In response to our series of posts that Walt Disney World is Worried About Its High Prices, we received hundreds of reader comments. Unsurprisingly, many focused on WDW pricing out the middle class. Just as many expressed frustration about the company raising prices while making cuts. These fans didn’t necessarily mind paying more, so long as they were getting value for their money. (Updated April 13, 2025.)
We agree. That’s precisely why we shared this list last year in the first place, and have banging this drum for the last few years. It helps that Walt Disney World is responsive to fan feedback and guest satisfaction scores. Incremental improvements have helped, as have fairly major moves of late, most notably the news that both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will be open this summer and the return of free Airport Luggage Transfer as a pilot program. These are happening for the first time since the closure back in March 2020, proving that even over 5 years later, pretty much anything is possible. That’ll be doubly true as Epic Universe opens and Disney finds itself needing to be more competitive.
There’s still stuff to fix, and this list covers little-but-big ways to accomplish that. What we mean by ‘big little’ things to fix is the very minor perks or offerings that often go unnoticed or are overlooked by themselves, but make a major or meaningful difference in aggregate. These are not high level and we don’t get many questions about any of them at this point, but they do matter because it all adds up. Frankly, this what Walt Disney World is all about…
It’s not just the little details in themed design or placemaking, it’s also that attention to detail in the guest experience. Going above and beyond in ways big and small. Enhancements guests may not notice in isolation or mostly wouldn’t mourn if missing, but that collectively make Walt Disney World feel like a well-oiled machine and a world-class vacation destination where every guest is a VIP. Giving guests things they never knew they needed.
Hence ‘big little’ things. That’s why you won’t find Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, or Extra Magic Hours on this list. Or even complaints about shorter park hours, missing nighttime spectaculars, or subpar maintenance and ride downtime. Those are all ‘big-big’ things about which we still do hear regular complaints and are very noticeable cuts or issues. That’s the stuff everyone is talking about–and for good reason, as it’s either greatly missed or core competencies.
This list is more under-the-radar things and magical moments that could move the needle on guest satisfaction, intent to revisit or recommend metrics, especially in aggregate. But individually, almost nothing on this list is at the level that even lifelong Walt Disney World fans are not booking trips or returning as a result of. The absence matters, but most of this doesn’t actively stand out as being an issue.
Hopefully all of this makes sense. Given that regular readers are often longtime Walt Disney World fans who “get” what makes the place special, I suspect it’ll resonate. And if not, we can go back to grousing about the Disney’s Magical Express elimination and whether Epic Universe will “force” Disney’s hand to bring back some of these extinct guest perks down the road. But for now, here’s my list of big little things that Walt Disney World needs to bring back…
Resort Delivery – It boggles my mind that this has not returned. Back in my day, Walt Disney World would magically move merchandise you bought in the theme parks to your resort for pick-up so you didn’t have to carry souvenirs and stuff around all day. This free service was a nice on-site perk, and a great way to not need a pack mule by the end of the day.
This “perk” was mutually advantageous. Walt Disney World’s calculation was that guests would spend more money on merchandise in the parks if they didn’t have to carry their purchases around all day long. And they were correct. I’m not even a big merchandise person, and I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve opted against buying something in the last few years because we didn’t want to lug it around all day. “We’ll just grab it at the end of the night at the Emporium.” (Famous last words that almost never come true.)
I understand why Walt Disney World didn’t feel the need to bring this back in late 2021 (when pretty much everything else was going back to normal), as supply chain disruptions resulted in empty shelves and merchandise shortages. So there was really no incentive to offer the perk–the limited selection of items was selling out, regardless.
But things have changed dramatically since then, and merchandise sales have slowed considerably. It’s time to bring back Resort Delivery to incentivize souvenir sales and improve guest satisfaction. Even though it’s pitched as a perk, I strongly suspect Walt Disney World is leaving money on the table by not offering Resort Delivery.
Lunch & Breakfast at Be Our Guest – There was a point when moving to the same prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner was the right move for Be Our Guest Restaurant. Table service dining was in high-demand, guests were spending freely as pent-up demand played out, and there were staffing shortages that reduced capacity.
