Walt Disney World vacations used to come with a certain feeling that went beyond the rides and fireworks. It wasn’t just about being in the parks. It was about how Disney handled everything for you, from the moment you arrived in Orlando until the moment you left. Staying at a Disney Resort felt like you were buying into a complete vacation experience, and the perks were a major part of what made that possible.
But in 2026, it’s becoming harder to ignore the truth: some of Disney’s most popular benefits are gone, and they are not expected to return.
Even with Josh D’Amaro stepping in as CEO, longtime fans don’t expect Walt Disney World to reverse course. In fact, many believe Disney has already built its current vacation model around these perks being permanently removed.
Here are four major perks Disney fans should officially stop waiting on.
Extra Magic Hours for Every Resort Guest
Extra Magic Hours used to feel like one of the most valuable “thank you” perks Disney offered. It didn’t matter if you stayed at a Value Resort or a Deluxe hotel. If you stayed on property, you got access to additional park hours on select days.
That meant you could enter earlier, stay later, and take advantage of lighter crowds. For families trying to fit everything into a few park days, this benefit made a huge difference. It also gave guests a strong reason to choose a Disney hotel instead of staying off-site.
Now, Disney has essentially ended that perk in its original form. Instead, the resort has shifted toward Extended Evening Hours, which mostly applies to Deluxe guests. Regular resort guests still get early entry, but the full “Extra Magic Hours” concept that once applied to everyone is gone.
It’s a change that feels very intentional, and it doesn’t seem like something Disney plans to undo.
Free MagicBands
MagicBands were once part of the Disney Resort package, and they became one of the most iconic pieces of the vacation experience. Getting them in the mail before your trip made everything feel real. It was exciting, it was convenient, and it made guests feel like Disney was taking care of the details.
But free MagicBands have quietly become another thing Disney guests now have to pay for.
Today, MagicBands are treated as a retail product rather than a perk. Disney still promotes them heavily, releases new designs constantly, and encourages guests to purchase upgraded MagicBand+ versions.
That’s why the old system likely isn’t coming back. Disney has turned MagicBands into a consistent revenue stream, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll go back to giving them away for free.
Disney’s Magical Express
If you want to talk about a perk that truly made Disney World feel different from every other vacation, it was Magical Express.
Guests could land at Orlando International Airport and hop on a Disney bus straight to their resort without paying extra. You didn’t need a rental car. You didn’t need to call an Uber. You didn’t even need to think about the hassle of transportation.
It made the Disney bubble feel real immediately.
When Disney ended Magical Express, it felt like a major turning point. And despite all the rumors and fan demand, the service still hasn’t returned. At this point, it seems Disney is perfectly fine letting guests handle transportation on their own.
Even with new leadership at the top, Magical Express feels like something Disney has left in the past.
Disney FastPass+
FastPass+ may be the most painful perk to lose because it fundamentally changed how families planned their vacations. Guests could reserve ride times ahead of time and skip long standby lines, and it didn’t cost them anything extra.
That system is now gone, replaced by Lightning Lane options that require additional spending. For many guests, it feels like Disney has turned something that used to be included into a paid upgrade.
And since Lightning Lane has become part of Disney’s modern profit strategy, it’s hard to imagine FastPass+ ever returning in its old form.
The Bottom Line
Josh D’Amaro may be stepping into the CEO role, but Disney World’s current vacation model is already built around these perks being removed. Extra Magic Hours, free MagicBands, Magical Express, and FastPass+ all helped define what Disney vacations used to be.
Now, they feel like part of a different era—one Disney has no interest in bringing back.
