10 Changes Disney Got Right in 2025
The new year is here. It seems like a perfect time to reflect on the changes Disney made in 2025 that improved guest experience!
Disney World Changes
One thing is certain about 2025. The year marked a string of major changes for Walt Disney World.
Many changes are underway across Disney's Animal Kingdom, The Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. And, most of them are still works in progress. Some of them are even controversial!
For example, many Rock and Roller Coaster fans don't love the Muppet takeover. And Muppets fans wish that the Monsters Inc. Land hadn't come at the expense of Muppet Vision 3D. Likewise, fans are excited to see Cars-themed attractions in the Magic Kingdom, but many are unhappy at the loss of the ambiance and free play that have been lost with the draining of Rivers of America and the demolition of Tom Sawyer Island. You can see the clearing of the Frontier HERE.
Even so, so changes Disney made in 2025 are overwhelmingly positive. Here are 10 changes that improved the magic (in no particular order)!
1. Water Park Perks
The first positive change is the inclusion of a complimentary water park ticket for check-in day for guests with reservations at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. This perk has been great for families who are checking in early and want to enjoy some Disney magic without having to purchase park tickets.
In fact, this perk also served to make split stays more attractive. Guests could potentially visit a water park on more than one day! Since both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have plenty of fun attractions and ways to enjoy the day, multiple visits could make for plenty of fun-filled memories.
Sadly, the perk is only returning in part for 2026. The perk is now limited to just Walt Disney World hotel guests with summer visits booked.
2. Test Track
The next change came with the retheming of Test Track. Everyone was skeptical, but many visitors agree that the end result is overwhelmingly positive!
We enjoy the new version of Test Track.
While the loss of the "gaming element" of the vehicle design component is disappointing, the ride itself is enjoyable. It is an improvement over Test Track 2.0 (although many fans still prefer the original version of the ride).
Plus, there is no more moving from a line to a cluster and back into a line. And, the lightning lane moves so much more quickly now as well. Overall, this is a change we can get on board with!
3. Luggage Transfer
Did you know that now select guests can take advantage of luggage transfer both to AND from Orlando International Airport? It's true!
Seamless luggage transfer is a perk many out-of-state visitors have been missing since the removal of Magical Express several years ago. Now, guests of Disney Value Resorts can enjoy the perk when they fly Southwest Airlines!
You can read our positive experience using luggage transfers HERE to help you decide if it will work for you. While we love the service, we hope it expands to more resorts and more airlines very soon so that more guests can enjoy it!
4. Disney Starlight Parade
Disney fans have long been longing for the return of a Nighttime Parade in Walt Disney World. Many still miss the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Not only did Disney light up the night with a new parade, but they delivered in a BIG way. Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is a gorgeous parade filled with moments that will awe you.
We love having a nighttime parade to enjoy once more! And the parade has already improved even in its short run. Check out details HERE.
5. Hand Soap
The next positive change is small, but mighty! Disney has started replacing the little bars of soap in rooms at Walt Disney World resort hotels!
Instead, Guest across Walt Disney World are beginning to find liquid hand soap in refillable glass pump bottles. Even better, lotion is available in similar pumps, which is a big upgrade for the value resorts!
This change makes keeping your hands clean so much easier and more pleasant, too! You can read more about it right HERE.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Queue
Finally, visitors are pretty happy with the addition of the standby queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Disney dropped the virtual queue in early 2025.
This means guests no longer have to worry about being logged in right at 7 am to attempt to grab space in the virtual queue, taking some of the hassle out of vacation. And while our own Kenny the Pirate readers certainly were at an advantage if they followed all the tips, many guests found the queue slipped right through their fingertips in seconds. It led to lots of disappointment.
The standby line can get lengthy, but it can drop to a reasonable wait, especially in the evening. And, the majority of the queue is indoors with plenty of climate control. Plus, many visitors probably agree it is better to stand for an hour in an air-conditioned queue than to have no chance to ride it at all.
7. Cool Kids Summer
In an effort to promote summertime visits to Walt Disney World in 2025, Disney introduced Cool Kids Summer. This offering came with fun perks for kids!
One of these was a tote full of goodies for kids ages 3-9 years old at check-in at select resort hotels. There were also fun entertainment offerings and unique character interactions in the theme parks, as well as dedicated "kids only" boards for pin trading.
We love seeing increased offerings that appeal to families with children. We are looking forward to seeing what 2026 holds for Disney's littlest Guests.
8. Dining Reservations
Disney dining can be one of the highlights of a trip to Walt Disney World. However, making reservations can be stressful.
Disney took steps to make scoring dining reservations a little easier this year. Now, Guests can see available reservations for an entire window of time up to 10 days and do not have to rely on clicking through one day at a time.
You can read about how to navigate this change right HERE. We love these types of improvements that take some of the hassle out of vacation planning.
9. Zootopia: Better Zoogether
Next up is the new show in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia: Better Zoogether replaced It's Tough to be a Bug under the roots of the Tree of Life.
While it has drawn criticism for not including conservation messaging, the show is an improvement. At the very least, it is much less terrifying than its predecessor. Still, it managed to retain some of the fun elements from It's Tough to be a Bug. We won't spoil them for you, but fans of the original show will know them when they see (or feel) them.
It is a cute show! My (Kate's) kids both loved it and have asked to see it again and again. It is their favorite of Disney's newer theater shows.
With the opening of Zootopia: Better Zoogether came a new character meet. Guests can visit with Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps near the attraction entrance. The characters are so fun to interact with. We hope they won't go hopping off any time soon!
10. The Removal of Hand Dryers
This year, we also noticed that Walt Disney World greatly reduced the presence of hand dryers in restrooms around the theme parks. Many, but not all of these, have been replaced with paper towel dispensers.
This may not be something an average traveler has noticed; however, the reduction in hand dryers is probably quite a relief for some guests traveling with small children or with party members who have sensory processing needs. The dryers can be quite scary for some little ones.
Plus, many guests prefer paper towels to sticking their hands in the dryers. It is a small, but welcome improvement.
Keep it Coming
We hope that Disney keeps the positive changes coming as we roll into 2026 and beyond! We can't wait to see what the new year brings.
We are already excited to see improvements for Frozen Ever After. And, we are ready to fight Zurg again with our favorite Galactic Hero over at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Plus, we can't wait to see if changes to Cinderella Castle also mean the Christmas Lights can come back!
What do you think of these changes to Walt Disney World? Did we miss any of your favorite changes? Let us know in the comments. And, feel free to share this list with friends and family who are traveling soon so that they know what to expect.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Katie's favorite park is Animal Kingdom. Her Disney loves include Disney mugs, Dole Whips, POG Juice, the Electrical Water Pageant, Chai Lattes from Joffrey's, and all the Disney Parks music!
