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Disney Springs Transportation Change: What Every Visitor Needs to Know

News By June 27, 2026 Tags: , , , , No Comments

Disney Springs Transportation Change: What Every Visitor Needs to Know

The Disney Springs transportation change is now in effect. As of June 28, 2026, you need a qualifying reservation to board a resort bus or the Sassagoula River Cruise from Disney Springs. Here is what changed, who keeps access, and how a dining reservation fits in.

What is the Disney Springs transportation change?

Walt Disney World limits who can board resort-bound buses and boats that leave Disney Springs. Cast members check for a valid reservation before you board. Guests without one are turned away.

The change is permanent. Disney ran the same verification during New Year’s and the Easter season, and it is now a standing rule. The restriction applies only at Disney Springs.

When did the change take effect?

The new policy took effect Sunday, June 28, 2026. It now applies to every trip, so plan for it before you go.

Which transportation is affected?

Two services are affected at Disney Springs. The first is the resort bus service to the Disney hotels. The second is the Sassagoula River Cruise, which carries guests by boat to Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter.

Everything else stays the same. The monorail, the Skyliner, and the buses and boats at the parks and resorts still run for every guest, free of charge.

Who can still ride the buses and boats?

You keep access if you can show one of these:

  • Disney resort hotel stay (an active reservation at a Disney hotel)
  • Dining reservation (a table booking at the resort you are heading to)
  • Enchanting Extras or experience reservation (a recreation or special booking at that resort)

Guests at the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green receive the same access as other on-site guests.

One detail matters if you ride on a dining or experience reservation. You can board within two hours of your reservation time, so build that window into your plan.

DVC Welcome Home Week 2026 Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

What if you do not have a reservation?

You can still enter Disney Springs. It stays free to visit, with its own parking. To reach a resort without a qualifying reservation, park at a theme park first, then ride Disney transportation from there. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios both work well as hubs.

How a dining reservation keeps your access

A dining reservation now does double duty. Book a table at the resort you want to visit, and that same reservation clears you to board the bus or boat.

Heading to Disney Springs itself to eat? You do not need transportation clearance to walk in. You just need a table. The top spots book fast, so reserve early.

Top 3 Disney Springs restaurants worth a reservation

If a Disney Springs meal is on your list, start with the three tables that consistently rank at the top and sell out first.

  • The BOATHOUSE (waterfront American seafood, steaks, and chops in The Landing, and one of the hardest weekend tables to get)
  • Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ (Southern comfort food and famous fried chicken, and one of the most requested reservations in the district)
  • Morimoto Asia (Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s pan-Asian dining room, set in a striking two-story space in The Landing)

Disney Springs Boathouse Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

All three open reservations 60 days out and fill quickly for Friday and Saturday dinner. Book the moment your window opens, or check availability on MouseDining.com. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, be sure to set an alert.

Want help deciding where to eat? See the MouseDining dining guides for menus, must-order dishes, and booking tips. Planning a holiday trip? See our 2026 Disney World holidays guide for party dates, events, and room offers.

What this means for MouseDining readers

Plan your reservations before you go. If a resort meal is on your itinerary, book it early so you keep your transportation options open. If you are staying off-site, add a theme park stop to your resort-hopping plan. A little planning keeps the new rule from slowing you down.

For current pricing on any restaurant, check the menu in the My Disney Experience app, since prices change throughout the year.

Frequently asked questions

When did the Disney Springs transportation change take effect?
The policy took effect June 28, 2026.

Do I need a reservation to enter Disney Springs?
No. Disney Springs stays free to enter with its own parking. The reservation rule applies only to resort buses and boats.

Does a dining reservation let me ride the bus?
Yes. A dining reservation at the resort you are visiting qualifies, within a two-hour window.

Are the monorail and Skyliner affected?
No. Those services, plus park and resort buses and boats, run for all guests as usual.

