Walt Disney World vacation planning is more dependent on phones than ever, as guests actively rely on Disney World’s app for services like reserving skip-the-line Lightning Lane access or joining a virtual queue when an attraction doesn’t offer a standby line. This is all ongoing as Disney simultaneously seeks to reduce guests’ phone use. The company just updated a tech-based service to simplify guests’ understanding of a process. While this change only was reported for Walt Disney World today, we anticipate that it is also coming to Disneyland.
An amenity at Disney World hotels is now simplified for guests beginning their Disney World vacation. We break down what changed and how it’s different from the previous guest experience. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a special cocktail class returning to Disney Springs and how to access Disney World’s new Bluey attraction.
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Easier-to-Understand Interface for Disney Phone Service
One of the phone-based amenities Disney offers to hotel guests is checking in via the Disney World app instead of visiting the lobby. Guests are more than welcome to check in at the lobby if they prefer, but most can head directly to their room upon arrival using the online check-in through Disney World’s app, My Disney Experience.
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The online check-in process involves a long screen with multiple queries. During the online check-in, guests must verify their home address, input their credit card or debit card information, set personal identification numbers (PINs), estimate their arrival time, set preferences for how Disney contacts them, make optional room requests, complete an optional dog registration, and certify they’ve read the terms and conditions.
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Previously, these were all displayed as one long response, all with a white background. If a guest needed to pause and return to the check-in later, it could take a moment for them to navigate through the screen to determine which steps they still needed to complete.
Disney recently updated the interface to display each query as a distinct portion of the check-in page. Each section changes to a green background with a checkmark upon completion, making it simpler to see how far along you are or which sections you still need to complete if you had to pause and return to the check-in later. Scott Gustin on X reported the change:
The Walt Disney World app updated today with a new visual design for online check-in. Instead of everything appearing on one screen, the process now shows a completion status for each individual check-in task. pic.twitter.com/xPKWm4I9o2
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 12, 2026
While this feature has only been confirmed in the Walt Disney World app, we expect that the same interface update will roll out for Disneyland Resort Hotel check-ins.
More Tech Changes for Disney Theme Parks
This change aligns with other updates we’ve been tracking for technology guests use during a Disney vacation. For example, Disneyland in California updated its app so annual passholders could more easily find their list of park reservations.
Disney’s new CEO is also exploring ways that AI can be integrated into the vacation-planning process.
Tech is changing within the attractions themselves, too. On May 22, a new version of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will debut at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an upgraded way to render real-time simulator visuals, among other changes, including the addition of the Mandalorian and Grogu to the ride’s story.
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