NEWS FLASH: These Controversial Disney World Changes Aren't Going Anywhere

At Disney World, we’ve seen a lot of things come and a lot of things go.

If you’ve been going to the Disney World parks for as long as we have, you’ve experienced some changes over the years. Some have been good and others, let’s say that we all haven’t been that enthused about them. To that point, there have definitely been some controversial changes at Disney World, and spoiler alert, they’re not going anywhere any time soon!

Let’s talk about a couple of the changes that we feel are going to be sticking around for the long haul at Disney World.

Park Passes

Let’s start right here with the park passes. Remember, once upon a time, when you could just show up to Disney World? Those were the days. Since they introduced the Park Pass Reservation System back in 2020, it’s gone through some changes, but is still hanging on.

Disney uses this system to control how many people are in the parks, and it’s also an indication of the crowd levels. As we said, we’ve seen incremental changes to the system, but the biggest change we’ve seen to the Park Pass reservations is that they’re no longer required for many people with date-based tickets. Here are some of the folks that will still need Park Passes:

Also, Disney World Annual Passholders need to grab Park Passes to visit with the exception of Good-to-Go Days which are marked on the calendar. Annual Passholders can also visit the parks after 2PM without a theme park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass

Next, let’s talk about Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, better known as Disney’s brand-new “skip-the-line” passes. This new system came to be on July 24th.

Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass has replaced Genie+ as the new system for skipping the regular stand-by lines, making your wait for all your must-do attractions significantly shorter. Lightning Lane Single Pass is what replaced the Individual Lightning Lane option in the My Disney Experience app. It’s essentially a pay-per-ride service that works with Disney’s most popular attractions.

©Disney

One of the benefits of Multi Pass is that you’re now able to select 3 attractions prior to your day at the parks. For guests staying inside a Disney World Resort Hotel, they can make their selections 7 days before their park reservation, and for non-hotel guests, they can do so up to 3 days in advance.

That’s all well and good, but these kinds of passes (FastPass) used to be a FREE perk. Here’s how the process went: You’d snag a pass for a ride, and voila, you’d skip the line. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. Thinking about how easy (and free) the system used to be really makes the new Lightning Lane system a tough pill to swallow.

Price Increases

If you feel like Disney World is getting more expensive every year, that’s because it is. From ticket prices to food and merchandise, costs are steadily climbing. Here’s an example: In August 2024 you can find some park tickets for as low as $109 per person, per day toward the end of the month.

©Disney

But in August 2025, the cheapest 1-day ticket you can buy is $119.

©Disney

Also, based on what we’ve seen so far, the 2025 starting price for a 1-day ticket has now increased from $109 to $119.

NEWS: Disney World Reveals PRICE INCREASE for 2025 Park Tickets

Ticke prices for special events have gone up as well. In 2023, a ticket for Magic Kingdom’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ranged from $149 to $199 per person. The 2024 tickets now range from $169 to $219 per person (a $20 increase).

Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

All of that and we haven’t even talked about the increase on the merch or food prices. I know there’s inflation, but here’s hoping that the price for a hot dog won’t keep creeping up to the same cost as my rent eventually.

Here to Stay

Now, here’s the kicker: I don’t think all these changes are going anywhere. Why? Because they’re working. Disney is a business, and like any business, it’s focused on maximizing revenue. The Park Pass system helps manage crowds, whcich can potentially lead to a better experience for guests and makes staffing and operations more efficient. The LLMP and the various price increases generate additional income, which can be reinvested in the parks to create new attractions and experiences.

Also, at the end of the day, we’re still buying those “overpriced” tickets, shelling out for LLMP, and finding “extra” cash for souvenirs. So I don’t think we can blame Disney for sticking to it if we keep reinforcing their habits.