No matter the year, there's magic waiting around every corner at Walt Disney World! In 2024, we've already gotten to celebrate Mardi Gras on the all-new Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction, explored CommuniCore Hall and Plaza (which completed EPCOT's multi-year transformation and brought a new show and meet and greet with it) and watched our favorite bears sing some new tunes over at Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
Still to come, a new, paid way to use the expedited Lightning Lane is coming, replacing Disney Genie+ service. And further out, in 2025, Disney World hotel guests will get a new perk — complimentary water park admission on check-in day.
Special events are also in full swing, including Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Disney After Hours events and EPCOT's iconic festivals.
We expect to hear even more exciting updates about the future of Disney World at D23 in early August.
While there's lots of excitement on the horizon, there are some key things you should know when planning a Disney World trip in 2024 and beyond. Let's jump in!
15 Key Things to Keep in Mind If You're Planning a Disney World Trip in 2024 and Beyond
1. Genie+ Is Changing — Say Hello to Lightning Lane Passes
As of July 24, 2024, Disney Genie+ service will be replaced with an all-new system: Disney Lightning Lane Passes. For you Genie gurus out there, the two new Lightning Lane Pass options operate similarly to the previous Genie+ (Lightning Lane Multi Pass) and individual Lightning Lanes (Lightning Lane Single Pass). The biggest change coming with Lightning Lane Passes is the ability to make selections in advance. Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests can pre-book up to three Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections per day, and/or separately purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes, for the entirety of their stay up to seven days in advance. Other guests can book up to three days in advance (day by day, similar to Advance Dining Reservations). Much like the previous FastPass+ system, rides in most parks fall under tiers.
2. You No Longer Need Park Reservations for Date-Based Tickets
To manage capacity during post-pandemic times, Disney World implemented a Disney Park Pass reservation system that required all guests to reserve the park they planned to attend on each day of their vacation. However, as of Jan. 9, 2024, guests with date-based tickets no longer need to make Park Pass reservations!
Guests with other types of tickets and annual passholders may still need to make reservations for the day(s) of their visit. But annual passholders can keep an eye out for "Good-to-Go" days, which do not require reservations and are added periodically, days or weeks in advance. Annual passholders can also continue to visit without a park reservation after 2 p.m. unless visiting Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday.
3. All-Day Park Hopping Access Is Back
Also, as of Jan. 9, 2024, guests with Park Hopper tickets and annual passholders can visit another park at any time of the day (no more waiting until 2 p.m.!). Park hopping is still subject to capacity limitations (though this is most likely to hoppen only on the busiest of days, such as Christmas Day or New Year's Eve).
4. EPCOT Has a New Look
EPCOT's multi-year transformation is complete! The walls in World Celebration came down, and now, you can relax and pose with a statue of Walt Disney in the gardens of Dreamers Point. This area especially thrives at night with its ever-changing colorful lights. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza opened June 10, 2024, with a new show — Celebracion Encanto — and a new spot to meet the main mouse himself. We can't wait to see this new event space used for upcoming EPCOT festivals: EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival (Aug. 29 - Nov. 23, 2024), EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays (Nov. 29 - Dec. 30, 2024), EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (winter 2025) and EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (spring 2025).
5. New Attractions Are Coming
Speaking of what's coming in the future, we have a lineup of attractions debuting in 2024, including:
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure — now open!
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree — now open!
- The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure — fall 2024
Hop over to our full post to see more of what's coming to Disney World!
6. In-Demand Rides May Utilize A Virtual Queue
There are only three rides currently that do not offer a standby queue: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana's Bayou Adventure do not offer standby — but they do have a free first-come, first-served virtual queue! All three rides are also available on the new Lightning Lane Passes, with TRON and Guardians available for an additional fee via Lightning Lane Single Pass, and Tiana's available as an option on the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Staying at a Disney World Deluxe resort? During Extended Evening Hours, you may have access to an additional virtual queue distribution time at 6 p.m.
