8 hours ago
Disneyland announces its eliminating one of its biggest perks
Disneyland fans are outraged after the theme park announced it was doing away with one of its biggest perks. For years, guests staying at a Disneyland hotel were allowed to enter the amusement park, located in Anaheim, California, 30 minutes before everyone else. This allowed them to enjoy shorter wait times on select rides, shop, and dine in a much-less crowded park, and it was a huge benefit to booking a stay at a Disney hotel.
It was available for anyone staying at its three hotels: Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and the Pixar Place Hotel. But now, the company has announced that starting January 5, 2026, it's getting rid of all early access - and fans are furious. Instead, hotel guests will receive one Lightning Lane entry to a Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction during their resort stay.
Disney's Lightning Lane is a paid service that allows guests to wait in a separate, shorter line after booking a reservation for the ride in advance. After the news hit the web, social media was flooded with angry posts from Disney fans. 'This is horrible. Early entry was elite,' one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
'[This is] purely a cost-cutting measure and it was the only real incentive for booking #Disneyland Resorts,' scathed another. 'That's a [expletive] decision! Cutting perks like that will only drive vacationers away,' someone else pointed out. 'This was something that cost the park nothing! Can't wait 'til they hire smarter people.' 'Is Disney OK? Like why would you stay in property at all now?' asked a different person.
'Sad to say it, but Disney Hotels in the US just became even less appealing. Early Park Entry used to be the key perk they promoted… and now? We're getting a single day of Lightning Lane as a "benefit?"' read a fifth post. A sixth said, 'What a joke, zero reason to stay at Disneyland hotels now. That magic morning was everything.' This change will not affect Disney World in Orlando, and early entry will still be available for Deluxe Hotel guests at the Florida theme park.
And while Disney World is keeping its early hours, it has gotten rid of a ton of the extra stuff that made staying at its resort extra magical over the years. From transfers from the airport and luggage delivery to room service and MagicBands, a lot of perks that were once free for all hotel guests are now either gone completely or cost money. S ome avid Disney fans feel that the silent removal of the benefits, along with rising prices , is simply ruining the fun.
Back in 2010, a one-day adult ticket to Disney World ranged from $79 to $82, and now, 15 years on, single day tickets cost as much as $189 for Magic Kingdom - and it was recently announced that the ticket prices would be going up again in 2026 . A ticket to enter Disneyland in California when it first opened in 1955 would have cost an adult just $1, which would be $11.53 today if adjusted for inflation , while children's tickets cost a mere 50 cents.
At the time of opening, however, guests had to additional fees for each ride. But these cost just 10 cents for kids and 23 cents for adults - the equivalent of $1.15 and $2.65 in today's dollars. Now, it'll cost you anywhere from $103 to $206 for a day at Disneyland and a minimum of $119 for Disney World, depending on when you go and the type of ticket you buy.
