Walt Disney World Resort Hotels – Need to Know After Reopening

The Walt Disney World Resort Hotels reopened last year along with the theme parks. Because of that, you may be thinking about making a trip down to the most magical place on earth soon. However, the Disney World Resort Hotel experience will be quite different during this reopening period…

Disney has recently released new information about The Walt Disney World Resort Hotels and what you need to know after they reopen. Included is a list of changes to the hotels, reopening dates, and what to expect before you go.

Some of the important changes you need to be aware of are:

• New health and safety guidelines
• Limited Walt Disney World Resort Hotel openings
• New reservation and cancellation policies
• Changes to hotel amenities such as pools, fitnesses centers and dining

(Update 12/21/21) – Finally, Disney’s All Star Sports Resort is reopening on March 31, 2022.

See the full details of this story below in the News section…

In the post, we are going to explain all these hotel changes and what you can expect to find on your vacation. We have a complete list of all the resorts that are opening and how to make reservations for them.

We think it’s only right to tell you upfront, this is NOT going to be your normal Walt Disney World Resort experience. Anyone wanting to go during this time will need to temper their expectations, especially if you are a Disney World vet and have a particular idea of what a normal vacation here is like.

Everyone from guests to Cast Members will need to have patience during this time as there are a lot of new rules and many experiences and amenities that won’t be available for a while. Hopefully, the reopening period doesn’t last a long time and we can eventually get back to a normal Disney World vacation again.

Also, despite all the changes so far to the Disney World Hotels, more will inevitably happen in the coming months. We’ll continue to update this post whenever Disney makes adjustments to anything that will impact your vacation.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to answer any and all questions about The Walt Disney World Resort Hotels that you have!

Before we get started, here are some other recent posts that will help you with all your planning needs for the Disney World reopening period:

• Disney World Reopening Complete Guide
• How to Make Guest Park Reservations
• All the New Guidelines in Disney World
• Wearing Face Masks in Disney World – Everything to Know

Also, if you want the very latest information on the Disney World reopening, including more details about the resort hotels, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

(NEWS) Latest Reopening Dates for Disney World Hotels

Ever since Walt Disney World reopened, more and more of the Resort Hotels have been reopening, and recently we just got the final reopening dates for the only remaining resort hotel on Disney World property.

Here are the updated dates:

• Disney’s All Star Sports Resort – March 31, 2022

Bookings will be available for arrivals in March starting December 22, 2021.

Some of the higher-capacity resorts recently opened up including the two Port Orleans resorts, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies. Disney was waiting to open these up until guest capacity increased and crowds returned, both of which have happened.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort have all reopened, some with big changes. The Polynesian Resort for example debuted its new Moana-themed rooms in July and so far they are a hit with guests.

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort was supposed to reopen in December 2021 but it was delayed until March 31, 2022.

While hotel reservations are up in 2021, delaying All-Star Sports was likely due to some guests canceling their reservations due to the latest virus concerns.

Reservations for all the resorts are now available, so you can start booking your room at this time.

Of course, be aware that the above-listed reopening date can change at any time, and we’ll keep you updated if that happens.

(NEWS) Club Level Reopening Announced at Walt Disney World Resorts

The Club Level services have been closed at all Walt Disney World Resorts ever since the theme parks reopened in 2020.

Now, in the latest effort to get things back to normal, Club Level reopening dates have been announced for some Walt Disney World Resort hotels including Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Coronado Springs, and Polynesian Village Resorts.

• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Dec. 16, 2021
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Dec. 16, 2021
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – Jan. 20, 2022
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Jan. 27, 2022
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – Feb. 3, 2022

Of course, with Club Level reopening, guests will still have to follow Disney’s new health guidelines which include wearing face coverings indoors, as well as encouraging physical distancing.

All the usual perks will still be available to guests including exclusive food and beverage offerings throughout the day. Stay tuned for more info as the Club Level reopens including the service at the remaining Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Reservations Now Available through End of 2022

If you have been waiting to book a trip for Disney’s 50th Anniversary celebration I have good news for you, Walt Disney World Resort Hotel reservations are now available through the end of 2022, which includes the celebration!

Starting today, Disney World hotel reservations are available through December 31, 2022. Prior to this announcement, reservations were only available through September 2022, making planning for some of the 50th impossible.

If you are planning to go during that time, we suggest you start booking your hotel today as we are expecting hotel capacity to increase by then and most likely sell out.

