Guests visiting Disney Springs will soon face new restrictions when attempting to use Walt Disney World transportation options, as Disney prepares to introduce a permanent policy aimed at reducing overcrowding on services intended primarily for resort guests.
Beginning June 28, guests who do not have a qualifying reservation will no longer be able to board resort transportation departing from Disney Springs. The updated policy applies to guests without a confirmed stay at a Disney Resort hotel, a dining reservation, or another eligible reservation tied to a Disney experience.
The move follows previous trial periods during which Disney enforced similar restrictions during especially busy times.
Under the new system, guests seeking to board resort buses from Disney Springs will be required to verify their eligibility before entering the transportation queue. This verification can be completed by scanning a MagicBand or presenting a valid reservation associated with their visit.
The same reservation requirements will also be enforced on the Sassagoula River Cruise service, which provides water transportation between Disney Springs and several nearby resort hotels, including Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort, and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort.
The change impacts a long-used strategy employed by some guests to avoid paying for theme park parking. Because parking at Disney Springs is free, some guests have parked there before taking a bus or boat to a Disney Resort hotel. From there, they could transfer to a theme park, effectively reaching the theme parks without paying the standard parking fee.
The incoming policy could also improve transportation capacity and help reduce traffic at Disney Resort hotels.
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