That time is over. Be Our Guest Restaurant is no longer as popular as it once was. It’s probably not even among the top 25 most difficult Advance Dining Reservations despite an inherent advantage of being an in-castle restaurant at Magic Kingdom themed to Beauty and the Beast. ADR availability is plentiful, as are spots on the Walk-Up Waitlist. The last time I dined at Be Our Guest, the restaurant was less than half full and the server to guest ratio was surprisingly high.
This is doubly true since the counter service restaurant and breakfast ‘scene’ at Magic Kingdom is fairly bleak. Not only is it bad, but it’s busy. I don’t know about you, but nothing makes a mediocre meal at Cosmic Ray’s or Pinocchio Village Haus more enjoyable than waiting in a long line or having to hunt for a table.
Not only that, but bringing back the counter service lunch and breakfast at Be Our Guest would be fun–memorable meals that would allow more guests to step inside Beast’s Castle. Be Our Guest Restaurant is still a winner from a thematic perspective, and experiencing that leave a lasting impression on a lot of kids and their families. (And while we’re at it, bring back the dedicated Beast meet & greet for dinner. This smile and wave from a distance stopped making sense 2 years ago.)
Pandora Rangers – Since its opening, Pandora – World of Avatar in Animal Kingdom has been home to some of Walt Disney World’s weirdest entertainment. After testing a wide variety of atmospheric acts that fell flat with guests, Disney found the perfect solution with the the Pandora Rangers.
In particular, when the Pandora Utility Suit walk-around character made its debut in the land. This is like the military AMP Suit counterpart in front of Pongu Pongu, but not evil. Instead, the friendly pilot of this engages in cheesy and fun banter with guests, explaining what he’s learned on Pandora.
Perhaps I’m a sucker for mechs (I am a huge Metal Gear Solid fan), but I always loved the Pandora Utility Suit and thought it added a lot to the land. Crowds always gathered to see this towering performer, which is quite the sight to behold. This specifically makes the list because, for all of its beauty and popularity, Pandora can feel (paradoxically) dead during the middle of the day.
Even as both rides post hour-plus waits and Satuli Canteen is busy, the land itself is quiet and uncrowded…because everyone is in line or eating. Bringing back the Pandora Rangers would help give the land more of a lived-in quality and help guests appreciate the beauty of the land itself that they might otherwise overlook while racing around doing the rides and eating the food. Animal Kingdom also just flat-out needs more to keep guests occupied, especially as attractions close and construction walls go up.
Brunch at California Grill – I’ll be honest, I don’t think this matters to 99.99% of guests. Brunch at the Top was a very limited experience, and I’m pretty confident that it was mostly popular with repeat guests. That means it was very good, but also that fewer new guests were enjoying it.
Regardless, Brunch at the Top at California Grill was our favorite dining experience at Walt Disney World and we are among this small but vocal minority who would love to see it brought back. Of course, if it does return, it’d probably go the way of Takumi-Tei or Monsieur Paul and have an exorbitant price increase that would likely make it a non-starter for us. (Even if not, having a new baby probably accomplishes the same.) But we’d like to at least have the option and know it’s there.
To make this more widely appealing, I’d also add removing the prix fixe menu at California Grill. This is another meal service that has outlived its usefulness, and there has to be a better solution to the problem of guests wanting ‘free fireworks’ viewing than this. It was fun for the 50th, but it’s gotten old–and become unambitious.
Citizens – It seemed like an inevitability given the cuts over the years, but losing the Citizens of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Citizens of Main Street at Magic Kingdom is such a colossal blow now that we’ve felt their absence for so long. Although technically different, I’d also add the Main Street Trolley Show to this.
In both parks, these ‘citizens’ are roaming “Streetmosphere” performers who inhabit the entrance area boulevards, giving these streets a sense of life. Main Street, in particular, felt like a proper land of Magic Kingdom thanks to this lived-in quality. Now it’s just a thoroughfare most guests rush through on their way to the rides.
It’s always a pleasure to stumble upon one of the characters or their random shows, and the ‘citizens’ ability to single out specific guests and make them feel special or like a star was something special. This is the type of thing that doesn’t show up on guest satisfaction surveys and is an “easy” cut for management obsessed with spreadsheets or whatever, but it makes a world of difference for the people impacted. Those personal connections and little moments are a huge deal.