At this point, we don’t know if the current Disney World safety guidelines will still be in place or not and if some of the suspended services and experiences will come back by then. Fireworks, Park Hopping, and the Disney Dining Plan should all be available in 2022, as well as the new Disney Genie service and Lightning Lanes.

Need help planning your Disney Vacation? Contact René from Show You the World Travel for all your trip planning needs. All of the agents there are certified Disney Travel Agents and are super helpful with all your planning needs. I highly recommend them and the best part about it is they are FREE to use!

Know Before You Go

There are some other things you want to keep in mind if you are considering staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel in the near future. Here are the most important things to know BEFORE you leave:

• Hotel Reservations – 2022 Walt Disney World Resort Hotel packages and rooms are now on sale. That means that everyone can make a Disney World hotel reservation once again!
• Hotel Access – Guests arriving at a Disney World hotel will need a confirmed hotel reservation or dining reservation to enter. If you don’t have one, you will not be let in. Important information will be sent to you from Disney before your arrival date so look for emails.
• Cancellation Policy – Check the Disney website for the latest cancellation policy.
• Park Reservations – A Disney World Resort Hotel Reservation gives you priority in getting a Disney Park Pass reservation. It does not GUARANTEE theme park access however and will depend on reservation availability.
• Coming from Quarantine Areas – Some states or countries have had a 14-day quarantine rule for anyone returning from another state. Make sure there are no restrictions going to Walt Disney World or returning from where you live before planning your trip.
• Checking your own Temperature Before Coming – Guests are encouraged to check their own temperatures, including everyone in their party before coming. If you are showing any symptoms, you will not be allowed to enter Walt Disney World.

Besides the above information, guests are encouraged to have:

• Latest Version of the My Disney Experience app – Having the latest version of the app downloaded on your mobile device will be useful for the many services it will help you with during your stay.
• Cashless or contactless forms of payment – Guests are encouraged to not use cash and instead use contactless forms of payment including MagicBands, Apple Pay, Credit Cards, etc.

Which Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Are Open?

Right now the most important thing to know is that not all Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are opening to guests during the reopening period.

• Disney World DVC Resorts reopened on June 22, 2020.
• Disney Non-DVC Resorts started a phased reopening on July 10, 2020, with reopening dates through March 31, 2022.

The decision to reopen the DVC resorts first was an easy one from Disney’s side. Everything in Disney World needs to have limited capacity during the reopening period including the theme parks, restaurants, and hotels.

By not reopening all the hotels at once, it helps Disney keep the resort to the right number of people to properly enforce distancing.

Also, reopening all the hotels at once when there are not enough guests doesn’t make sense from a financial point of view. Disney has saved millions of dollars limiting the hotels and the staff required to run them.

Here is a list of all Disney World Resorts that are NOW OPEN:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Disney World Swan Hotel
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Since the parks reopened in July 2020, most of the deluxe, moderate, and even some value-level resorts are available to stay in.

Here are the other Walt Disney World Resort Hotels with announced reopening dates:

• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort – March 31, 2022

A big refurbishment just finished at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. It includes changes to the Great Ceremonial House and adding Moana-themed guest rooms.

Which Disney World Hotels are Not Reopening?

For a long time, there were a few hotels missing from the above list of hotels with reopening dates. Some of the Value Resorts were missing, as well as some Moderate Resorts and a couple of deluxe resorts.

Thankfully, at this time most of the remaining Walt Disney World Resort Hotels now have reopening dates. That means almost all the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels will be open by the end of 2021.

• All Walt Disney World Resort Hotels now have a reopening date including Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.

The main reason behind the hotel reopening delays was the lack of guests visiting Walt Disney World. When the parks opened they were empty most days, and hardly anyone was coming to Orlando.

On top of that, a large part of the guests that were coming to the parks were Florida locals and Annual Passholders, who for the most part, don’t book hotel rooms at the Disney resorts.

However, now attendance has increased dramatically including many more out-of-town visitors than last year. These factors have led to more resort hotels reopening out of necessity.

Disney made this statement back when the hotels started reopening:

“Given the current situation, there are some Disney Resort hotels and other areas that are not, as of this time, being scheduled for reopening yet. We will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more locations when the environment is right to do so. While these plans may evolve, we will be monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests.”

It’s important to note that Disney World hotel reservations are now open at this time, and all hotels are available for booking, so check availability according to the reopening dates on the list above.

What If I Have a Reservation for a Date When that Hotel is Closed?
Many guests already had reservations in Disney World Hotels before Disney stopped taking reservations. Since not all those hotels are going to be open, guests are being asked to switch to other hotels that are open for those dates.

