10 Tiny Changes That Made a BIG Difference This Year in Disney World

It’s less than 24 hours until we say goodbye to 2019 and hello (and please be better) to 2020. As the new year gets closer, we want to recap all of the amazing things that 2019 has brought us in Disney World!

2019 Holiday Decorations at Magic Kingdom

From the addition of the long-awaited Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to the opening of the Skyliner, we’ve seen a lot of BIG changes at Walt Disney World this year—like the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance earlier this month! Now, though, we want to hone in on some of the smaller changes that could have been overlooked or swept up in all the big news. Here are 10 changes that seemed tiny, but they all made a big difference this year!

1. Now More Than Ever

Disney World introduced a new theme for 2019 called “Now More than Ever,” campaigning that now, more than ever, is the best time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort.

Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party

In honor of Mickey’s 90th birthday, he and Minnie donned new celebration outfits, and Magic Kingdom became home to Mickey and Minnie’s Surprise Celebration. This, of course, resulted in a character meet and greet with our two favorite mice at Town Square Theater, as well as tons of treats and colorful merchandise!

Mickey and Minnie Meet-and-Greet

Not only that, but the “Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!” Street Party was given an update to match the new campaign, becoming “Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It!” For frequent Disney-goers, this is a great opportunity to see something new at the parks, and the celebratory atmosphere makes the day even more special!

Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party

Disney definitely enjoys switching up their themes to celebrate special occasions, and we can expect even more for its 50th anniversary in 2021.

Check out our recap of Mickey’s 90th Birthday here!

2. Fountain View

Epcot’s got A LOT going on but we wanted to focus in on this smaller change that, sadly, meant no more Starbucks in Epcot. Each of the parks has one Starbucks location, and removing Epcot’s has resulted in many confused and noncaffeinated guests.

Fountain View Closure

Those willing to can try Joffrey’s at several locations throughout the park, but for our Starbucks die-hards, a temporary Starbucks location, Traveler’s Cafe, FINALLY just opened near the Refreshment Port. The coffee gods have heard our pleas! We can one again sip our venti caramel lattes in Epcot!

Epcot’s Temporary Starbs is OPEN!

We haven’t heard about a permanent replacement for Fountain View just yet, but we’ll be keeping our ears open!

Click here for more news about Epcot’s transformation!

3. Resort Expansions!

If you’ve been to Disney World recently, you’ve probably noticed that it seems PACKED no matter what time of the year it is. Luckily, 2019 saw the additions of the Riviera Resort and the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort.

Riviera Resort Entrance

The Riviera Resort just opened on December 16. Inspired by the European Riviera, it’s categorized Disney Vacation Club Resort but is available for booking at the Deluxe Villa level for non-DVC guests.

Riviera Resort

What makes it so enticing? It’s part of the Epcot Resort Area, has views of both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and has a Skyliner station at the resort, making it more accessible to Disney guests. It also features a new type of room: a Tower Studio, which sleeps two adults and an infant, making it a great option for couples and smaller families in particular.

Riviera Resort

Meanwhile, the Gran Destino Tower brought 545 new rooms to Disney property as well as new dining experiences like Toledo. While this location isn’t as central as the Riviera Resort, Coronado Springs has its benefits as well. The resort houses a convention center, making it convenient for business trips and has plenty of dining options. It’s also classified as a moderate resort—it’s the Goldilocks of Disney resorts, providing a more economical option than some of the deluxe resorts.

Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort

It’s always nice to see Disney putting energy into not just the parks, but where the guests stay as well, and at multiple resort tiers!

Click here for more about Disney’s latest resort, the Riviera!

4. Updated Park Rules

Last spring, Disney Parks introduced new policies regarding strollers, smoking, and even ice. Smoking areas were removed from the parks, including the water parks, Downtown Disney, and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports; however, there will still be designated smoking sections outside of parks and on resort property.

Strollers cannot exceed 31″ inches wide and 52″ inches, and wagons were outright banned from the parks in an attempt to clear congestion within the parks. Don’t worry though, double stroller fams! Most double strollers fit within Disney’s new size limit, even those popular double jogging strollers many guests rent or bring along!

Stroller Size Checkpoint

In addition, both loose and dry ice were banned from the theme parks. While this seems like an odd choice, according to Disney Parks Blog, this was done in order to “streamline” security checks. You can still bring ice packs in coolers though!

Each of these changes—while inconvenient for some—were made in order to enhance guest experience, something always appreciated by Disney-goers. Disney Parks Blog even listed tips to assist guests in finding alternate solutions for each of these changes.

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