Preparing for Your 2021 DVC Vacation: New Changes

With 2020 in the rearview mirror, we are all hoping that 2021 will be filled with more fun, adventure, and travel. While great strides are being made in terms of taming COVID-19, there are still many policies and procedures that will be kept in place to ensure safety for everyone as we all move forward. If you are an owner or a prospective owner of a DVC timeshare, you will be thrilled to learn of all the updates the Disney parks and resorts have made to make your 2021 DVC vacation as fun and safe as possible.

Plan Ahead and Make Park Reservations

In July of 2020, Park Pass reservations were made a requirement for all guests and this is something that won’t be going away anytime soon. It is important for the parks to ensure that they stay under capacity so that proper social distancing can be maintained at all times. If you are planning a DVC vacation during peak times or during the holiday season, you’ll want to be sure to make these reservations as soon as possible to make sure you get into the parks you wish to visit.

All this requires is advance planning to map out which parks you want to visit on which day before arriving at your DVC resort. You can make a Disney World Park Pass reservation as soon as you have a theme park ticket or an annual pass.

Reservations can be made online under your My Disney Experience account. You’ll need to select the members of your party that will be entering the theme park on a given date. Everyone in that part will need a valid park ticket or annual pass attached to their name, with an exception for those who are under 3 years old.

Park Hopping is Back in a Unique Way

Speaking of making reservations, what about park hopping? If you’re not familiar, a park hopping ticket allows guests to visit more than one Disney World park in a day. This perk was suspended through 2020 to help control crowd capacity but has now made a comeback in a different way.

You can once again hop to as many parks as you’d like (assuming there is availability when booking) beginning at 2 PM each day. You must have first visited the park you made a park pass reservation for that day before you can visit other parks later in the afternoon. To check entrance availability at other parks for visiting in the afternoon, be sure to call (407) 560-5000 first.

Plan Ahead on Transportation – Free Magical Express Bus Services Ends

You surely have used the services of the Free Magical Express Bus on many of your DVC vacation experiences. This is the bus that takes Disney resort guests to and from the Orlando International Airport at no additional charge.

This service, unfortunately, ended on December 31, 2020. This is partially due to cost-cuts made due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a change in consumer behavior. More and more guests have taken advantage of the convenient ride-sharing services that can arrive on your schedule, rather than waiting for a bus. This also allows for a quicker and more efficient trip to and from your resort for more Disney time.

Other Changes to Look Out For on Your DVC Vacation

We previously discussed some of the exciting new Disney attractions opening in 2021, so be sure to experience those exciting features on your DVC vacation. Additionally, Disney will be reopening Blizzard Beach on March 7, 2021 after being closed for nearly a full year. Many are also speculating that Fast Pass+ will make a comeback later in 2021, as more people are allowed into the parks. And the same goes for parades and fireworks—currently paused by hopeful for a return later in the year.

With plenty to look forward to in 2021, please remember to follow these Disney vacation safety tips during these unique times.

If you are still not a DVC owner but are interested in planning a 2021 DVC vacation, shop our inventory of DVC timeshares for sale and DVC timeshares for rent advertised by-owner at unbeatable price points.