If you use Disney Springs to visit Disney Resort hotels, an important transportation change is just days away.
Walt Disney World has officially confirmed new transportation verification procedures for guests traveling from Disney Springs to Disney Resort hotels. Beginning June 28, guests will need to verify they have a valid reason for using Disney’s complimentary resort transportation before boarding select buses and watercraft.
Starting June 28, 2026, guests boarding Disney Resort buses or the Sassagoula River Cruise from Disney Springs will be required to verify they have an eligible Disney Resort reservation or experience before being allowed to board.
The policy affects transportation from Disney Springs to Walt Disney World Resort hotels and is designed to ensure Disney transportation is being used by guests with legitimate resort-related plans.
Who Can Use Disney Springs Transportation?
Beginning June 28, transportation from Disney Springs to Disney Resort hotels will only be available to guests who have one of the following:
- Guests with a valid Disney Resort Hotel reservation may board any Disney Resort Hotel Bus Service or Sassagoula River Cruise boat from Disney Springs
- Guests with a valid Dining or Enchanting Extras reservation may board the appropriate Disney Transportation from Disney Springs up to 2 hours before their reservation time.
- This process is specific to Disney Transportation from Disney Springs to Disney Resort Hotels. Guests may continue using available Disney Transportation from Theme Parks to visit Disney Resort Hotels.
Guests without one of these qualifying reservations will no longer be able to board resort buses or the Sassagoula River Cruise from Disney Springs.
How Will Disney Verify Guests?
Disney has outlined several ways guests can verify their eligibility before boarding transportation.
Accepted verification methods include:
- My Disney Experience app
- Disney MagicMobile
- MagicBand or MagicBand+
- Key to the World Card, when applicable
Transportation Cast Members will verify eligible reservations before allowing guests to board.
Why Is Disney Making This Change?
For years, many guests used Disney Springs’ free parking as a workaround to access Disney Resort transportation without staying at a Disney Resort hotel.
Guests would park at Disney Springs, ride a complimentary bus or boat to a resort, and then transfer to other Disney transportation, such as the Monorail, Skyliner, or another bus route.
The new verification process is intended to reduce that practice while helping preserve transportation capacity for Disney Resort hotel guests and visitors with confirmed resort experiences.
What Transportation Is Affected?
The new policy applies to Disney World bus service departing Disney Springs, and the Sassagoula River Cruise service to participating Disney Resort hotels.
Transportation from Disney Resort hotels to Disney Springs is not impacted by this announcement.
What Guests Should Know Before They Visit
If you’re planning to dine at a Disney Resort hotel, enjoy a spa treatment, or participate in another eligible resort activity after visiting Disney Springs, you’ll simply want to have your reservation readily available through the My Disney Experience app, MagicBand, or another accepted method before heading to the transportation area.
Guests who were previously using Disney Springs as a starting point to visit Disney Resort hotels without a reservation should plan to use alternative transportation beginning June 28.
A Significant Change for Disney Springs Visitors
While Disney has tested transportation verification in the past, this marks the first time the company has formally outlined the long-term procedures guests can expect when traveling from Disney Springs to Disney Resort hotels.
For Disney Resort guests, the change could help reduce wait times and improve transportation availability. For off-site visitors, however, it marks the end of a long-standing transportation workaround that many guests had relied on for years.
We’ll continue monitoring Walt Disney World transportation updates, policy changes, Disney Springs news, and vacation planning information as more details become available.
Be sure to check back often for the latest Walt Disney World news, Disney Springs updates, transportation changes, and everything happening across Disney Parks.
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