If you’ve felt like this first few months of the year has been a whirlwind for Disney World, you’d be correct!

Between the park pass reservations being relaxed, the return of characters for meals at the parks, and annual passes recently available for purchase again, we’ve seen lots of changes around the Disney World parks and resorts, and some have really been exceptional.

We’re focusing on the top three great changes that Disney World has made so far this year. When we first sat down to talk about this one we really started spitting off some great changes and a few of those rang louder than the rest. Here’s what we narrowed down as our top three.

#3: Roundup Rodeo BBQ FINALLY Opened!

This. Was. BIG!

We’ve been talking about Roundup Rodeo BBQ opening at Hollywood Studios for what seems like ages, and the first few days it was 0pened seemed surreal. So now that we’ve had a chance to actually try it out for its full experience, we definitely consider it one of the best things that happened at Disney World this year.

Everything from the atmosphere, to the themed menu, to even the all-you-care-to-enjoy dining option really fits in well with the aesthetic of Toy Story Land, and gave us a great new indoor dining experience that really calls to individuals and families alike.

This space has really embodied the vision that was originally presented to us and has been met with praise from almost every review we’ve encountered. The only lingering criticism we hear most about dining here is how folks really would like for characters to be part of the meal, and we think there may be room for that to come. However, judging the current offerings and price tag to dine here alone has made it an exceptional addition.

Here’s our review of Roundup Rodeo BBQ!

#2: Fireworks Changes

The end of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration ushered in a whole new set of shake-ups in entertainment.

With the announcement of Disney Enchantment ending, it didn’t take too long for Disney to announce that the beloved Happily Ever After fireworks would resume in its place. This nightly fireworks show was the current performer before Enchantment took over for the 18-month-long celebration and was met with criticism by fans that felt very strongly that Happily Ever After should return.

Well, it seemed like Disney put their ear to the ground for this one and gave the people what they wanted — but brought it back with a few enhancements! Happily Ever After is now a new, improved version of itself complete with projections down Main Street USA and high-powered lasers from the castle itself, just like we saw in Enchantment. So far, fans have been loving having Happily Ever After back and we are certainly glad to see its epic return.

But Magic Kingdom wasn’t the only park to see the return of its former fireworks. EPCOT has also seen the return of EPCOT Forever nightly fireworks.

While the news of EPCOT Forever wasn’t met with as much excitement as Happily Ever After’s return was, fans certainly reveled in the fact that the barges in EPCOT’s World Showcase would finally be dismantled. EPCOT had been running Harmonious for the past 18 months for the 50th celebration as well and was met with fierce criticisms of their installation way back in preparation for the nighttime show’s debut.

If you’re not totally keen on keeping EPCOT Forever as the nightly fireworks display, don’t worry too long. EPCOT is set to debut a brand new fireworks show this Fall, and we’re eagerly awaiting it.

Here are 3 tricks to getting the best Magic Kingdom fireworks view!

#1: Hotel Parking is FREE Again

We all agreed this was THE BIG ONE!

When Disney World hotel overnight parking fees were first added years ago, that decision was met with a resounding roar. Disney fans were beyond happy when it was announced in January that the fees were going away immediately.

Hotel parking fees had gone up to $25 per night, adding hundreds of dollars to many families’ trips. This coupled with what they already had to account for in costs per person and per day for Genie+ left people feeling like the company no longer valued them as consumers. This change helps many Disney travelers feel like they haven’t been priced out of their favorite resorts.

It’s been quite the eventful year already at Disney World! For the most up-to-date Disney information, keep following DFB!

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Did your top three make the list? What else would you have ranked here? Tell us below!