Walt Disney World vacations have changed in several important ways in 2026, and guests relying on old habits could run into trouble.
Disney is enforcing four rules involving transportation, parking, strollers, and attraction requirements. Some are designed to control how guests move around the massive resort, while another actually gives families more flexibility.
Either way, visitors should know about them before their next trip.
Disney Springs Resort Hopping Gets Harder
One of the biggest changes involves transportation from Disney Springs.
Beginning June 28, guests using buses or boats from Disney Springs to Disney Resort hotels must have a qualifying reason to board. That includes staying at a Disney Resort hotel or having a valid dining or experience reservation at the destination.
This closes off a popular option for some day guests.
Previously, visitors could park for free at Disney Springs and use Disney transportation to explore resorts. Now, Cast Members can verify eligibility before allowing guests into resort transportation areas.
That doesn't mean resort hopping is gone. However, guests without a qualifying reservation can no longer assume Disney Springs will work as their transportation hub.
Disney Cracks Down on Early Parking
Disney is also changing what happens during major merchandise releases at Disney Springs.
Collectors have been known to arrive extremely early for limited releases, particularly new pins. Disney is now preventing guests from getting quite such an early start.
On special merchandise event days, Disney Springs parking garages and rideshare loops don't open until 7 a.m.
Guests arriving before then can be asked to leave and return at 7 a.m.
The rule is intended to prevent people from parking overnight or creating extremely early unofficial lines. However, it can also affect visitors who aren't there for merchandise.
Anyone planning an unusually early Disney Springs arrival should check what's happening that day first.
Families Need to Know This Bluey Rule
Families heading to Bluey's Wild World at Animal Kingdom also have a restriction to consider.
The experience is located at Conservation Station, which guests reach aboard the Wildlife Express Train.
The problem for some parents is that only foldable strollers can board.
Families can fold an eligible stroller and bring it with them. Otherwise, they'll need to park the stroller in Africa before boarding and retrieve it after returning.
That could become inconvenient for parents who use their stroller to carry bags, drinks, toys, and other supplies throughout the day.
It's a relatively small rule, but it's one families will want to know before making the trip to Conservation Station.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Changes Its Height Rule
The fourth change is actually good news for some families.
Along with updated tracks and trains, Disney made a surprising change to the coaster's minimum height requirement.
Children now need to be 38 inches tall instead of 40 inches.
That two-inch difference opens the attraction to younger children who previously couldn't ride.
Disney remains strict about enforcing attraction height requirements, so parents shouldn't expect exceptions if a child falls below the new minimum.
Taken together, these four rules show how quickly the Disney World experience can change.
A strategy that worked during a family's last vacation may not work in 2026. Guests planning to use Disney Springs transportation, arrive early for merchandise, visit Bluey's Wild World, or bring younger children aboard Big Thunder Mountain Railroad should know the latest requirements before reaching the resort.
