Disney World Permanently Restricts Resort Bus and Boat Access at Disney Springs
Last March, we reported that Cast Members were preventing non-Disney World Resort hotel guests from boarding buses at Disney Springs. That procedure is now becoming permanent. Starting June 28, guests wishing to take a Disney resort bus or boat from Disney Springs will need to show 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
Absent that, guests will need to find another way around the resort.
Disney hasn’t explained why it’s implementing the change, but it’s not difficult to make an educated guess. Disney Springs is one of the few places at Walt Disney World where parking remains free. For years, guests have used those garages to avoid paying theme park parking fees. Sure, they have to travel to a resort before hopping another bus to a park, but for guests looking to save money, that tradeoff has often been worth it.
There’s also the issue of resort overcrowding. During busy seasons, popular hotels can become packed with visitors who aren’t staying there. Take a look at Disney fan groups to see what Disney hotel guests think of that. Still, that explanation only goes so far. Preventing guests from taking a bus to the Polynesian on a quiet offseason weekday feels like a solution to a problem that may not exist.
Could it be security-related? Perhaps. But anyone arriving at Disney Springs has already gone through security screening, making that explanation a little less convincing.
Where things get interesting is the possibility that Disney could expand these procedures to other areas of the resort. Could we eventually see checkpoints at theme park bus stops? Will guests need to scan a MagicBand before entering the bus loop after closing Magic Kingdom? If so, what problem is Disney trying to solve? Maybe the checkpoints would only be used at certain times of the day, when guests are more prone to resort hopping.
For now, one thing is clear: day guests hoping to use Disney Springs as a transportation hub are out of luck. Disney is closing loopholes. I just hope the cure doesn’t become more frustrating than the disease.
Read more: Disney World Adds Direct Water Park Buses for More Resort Hotel Guests
