7 Times Disney World Completely Shocked Fans This Year

Walt Disney World always has a few tricks up its sleeves, but 2021 has definitely been a year to remember!

Today, we’re reviewing some of the biggest ways Disney World truly shocked its fans this year!

Goodbye FastPass+ and Hello Genie+

Perhaps the biggest shock of them all came when Disney World announced that FastPass+ was being discontinued. The complimentary system that allowed guests to bypass the standby queue was originally introduced in 1999, but more than twenty years later, we learned that it would be replaced by Genie+.

Genie+ is a paid system that allows guests to claim return times at over 40 attractions across Disney World. It costs $15 per guest, per day and launched on October 19. In addition, Individual Attraction Selections require a separate fee in order to access their “Lightning Lane” (the new phrase for the FastPass lane).

This is definitely a major change to the way fans plan out their Disney World vacation, so be sure you read up on all of our posts concerning Genie+ (as well as its complimentary counterpart, Disney Genie).

New Annual Passes

Just like Disneyland, 2021 saw the conclusion of the former Annual Pass program at Disney World, and a new program was introduced. The changes weren’t quite as dramatic as Disneyland’s in that there was no name change to the system (they’re still called Annual Passes in Florida), but there were still some notable modifications.

Out of the four pass levels available now, only the top tier is available to guests living out-of-state. In addition, certain perks that used to be included are now only available as paid add-ons, like PhotoPass and the Water Parks & Sports package.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Pricing

Perhaps the biggest sticker shock was when Disney World announced the itineraries and sample pricing for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the new two-night immersive experience Resort coming in the spring of 2022. This will not be your typical hotel stay in that each guest is given an extensive schedule of events throughout this three-day, two-night excursion to a galaxy far, far away.

Stepping onto the Galactic Starcruiser won’t be cheap; sample pricing revealed that a cabin will cost a whopping $4809 for two guests, $5299 for three guests, or $5999 for four guests. You can certainly get a LOT more Disney World into your vacation for that kind of money rather than experiencing Galactic Starcruiser, but if it delivers on what it’s promising to be, there’s a chance that it’s worth the cost!

Magical Express is being discontinued

Another big change coming to the way fans plan their Disney World vacation will come in January of 2022 when Disney’s Magical Express is discontinued. This was probably the FIRST big shock we learned in 2021.

When the bus service is ended, there will be no free airport transportation to and from Disney World — at least for now. Guests looking to visit Disney in 2022 will have to book a paid trip through Mears Connect, the replacement bus service, or they will have to hail a ride share service like Uber or Lyft, book a taxi or town car, or rent a car.

NEW After Hours Events

Both the Halloween and Christmas parties look pretty different in 2021! After a year of no after hours parties taking place at Disney World in 2020, we learned that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party would be replaced (at least for now) by Disney After Hours Boo Bash, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party would be replaced (again, at least for now) by Disney Very Merriest After Hours.

There are a couple of notable differences between the two Halloween parties in that there were no party-specific fireworks or full-length parades. Disney Very Merriest After Hours is more similar to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with a full-length parade as well as fireworks.

New ways to experience extended park hours

The days of Extra Magic Hours as we knew them are a thing of the past. Starting in 2021, all on-property guests have access to Early Theme Park Entry, which allows those staying at Disney World resort hotels access to the parks 30 minutes prior to opening each day.

If you are staying at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort, you’ll also have access to Extended Evening Hours, which is perhaps the bigger of the two changes made to guest access to those “extra” park hours. Unlike Early Theme Park Entry, the evening hours will be exclusive to those guests staying at Disney’s top-tier resort hotels, and so far the Extended Hours have been two-hour blocks add on select nights just to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. (This could change in the future.)

Openings and Re-openings

Throughout the year, we’ve experienced a series of openings and re-openings around Disney World. Some of these have taken nearly all year, and some have taken multiple years (we’re looking at you, Space 220).

Many of these opening and re-opening announcements happen somewhat last minute, so it’s always a shock and thrill to hear when the latest restaurant, shop, attraction, or show comes back online! We’re always on the lookout for the latest changes happening in and around Disney World, so be sure to follow along for all of the latest updates!

Click here to learn more about Genie+

What Disney World news story shocked YOU the most in 2021? Let us know in the comments!

Post a Comment