The day we’ve all been waiting for at Walt Disney World is finally HERE!!!

Magic Kingdom

Disney World is starting 2024 off with a bang! While the resort is getting plenty of new things in 2024, we’re super excited about the return of older programs and perks after long hiatuses. From the return of hotel perks to the return of the Disney Dining Plan, Disney World is bringing back a lot of pre-pandemic positives in 2024. The Parks are going to look even more normal starting TODAY, thanks to the complete overhaul of the park pass system.

Disney announced last year that on January 9th, 2024 parks will NO LONGER REQUIRE reservations (for date-based tickets). Now that we’ve FINALLY reached that day, here’s what that means and what else you should expect to be the new norm going forward.

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a reservation system at the Disney Parks where online reservations were required to visit your desired park for the day. Additionally, park hopping became restricted to 2 PM availability windows and still required a first park reservation. The complexity of the system mixed in with the other adjustments Disney World made in light of the pandemic made for harder than usual Disney planning experience the last few years. That all officially ends today.

Let’s Go!

As for park hopping, the 2 PM restriction is also being lifted today. Guests with date-based tickets can park hop freely to their heart’s content. However, per Disney, “On days when theme park reservations are required for Annual Passholders and certain non-dated tickets, Passholders and guests will be able to take advantage of the updates to Park Hopper access after visiting their first park.” So some restrictions are still in place for Annual Passholders and those who don’t have date-based tickets, including the need for reservations on select days, but they will still be able to park hop and visit the parks WITHOUT a reservation on “Good to Go” days. As of now, the park pass reservation system is still in effect at the Disneyland Resort.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

As we previously mentioned, the Dining Plan is back and that ALSO starts today. The two Vacation Package add-on plans (the Standard Disney Dining Plan and the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan) allow you to go to a restaurant that accepts the Disney Dining Plan and use your MagicBand, Key to the World card, or Disney MagicMobile pass as a credit card. To learn more about the Disney Dining Plan, check out our guide by clicking HERE.

Grab our DFB Guide to the Disney Dining Plan!

We’ve been hyped for this day since the changes were announced and we’ll be sure to report how the changes could affect your next vacation as we enter into this new era of Disney World. Be sure to stay tuned here at DFB for all the latest!

UPDATE: Kali River Rapids Will Be Closed for 2.5 MONTHS in Disney World

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

---

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

Did you prefer the reservation system or are you happy it’s back to the way it was pre-pandemic? Let us know in the comments below!