2021 has certainly been a year to remember when it comes to Disney news! From parks and resorts reopening to major anniversaries to the way we plan our vacations changing entirely, this year has been packed with some shocking announcements, updates, and news bombs!

Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest revelations made in 2021 when it comes to Disney!

Free FastPass is GONE from both Disney World and Disneyland.

Perhaps the biggest Disney news bomb from 2021 is one of the most recent announcements — that is, of course, the arrival of Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ and the news that FastPass as we knew it is now a thing of the past.

These two new features have seriously changed the way we plan for (and budget for) our Disney World and Disneyland vacations. Disney Genie is a complimentary feature within My Disney Experience at Disney World (and within the Disneyland App over on the west coast) that offers recommendations in real-time based on your preferences, current wait times, and current data available in the park.

With Disney Genie, you can get recommendations for your next ride, where you should eat lunch, and more! This feature is available to all guests at no extra cost.

Disney Genie+, on the other hand, is the new PAID FastPass+ replacement in Disney World (and the new paid FastPass replacement in Disneyland). That’s right, the days of free FastPasses in the domestic Disney parks are behind us. For $20 per person per day in Disneyland and $15 per person per day in Disney World, guests can book return times to use most ride’s Lightning Lanes (yep, FastPass is LONG gone — the FastPass queue is now called the Lightning Lane), much like they used to for FastPass+ selections.

In addition to these Lightning Lane selections (yep, there’s more, are you taking notes?), guests can book separate “a la carte” Lightning Lane reservations for an ADDITIONAL fee. Wanna ride Rise of the Resistance without standing in the long stand-by line? It’ll cost you extra, on top of if you opt to pop $15 for the day of Genie+.

There are even more nuances for how Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ works (at times it can feel like you need a Ph.D. in Disney Genieology to make sense of it all!), so check out our posts that break down the nuts and bolts of these new offerings.

PHOTOS: Genie+ Is LIVE in Disney World — And We’re Experiencing the Good, the Bad, and the CONFUSING!

The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is EXPENSIVE.

We’ve known about Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser for some time now, but perhaps the biggest shocker from 2021 came when we learned just how much this two-night immersive experience would cost.

Galactic Starcruiser isn’t your average hotel — it’s a fully immersive overnight stay that Star Wars fans and enthusiasts could only dream of before. The experience is jam-packed with activities, from excursions to Batuu (Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge) to dinner at the Crown of Corellia Dining Room. Think of it like a “cruise on land,” but instead of land, you’re in the middle of outer space (which is actually just a hotel in Florida).

The price to take part in Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is going to cost you a hefty Galactic Credit — sample pricing was released earlier this year, and the sticker shock was heard around the globe. The cost for two guests in a cabin totals a whopping $4,809, and four guests in a cabin totals $5,999.

Yep, the cost to stay aboard Galactic Starcruiser costs as much, if not more, than an entire WEEK in Disney World for many families. Not only that, but because there’s really no way to “leave” Galactic Starcruiser during your overnight stay, you’ll have to tack it onto the beginning, middle, or end of your Disney World vacation (almost like it’s an entirely separate vacation within your vacation!).

We also learned this year that the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will be opening on March 1st, 2022, and stays between March and June 2022 are already sold out!

Click here to take a look at a sample itinerary at Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.

Out with the old, in with the new (Passholder Program) at Disneyland.

A major shocker came right at the start of 2021 when it was announced that the Disneyland Resort would be sunsetting its Annual Passholder program. The Anaheim resort, which at the time had been closed for almost an entire year, shared the news that its Annual Pass program would be suspended entirely and would be replaced by a new system. But it would still take several months for us to learn exactly what that replacement program would look like.

Later in 2021 came the news that Disneyland’s new “passholder” program would be called Magic Key. Magic Key is in a lot of ways very similar to the previous Annual Passholder program, with the biggest difference being that “keyholders” would now be required to book Park Reservations ahead of their visits. (like Disney World Passholders have been doing since the parks reopened). An overhauled tiered structure was implemented as well, as was the word that each tier could potentially (and since has, in some cases) sell out. 

Suspending the Annual Passholder program was a huge culture shock moment for those who live in Southern California, where it was estimated that upwards of one million Annual Passholders would be able to visit Disneyland on a whim, depending on their level of pass.

Magic Key went on sale to guests on August 25th, and only time will tell how this new program compares to the Annual Passholder program that locals relied on for decades! So far though, reception has been mixed — a lawsuit was even filed claiming Magic Keyholders paid for access to the parks but uber-limited Park Passes for Passholders makes it difficult to get one’s money’s worth.

Click here to learn more about Disneyland’s new Magic Key program!

Disneyland Resort (finally) reopened!

We mentioned Magic Keys but savedthe even bigger news for after: Disneyland had to reopen first! After what was nearly a fourteen-month-long closure, the Disneyland Resort finally reopened its gates on April 30th, 2021.

It was a long, winding road for Disneyland to reach an official reopening after the resort reopened a portion of Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure as part of an extension of Downtown Disney.

After that, all of California Adventure reopened (minus attractions) as a shopping and dining event called “A Touch of Disney.”

Just a little after one month following the Disneyland Resort’s historic reopening, a brand-new land joined the parks! Avengers Campus reopened in June of 2021 following a year-long delay due to the pandemic and Disneyland’s extended closure. (Don’t worry if this feels like a LOT of stuff to cram in a year — it WAS!)

Click here to look back at Disneyland’s reopening day!

Magical Express will be ending its run at the end of 2021.

