UPDATED December 17, 2024

Planning a trip to Disney World soon? Well, there are some BIG changes you need to be prepared for!

In the past few months and years, we’ve seen lots of operational changes due to the pandemic, but we’ve also seen new rides, restaurants, and hotel updates. And for those heading to Disney World in this year…there are several ways the resort is getting BETTER!

New and Reimagined Rides and Attractions

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Let’s start with the BIG new ride addition! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is NOW OPEN in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland as of  June 28th, 2024!

A NEW Country Bear Show

Those beloved Country Bears have put together an ALL-NEW ACT in Magic Kingdom! The Country Bear Musical Jamboree opened on July 17th, 2024 with a show featuring classic songs AND Disney songs in NEW styles like country, rockabilly, and bluegrass voiced by artists including Emily Ann Roberts and Grammy winners Allison Russell and Chris Thile.

So be sure to step inside Grizzly Hall next time you mosey on into Frontierland so you can catch the new show, you hear?

Check out pics and VIDEOS of the NEW Country Bear Musical Jamboree HERE!

CommuniCore Hall and Plaza

EPCOT’s lengthy transformation has — at long last — come to a close! The final phase began with a reveal EPCOT’s all-new World Celebration Gardens as well as the Walt the Dreamer statue in early December 2023.

But the final touch was the opening of CommuniCore Hall and Plaza in World Celebration on June 10th, 2024!

The new area serves as a central location for EPCOT’s rotating festivals throughout the year, providing a communal space to celebrate — and to provide additional programs for the events.

Communicore Plaza is an outdoor space where guests can enjoy the festival offerings, while Communicore Hall is flexible enough to host a myriad of different things — food stalls, exhibition, mixology class, and so much more!

Take a Photo Tour of CommuniCore HERE!

Along with providing dedicated spaces for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals, CommuniCore Hall is also the location of a new year-round Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet!

We saw Minnie and Goofy greeting with Mickey on our first visit, but be aware that the “& Friends” in the space may vary, so be ready for a surprise!

And rest assured that Mickey himself will always be present to SEE YA, PAL!!!

Check out Mickey’s NEW Meet-and-Greet Spot HERE!

As part of the CommuniCore opening celebration, a BRAND NEW Encanto stage show has made its debut! ¡Celebración Encanto! is a sing-along that includes popular songs — and characters! — from the film.

The show is running several times a day and takes place on the CommuniCore Plaza stage.

Get ready to party with Bruno and Mirabel!

See why we LOVE EPCOT’s new Encanto show HERE!

Star Tours Updates

On April 5th, NEW adventures made their debut at Star Tours in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios (along with Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris) featuring NEW-to-the-ride characters!

The new adventures feature characters and locations from Ashoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian. Parkgoers can now experience over 250 different adventures with a plethora of different characters, locations, and experiences!

Click HERE to check out the CHANGES at Star Tours (though beware of spoilers)!

New and Reimagined Restaurants and Eateries

The Cake Bake Shop

Originally expected to open in late 2023, The Cake Bake Shop officially opened at long last on October 25th, 2024! The Cake Bake Shop is an elegant dining location open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you can also grab delectable desserts here unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

We’ve been able to check out the bakery case (which offers baked goodies to go) and experience both the full service Breakfast and Dinner. And we are thrilled to share our experiences with you!

Find our review of Breakfast at The Cake Bake Shop here, and our review of Dinner at The Cake Bake Shop here!

Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs

HOORAY! As of August 23rd, Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is OPEN at long last!

Located on Disney World’s BoardWalk, it was initially slated to open in 2023 (“late 2023,” to be precise), but met with delays. So we’ve been looking forward to this for a LONG TIME.

Why? Because these are NOT you average Corn Dogs with options like Mexican Street Dogs, Pickle Dogs, and more. And let me tell you… the wait was WORTH IT!

Click HERE for our full review of Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs!

1900 Park Fare

1900 Park Fare reopened at long last on April 10th, 2024! This restaurant, which is located in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, is one of a few that had yet to reopen since the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort in 2020. But now, it’s back… with an entirely new Character Dining experience: Wish Makers Enchanted Dining!

During a buffet-style Breakfast or Dinner, guests enjoy tableside visits by characters including  Aladdin (in his Prince Ali look), Cinderella, Mirabel from Encanto, and Princess Tiana in her new look for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure “as they celebrate the power of a wish.”

Click HERE to step inside the reopened — and refreshed — 1900 Park Fare!

Ice Cold Hydraulics

Ice Cold Hydraulics is a brand-new snack stand with some brand-new eats in Muppets Courtyard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Newly open in February 2024, this spot serves a couple of truly unique spotlight items like Candy Painted Cinnamon Rolls, savory Bouncin’ Mini Churros! You’ll also find plenty of park classics like Mickey Bars, Mickey Pretzels, Frozen Slushes, and more!

Check out our first REVIEW of Ice Cold Hydraulics here!

Operational Changes

Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Changes

BIG CHANGES have come to Disney World’s Lightning Lanes as of July 24th, 2024! And MORE are coming starting October 30th, 2024!

The Disney Genie service made its debut within Disney World’s My Disney Experience app in October 2021. Disney Genie provided access to “Lightning Lanes” (which allow guests to bypass Standby lines for select attractions with an extra purchase) as well as other on-the-go planning tools to help guests maximize their time in the four Disney World theme parks:  Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. 

But BIG changes have come to the service! First, as of July 24th, 2024, there have been official name changes for the Lightning Lane services that were previously part of Disney Genie.

