A lot has changed in Disney World since the phased reopening of the parks began. Following the COVID-19 pandemic closures, health and safety guidelines were implemented to keep visitors and Cast Members safe — and some things never came back to Disney World.
It’s been over three years since Disney World reopened its gates following the closure. While many things have returned to normal in the Disney parks, there are some things that we have noticed that have not, and we miss them.
Package Delivery
In the before-time, otherwise known as pre-2020, we could visit Disney theme park shops, buy something, and have it sent directly to our hotel room so we wouldn’t have to carry around our purchases all day long. Well, that’s been gone since 2020, and it hasn’t returned yet.
Main Street USA
What’s even more annoying is that the service returned to Disneyland, but not Disney World. What gives?
So if you’re planning on making any big purchases in the parks, we recommend doing it at the end of the day so you don’t have to lug it around everywhere. There are also rental lockers available at each park (for a price), but we miss the days of that convenient FREE package delivery service.
Island Mercantile
Tables in Wonderland
Tables in Wonderland was a Walt Disney World discount dining program open to Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club members, and Florida Residents. The membership provided a 20% discount on food and beverages (including alcohol) at over 100 restaurants and lounges in Walt Disney World parks and hotels, as well as other perks such as special dining events and free valet parking.
The BOATHOUSE in Disney Springs
Walt Disney World is not currently selling new Tables in Wonderland Memberships, and all existing Tables in Wonderland cards expired as of September 1, 2021. There has been no update on this perk returning.
50’s Prime Time Cafe
Room service
Before Disney World’s closure, you could get room service at many Disney World hotels (mostly deluxe resorts, but Coronado Springs also offered it). Now? If you want to get food at a hotel delivered to your room at most hotels, you’ll have to Mobile Order, pick it up, and deliver it yourself.
Wilderness Lodge
The only hotel currently offering room service is the Grand Floridian, so many resort guests would love to see it return to other hotels, too. Finding late-night dining is already tricky in Disney World, but room service was often delivered until the early morning hours.
Grand Floridian Resort
Park Hopping Anytime
Park hopping before the closure was not restricted to a time. Pre-2020, you could “hop” from one park to another at any time of day, go back and forth, and visit up to all 4 of Disney World’s theme parks on the same day.
Cinderella’s Castle
Then after the reopening of the parks in 2020, we had lots of new rules and restrictions on everything from how we lined up for transportation to how we had to choose our park days because capacity in the parks was strictly limited. One of the new restrictions was that you could not park hop until 2PM each day. BUT…
… As of January 9th, 2024, all-day park hopping is BACK!
EPCOT
Anyone who has a park ticket with Park Hopper or an Annual Pass can visit another theme park at any time of day during park hours.
Entertainment
Before 2020, Disney World hosted some world-class Streetmosphere entertainment that we almost never missed. That included the Citizens of Main Street in Magic Kingdom and the Citizens of Hollywood in Hollywood Studios. After Disney World’s historic closure and reopening, those two groups disappeared.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Also, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid show in Hollywood Studios has also been closed since the pandemic shut down Disney World. UPDATE: Disney announced in December 2023 that a NEW show — “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” — is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Fall 2024!
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Be aware, though, that with this announcement, it’s also been confirmed that Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed in Disney World.
Dine with an Imagineer
“Dine with an Imagineer” gave Disney guests the opportunity to chat with a Disney Imagineer while enjoying a four-course meal in a Disney World restaurant. This was a limited-space event, and guests could dine at Hollywood Brown Derby or Citricos. This was such a unique opportunity, and we really hope Disney brings it back!
Hollywood Brown Derby
Dessert Parties
There are a few dessert parties that never returned. The Fantasmic! Dessert & VIP Viewing Experience paired sweet and savory snacks along with reserved seating at the popular Fantasmic! Nighttime Spectacular in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests received a dessert box, bottled water, a light-up souvenir cup with a specialty beverage (with an alcoholic choice for guests 21-and-over), a light-up credential, and seating in a reserved viewing area for Fantasmic!
Fantasmic
The Frozen Ever After Dessert Party offered a dessert buffet paired with a reserved viewing area for Epcot’s nighttime spectacular Epcot Forever. Both of these dessert parties have yet to return since the closure.
EPCOT
We will report if any of these things return to the parks. For more Disney news, keep following Disney Food Blog!
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The Studios should re open the Staring Rolls Cafe. What a fantastic, not well-known place to grab a delicious sandwich or snack.
These are all reasons why people are also selling their DVC memberships. Too many perks gone and they can’t use the Covid bs as an excuse!
Another perk that Disney stopped giving with Covid and never returned is the giving awards to the top 5 runners in each age/sex groups for the 10k, 1/2 marathon and marathon RunDisney races.
We loved Tables in Wonderland. The AP is so expensive, and that was one of the few benefits that really saved us money.
Lest We Forget… RIP the free FastPass. As soon as line jumping became the paid prerogative of the Haves, what little was left of Disney equality died and Walt’s spirit evaporated.
Magic hours!!!! Really miss those. This 30 minutes before the parks open is not the same at all.
For years we always hired a golf cart at Fort Wilderness at Hallowe’en and Christmas to tour around the decorated mobile homes after eating at Trail’s End. No one is allowed to hire the golf carts now unless you stay in the resort. It has spoiled what was a regular family treat and to what end?
I visited WDW in 2016 and the package delivery to your room was already gone. They would deliver it to your hotel but you had to go to the gift shop to pick it up. Room delivery ended before COVID.
Isobel, add to the golf cart take-away at Ft Wilderness, the nearly unspeakable makeover of Trails End, which was one of best places in all of Disney World for breakfast or dinner. My family and I just loved it before the change. Plus they removed the portrait of Fess Parker as Davy Crockett in the Tavern, along with the rifle he used in the movies, Ole Betsy. My opinion of Darth Iger and Josh D. fell even further. New Disney leadership needed, STAT.
Perfectly princess tea party at the Floridian has not returned and is certainly missed !