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Updates on New Disney Parks Attractions, Entertainment Offer Glimpse at Exciting Future

News By November 16, 2020 Tags: No Comments

This morning, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, took the virtual stage at the IAAPA Expo: Virtual Education Conference, where he shared a behind-the-scenes look at the lessons learned over the past year, and the ways Disney is moving forward into 2021 and beyond.

As Josh shared in his talk, the end of the year is always a time for reflection – and to chart a path for the year to come. While they never could have imagined what this year would hold, they’ve learned so much: how to share that special Disney Parks magic with fans at home during the closures of businesses worldwide; how to reimagine our park, resort, and store experiences to meet new challenges; and how, even amid uncertainty, to plan for what we know are better days are ahead.

Look to the future, there are new and exciting milestones on the horizon. While the pandemic meant putting some projects on pause, they never stopped dreaming up new experiences. And are looking forward to inviting guests to see what they’ve been working on.

There are groundbreaking new updates coming to Disney destinations around the world. As Josh shared in his update today, progress is currently being made on several projects across the globe that are pushing the boundaries of innovation and storytelling like never before.

Here’s a special peek at some of the announcements Josh made today:


Video previously recorded

More details were also shared on the next generation of immersive Disney experiences currently in development, including updates on Avengers Campus, the historic transformation of EPCOT and more.

Progress continues to be made toward the completion of Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris. As we’ve shared, this new land will invite guests to team up with the Avengers and their allies in a fully immersive land.

The Worldwide Engineering Brigade (better known as WEB) building will soon house our newest attraction, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure where guests will be able to board vehicles and help Spider-Man take control of an army of Spider-Bots that have taken over Avengers Campus.

Guests visiting Disneyland Paris will also soon be able to experience Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel – celebrating 80 years of Marvel storytelling in a typical New York setting.

The resort will feature contemporary Art Deco style and include one of the largest publicly viewable collections of Marvel artwork in the world.

At Walt Disney World Resort, work is continuing on the historic, multi-year transformation of EPCOT, including “Harmonious,” Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

“Harmonious” will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created. It’ll feature the hallmarks of a Disney experience, including music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world.

Work also continues on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – the family-friendly “storytelling coaster” featuring a groundbreaking ride system with vehicles that rotate 360 degrees and can even do a reverse launch!

The Omnicoaster is a first- of-its-kind programmable roller coaster ride system, where guests can be rotated along the ride track in any direction while traveling at high speeds. The Omnicoaster name builds upon the tradition of the Omnimover ride system in which Walt Disney Imagineers are able to turn guests in any direction and focus their attention on a specific scene or element.

And plans are on track to open Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 2021.  Based on Disney and Pixar’s hit film, “Ratatouille,” this family-friendly attraction will invite you to shrink down to the scale of a rat for a culinary adventure with Chef Remy. During each adventure, you’ll race across Gusteau’s kitchen floor aboard special trackless ride vehicles in a thrilling 3D chase.


In a galaxy far, far away, progress continues at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, where guests will live aboard a starship for a 2-day, 2-night experience. Unlike any typical cruise, though, you can become the heroes of your own Star Wars story in a new type of immersive experience that only Disney could create.

Guests will cruise the galaxy in style aboard the Halcyon, known for its impeccable service and exotic destinations. Onboard, you’ll stay in well-appointed cabins, experience onboard dining, make a planet-side excursion to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu and much more.

At Shanghai Disney Resort, progress continues on “Zootopia” – where guests will be invited to experience the metropolis of “Zootopia.”

Based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning animated movie, this exciting development will be the park’s eighth themed land and the first-ever “Zootopia”-themed land at any Disney park. It will include a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life.

In this aerial photo of the area, you can see just how big the show building will be.

And at Tokyo Disneyland, new attractions, restaurants, and shops recently opened – marking the largest expansion of the park’s 37-year history.

Also, part of the expansion will be “Fantasy Springs.” This exciting development will be themed to a magical spring inspired by the beloved Disney Animation films “Frozen,” “Tangled” and “Peter Pan.”  It’ll include four new attractions, three restaurants and a new Disney-themed hotel situated inside Tokyo DisneySea that will overlook Fantasy Springs.

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