7. Mobile Order Is a Must-Do
While it's not required, Mobile Order is all but a must-use for quick-service restaurants. No one wants to spend more time in line for a hot dog than for a ride! Thankfully, with Mobile Ordering at Disney World, you don't have to. It's pretty easy to set up Mobile Ordering using the My Disney Experience app, and we've got a full guide to walk you through it. (Psst ... on the app, you can also check table-service restaurants near you for walk-up availability!)
8. Check Out Special Events
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Verry Merry Christmas Party are back in 2024. Disney Jollywood Nights — which made its debut in 2023 — is also back for 2024. Tickets are on sale now (at a discount through your favorite frogs!) If you're planning a Disney World trip around these events, keep in mind that hotels can fill up around these dates, so we'd highly recommend booking your stay in advance if you plan to attend.
Likewise, Disney World has been offering more After Hours events, which are a great way to wait in shorter lines AND beat the heat if you're up for a late Disney night. Did we mention unlimited Mickey ice cream bars?!
9. Typhoon Lagoon Is the Water Park Currently Open
Disney's Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks typically trade off who's open. Currently, Typhoon Lagoon is open for spring and summer while Blizzard Beach is closed for the season.
10. On-Site Guests Get Early (and Sometimes Late) Access
Early Magic Hours are gone, and in its place is the Early Theme Park Entry benefit. Early Theme Park Entry is available for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests and allows entry to any theme park 30 minutes before it opens to the public (the park you can visit aligns with your admission ticket). During busy times, such as the holidays and spring break, this may expand to a full hour. Deluxe and Villa resort guests also have access to Extended Evening Hours at select parks on select nights. If you're planning a Disney World trip, you may want to consider staying on-site to take advantage of these benefits.
11. And in 2025, Hotel Guests Get A New Water Park Perk
That's right — on check-in day, starting in 2025, Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests will get free access to a Disney water park!
12. Now, More Than Ever, You Need to Plan Your Time in the Parks
It is perhaps more important than ever to have a plan when visiting the parks. At the very least, have all of your family members decide at the outset which rides are most important so that no one is left disappointed. If you want more direction than that, we frogs have Disney World park plans that consider these changes to help you plan your best day. We also created a hopful Jump Start Guide to help you get a leg up on your planning. If you're using Lightning Lane, this is especially important so you're ready to make your selections in advance.
13. Even More Reasons to Consider Staying Inside the Magic
We have always loved staying at a Disney World hotel. There's something so special about never leaving the magic, with pixie dust around every corner. Add in free parking at the resort and theme parks, complimentary transportation to the parks, Early Entry and/or Extended Evening Hours, and now advance Lightning Lane access? We can't recommend staying on-site enough! You should also know that select hotels, including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, offer these same benefits, even if they are technically not part of the Disney World Resorts collection.
14. Set Your Alarm
There are a few key dates and times in the planning timeline to make note of:
- 60 days out: Advance Dining Reservations (for the full length of stay for on-site guests), starting at 6 a.m. ET
- 7 days out: On-site guests can purchase and make Lightning Lane selections for the full length of stay, starting at 7 a.m. ET
- 3 days out: Off-site guests can purchase and make Lightning Lane selections, starting at 7 a.m. ET. If you have date-based tickets, you can make reservations for the length of your ticket. Otherwise, you can select passes for any day within the 3-day purchase window.
- 7 a.m. ET on park visit days: Virtual queue #1 opens (from anywhere)
- 1 p.m. ET on park visit days: Virtual queue #2 opens (from inside Magic Kingdom for Tron or Tiana's, or inside EPCOT for Guardians)
15. Save BIG on Your Tickets and Hotel Stay
We frogs pride ourselves in saving you time and money! This means we can't round off this list without reminding you that we've got everyday discounts on Disney World tickets. Plus, at select times, you can save even more during promos such as Adult Tickets at Child Prices, special ticket offers for Florida Residents or even seasonal savings such as the 4-Park Magic ticket. And don't froget about hotels! Right now, you can save up to 35% off of a Disney World Resort hotel stay through Dec. 25, 2024.
Are you ready for your next Disney World trip? Have a tip you think other vacationers would benefit from knowing when planning a Disney World trip? Share it in the comments below!
Related: Best Times to Visit Disney World
Keep hopping!
