Disney Clarifies New Disney Springs Transportation Rules
Disney has shared more details about the transportation changes coming to Disney Springs. To briefly recap, starting June 28, guests will no longer be able to board a Disney Resort hotel bus or the Sassagoula River Cruise without one of the following:
- A Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation
- A dining reservation at a resort hotel
- A confirmed recreation activity at a resort hotel
Those requirements haven’t changed. What Disney did clarify is how the dining and recreation exceptions will work. Guests with valid dining reservations or Enchanting Extras experiences may board transportation up to two hours before their reservation or activity begins.
More importantly, Disney confirmed that Resort hotel guests may board Disney Springs buses and boats to any Disney Resort hotel, not just the one where they’re staying. We suspected that was the case all along. Disney isn’t trying to stop paying guests from exploring the resort. Even if they wanted to, enforcing that restriction would be a logistical nightmare. It would require Cast Members at every Disney Springs bus stop or, worse, bus drivers to check reservations. Neither option seems realistic.
Finally, Disney said these procedures are limited to Disney Springs and do not apply to other transportation hubs around Walt Disney World. So the rumors of guests needing to tap a MagicBand before boarding transportation at Magic Kingdom can be put to rest. At least for now.
These updated Disney Springs policies are not playing well on social media. But we have no issue with them. Look, this isn’t like Disney taking away Magical Express or free FastPasses. Disney Resort guests should benefit from shorter lines and less crowded hotel lobbies. The only real downside is for people who had gotten used to treating Disney Springs like a free transportation hub.
