Getting to a Disney park and moving around once you are there has always required more planning than most guests initially account for.Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrAt Disneyland Resort, the question of how to get from your hotel to the park and back is one that millions of visitors have answered the same way for years: the ART shuttle.The Anaheim Resort Transportation system, operated by the Anaheim Transportation Network, has been the connective tissue of the Disneyland Resort visitor ecosystem for decades, running buses between dozens of nearby hotels, the Toy Story Parking Area, and the resort itself around the clock. For guests without rental cars, for international travelers, for families navigating an unfamiliar city with children and luggage, ART was not a convenience — it was the plan. That plan ends tomorrow.March 31, 2026 is the final day of ART shuttle service, and with over 8 million annual riders depending on the system, the shutdown is sending ripples through the Anaheim tourism community in ways that will affect Disneyland guests well into the coming months. Meanwhile, on the other coast, Walt Disney World is managing its own transportation disruption, where a new verification policy at the Disney Springs bus loop is restricting who can board buses to resort hotels. Two different situations, two different coasts, and a consistent message for anyone planning a Disney vacation right now: transportation planning has never mattered more.The Final Days of ART and What Comes NextCredit: Anaheim Resort Transportation ServiceThe Anaheim Transportation Network will cease operations after March 31, 2026, following an extended period of financial instability that the organization was unable to reverse. The shutdown has been anticipated since February 9, when ATN began winding down its operations as the City of Anaheim began searching for a replacement system. That replacement is not yet in place.The scale of what ART provided is worth understanding. The system served as the central transit option for a resort district that welcomes more than 25 million visitors per year, connecting Disneyland Resort, nearby hotels, the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink Station, downtown Anaheim, and the Platinum Triangle. Of its total ridership, approximately 83 percent — just under 7 million riders this fiscal year — came from the Toy Story Parking Area shuttle route to Disneyland’s main entrance. That single route represents an enormous volume of daily movement that will need to find a new path forward.Disney has told the OC Register that shuttle service for its guests will continue, but specific details have not yet been announced. Garden Grove is launching its own shuttle service between the Disneyland Resort transit hub and 10 nearby hotels in its tourism district, funded through hotel-stay assessments and rider fees. The Orange County Transportation Authority has noted that many of ATN’s routes are already paralleled by existing OC Bus service, which provides some coverage for the gap.The longer-term picture is more fragmented. Anaheim officials are exploring whether a single operator could eventually replace ATN on a broader scale, but city representatives have been clear that no successor system will be ready immediately. A group of major hotels is working on an independent shuttle network, though hotel representatives expect the cost of replicating ATN’s service structure to come in significantly higher. Anaheim’s transportation planning is also becoming intertwined with DisneylandForward, Disney’s long-range expansion plan that includes a new 6,000-space parking structure, transportation hub, and security screening area on the east side of the resort. A demolition permit filed last month signals that early development work on the parking structure is already underway.Unless a single organization steps in to absorb what ATN provided, the shutdown is pushing Anaheim away from a centralized transit model toward a more fragmented system of public buses, hotel shuttles, and Disney-operated transportation.Walt Disney World Is Restricting Resort Bus Access From Disney SpringsCredit: Disney TipsThe Anaheim situation is not the only Disney transportation story worth understanding right now. At Walt Disney World, cast members at the Disney Springs bus loop are scanning MagicBands and verifying guest credentials before allowing boarding on buses bound for resort hotels.To board, guests need one of three qualifying credentials: an active resort hotel reservation, a confirmed dining reservation at the destination resort, or a confirmed recreation activity such as a boat cruise. The verification happens before boarding at the loop itself, not after. Standard theme park transportation and all other Disney transportation routes continue operating normally. Only the Disney Springs to resort hotel bus service is affected.Cast members have described this as a temporary Easter period measure, with precedent in a similar policy Disney implemented from Disney Springs around New Year’s. The stated rationale is parking management — by requiring a qualifying credential to board, Disney discourages guests from parking at Disney Springs and using the bus network to travel elsewhere on property during a period of high demand.What Guests Are Saying About the Disney Springs PolicyThe reaction online has reflected a genuine split between guests who understand the operational logic and guests who feel something fundamental about the Walt Disney World experience is being restricted.On X, some commenters sided immediately with Disney’s position. “They typically do transportation restrictions like this during peak periods. So right now would make sense,” one noted. “This isn’t the first time that they enforced this,” added another. Several pointed to specific behaviors driving the crackdown: “Yes — I saw earlier that people are taking the resort buses from Disney Springs and using the resort pools which is taking away from the guests who are staying on property.” One went further: “I saw this coming. They’ll eventually make this permanent because people are jumping on buses to resorts they aren’t staying at. It’s becoming a security risk. I knew this was coming. We can thank influencers and former guests giving tips to do this. They’ve ruined it.”Others pushed back on behalf of guests caught in the restriction without having done anything wrong. “If true, this policy will only hurt Disney’s bottom line. Locals and Passholders have long enjoyed the tradition of visiting resorts to see their Easter and holiday decorations. They spend money on food and merchandise just like those with resort and dining reservations,” one commenter argued. Another added: “The resort monorail used to be just for resort guests too. It was nice.” And one framed the stakes for paying hotel guests directly: “Think about this if you’re going during a busy time of year, people are paying so much money for the hotels they don’t want a bad experience!”How Both Situations Affect Your Disney VacationFor guests with Disneyland Resort trips coming up, the ART shutdown is the most immediately significant transportation change. If you previously relied on ART to get between your hotel and the park, you need a new plan before you travel. Check whether your hotel is among the ten covered by Garden Grove’s new shuttle service. If not, evaluate OC Bus routes, rideshare options, or whether switching to a hotel with shuttle access makes sense for your trip.For guests with Walt Disney World trips planned during the Easter period, the Disney Springs bus restriction requires a qualifying reservation to board resort hotel buses. Booking a dining reservation at the resort you want to visit — even a lounge or quick service option — is the most straightforward path to satisfying the requirement. Boat service, rideshare, and certain walking connections between resort areas remain available as alternatives.Both situations underscore the same broader reality: Disney park transportation is more variable right now than it has been in recent memory, and building your trip plan around confirmed options rather than assumptions is the most reliable approach.We are tracking both the ART shutdown and the Walt Disney World Disney Springs bus policy and will update as new transportation details emerge. For current guidance on getting to and around both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, our Disney transportation guides for both coasts are updated regularly. Check them before you finalize your plans and make sure your transportation picture is solid before you leave home.The post The Walt Disney Company Cuts Guest Transportation Across U.S. Parks appeared first on Inside the Magic.