Disney World Eliminating Magical Express Airport Transport in 2022

As Disney World continues to evolve its offerings in the time of COVID-19, the park announced some new changes coming soon as well as in the future on Monday.

Having just reintroduced the Park Hopper Pass, Disney resort hotel guests will also be able to enter the parks a half-hour early starting later this year. The opportunity to get to the rides 30 minutes earlier — in celebration of the park's 50th anniversary — not only promises a jumpstart on a magical day but also allows for guests to be spread out among Disney World's four theme parks in a further effort to provide for social distancing.

The early entry is applicable every day at any park and comes as Extra Magic Hours remain suspended.

Disney World also announced that, in 2022, the park will be eliminating its Magical Express service which provides free transportation and luggage delivery from the Orlando International Airport to Disney Resort Hotels.

"As consumer needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney's Magical Express service," a Disney spokesperson confirmed to Travel + Leisure on Monday, noting that since the service's start in 2005, guests now have more on-demand transportation options, like rideshares, to get to their hotels.

New and existing bookings in 2021 will have the option to reserve transportation via Magical Express up until Dec. 31.

Currently, the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is happening now through Feb. 22, and the Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival will be begin March 3.

Disney World reopened in July with stringent protocols against COVID-19 in place, including a new reservation system as well as requiring all guests to wear face masks. Character meet and greets are also on pause to maintain a distance between guests and employees.

While its theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT — are currently open, Disney water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach remain closed. Blizzard Beach is set to reopen in March.

Christine Burroni is Travel + Leisure's Digital News Editor. Find her keeping up with just about everything on Twitter or see what she's up to in NYC on Instagram.