just one. We are so excited. We are hoping to enjoy those extra 30 minutes every day.
ME, especially the luggage pick up, delivery and resort airline check in were a fantastic benefit to staying on property. It’s a shame WDW is using Uber and ride share as an excuse to eliminate ME. I would have preferred a fee to use this service. Disney is taking away the benefits of staying on property.
Disney announces end of complimentary transport at the end of 2021 but counters with “don’t fret, you are going to get early entry to parks.” Plus they state that the new Brightline rail service will bring visitors from MCO to Disney Springs, implying no need for buses anymore. Problem is, 30 min. early entry doesn’t make up for no airport transfers and Brightline “plans” to be up and running mid 2023 from MCO to Disney Springs. Even if Brightline stays on schedule, there will be 18 mos. of other paid bus services or car rentals. Even if Brightline is a quick, efficient transfer, it will obviously require paying for the service and no word yet on how you will transfer from the Springs to your resort. Imagine lugging your luggage thru Disney Springs and trying to board the existing resort buses. Not going to work. I realize Disney spoiled us with complimentary bus service and I’m fine with them discontinuing it, but there needs to be some monetary concessions also. The long list of perks that used to make staying on property is quickly getting very short.
This is kind of good, but 30 minutes? Where did that come from. Why not an hour. The whole point of everything Disney did a great job of, extra magic hours, paid events where you stay late, Fastpass, etc.. were all ways to avoid waiting with big crowds. Now during COVID all of those things have gone away and everyone is crowded together waiting in lines. It doesn’t make sense to me, but at least this is a start I guess to extend the hours a little.
Going to Disney World in November. I am celebrating my 70th birthday and my best girl friend is celebrating retiring this year. Have started looking at dinner reservations, Mickey’s Christmas party. Also looking forward to the new rides as well as some of my old favorites.
We are booked for the first week of November to celebrate my 50th as well.
We have always stayed at the Disney resorts, but because of park overcrowding on Extra-Magic days, we began avoiding the park offering it that day. This new resort perk might balance out the crowds and actually be a good thing for resort guests.
For the people staying onsite, how is 30 minutes really going to help anyone? At best you get a ride in if you hurry up to get to it. More cost cutting measures.
This combined with the Magical Express being cut puts more time before we think about going back. Haven’t been in 5 years due to their cutbacks, have no desire to go back. First went in 1972 and went regularly and DVC members.
I read this earlier this morning, and it has been troubling me since. As a person who does not stay onsite to save money, I have been wondering how this will effect our next trip.
We have not been in a couple of years, but the last time we went was when there was extra morning magic everyday at Animal Kingdom. Without staying onsite it was next to impossible to get a fastpass for Flight of Passage. So on our last day we stood in line for an hour to get into the park, then another two hours in the FoP queue. This is just the reality of it all.
At the same time, I am hoping that I am overreacting to the news. We use touring plans at both Disney and Universal, and Universal also has given their resort guests early entry into their parks every morning in the past. There are touring plans for those who can and cannot use this perk, and the plans worked very well for us despite not getting early entry. One of the things the plan said about riding Forbidden Journey was to not get in line in the morning if the line was more than 30 minutes long. When we were let in, it was already an hour line, but sure enough, by mid-morning the posted wait time shrunk to 30 minutes.
So here is hoping that adjustments to the plans I use will be made in the next year so we can use them just as successfully as we have used them in past.
No Disney is getting rid of all the perks that you get to stay on property. What is the point of staying on property anymore!! VERY disappointed in Disney! Not very magical anymore!!
What are the other select hotels?
Most likely the Disney preferred hotels near Disney Springs. They have had modified Disney perks for years.
We are headed down for Birthday and Anniversary Feb 27 -March 6. And we cannot wait.