Disney Genie+ is now Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Individual Lightning Lanes are now Lightning Lane Single Pass. In addition to these changes, as Disney shares, guests can now:

• Make Lightning Lane plans before you’re in the parks, “for added confidence:”
• Choose experiences and times prior to purchasing, so you know exactly what you’re getting with your purchase;
• Book Lightning Lane passes for multiple vacation days, all at once, if you wish!

AAAAANNNNNDDDD… A third option, Lightning Lane Premier Pass was added in October 2024. This inclusive option grants one-time entry into EVERY Lightning Lane entry in a given park for one price, eliminating the need to monitor Lightning Lane availability and make new Lighting Lane reservations throughout the day, and granting the ability to simply show up at an attraction and enter the Lightning Lane (as opposed to booking a specific time).

PLEASE BE AWARE that this new option is only available to guests staying at Disney World Resort hotels,  the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, or Shades of Green.

You will DEFINITELY want to be in the know about Lightning Lanes before you visit Disney World, sooo…

Click HERE to find out Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lanes in Disney World

All-Day Park Hopping

Moving on to operational changes, there are some big updates that might improve your trip in 2024! Up first… all-day Park Hopping is BACK as of January 9th 2024. 

When Park Hopping returned after the pandemic, visitors had to wait until 2PM to scan into their second park of the day. But no longer! Now that all-day Park Hopping is back, you can come and go as you please.

Get All the Park Hopping Details Here!

No More Park Passes for Select Guests

Also as of January 9th, Park Pass reservations are NO LONGER NEEDED for those who purchase date-based tickets. This means that guests who buy theme park tickets tied to specific dates do NOT need to make a reservation.

Reservations are still be required for Annual Passholders, Cast Members, and select group tickets. BUT, as of January 11th, 2024, Disney is offering “Good to Go” days for Annual Passholders and Cast Members. On these days, these visitors can enter the ANY of the four theme parks without a Park Pass Reservation.

The circled dates that appear when an Annual Passholders is logged into their My Disney Experience account denote the date as Good-to-Go!

Learn About the Park Pass Changes Here!

Return of the Disney Dining Plan

Also as of January 9th, the Dining Plan IS BACK at Disney World! There are two Plan types available — the Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan.

Adding the Dining Plan to your vacation package is essentially a way to pay for your meals in advance. Then, during your visit, you can use your meal and snack credits to get your food. For more pricing and details, check out our in-depth Dining Plan information page…

Get ALL the Dining Plan Information Here!

Disney Springs

“Disney Dreams That Soar” Drone Show

UPDATE: Dreams That Soar ended its summer run on September 2nd, 2024, but we are keeping this information here in hopes that it returns to Disney Springs in the future!

Make sure you head to the West Side of Disney Springs to catch a BRAND NEW Drone show above Lake Buena Vista: “Disney Dreams That Soar” is inspired by Disney stories that showcase flight! It made its debut on May 24th, 2024.

These drones are programmed to create designs in the sky and are accompanied by a beautiful musical score that includes memorable movie quotes. The show ran through September 2nd, and was a great late-night perk for those still hanging out at Disney Springs!

The viewing area for it is on the West Side of Disney Springs along the water between the Aerophile balloon and the Cirque du Soliel Theatre. But, we also heard a pro tip that the rooftop bar at the Coca-Cola store is another great spot to catch the show! These areas are first-come, first-served, so keep that in mind for planning.

Click here for PICS and VIDEOS of Disney Dreams That Soar!

Hotel Updates

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

Staying at a Disney World Resort in 2024? There are some major construction projects going on that will be improving those spaces! At Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the hotel rooms have been updated with new furniture and decor!

These new rooms feature whimsical touches like charming artwork that contains images of Mickey, Minnie, and other Disney pals strolling through the BoardWalk, along with all the amenties you would expect.

Disney has also promised future updates to the lobby and common areas.

Along with the new restaurants coming soon, this is going to be a hot place to stay in 2024!

Take a PHOTO TOUR of the NEW guest rooms at BoardWalk Inn HERE!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

At the Grand Floridian Resort, we’ve been watching construction progress on the room refurbishment, but there’s a major lobby update coming soon as well.

If you’re staying at this hotel soon, be prepared to encounter some construction. Disney hasn’t shared updates about when the lobby overhaul will happen, but we’ll keep you updated!

See a Grand Floridian Room Tour Here!

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

NEW Polynesian DVC Villas — which Disney calls Island Tower — have been built on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon, offering waterfront views. And, the Villas officially opened on December 17th, 2024! You can check out four unique features at the Tower here. 

As for dining options at Island Tower, the Wailulu Bar & Grill offers “breathtaking views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom Park.”

This is a casual walk-up pool bar and grill, and features an all-day menu for lunch and dinner. There are also specialty coffee and on-the-go morning pastries available for breakfast.

STEP INSIDE Polynesian Resort’s Island Tower HERE!

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

More than 350 refreshed cabins are replacing the existing cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground! Although the new cabins are part of the Disney Vacation Club resort lineup, the cabins are open for reservations to all guests, including those who are not Disney Vacation Club Members.

The cabins sleep up to six adults and feature a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and private patio. A select number of cabins are dog-friendly.

These refreshed cabins started to make their debuts on July 1st! The opening is taking place in phases — the first loop opened on July 1st, and more will continue to open throughout the year.

Click HERE to take a PHOTO TOUR of the NEW Cabins at Fort Wilderness!

A new dining experience has already debuted at Trail’s End Restaurant, with Crockett’s Tavern having been refurbished, as well.

That’s everything we’ve got for you so far — lots of ways that Disney World is changing and improving in throughout this year! We’ll keep you in the loop with any more news you need to know ahead of your trip.

Click Here to See Big Changes in Disney World in 2024!

Are you heading to Disney World in 2024? Tell us in the comments!