Credit: DisneyDisney is continuing its crackdown on who can use resort amenities at Walt Disney World Resort.
Disney has introduced several new restrictions over the past few weeks, limiting who can access certain amenities and when. Most notably, on June 28, the resort began prohibiting guests from using buses and boats from Disney Springs unless they were staying at a Disney Resort hotel or had a dining or Enchanting Extras reservation within the next two hours.
Guests have also reported geofencing for quick service restaurants at certain resorts ā namely Disneyās Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Gasparilla Island Grill), Disneyās Contemporary Resort (Contempo Cafe and Steakhouse 71 To Go), Disneyās Polynesian Village Resort (Capt. Cookās and Kona Cafe To Go), and Disneyās Wilderness Lodge (Roaring Fork and Geyser Point Bar & Grill To Go) ā meaning orders can only be placed when in the immediate vicinity.
This may not be the end of Disney’s restrictions. When teasing details of this year’s holiday celebrations, wording on the Disney World website suggested that it was exclusive to resort guests and those with dining reservations.
Fans have also theorized that Disney may crack down on who can use the resort loop on the monorail in the future.
Another restriction is also in effect at one resort this weekend.
Disney Introduces New Restriction Today
Guests report that Disney is now distributing wristbands to those staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
These wristbands grant resort guests exclusive access to the hotel’s beach and Lava Pool, meaning non-resort guests can’t visit the beach to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
The good news is that this restriction seems to be a temporary measure for the Fourth of July.
Guests will apparently only need the wristbands to access the beach from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow (July 4) ā presumably to prevent overcrowding from those who don’t have access to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, or any other Disney World theme park.
As reported earlier this week, Disney cast members have erected a barricade along the Polynesian Beach to physically block those without wristbands from accessing the beach.
Similar rules are in action over at Fort Wilderness, where only registered guests can enjoy the annual golf cart parade on the Fourth of July.
Notably, this isn’t the first time Disney has restricted access to the hotel beach on the Fourth of July; similar rules have been enforced in previous years.
The difference is that these restrictions now come amid a broader push to limit access to resort amenities for guests who aren’t staying on property, raising questions about whether similar policies could eventually extend beyond holiday periods.
What do you think of Disney’s resort restrictions?