We always loved doing lunch at Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, hoping that one of the citizens would drop in for hilarity or hijinks. Likewise, we made a point of watching the end-of-day Funniest Citizen “comedy-off” on Sunset Boulevard. These performers may not be a synergistic IP addition like the Mirabel meet & greet, but you better believe they were a “brand deposit” that embodied the heart and soul of Main Street at Magic Kingdom and Old Hollywood at DHS.
EPCOT Festival Seminars – EPCOT’s festivals have been coasting for the last 5 years. They’ve rested on the laurels of longstanding reputations, while being scaled back. In particular, Food & Wine is the weakest event of the year at EPCOT. It’s popular at this point due to the hype machine and inertia. Which isn’t to say there aren’t fantastic dishes (there are!), but it’s been a shadow of its former self.
This is partly understandable as the event has become a victim of its own popularity, with longer lines and higher demand necessitating simpler dishes that will appeal to more palates. An even bigger reason why it’s the worst event of the year at EPCOT is because it no longer offers something extra.
This was supposed to be fixed with the debut of CommuniCore Hall, which would once again offer a proper festival center. Unfortunately, it’s undersized and underwhelming, not even capable of hosting as many offerings as the repurposed Wonders of Life pavilion that preceded it. That’s unfortunate. By losing the seminars & demonstrations, celebrity chef appearances, special meals, merchandise & book signings, culinary panels, and other low-cost or free events, Food & Wine has gone from the largest-scale event of the year at EPCOT to the smallest.
Once again, Walt Disney World is leaving a ton of money on the table by not doing them, and if there’s anything we know about the company, it’s that they’re big fans of money. Since CommuniCore Hall isn’t cutting it and Play Pavilion is on permament pause, perhaps it’s time to bring back the Wonders of Life as a proper festival center and just have CommuniCore Hall be a glorified food booth and seating area.
Dessert Parties – Again, not everyone has problems with the guest experience that revolve around price increases. The reader responses to our series about Walt Disney World pricing out the middle class reflected this. Not only that, but it’s possible to take issue with paying more while getting the same or less, but also wanting certain upcharge opportunities that offer something for the extra money to return. The two notions are not in conflict–it’s possible to hold both!
There’s actually a lot in the Enchanting Extras Collection (and associated add-ons) that gives Walt Disney World a tremendous amount of repeatability for regulars. Things like certain behind the scenes or VIP tours, dining or dessert parties, early or late park access, and much more.
We were never particularly keen on the dessert parties and upcharges in other parks, but can completely understand why others found them to be special. As parents to a daughter who is becoming increasingly interested in all things Arendelle, I’d imagine we’d soon love the Frozen Ever After Dessert Party. Even if it were expensive, this is the kind of enhancement that can make for a magical and memorable splurge.
Unused Counter Service Venues – Another relatively niche one given that some of these restaurants was only open a few weeks per year, but Tomorrowland Terrace, Aunt Polly’s and Tortuga Tavern being closed most of the time has exacerbated counter service crowds. It has also made a weak food scene even worse.
Magic Kingdom needs more variety on the counter service front and also more capacity. These two things would help improve the guest experience, and lower-traffic locations like Tortuga Tavern and Tomorrowland Terrace could have the latitude to serve inventive and fun food, while also helping relieve the pressure while also improving the park’s cuisine.
As for Aunt Polly’s, I have no delusions about it ever reopening given the plans to replace the Rivers of America. But in the farewell month or so as fans rush to say their goodbyes, it sure would be cool if it did for guests to enjoy one last meal. I was just out on Tom Sawyer Island a couple of times during spring break, and it was shockingly busy.
Jedi Training Academy – Even pre-closure, it seemed like there was some desire within Walt Disney World to consolidate Star Wars offerings in Galaxy’s Edge and minimize the off-planet options. I never quite understood this, especially with Imagineering and the Lucasfilm Story Group being so steadfast about the rules and character integrity (another rant for another day) meaning that the land was limited in who and what it could showcase. Star Tours was the one big exception, since they found a way to make The Sacred Story™️ work with the new land.
In any case, it’s absolutely crazy to me that Jedi Training Academy has not returned. The Trials of the Temple interactive stage show was absolutely adored by guests, and was a ‘magical moment’ for so many kids and their families who had the chance to participate. It was the kind of trip-defining experience for a subset of guests that easily justified its existence. One of those things that, if you had the fortune to do, you knew just how special it was.
