The Walt Disney Company has been doing a massive clean-up and reorganization recently. The Mouse House has been making a few notable operational and leadership changes, starting with the ousting of former Disney CEO Bob Chapek in November of 2022, to most recently, the announcement of the 7000-person layoffs the company will see. However, it’s becoming apparent that these aren’t the only operational changes that the Walt Disney Company is instituting. They are also making some changes to the Disney Parks. Per the most recent update, it appears Disneyland Resort hotel Guests are due to see some changes soon.
It seems Disney is going digital and building out the utility of their apps for Guests to use. Beginning with the digitization of FastPass, then to the controversial switch to the Disney Genie suite, which Disney has been developing diligently (much to many fans’ frustration), now it appears the Mouse House is continuing to progress the utility of their apps.
As shared by journalist Scott Gustin, beginning February 28, 2023, Disneyland Resort hotel Guests who would like to charge items to their room will have to use the app.
Starting Feb. 28, DLR hotel guests wanting to charge items to the room must use the app. Hotel room keys will no longer be accepted for charges. In app, you must link your hotel reservation, select "charge to room" and pull up a barcode that can be scanned at select locations. pic.twitter.com/Wfq8UNYes6
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) February 24, 2023
Where in the past, Disney Resort Hotel Guests at Disneyland Resort could use hotel room keys, these will no longer be accepted for charges. In the app, Gustin details, Guests “must link their hotel reservation, select ‘charge to room’ and pull up a barcode” that one can scan at specific locations.
Many fans expressed confusion at this decision, particularly noting the “lack of integration” of Disneyland’s various offerings for Disney Park Guests. @ThemeParkLore shared, “Why are Disneyland’s systems getting *less* integrated? I really wish they’d gone all in on MagicBands, Mobile Magic for Apple devices, and RFID cards because the entry experience, joining LLs, charging to room, room keys… everything is so slow and laborious.”
Many noted how this change was “unhelpful” and simply made Guests’ lives harder.
A lot of Guests also questioned why Disney didn’t just program the Magic Band to perform some of these activities for Theme Park Guests, and yet others also expressed, “Really wish TDA would stop being so enamored with putting everything on the app.”
Guests who want to stay onsite at the Disneyland Resort have the choice of hotels like Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, and the Disneyland Hotel, among others. It certainly will be interesting to see where Disney’s plans will take them with these operational changes.