Guests are getting a complimentary upgrade instead of paying the difference. If guests don’t want to switch hotels they have the option of canceling their reservation.

Safety Guidelines

Just like in the theme parks, the Disney World Resort hotels have strict safety measures in place that guests will need to comply with if they want to visit. These include:

• Face Masks – Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Guests 2 years old and up are required to use face masks in all indoor areas, including throughout the interior of the hotels. If you are dining, swimming or in an outdoor area, face coverings are not required at this time.
• Social Distancing – This is no longer being enforced at Walt Disney World.

Cleaning/Sanitization

Disney is working hard to improve the cleaning and sanitization of the resort hotels in all areas.

• Disney has assured guests that their rooms will be fully sanitized before their arrival.
• All common areas of the hotels will be cleaned with higher frequency, especially high-traffic areas including: doors, handles, tables, elevators, escalators, buttons, restrooms, handrails, benches, etc.
• More hand sanitizer stations are being added.

In-Room Cleaning

To prepare for guests, all housekeeping members will receive increased training on new cleaning measures and sanitization methods for each guest room. These will include the best cleaning practices and how to clean around various amenities, luggage, etc.

All rooms are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before your arrival. Light cleaning is offered every other day.

Before Your Arrival

• High-touch areas, like TV remotes and door handles
• Housekeeping tools will be cleaned between rooms
• Floors, which will be steam cleaned and vacuumed between Guests

Cleaning During Your Stay Optional

• DVC members will receive in-room cleaning on the 4th and 8th days of their stay.
• Guests can choose to decline in-room cleaning during their stay if they desire.

In-room cleaning services during your stay will consist of:

• Removal of trash and used towels
• Replenishment of towels and amenities throughout the room and bathroom
• Wiping and cleaning of the vanity and counter surfaces
• Vacuuming if needed

Disney has made some improvements to the hotel rooms including:

• Extra linens and towels wrapped in single-use packaging
• Individually wrapped glassware
• Double-cased pillows
• Additional items that have been cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging

Disney has released a new infographic showing what the enhanced cleaning procedures will be like in your hotel room:

Are Free Shampoo and Conditioner Still Provided at Disney Resorts?

Yes, Disney Resort Hotels are still providing guests with free shampoo, conditioner, and soap, just like before.

Some of them are in the mini-portable bottles while others are in the larger dispensers attached to the wall in the shower. They even tell you when they’ve been sanitized!

Amenities and Experiences

While you are normally used to lots of fun activities and experiences when visiting the Disney World Hotels, during the reopening phase many of those will not be available.

All of the amenities and experiences that are open will be adjusted to allow for preventive measures such as distancing, increased cleaning and sanitizing, and reduced capacity.

Temporarily Unavailable:

• Electrical Water Pageant – will not be available for the time being.
• Pin Trading – is still available at the hotels on specific lanyards, though you will not be able to trade with Cast Members.
• Arcades
• Campfires
• Character experiences
• Dog parks
• Electrical Water Pageant
• Marina rentals
• Playgrounds
• Spas, salons and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Additionally, the following special offerings and childcare services will not be available during the initial reopening:

• Fireworks voyages and tasting cruises – including the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage
• Fun runs
• Wonderland Tea Party at Park Fare
• Hula lessons
• In-room childcare services
• Mermaid school
• Special classes and programs – including culinary, cultural and animal programs

Pools

• Feature pools have reduced hours
• Smaller pools will be open 24 hours a day
• All pools will have reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing
• Select poolside activities may be available at select Resort hotels

Resort pools will have reduced operating hours and not all of them will be open right away and guests will be encouraged to use the smaller DVC-area pools when possible.

For example, Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club has not been running during the reopening period. It will be reopening on August 24. Until then, guests are invited to use the pool at the Beach Club Villas instead.

Do I Have to Wear a Face Mask at the Pool or in the Pool Area?
Face masks are NOT required in the pool area while swimming, sitting at a table, or lounging in a chair.

Face masks are not required while walking around the pool deck or in any outdoor area of the resort hotels. You can walk mask-free without anyone saying anything to you.

What is the Capacity for the Pools?
Disney has not said specific numbers for pool capacity, just that they have been reduced from normal levels. This has not been an issue so far since the hotels currently have fewer guests than normal.

