Disney World is NOT the same as it used to be. In fact, if you haven’t been to Disney World in several years, you might find things to be very different than when you last saw them.

FastPass+ has been replaced with the paid Genie+ system, brand NEW attractions have opened and more are on their way, there’s a lot of construction going on throughout the parks and resorts, and yes, the Magical Express is gone. When it comes to Disney World’s hotels specifically, many perks have returned in recent years (after many were paused due to the COVID-19 closures), but some still aren’t back!

Here’s a look at the hotel perks that still aren’t back in Disney World:

1 — Package Delivery

While you can still typically pay for items to be shipped from the Disney World gift shops to your home…

…the days of sending your gift store purchase to be held at the front of the park (so you could pick it up at the end of your day instead of lugging it around) or to be sent to your hotel room for you are a thing of the past (at least for now). Package delivery did, however, return to Disneyland in 2022. And we previously saw it return in a limited way to Disney World for the holidays, but that was only for a limited time.

So, for now, keep in mind that you’ll have to lug around your purchases (or store them in a locker) if you don’t want to pay to ship them to your home. That’s something to consider if you’re hoping to buy a large or bulky object in the parks. You may want to buy those near the end of the day so you don’t have to carry them around for too long!

2 — Room Service

Got dreams of kicking back in your pajamas inside your Disney World hotel room and ordering room service to be delivered to you? Well…you might need to be pinched and snapped out of that dream.

With the COVID-19 pandemic came the suspension of room service at Disney World’s hotels. Over the past few years, we’ve seen room service (or in-room dining as it’s sometimes called) return to some of Disney World’s hotels — sometimes surprisingly. But, lately, it’s really just been a service offered at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Since it did pop up at some of the other hotels in the past, it never hurts to ask to see what’s available, but for now, you should NOT expect to find room service anywhere but Disney’s Grand Floridian for the most part.

If you are hoping to get a bite to take back to your room, you can instead stop by the hotel’s Quick Service restaurant and get your items to-go (using Mobile Order, you may even be able to note that you want your items packaged to-go at some spots). You could also see if any of the Table Service restaurants in the hotel offer Mobile Order Table Service To-Go, which is essentially a to-go version of the Table Service eats you can get there.

Another option is to have groceries delivered to your hotel from nearby spots like Publix. Or you can order some delicious eats to be sent to you through apps like DoorDash or UberEats.

Click here for a guide to grocery and food delivery!

3 — Airline Check-In

Another perk that hasn’t returned is airline check-in. This used to be a service that let you print your boarding pass and check in your luggage right from the comfort of your Disney World hotel.

But the service is not offered right now and Disney’s website only notes that it is “no longer available” without any potential hints as to whether it could return.

4 — Extra Magic Hours

Extra Magic Hours also haven’t returned to Disney World’s hotels…at least, not in the traditional sense. Previously, Extra Magic Hours was a perk offered to ALL Disney World hotel guests. It was available at a limited number (maybe 1, 2, or 3) parks per day. Depending on the schedule, hotel guests could enter a park early and/or stay in a park late.

Now, there are some extra hours benefits for Disney World hotel guests, but they’re not quite the same as they used to be.

The current system in place features 2 different perks — Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours. Early Theme Park Entry allows ALL Disney World hotel guests to enter the park of their choice (with a Park Pass — for now) 30 minutes early any day.

Extended Evening Hours, on the other hand, are only available for those staying at Deluxe Disney World Hotels, Deluxe Villas, and select other qualifying hotels. It is only offered on select nights at certain parks. When offered, guests at a qualifying hotel can stay in the designated park a little later than “regular” park guests (again, with some Park Pass restrictions in place — for now).

The big difference here is especially with Extended Evening Hours, which is only for select hotel guests on select days with certain parks. These perks were introduced for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary but have been extended into 2024. Will they become permanent additions, or will Extra Magic Hours ever come back? That’s a question that has yet to be answered…

Learn all about these perks here!

5 — Some Hotel Restaurants

While most Disney World restaurants have reopened in some form or another, there are 2 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort that remain shuttered following their closure years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we’re talking about 1900 Park Fare and the Garden View Tea Room.

1900 Park Fare used to offer a character buffet with some unique friends and signature eats (like that Strawberry Soup — ask for it at the Grand Floridian Cafe to see if you can get it there!).

The Garden View Tea Room offered a tea experience, including a special princess-themed one for the little kiddos.

Neither of these spots have reopened though and Disney really hasn’t provided any updates about their future.

What we have seen is a number of spots in the Grand Floridian getting a facelift recently — from the Mary Poppins Returns look at Citricos to the refurbishment at Narcoossee’s, the updates set to come to the lobby, the exterior work being done, and even the room updates. So if these dining spots do reopen in the future, Disney could similarly give them a bit of a refresh!

6 — Extra Special Experiences

Some extra special experiences also haven’t returned to Disney World’s hotels. For example, while the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has reopened in Magic Kingdom, the one within The Grand Floridian (and the one over at Disney Springs) has not reopened.

In 2022, Disney said that the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations in Disney Springs and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa would be reopening “at a later date.” But we really haven’t seen an update since then.

Additionally, Senses Spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort has not reopened. The Grand Floridian Spa did reopen in 2022, however…

…so you can head there for a day full of pampering if you should so desire.

7 — Some Special Classes and Programs

Certain special classes and programs haven’t returned to Disney World’s hotels either. For example, there was once a free culinary tour offered at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge that highlighted its restaurants. We haven’t seen that return yet.

But that doesn’t mean that all free tours are gone! Over at Wilderness Lodge, there is a Wonders of the Lodge Art and Architecture Tour offered each morning for about an hour. With this tour, you can go around the resort and learn all about the theming of this gorgeous hotel.

So there are unique things to participate in — you just have to know where to look!

8 — Lots of Free Soap You Can Take HOME

Okay, okay, this has been a change made at Disney World for a while but some of us are STILL sad about it. For now, H2O+ Beauty products are still offered in the Disney World hotels and there are some little soaps available for you to take home usually — like this boxed facial soap (some of the members of our team LIVE off of this).

But, when it comes to shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, you generally won’t find these little snatchable beauties available in most of the Disney World hotel rooms anymore.

Instead, more often you’ll find the bottles attached to the wall so you won’t be able to make a little stockpile to put in your suitcase.

Then, there’s the complication of H2O+’s current status in Disney World. In 2022, it was announced that the H2O+ Beauty line would be retired at the end of the year. Thus far, the products have continued to be available in Disney World’s hotels and there’s no news just yet as to what may replace them, but we’re on the lookout for updates.

And that’s a look at some of the hotel perks that aren’t back in Disney World. What do you think about these things? What do you most miss? Tell us in the comments!

Booking your next Disney World hotel stay? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! They’ve got years of experience, can help you find the best deal, and their services are totally FREE.