There are a LOT of different places that you can stay when you’re at Disney World.
There’s standard hotel rooms, treehouses, villas, suites, campsites, and more. Each resort is unique in its own way, with different theming and amenities, so it’s hard to decide which one to choose sometimes! Luckily, we have a ton of resources to help you out. But today, we want to talk to you about the future — here’s how your Disney World hotel stay will be different in 2023.
Hey, Disney
Disney is supposed to be putting new devices in all of its hotel rooms sometime this year that will essentially work like an Amazon Alexa, except instead of saying “Alexa” you’ll talk to the device by saying “Hey, Disney!” These are launching as a complimentary feature and will be your digital voice assistant during your hotel stay.
Hey, Disney! will be able to do a lot of different things like assisting you with stuff you might need during your hotel stay. For example, you could say “Hey, Disney! We need 2 more towels” and the service should get that request fulfilled by the hotel.
Hey, Disney! will also let you interact with different Disney characters in all new ways! There will be a bunch of characters available through the device like some favorites from Pixar, Star Wars, The Muppets, and Marvel. One thing that could happen is you asking what the weather is like and getting some comments from Olaf about how much he loves warm weather!
Other things that Hey, Disney! will be able to do is tell you jokes, give you Disney Trivia, create soundscapes, and tell you stories. There will also be a new character introduced — the Disney Magical Companion. This will be your guide to all things Disney and will help answer your questions, set alarms, and more. And, the new MagicBand+ will also connect with Hey, Disney!
Click here to see what Hey, Disney! can do!
Housekeeping
Housekeeping services were dialed way back when Disney World first reopened after the 2020 shutdown. In many cases, housekeeping went from happening almost every day to only happening between stays. We’ve seen a lot of housekeeping ramp back up again, but not all of it is back to normal.
So, if you’ve been to Disney World in the past 2 years and haven’t had housekeeping, that might be completely different if you visit in 2023! Now, during your stay, Disney’s website says that guest rooms will get a “light” cleaning service every other day. This service includes things like “Removal of trash and used towels, replenishment of towels and amenities throughout the room and bathroom, wiping and cleaning of the vanity and counter surfaces, and vacuuming if needed.”
It’s the standard for every other day service to be happening right now, but some resorts even have housekeeping every single day, like at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This could be a sign that every day housekeeping will be returning in the future, so that’s a possibility for 2023 as well.
Do note that the housekeeping frequency is different for Disney Vacation Club Members though — service will only come on the 4th and 8th day of your stay.
Click here to see everything we know about housekeeping at Disney World right now
Prices
Disney World is no stranger to price increases, and we’ve seen a bunch over the course of 2022. Food, merchandise, and tickets have all seen price increases, so it’s no surprise that hotel rooms have as well. With the current economic situation, and depending on demand, we could see inflation start affecting hotel room prices, causing them to go up.
Luckily, there are still ways to get discounts and deals. And, prices will usually be lower during less busy times of the year compared to the times in high demand, like the holiday season. But, if you’re starting to budget for a trip in 2023, you might need to be prepared to shell out a bit more than you’re used to.
Click here to check out all of the current Disney hotel deals and discounts
Availability
Speaking of demand, you should probably expect the demand to be high for Disney World in 2023. A LOT more people are traveling now than they were in the past couple of years due to the global pandemic. And, a lot of international as well as domestic travel restrictions have been lifted, which also allows for easier travel.
Many people could have put off their Disney World vacations until 2023 due to the pandemic. Also, the beginning of 2023 will still have 50th anniversary celebrations happening, there are new things at the parks to enjoy, and we could even possibly see TRON open next year, all driving up demand. This could make snagging a hotel room and Park Pass Reservations a bit more difficult, so we’d definitely suggest planning things as far in advance as you can!
These Will Be the Hardest Disney World Dining Reservations to Get in 2023
Construction
There’s a lot of construction that will be taking place at the Disney World hotels in 2023. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is getting a whole new Disney Vacation Club building of villas next to the current resort, so expect work to continue throughout 2023, because these aren’t supposed to open until late 2024. They’re said to be “inspired by the early concepts for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort,” according to Disney.