Fitness

While you can still enjoy fitness at the Disney World Hotels, here is what you need to know:

• Fitness Centers will have reduced operating hours.
• Reduced capacity
• No instructor-led fitness classes
• Fitness and sports courts will be open, and Guests must maintain physical distancing

Is there Still Pin Trading?

Pin trading is still possible at the Disney World Resorts. Cast Members have set up special boards where you can pin trade. Pins the guests give to be traded are sanitized before getting put on the board for others.

Resort Services

• Bell Services – They will still deliver luggage to your room, but separately from the guests to comply with distancing rules.
• Club Level – Reopening at select Walt Disney World Resort hotel starting in December 2021.
• Deliveries – Disney guests will not be able to receive deliveries to their rooms unless they are occupied by the guest at the time of delivery.
• Dry-cleaning and valet laundry services are temporarily unavailable; self-service laundry will remain available.
• In-room celebrations are not available
• Resort airline check-in – this is unavailable from your hotel.
• Shipping services are temporarily unavailable.
• Valet Parking – This is not available.

Making Reservations

As of this writing, Disney has now reopened new Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservations for 2022.

Again, with the theme parks, restaurants and hotels all running at a limited capacity, Disney was forced to stop new hotel reservations for a while so they could concentrate on making everything run smoothly for existing guests in the reopening phase. Now that is taken care of and all guests can start booking hotels again.

Here are the dates when guests can make new hotel reservations:

• DVC Resorts – Now Available.
• 2022 Disney World Resort Hotel packages or rooms are Now Available.

For almost two months, all new Walt Disney World hotel reservations were suspended, leaving only DVC members and guests with existing reservations knowing when they could stay in Disney World. Now reservations can be made for every Disney World Resort hotel.

Disney has announced that new Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservations and vacation packages are now available for arrival dates anytime in 2022 through the end of the year. That means you can now book a room for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary date in October.

2022 Packages and Rooms are available for dates starting in January 2022 and carrying on through December 31, 2022.

Reservations include hotel rooms and 2022 vacation packages with park tickets.

Disney World Hotels You CAN Book for 2022 Vacation Packages:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Should You Make a Reservation at This Time?

That depends on when you are planning your trip. If you are going in 2022, then yes, you should make a reservation as soon as possible. Even if you are going in 2023, it’s never too early to get hotel planning out of the way.

The biggest advantage of making a resort reservation right now is to be able to book park reservations. We recommend getting a jump on other guests and booking your resort now so you have no problems making park reservations.

This is especially true if you plan on going to the Disney World 50th anniversary which started October 1, 2021. In that case, it’s even more vital you make your reservations soon because those rooms have been booking up quickly.

Disney is planning on using the Park Pass reservation system even after the current health problem is over, so no need to put it off and risk getting shut out of the parks on October 1.

Many visitors we’ve talked to who put off going to Disney World in 2020 or 2021, have been waiting for the 50th anniversary, so we expect the parks to be much more packed in 2022. If better offers become available on 2022 packages, you can always upgrade your current offer. The most important thing is that your room is reserved.

Cancellations & Refunds

Because of the increased uncertainty of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, Disney modified their cancellation and refund policy to give guests more options. In 2020 they waived any cancellation fees or charges up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through December 31, 2020.

That means you could cancel your trip at the last minute on the same day you would be arriving and still get a full refund for your money.

The previous cancellation policy for refunds was only valid through the Disney World closure period and slightly beyond.

The new policy is located on the Walt Disney World website. Depending on the type of booking you have, you may be able to cancel without a penalty or you may be subject to a fee.

• If you need to reschedule your reservation, please call the Disney Reservation Center at (407) W-DISNEY or (407) 934-7639 or visit the Disey World website. If you’re a Disney Vacation Club Member, please call Member Services at (800) 800-9800.

Dining

Even though many of the resorts are reopening, not all of the restaurants in each resort will be open right away. Most of the quick service restaurants and bars & lounges are open. Some table service restaurants are open too, but some of the best Disney World restaurants remain closed for the time being.