Back on the east coast, another major announcement that will surely impact future trips to Disney World was that Disney’s Magical Express will be suspended at the end of 2021. This service has been free since its introduction and is heavily relied on by many Disney hotel guests to get to and from the Orlando Internaitonal Airport.

As of this writing, we know that Mears Connect will be a new paid option for guests to continue to use bus transportation to and from Orlando International Airport.

The service will offer two options: a Standard option that includes transportation in a larger vehicle such as a charter bus, and an Express option that will include direct service to your hotel. Express service may be provided in a bus, van, or a small vehicle.

Another paid option separate from Disney was announced at the very tail end of 2021 — The Sunshine Flyer.

This themed experience will cost ever so slightly more than Mears Connect but will be themed like an old 1920s railcar, complete with themed drivers and buswraps. This service will be available starting in February 2022.

Heading to Disney World in 2022? You can book a reservation for Mears Connect NOW! Click here to learn how.

Space 220 is OPEN (FI-NA-LLY!).

At long last, Space 220 is finally open in EPCOT. The space-themed restaurant is located 220 “miles” above Disney World and was originally scheduled to open WAY back in late 2019, so this opening was long-awaited!

The restaurant faced several delays and setbacks that pre-dated the pandemic, but obviously Disney World’s closure in 2020 did Space 220 no favors in having aspeedy opening. The restaurant features a prix-fixe menu for both lunch and dinner and an “out of this world” view!

Click here to read our FULL review of Space 220!

New Expenses=Your Disney Vacation Just Got MORE Expensive.

In addition to Disney Genie+ and no more free Magical Express, several other new expenses have popped up this year that add to the cost of experiencing as much of Disney World as you may want to experience.

While it wasn’t announced in 2021, the beginning of this calendar year saw the end of complimentary MagicBands being sent to guests ahead of their vacations. If a guest wants a brand new MagicBand for their upcoming trip now, they will need to purchase one online or purchase one when they arrive at Disney World. Free MagicBands are also no longer being offered to Annual Passholders.

If a guest doesn’t wish to purchase a new MagicBand, they can reuse an old MagicBand from a previous trip or activate MagicMobile on their smartphone to act as their digital MagicBand. Starting later in 2022, guests may also purchase a MagicBand+, a new type of interactive MagicBand that features color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition.

Another thing that will cost you extra (if you don’t typically stay at Disney World’s priciest hotels) is essentially what used tobe evening Extra Magic Hours (RIP). While the Disney World theme parks are now offering extended evening hours, not all guests are eligible to stay in the park during that time. These extended evening hours are exclusive to guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort hotels.

With these new added costs, the price of a Disney World vacation is a little more expensive now than it already was. It’s super important to make sure you’re budgeting carefully for your next Disney World vacation, so be sure to follow along for all of our tips on ways to save money on your upcoming vacation.

Click here to read about which resort guests are eligible to stay in the parks for their extended evening hours.

Disney World started its 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Throughout 2021 we’ve heard about all of the exciting new offerings coming to the parks and resorts as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, which officially started on October 1st and lasts for a whopping eighteen months!

New things to see and do are available in all four theme parks, including new Fab 50 character statues, the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and special new outfits for Mickey and friends!

We now have NEW nighttime entertainment as well, including Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom and the long-awaited Harmonious at EPCOT. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a new daytime show called Disney KiteTails.

There is SO much to look forward to over the next year and a half as we continue to cover the 50th Anniversary Celebration, so be sure to follow along!

Click here for a full guide on everything you need to know about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Modified character meet and greets are BACK!

We’ve been waiting for this one: (socially distanced) character meet and greets finally returned, so you can once again say hello to your favorite characters! 

Character cavalcades, motorcades, surprise character appearances, and other experiences are still happening, too. Speaking of character sightings, parades are back at Magic Kingdom’s Very Merriest After Hours. We also learned the return of Festival of Fantasy parade is coming in 2022!

Click here to learn more about the return of character meet and greets!

Disney Entertainment is RETURNING!

Put on your adventure pants because the Indiana Jones Stunt Show is BACK in Disney World! Stage shows like this fan-favorite have been largely closed since the parks reopened with a few expectations as time has passed. 

For our Finding Nemo fans, look out for a reimagined Finding Nemo Musical coming in 2022! And for fans of Hollywood Studios’ resident nighttime spectacular, you’ll be able to witness Fantasmic! once again in 2022 (a specific date hasn’tbeen announced as of writing) with a new scene!

Click here to learn more about the live entertainment returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue is GONE.

Guests no longer need a boarding group to ride Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The stand-by line is now open for guests instead. Keep in mind that Disney stated that they are “PAUSING” the use of virtual queues for Rise of the Resistance, so the attraction might end up using a virtual queue in the future, but Disney hasn’t given any indication that will be the case as of yet.

If you don’t want to wait, you can pay to skip the line (well, the stand-by line, at least) with Disney’s new Individual Attraction Selection feature for $15 per person.

Click here to read about which pay-per-ride attractions are WORTH the COST in Disney World

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has an opening timeline.

Disney also announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open in EPCOT in 2022!

The new rollercoaster will live in a HUGE building that makes you feel like you’re in space. This new attraction will also be the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster AND has special cars that can rotate as it moves!

Click here to learn more about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

2021 has had more than a year’s worth of shocking news! Simply put, planning a Disney vacation has changed in MASSIVE ways, from Disney Genie+ replacing FastPass+ to brand-new rides, hotels, and shows changing the way we navigate through the parks and resorts. As always, we’ll be covering the latest news from Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond!

Which of these news stories from 2021 shocked YOU the most? Let us know in the comments!