Disney Update Virtually Eliminates Resort Hopping

in Food, Walt Disney World

Resort Dining Reservations

We’re less than a month away from the phased reopening of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks and select resort hotels. Disney is taking all the health and safety precautions necessary to reopen the resort successfully. Following the lead of Shanghai Disneyland and with the success of the reopening of Disney Springs, the resort has been gearing up by sharing a plethora of updates to prepare guests that will be visiting soon.

Among the updates, we learned that in order to continue the efforts of controlled guest capacity and to aid in proper social distancing, day guests, or guests that want to visit the resort hotels must have a dining reservation.

Disney Dining Plan
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney World Releases New Dining Reservation Information

Gone are the days of meandering a Disney resort hotel just to visit. Now, if you want to visit one of the resort hotel properties, you must plan on dining at a table service, or sit-down restaurant, and have a reservation locked in to do so.

This update will also make resort hopping a challenge. Chances are, guests won’t have two resort reservations back to back so they can check out two properties in one day.

We suppose if a guest wanted to book a lunch reservation at one resort and a dinner reservation at another, it wouldn’t be impossible. However, it’s important to be aware of these new guidelines so you can prepare your visit accordingly.

Cast Members Disney World
Credit: Disney

Here is what Disney is currently stating regarding day guests at their resort hotels. See the second bullet point below:

Before you dine at Walt Disney World Resort, please be aware that you’ll need:

  • Face coverings for each Guest age 2 and up, which must be worn in all public areas—including while entering and exiting dining locations—and can be removed while eating or drinking
  • Planning to dine at a table-service restaurant in a Disney Resort hotel? A confirmed dining reservation is required for day Guests (those not staying overnight) and is highly recommended for Guests staying overnight at a Disney Resort hotel

Also, it’s highly recommended to have:

    • The latest version of the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device, with location services enabled
    • Cashless or contactless forms of payment

While we understand that Disney is implementing all these changes in order to keep their guests and cast member safe, it will surely be a new and unique experience, especially for local visitors, to be unable to visit the resort hotels without that table service reservation.

Related: Disney Shares What Guests Need to Know Before Visiting Disney Hotels

What are your thoughts on this new reservation enforcement? Will you still make plans to visit and eat or will you skip out the resort hotel visits until these new health and safety guidelines are lifted? Let us know in the comments. We want to hEAR your thoughts!

in Food, Walt Disney World

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