No matter how much effort you put into planning your Disney World trip, unexpected problems can potentially impact your vacation.

And with so much change happening throughout the parks, it’s important to keep up so you know what to expect on your next visit. We do our best to make sure you’re prepared for every possible scenario, so let’s check out the new problems you might face in Disney World in 2023 — and what you can do about them.

Whether you’ve been to Disney World once or one-hundred times, chances are each visit is different. New restaurants, attractions, updates, and more are happening all the time. But with new changes can come new problems — and these are the problems you might have to worry about on your 2023 Disney World trip. 

Surge Pricing

While surge pricing isn’t necessarily new to Disney World, park-specific surge pricing is. In December 2022, Disney implemented park-specific pricing on 1-day, 1-park tickets. Essentially, your ticket could cost more or less depending on which park you visit on which day. Previously, ticket prices depended on which date you visited but not which park. For example, heading to Animal Kingdom might cost you $134 on a day, but getting into Magic Kingdom might cost you $159 that same day. 

Disney also introduced surge pricing to Genie+ in the parks in late 2022, so it’s still a pretty recent change. Standard Genie+ used to cost a flat $15 per ticket, per day in Disney World, but now it could cost you more if you’re visiting on a busy day. During Thanksgiving week, we saw the highest price ever at $29 per ticket. Surge pricing has always been around for Individual Lightning Lanes, so that part of the Genie+ service has not changed.

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World in 2023, try to plan your travel dates for slower months like January or September to avoid surge pricing. Keep in mind that it might not be avoidable, but it is something you can plan for and set your budget. Consider rope-dropping the parks (getting there as soon as they open or even earlier) or staying late to avoid the lines and the added cost of Genie+.

How Surge Pricing Is Changing the Way People Visit Disney World

100th Anniversary Crowds

The Walt Disney Company is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2023, and while we haven’t heard much about any specific events taking place in Disney World, we do expect some sort of celebration to come. Either way, we know that 100th Anniversary-themed merchandise will be around because it’s already arrived! Chances are, folks might make special trips to get their hands on exclusive items that aren’t available online or anywhere else.

This could mean more crowds in the parks due to the 100th Anniversary festivities — especially if Disney does announce any sort of special entertainment or experiences for Disney World. A new fireworks show is coming to EPCOT in 2023 and an updated nighttime spectacular is coming to Magic Kingdom, but whether either new show is officially part of the 100th celebrations remains unclear for now.

Pay attention to the Disney World events calendar when planning or before heading out on your trip so you know if there are any special events taking place. That way, you can either plan to avoid them or know what to do in the event of an extremely crowded Disney World!

Everything We Know About Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebrations

Attraction Opening Crowds

Disney World will be getting TWO new attractions in 2023 — TRON: Lightcycle Run will open in Magic Kingdom in the spring and Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana is opening in EPCOT later in the year. While each attraction is different, if we’ve learned anything from previous attraction openings it’s that the crowds come out in FULL FORCE to experience them. The same can be said for other openings like for restaurants.

If you want to experience these attractions as soon as they open, make sure you’re prepared for the crowds you might have to face! TRON is a high-speed coaster that has been highly anticipated, so if you don’t have an interest in riding it as soon as it’s open (or even at all) consider planning your Disney World vacation for another time in 2023.

NEW Opening Timelines Revealed for Disney World and Disneyland

Getting a Virtual Queue for TRON

Speaking of TRON being a highly anticipated attraction, we expect that it will be extremely popular once it opens. In recent years, Disney has chosen to open new attractions with a Virtual Queue. This is a tool available through the My Disney Experience app (for Disney World) which allows guests to reserve a space in line for the most popular park attractions. This space is referred to as a Boarding Pass for use within an assigned Boarding Group.

Disney hasn’t shared an official word on whether or not TRON will open with a virtual queue, but if the pattern of attraction openings continues there’s a good chance we could see it happen here. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened in May 2022 and is still using the virtual queue system due to the ride’s popularity.

Make sure you read up on how to secure a Boarding Pass if it turns out that Disney does use a virtual queue for TRON. There are usually two chances per day, so even if you miss your first shot you could still get to ride the second time around.

Read Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Queues Here

Splash Mountain Refurbishment

Disney World announced that Splash Mountain would officially close on January 23rd, 2023 to make way for the Princess and the Frog retheme. And while we can’t wait to see what the Imagineers have cooked up for this reimagined attraction — Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — it does mean that an iconic attraction will close. If you want to get your nostalgia fix in before the refurb begins, make sure you plan a trip before January 23rd. 

Splash Mountain being closed poses another problem — it’s a popular attraction and often takes a whole lot of guests out of the park at once. With it closed, guests will have to disperse and ride other attractions which could cause those wait times to go up. We don’t have an opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure quite yet, but we did get a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at some of the new details.

You might have to face a few new problems at Disney World in 2023, but you can be sure we’ll be here to help you solve them along the way!

See the NEW Details We Learned About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Whew. We know that planning a Disney World trip is A LOT – which is why we bring you posts like this so often. But we’ve also put together a complete guide in ebook format that gives you all of the info you need, all in one place! Use code WDW2023 for 25% off our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World planning tips and news!

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Are you heading to Disney World in 2023? Let us know in the comments!