Another resort undergoing a lot of construction is Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. The actual BoardWalk just got a new deli that replaced the bakery, and there is also a new restaurant — the Cake Bake Shop — coming to the space. It’s set to open in 2023.
In addition to the changes being made to the actual BoardWalk, the hotel will see new things as well. The lobby, lounge, and guest rooms will be “reinvigorated” with “light and airy touches.” And, a new coffee bar will arrive just off of the hotel’s lobby!
Another thing to be aware of is the Skyliner construction happening at the very beginning of 2023. Disney’s Skyliner will be closed for refurbishment from January 22nd to 29th, 2023. So, if you’re planning a trip during this time, you might want to reconsider booking one of the resorts on the Skyliner, since you won’t be able to use it.
BIG Changes Are Coming to Disney’s BoardWalk: See the Latest Construction Updates!
Pool Closures
There are several pool closures at Disney World hotels that you need to be aware of in 2023! Starting in January and going all the way until late March, the High Rock Spring Pool will be closed for refurbishment at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. This means the On The Rocks Pool Bar will also be closed during that time.
From January 9th through April 2023, the feature pool and whirlpool spa will be closed at Disney’s Contemporary Resort…
…and the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool and whirlpool spa will be closed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds. Do note that these pools are the pools with the slides at these hotels, so that feature will not be available at these hotels if you’re staying at them during those months.
Click here to keep up with all of the refurbishments at Disney World!
Merchandise Delivery
Merchandise Pickup and Delivery is still not available at Disney World as of this writing. So, that means Resort Hotel Delivery is also not available. If you don’t know, this is when you could buy souvenirs in the theme parks and then have them delivered to your hotel instead of carrying them around with you all day.
Disney hasn’t given any update on whether this could be returning in 2023, but they DID bring it back at Disneyland Resort, so we’re holding out hope that Disney World is next! This would be awesome for your Disney trip — think of all the things you could buy that you wouldn’t have to carry around with you!
Click here to learn about getting FOOD delivered to your Disney World hotel
Disney Dining Plan
Oh look, we’re talking about the Disney Dining Plan again! Yep, sadly the Dining Plan has yet to return to Disney World. It was put on pause when the parks shut down in 2020, and while Disney HAS said that it will be returning, they’ve given no indication as to when that could be. But, we do regularly see DDP logos on menus around the parks.
If the Dining Plan were to come back by 2023, it could definitely change your resort stay! With having all of your food pre-paid, maybe you would check out some restaurants you normally wouldn’t visit, like ‘Ohana or Boma. This would also change how you snack when you’re out at the pool or hanging out at the resort, since you wouldn’t need to carry money anywhere — you’d just use a snack credit!
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Theming
Some of the theming either has already changed or will be changing at some Disney World hotels soon! Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will no longer have the Pirate Rooms available in 2023. We don’t have word on what will be done to the rooms, but we do know that they’ll be unavailable.
And, if you haven’t stayed at some of the Magic Kingdom resorts lately, a lot of the rooms have been given makeovers! Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort got Moana–inspired rooms…
…there are Incredibles-inspired rooms at the Contemporary…
…and the rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are getting a whole new Mary Poppins look! So, be prepared for some new theming in your guest rooms during your stay.
And H2O+ just announced that they will be retiring their business at the end of 2022. As of writing, there is no word on how this will impact the products used in Disney World hotels rooms and cruise ships. We will keep you posted!
That’s everything that will be different at your Disney World hotel in 2023! We hope this helps you with your planning, but if you need more info, check out The BIG Problem With Disney World’s Moderate Resorts, What to Do If You Can’t Get the Disney World Hotel Reservation You Wanted, and A Definitive Ranking of EVERY Disney World Hotel!
Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news, info, and updates!
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The post 9 Ways Your Disney World Hotel Stay Will Be Different in 2023 first appeared on the disney food blog.