Here is a list of Disney World Resort Restaurants Currently OPEN:

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

• California Grill
• Chef Mickey’s
• Contempo Cafe
• Contemporary Grounds
• Cove Bar
• Outer Rim
• The Sand Bar

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

• Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar
• World Premiere Food Court

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas – Kidani Village

• Boma
• Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar
• Maji Pool Bar
• The Mara
• Sanaa
• Sanaa Lounge
• Uzima Springs Pool Bar

Disney’s Beach Club & Villas

• Beach Club Marketplace
• Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
• Cape May Cafe
• Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar & Grill
• Martha’s Vineyard

Disney’s BoardWalk Resort & Villas

• AbracadaBar
• Belle Vue Lounge
• Big River Grille & Brewing Works
• BoardWalk Bakery
• Boardwalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas
• Leaping Horse Libations
• Pizza Window
• Trattoria al Forno

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

• Banana Cabana
• Centertown Market
• Sebastian’s Bistro

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

• Barcelona Lounge
• Cafe Rio
• Dahlia Lounge
• El Mercado de Coronado
• Rix Sports Bar & Grill
• Siestas Cantina
• Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago
• Toledo: Tapas, Steak & Seafood

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

• The Chuck Wagon
• Crocket’s Tavern
• Meadow Snack Bar
• P&J’s Southern Takeout

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Villas

• Beaches Pool Bar & Grill
• Courtyard Pool Bar
• Enchanted Rose
• Gasparilla Island Grill
• Grand Floridian Cafe
• Narcoossee’s

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

• Good’s Food to Go
• Gurgling Suitcase
• Olivia’s Cafe
• Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks

Disney’s Polynesian Polynesian Village Resort, Villas & Bungalows

• Barefoot Pool Bar
• Capt. Cook’s
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Deli
• Kona Cafe
• ‘Ohana
• Pineapple Lanai
• Tambu Lounge
• Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
• Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

• Everything POP Shopping & Dining
• Petals Pool Bar

Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Bar Riva
• Le Petit Cafe
• Primo Piatto
• Topolino’s Terrace (Modified Character Meal)

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

• The Artist’s Palette
• Backstretch Pool Bar
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe
• On the Rocks Pool Bar
• The Paddock Grill
• The Turf Club Lounge

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

• Geyser Point Bar & Grill
• Roaring Fork
• Territory Lounge
• Whispering Canyon Cafe

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

• Ale & Compass Restaurant
• Ale & Compass Lounge
• The Market at Ale & Compass
• Yachtsmand Steakhouse

Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels

• Cabana Bar and Beach Club
• Chill
• The Fountain
• Fresh Mediterranean Market
• Fuel
• Garden Grove
• Il Mulino
• Il Mulino Lounge
• Java
• Kimonos
• Kimonos Lounge
• Phins
• Picabu
• Shula’s Lounge
• Shula’s Steak House
• Splash Pool Bar and Grill
• Todd English’s bluezoo
• Todd English’s bluezoo Lounge

Character Dining – Out of all the restaurants, you may have noticed that character dining options and buffets are missing from the list. In fact, there are only a couple of character meals currently available such as Topolino’s at the Riviera Resort or Garden Grill in EPCOT, and the experience is modified.

Topolino’s is unique in the sense that it is a large, open room, giving characters a lot of space to move around greeting guests, without getting too close. They can sing songs and involve the crowd like always and still practice proper distancing.

When are the Other Restaurants Opening? – Disney continues to reopen restaurants as more demand for them builds. This includes table service, signature dining, and quick service locations. Most character dining locations are still closed at the moment and it will probably be a while until they come back.

Can I Go to Other Resorts’ Quick Service Restaurants?
Yes, you can. Access to a specific Walt Disney World Resort Hotel was reserved for guests staying at that hotel earlier in the reopening phase.

However, this is no longer enforced and Cast Members are not checking guests as they come and go. You can visit other resort hotels without any issues.

Make sure to read our Guide to Disney World Restaurants During Reopening Phase for more details about what to expect.

Online Check-In

One way to avoid crowds in the resort hotel lobbies is by using Disney’s Online Check-in system. This can be accessed through the My Disney Experience app and allows guests to skip the front desk when checking in and go straight to their room.

Online Check-in will not be required, but definitely promoted by Disney. The fewer guests have to interact with Cast Members, the better, and this allows that to happen.

If you use Disney’s Online Check-In, you will receive a notification on your phone when your hotel room is ready. You can use your MagicBand or the My Disney Experience app as a hotel room key to open the door.

For a more detailed look, read our Guide to Disney’s Online Check-In. There we show you all the benefits of using it and step-by-step how to use the Online Check-In system.

Park Pass Reservations

One of the big benefits of staying in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is you have priority in booking a Disney Park Pass reservation, which is necessary for entering the theme parks.

• All guests with valid theme park tickets can now make Park Pass reservations.

If you book a new Walt Disney World Resort package, you can then immediately start making your park reservations.

