As someone who grew up in Wisconsin and moved to New York City a decade ago, I enjoy analyzing the similarities and differences between the two regions I call home.
22.12.2023 - 15:56 / thepointsguy.com
Decades ago, Walt Disney said that Disneyland — the only park open at the time — would never be completed and would continue to grow as long as there was imagination left in the world. And boy, was he right — likely in ways he couldn't have dreamed of so many years ago.
While the parks have always been alive, evolving places, and not frozen museums, the pace at which major change has occurred at the U.S. Disney parks has been almost inconceivable since the 2020 pandemic-related shutdowns. Like everything else, the parks had to adapt when life changed so abruptly, but they had to do it at a scale and on a public stage that was matched by only a few other industries.
Since Disney World has been reopened for more than three years, you'd think those pandemic changes were well behind us, and in some ways, you'd be correct. But in other ways, the path back to "normal" (or the new version of normal) has been almost four years in the making.
As of this writing in late 2023, park reservations have been the norm since the reopening, the once-popular Disney Dining Plans still haven't returned, park hopping before 2 p.m. hasn't been possible, and while paid Genie+ replaced free FastPass in late 2021, the ability to prebook some expedited rides the way you could with the old free system hasn't debuted with the paid system.
Related: These are the best credit cards for a Disney vacation
In other words, the fingerprint of the pandemic's primary and secondary impacts are still felt at Disney, especially if you have "fond memories of the past."
But, based on what we know, 2024 is shaping up to be the year that some of what we have missed from the "before times" at Disney World will come back in a modern-day way. There are also some new things to enjoy at Disney World debuting next year, though those who have gotten used to the pace of major attraction openings each year might be a bit disappointed as 2024 will usher in at least a few years of refreshes and revamps, rather than major all-new attractions, influenced by the pullback in new investments that happened during the pandemic.
Here's what will be new (or new again) at Disney World in 2024.
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The biggest (and potentially only) "new" attraction to Disney World in 2024 will be Tiana's Bayou Adventure, first announced in 2020.
This is not an all-new attraction in that it was built from the ground up, but it is a big reimagining of the ride that used to be known as Splash Mountain. So, while the nearly 50-foot splashdown will remain, the theming, technology, music and more will be all-new as Tiana gets her first attraction.
Splash
As someone who grew up in Wisconsin and moved to New York City a decade ago, I enjoy analyzing the similarities and differences between the two regions I call home.
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