January is a big month for Disney with a lot of significant changes on the horizon. In addition to several ride refurbishments on the calendar, there will also be some more permanent changes coming up in 2026. Among these is the end of two major hotel perks offered to guests of the Disneyland Resort hotels.
Below, we will detail everything you need to know and what is changing. At Mickey Visit, we report on the latest Disney news, including Disneyland revealing dozens of new foods and a restaurant menu refresh, as well as a Downtown Disney parking change that improves the guest experience. There are now new ride closures at Disneyland.
READ MORE – 14 Spooky (and Somewhat Disturbing) Secrets of Disney’s Haunted Mansion You Don’t Know
Disneyland Resort Hotel Changes Coming Soon
Disneyland previously announced that it will be ending the Early Entry perk for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests, replacing it with a new Lightning Lane Multi Pass perk, and closing one of the private theme park entrances for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests.
This major shift comes in the context of some broader improvements coming to the Disneyland Resort hotels. This includes a multi-month renovation currently in progress for the Grand Californian’s signature Napa Rose to introduce some new enhancements, including an expanded exhibition kitchen, enhanced patio seating with new fireplaces, and a new menu that will include both new offerings and some fan-favorites.
Disney Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
Guests can now enjoy a reimagined club-level lounge at the Disneyland Hotel (see our review) with a fun musical theme and stunning theme park views, and a new 2-story club-level concierge lounge drawing inspiration from giant sequoias is in the works for Disney’s Grand Californian. The Grand Californian is also in the process of completing a soft goods refresh for all guest rooms, including the Disney Vacation Club Villas.
Now, let’s get into the major shift in perks for Disneyland Resort hotel guests coming up in a few days.
Disneyland Removing Two Resort Hotel Perks
Early Entry is one of the key perks that currently allows guests staying at the Disneyland Resort Hotels (Disney’s Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, and Pixar Place Hotel) to take advantage of 30-minute early access to select attractions, dining, and shopping locations before the parks officially open to all guests. This is offered at a designated theme park for each day of their visit.
Early Entry had already been scaled back in recent years. Before the pandemic, Disneyland had Magic Morning, where all guests who had 3-day or longer tickets purchased in advance got an hour of early access to Disneyland Park. This never returned after the parks reopened in 2021. Magic Morning and Early Entry were both previously a full hour, and Early Entry was previously available at both parks before it became a designated theme park in early 2024.
Now, it seems that Disney is testing out whether or not they can keep the high demand for the Disneyland Resort Hotels without the cost of operating the theme parks half an hour early.
READ MORE – How to Get the Disneyland Lightning Lane Time You Want Almost Every Time
Starting January 5, 2026, the Early Entry perk will be retired and replaced by a Lightning Lane perk. Guests will receive one Lightning Lane entry for an available Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction, offered once during their stay. The selection will be all attractions normally included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass (seen below).
Disneyland Resort Hotel guests can book this perk upon check-in or shortly after 7:00 AM on their day of arrival if they complete the Online Check-In service before their day of arrival.
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Haunted Mansion
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- “it’s a small world”
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Also on January 5, Disneyland will be retiring the private theme park entrance to Disney California Adventure across from the Pixar Place Hotel. Disneyland shared that they are closing this entrance because it was underutilized by Pixar Place Hotel guests, and there are no plans to reopen it. Recently, they had already started to scale back the hours of this entrance.
After this entrance closes, guests will be able to use the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa private entrance into Disney California Adventure. This mostly affects Pixar Place Hotel guests, though it also removes an easy exit for guests who are staying in certain areas of Disney’s Grand Californian and certain off-site hotels on the Disneyland Drive side of the resort.
It will be interesting to see how demand for the Disneyland Resort hotels is impacted by these changes. It is possible that nothing may change, though the removal of these two perks does undeniably reduce the incentive to stay on-site. If, for any reason, the removal of Early Entry causes a noticeable dip in demand, Disney will likely adjust or expand the replacement perk.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
Geez, is a Disney Parks trip even worth it anymore? They keep stripping away guest perks while raising the admission prices. Not the brightest move when your competitors are stepping up their game.