Even as someone who never got to experience it firsthand or through the eyes of my child, it was easy for me to see that Jedi Training Academy was something special. One of those little ways that Walt Disney World captured lightning in a bottle and turned a simple thing into a “Core Memory.” Stuff like this that has a propensity to forge a new generation of fans is what should actually be sacred for Walt Disney World. While we’re at it, bring back the paintbrush scavenger hunt on Tom Sawyer Island for one last hurrah before they pave paradise and put up a parking lot…or off-road race track for Cars!
Toppings Bars – You might be thinking at this point that Magic Kingdom counter service dining is a sore subject for me. Gee, I don’t know why you’d draw that conclusion, this is only the third entry on the list that pertains to the subject. I could easily rant for a few thousand more words about the sorry state of the flagship castle park’s fast food scene.
Toppings bars made standard theme park fare like dry burgers palatable. It hasn’t helped that Walt Disney World has cut corners and switched to meat suppliers that sell whatever the grade is right above dog food. This is a point we’ve made before, so I’m not going to beat a dead horse (hopefully the meat supplier follows my lead). On the plus side, at least the new menu at Pecos Bill is a dramatic improvement from the embarrassingly bad “food” being served there before. But it’d be even better with customizable toppings.
I’m skeptical this is even saving Walt Disney World all that much money. Sure, it reduces guest abuse of the toppings bar–but the current approach is much more labor-intensive, and labor isn’t cheap anymore!
Cinderella Castle Dream Lights – I’d argue that this is not a ‘big little’ thing–it did and would cause fans to book trips–but I think Walt Disney World might disagree. Regardless, I’ll never pass up the opportunity to sing the praises of the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights. Those icicle lights were one of our favorite things about Christmas at Walt Disney World for the decade-plus. We spent many a late night on Main Street, simply gazing down at those resplendent lights, savoring the scene. I lost count of how many times we did this over the years–probably over 100.
For those who have never had a chance to see the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, they are nothing short of spectacular. Some of you cynics might think such a physical light display is quaint or antiquated, surpassed by the ease and flexibility of projections. That those of us who miss the Dream Lights are simply clouded by nostalgia and sentimentality, ignoring the daytime visual blight, installation, and simplicity of the physical icicle lights.
I wholeheartedly disagree. No projections can match the more than 200,000 tiny white lights that illuminate Cinderella Castle and transform it into a veritable ice palace. The Dream Lights would stop you in your tracks, with the resplendent physical display being an absolute jaw-dropper. Words, photos, and video absolutely cannot do it justice. I’m not normally one for the flowery language in Disney’s press releases, but even the company’s marketing teams undersold the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights. Whatever praise you’ve heard about the Dream Lights, it’s true. All of it.
The Kiss Goodnight – I’m a firm believer that first and final impressions matter a lot for Walt Disney World, which is why I’m such a fan of the improved arrival experience and streamlining of bagcheck with those Evolv whole body scanners. It’s a night and day difference for the old process–or current one at Disneyland. (Seriously, it is. We complain about the bad–but it’s also important to praise the good!)
While this isn’t as impactful (figuratively) for as many of guests, the Kiss Goodnight is one of those ‘big little’ things that left such an indelible impression on the guests who saw it that it could help turn them into lifelong fans. Once again, words, photos, and even video cannot do it justice. We nevertheless tried, singing its praises in “The Kiss Goodnight: The Greatest Thing Most Guests Don’t See” and “The Kiss Goodnight, Revisited.” (Two articles about something that lasts only a couple of minutes–that should say everything that needs to be said!)
The Kiss Goodnight was one of those if you know, you know magical moments. It was an emotional powerhouse for so many people because it’s the culmination of a fun-filled visit to Magic Kingdom. During this moment of pause, you let your guard down and Disney’s careful tugging at your heartstrings “gets you” as you’re already simultaneously drained and satisfied at the end of a long day in the park. This is Walt Disney World at its best, and the kind of ‘big little’ magical moment that the company should recognize is much more important than it might seem. Especially if there’s no intention of bringing back Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, Extra Magic Hours, etc!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What ‘big little’ things would you like to see Walt Disney World bring back? Think it’s these magical moments and other smaller-scale things that have a way of making every guest feel special or going above and beyond that are the heart and soul of Walt Disney World? Which of the entries on this list would you like to see return? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