For more details on how the whole system works, and to find out which hotels you can stay at for Park Pass reservations, read our post on How to Make Disney Park Pass Reservations where we go into more detail.

Hotel Transportation 

One of the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is the free transportation provided for guests. Disney has confirmed that will continue to be the case when it reopening in June and July.

Magical Express

Disney’s Magical Express is the free bus shuttle that brings you back and forth from the Orlando International Airport to your resort hotel.

Disney has confirmed that the Magical Express will be operating from now through December 31, 2021. Starting January 1, 2022, Disney’s Magical Express bus service will be discontinued and will no longer bring guests to and from Walt Disney World.

• It is important to note that Disney’s Magical Express will NOT be delivering your bags to your room at this time. Guests can use the Magical Express to bring checked-in bags to their resort, but they are required to pick up and drop off their own luggage.

Many airlines have modified their flight schedules, so please confirm your flight information. If you plan to use Disney’s Magical Express service, contact your room reservation booking agent, or call (407) 939-1936 to make any updates to your flight information on file.

To Theme Parks/Disney Springs

Transportation is provided from all the resorts to Disney Springs and the Disney theme parks. This includes:

• Buses
• Boats
• Monorails

Minnie Vans and the Disney Skyliner on the other hand, will not be running right away.

Safety Measures

Of course, in order to safely bring guests from one location to another in Walt Disney World, there are new safety guidelines for the various forms of transportation.

Transportation methods operate with physical distancing in place which means there are barriers in place to space-out guests. This results in a lower-than-normal capacity which might mean longer wait times for guests.

Because of this, we recommend you allow for a few more minutes than you normally might whenever using Disney World transportation at this time. Read about all the Changes to Disney World Transportation in our recent post.

Ride Sharing

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are still running on Walt Disney World property and you can use them to bring you back and forth to the theme parks, hotels, and Disney Springs.

Minnie Vans however are still not running at this time and have likely been discontinued.

Parking

If you choose to bring a car to Walt Disney World, that is no problem. Parking is still available at the resort hotels and guests still have to pay the daily parking fees.

Valet parking is not available, however, except for guests with disabilities. Guests are required to have a valid disability parking permit to use valet services.

Virtual Chat with Cast Members

Once again, to keep guests from assembling in the hotel lobbies as much as possible, Disney has created a new virtual chat for guests to communicate with Cast Members at their resort.

The virtual chat is available in the My Disney Experience app. It is available 24 hours a day so there is no need to go to the lobby to talk with someone.

From our experience with the app, it works but it takes a long time to use. Often it’s faster to call the front desk and get your question answered that way. It also doesn’t really do anything different than the Chat feature that was already in My Disney Experience.

Checkout

Automatic Checkout – Guests are automatically checked out of their rooms at the end of their stay. There will be no need to visit the front desk unless you have an unresolved issue on your account.

Why Isn’t Disney Reopening All the Hotels?

The financial aspect is also important when talking about reopening the hotels because until Disney actually has enough guests coming to fill the hotels, it doesn’t make sense to open them. That’s why they are filling DVC Resorts first.

Once attendance starts to return and Disney has shown it can also increase the capacity in the parks, then Disney will start reopening some of the other Non-DVC hotels. The Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a good example as Disney is just keeping it closed for now (except for DVC rooms) and moving all reservations to Kidani Village.

Right now, park attendance has been extremely low, and with it, low demand for hotel rooms. When they are able to attract more people to the parks, then you will start to see more hotels slowly reopen. At this time there is no rush and the list is already quite big.

When Will Things Go back to Normal?

While everyone would like for all these extra safety guidelines and restrictions to go away, right now there is no telling when that will happen.

Disney is saying that these new procedures for the resort hotels will be in place during the entire Disney World reopening phase. The only problem is we don’t know how long that phase is going to last.

Things have been like this since July 2020, though we are starting to see changes and signs things are going back to normal. The face covering policy, physical distancing, and park capacity have all been relaxed in recent months which means we are going in the right direction.

While there is no way of knowing exactly how long things will be like this, as you are planning your Disney World vacation you should go into it with the mindset that it’s possible we will continue this way for the rest of 2022 and possibly beyond.

If things change before then, that’s great. But you should prepare yourself for the fact that they might not.

You can read our post “Should I Visit Disney World in 2022 or 2023?” That will give you an overview of both years in case you are considering putting your vacation off some.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the Walt Disney World Resort Hotel changes…

• What changes are the best/hardest to get used to?
• When are you planning on staying at a Disney World hotel?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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