Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World Resort has launched a new addition to its official website that will completely change the way you vacation at the parks, just in time for the Holiday season.
A Holiday Surprise Guests Weren’t Expecting
The holiday season at Walt Disney World tends to unfold like a well-rehearsed performance—twinkling lights, towering trees, gingerbread displays, and thousands of guests trying to squeeze every magical moment out of their stay. But this year, something unusual happened: a quiet digital update slipped onto Disney’s official website, one that early planners are already calling a game-changer.
Families arriving for Christmas week often face one of the most chaotic parts of any Disney vacation—the hours spent trying to figure out what’s happening back at the hotel once the parks close.
Pool parties, campfire sing-alongs, “Movies Under the Stars”… it’s a lot to keep up with, and historically, Disney only revealed these details once travelers checked in. But what if that entire system just changed? And what if the timing of this update wasn’t a coincidence at all?
A Small Button With a Big Impact
Guests who browse the official Walt Disney World Resort hotel pages may notice something new tucked at the top of the Recreation section: “Activities Schedule.” It’s not flashy, it’s not heavily advertised, and it doesn’t pop up in any breaking-news announcement. But it’s there—quietly offering downloadable PDFs that lay out resort entertainment in advance.
This is the very same information that used to appear only on lobby bulletin boards, near elevators, or handed out during check-in. For years, guests could only discover what movies were screened under the stars or when themed pool parties occurred once they physically arrived at their resort. Now? Anyone can view these options before even stepping foot in Florida.
And for guests traveling during the busiest stretch of the year—from Thanksgiving through New Year’s—this might be the most perfectly timed update Disney could have introduced.
Why the Timing Matters Right Now
The holidays are when Disney’s resorts become attractions in their own right. Families often return from long park days hoping for something calm, cozy, and immersive back “home.” But without a schedule ahead of time, many guests miss out on the very activities that make Disney Resort hotels feel like an extension of the parks themselves.
This update changes that dynamic completely.
Suddenly, someone staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort can preview their entertainment lineup weeks ahead. Guests at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Old Key West, or Pop Century can do the same. And because the schedules appear to be day-of-week specific rather than tied to exact dates, the offerings are general enough to help with advanced planning without locking guests into something Disney might later adjust.
In other words: flexible for Disney, incredibly useful for travelers.
More Than Just Convenience—A Strategic Tool
The deeper story here isn’t just that Disney added PDFs. It’s what this means for how guests move around resort property.
If you’re staying at one hotel and planning dinner at another? You can now check that second resort’s schedule to see if they’re screening a movie you’ve been wanting to watch. Planning a resort-hopping day to enjoy holiday decorations? These schedules help you decide when to be where.
And let’s be honest—during peak December crowds, anything that allows guests to spread out more evenly across Disney property helps everyone, including Disney itself.
This subtle update gives resort entertainment a bigger role in pre-trip planning—a shift Disney may very well intend as the company continues encouraging guests to make the most of out-of-park experiences.
What This Means for 2024–2025 Travelers
As we enter the holiday stretch and begin looking toward January travel, the ability to pre-plan resort activities adds something guests haven’t had in years:
Predictability.
With Lightning Lane, virtual queues, and park reservations dominating the past few vacation seasons, resort downtime often became an afterthought. Now, Disney is quietly signaling that relaxation and hotel-based experiences deserve the same level of planning attention as rides and park itineraries.
For families visiting in December, this is perfect timing.
For guests ringing in the New Year, it’s an unexpected bonus.
For planners preparing 2025 trips, it’s a new layer of strategy entirely.
And for Disney? It’s a smart enhancement that deepens the value of staying on property—right when holiday attendance peaks and guests crave streamlined vacation tools.