Happy New Year friends!

There are so many things to be excited about in Disney World in 2021 including the France Pavilion extension with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Creperie de Paris, and the Moana-inspired makeover at Disney’s Polynesian Resort! Today, we’re taking a look at the 6 BIGGEST changes coming to Disney World resorts in 2021!

1. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Makeover/Reopening

One of the biggest upcoming changes to a Disney World resort is the makeover coming to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! Elements from Disney’s 2016 film Moana will now be a part of the hotel. 

We’ve been watching the construction since it started, and we are VERY interested to see the finished product. We’ve seen some concept art for the makeover that has our imagination running wild about the possibilities of the refurb.

The Polynesian pushed back its reopening date to summer of 2021 to make time for this big refurbishment. While there is not an exact date for the reopening or the end of the refurbishment, we will be on the lookout for its announcement. The Disney Vacation Club rooms and villas are currently available, but this reopening date will be for the entire resort.

Also, because of the construction, the monorail station is currently closed, but we hope it will reopen when (or before) the resort does!

Get more details on the Moana-inspired makeover

2. Luggage Tags Will No Longer Be Mailed to Resort Guests

Very recently, Disney announced that free luggage tags for Disney World resort guests will not be mailed prior to their arrival. This officially begins on January 1st of 2021.

Luckily, these luggage tags aren’t gone for good, because guests can pick the Souvenir Luggage Tags up at the front desk of their resort at any time during their stay!

While it may not be the most convenient since you can’t put it on your suitcase before your trip, we’re glad they are keeping the luggage tags available to guests! Plus, you can always put it on for the trip back home to let everyone know you came from The Most Magical Place on Earth!

Read more about the new luggage tag rule for Disney resort guests

3. MagicBands No Longer Free For Resort Guests

Starting January 1st, 2021, MagicBands are no longer free for resort guests. Since they were introduced, MagicBands have come as a complimentary item and could be mailed to guests before they arrived at Disney World.

MagicBands will still very much be a thing in Disney World, however, you will have to purchase them from now on if you want a new one for your trip. Previously, certain solid colored MagicBands were free with a Disney World resort reservation, and although you have to buy them now, they will come at a discounted price if you are a resort guest.

You can also use the room key feature in the My Disney Experience app to access your room.

While a MagicBand may not be a necessity in Disney World for 2021, you can still totally rock one around the parks!

See more information on the discontinuation of free MagicBands

4. Three Disney World Resorts Will Reopen

Although several Disney resorts have reopened in 2020, there are still a few that remain closed. We not only have a reopening time frame for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, but we also have a set date for THREE more hotels! Disney’s Beach Club Resort will fully reopen on May 30th, 2021. The Disney Vacation Club rooms and villas are currently available, but soon the entire resort will be open!

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will fully reopen on June 6th, 2021. Similar to Beach Club, DVC villas have been available for some time now, but this date will allow for a full reopening!

And last but not least, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort will reopen on March 22nd, 2021. 

Originally, this resort was supposed to open in February, but it got pushed back by just a little bit. Nevertheless, we are excited to have 3 more fully reopened Disney World resorts!

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5. Saratoga Springs Pool Refurbishment

In 2020, Disney got rid of the terrifying slide at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn (RIP clown slide), as it was replaced by a new Mickey and Friends design.

And recently Disney announced that the Saratoga Springs Paddock Pool waterslide would be going under refurbishment!

The refurb will begin sometime this winter (but there is not an exact date yet), and will affect nearby areas of the resort. The pool itself is set to remain open, however, certain areas around the slide, like the bridge connecting Paddock Pool to other resort areas, will temporarily close.

Saratoga Springs also has other pool areas, and those will remain open while the waterslide is being worked on. We’ll be looking out for this project to start, and give you construction updates!

Get more details on the Saratoga Springs pool refurb

6. The Star Wars Hotel is Set to Open

Even though reservations were scheduled to open up before the end of the year, the new Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is set to open sometime in 2021! 

There is no official date for this grand opening yet, but we know it will be sometime in the next year! We’ve gotten several sneak peeks at the guest rooms, and even how it will hide the hotel’s buildings from guests.

This hotel will be a completely immersive experience and even transport guests from the starcruiser right to Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. How cool is that?!? We can’t wait to get even more information and see this place open in 2021!

See even more photos of the upcoming Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser here!

Disney World is constantly changing which is part of what makes it so exciting! We’ll be on the lookout for any other Disney World resort news as we settle into the new year, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news.

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