One of the tougher parts of planning your Walt Disney World trip is deciding on your hotel. The first step for many people is to figure out whether they want to stay at a Disney hotel or a non-Disney hotel. Disney resorts offer Disney theming and “magic,” but there are also specific perks that guests of Disney hotels have access to. In this post, we’ll cover the perks that Disney hotels get and the perks that guests of select non-Disney hotels will also be able to enjoy!
About This Post
This post is broken into two parts. First, we talk about Disney hotels (those run by Disney) and all the perks guests at those hotels get. We explain the perks one-by-one. Along the way, we will sometimes mention what non-Disney hotels have the same or similar perks.
In the second part, we focus on the other hotels in the area and explain what perks guests of those hotels get. In that section we’re talking only about the Disney perks. It’s possible your hotel has other perks, but we’re only interested here in the perks they share with Disney hotels.
“Disney Hotels” Briefly
Quickly, let’s remember what we’re talking about when we say “Disney hotel.” A “Disney hotel” is one that is owned and operated by Disney. It is staffed by Disney Cast Members. A non-Disney hotel is any other hotel, including other hotels on Disney property.
Unfortunately, Disney sort of mucks things up by often talking about some non-Disney hotels in the same spaces it talks about Disney hotels. Even Disney’s resorts page ends with some non-Disney hotels.
Best we’ll say if you’re looking for an official list—use that resorts list we linked to above and ignore the ones at the bottom: the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin, the Four Seasons, the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, and the Good Neighbor hotels—those are all not Disney hotels (despite some of them having the word “Disney” in their names).
Unofficially, we have a Guide to the Walt Disney World hotels that exclusively covers Disney hotels (but it doesn’t include DVC properties, which get the same perks as Disney hotels).
Again, after we’re done talking about the perks available at Disney hotels, we’ll cover some of the other hotels in the area.
Perks of Staying at a Disney Hotel
Now, the perks! It’s important to understand which perks Disney hotels have and which are most important. If you look at the full list you might think “well that’s only one or two things I care about”—but those one or two things can be very important to your overall experience.
We might mention the non-Disney hotels a few times in this section. It’s important to remember, though, that the specifics of the non-Disney hotels change frequently, so you always need to confirm the latest set of benefits directly with your hotel when you book.
Last thing…almost all of these perks are consistent across all Disney hotels. The big exception is Extended Evening Hours, which is available only to guests of Disney Deluxe Hotels and DVC resorts. For the other perks, it doesn’t matter whether you’re staying at All Star Sports, Grand Floridian, or anything in between.
Early Theme Park Entry
Early Theme Park Entry is a perk at all Disney hotels and select partner hotels. With Early Theme Park Entry, guests of these hotels can enter every park, every day, 30 minutes before scheduled open.
30 minutes isn’t a ton of time, but just having priority entry means these guests have the best chance at getting on the most popular rides with no wait to start the day. We cover Early Entry and rope drop (including without Early Entry) at each park:
If you don’t have access to morning Early Theme Park Entry, you have to plan accordingly because you can expect the most popular rides to have lines by the time you’re allowed in the park. Believe me, there’s nothing sadder than seeing a family arrive 30 minutes before the park officially opens, only to be surprised by thousands of people being let in before them.
Early Theme Park Entry is offered to a select group of partner hotels at Disney World, so you don’t have to be at a Disney hotel to access it. We’ll discuss these hotels in more detail below in “Perks at Non-Disney Hotels.”
Early Theme Park Entry is easily the most important perk of staying at a Disney hotel. If you won’t wake up early no matter what, then the perk isn’t going to be valuable to you. But if you can wake up and be one of the first people in the park, you’ll have an easier overall trip (and maybe even be able to accomplish your goals in a shorter overall trip).
Extended Evening Hours (Deluxe and DVC Hotels Only)
Extended Evening Hours is a unique perk that is available only to guests of deluxe Disney hotels, DVC resorts, and the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve. The Disney Deluxe hotels are Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Deluxe Villa Resort hotels are all the Disney Vacation Club properties, including Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Riviera Resort, and all the DVC properties at the deluxe hotels.
We’ve reported on Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the two parks that most frequently have it. You can get a ton done during these hours with good strategy, but you’ll be up late and the perk still can’t on its own justify the cost of a deluxe stay (a split stay, maybe). The schedule also isn’t dense or announced too far in advance, meaning this perk is hard to plan around.
If you have park hopper tickets (that allow you to visit multiple parks in a single day), you’ll be in the best position to maximize Extended Evening Hours. You can start at whatever park is opening earliest and the finish at the park with Extended Evening Hours for the longest possible day.
Early Access to Individual Lightning Lanes
Guests of Disney resorts are able to purchase individual Lightning Lane times at 7AM, while other guests must wait until the park opens. This perk loses some value immediately because you have to pay for the individual Lightning Lane in any case.
That said, some days these individual Lightning Lanes will sell out before the park opens, which means only guests of Disney hotels were able to use those Lightning Lanes those days.
If you’re not at a Disney hotel, you’ll have neither Early Entry nor the ability to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for some rides some days (if they sell out before the park opens). This might mean your only option to get on the ride is to wait standby, which, on the busiest days might stay over 2 hours the entire day. If you’re talking about a new ride, like TRON, you might just need luck to get in via Virtual Queue or you won’t be riding at all.
MagicBand and MagicBand+ Discounts
Guests of Disney hotels can order MagicBands or MagicBand+’s in advance of their stay and receive a discount (about $10 per band, one band per guest). We like having MagicBands (the main alternative is using your phone, or you can get a plastic keycard) in any case, so this is at least a straightforward way to save a few bucks.
Expanded Dining Reservation Window (60 + 10)
(Note: The dining reservation window used to be 180 days. It’s unclear it if will return to that length, but you should always confirm the current window on the Disney website.)
While any guest can make Advance Dining Reservations 60 days in advance, guests of Disney hotels can book dining reservations for their entire stay (usually) once you’re 60 days out from the first day.
For whatever reason, Disney caps this perk at 10 days, so if you have a stay of longer than that, you won’t be able to book all your dining reservations once you’re 60 days out from your arrival date. This perk is typically called “60 + 10” for this reason.
This perk is obviously valuable if you’ve booked your trip more than 60 days out, as you’ll have a better shot at getting popular reservations. If you’re within 60 days, though, this perk has no value. This perk is only available to guests of Disney hotels.
Disney Transportation
Technically, Disney’s transportation system is available to everyone, regardless of whether they’re a hotel guest or even a park ticket holder. Anyone can hop on a Disney bus at Animal Kingdom and ride it to Caribbean Beach Resort and then take the Skyliner to Epcot if they want.
The “perk” here is rather that Disney hotels are served directly by Disney transportation. Some non-Disney resorts have free shuttles to the parks, but you know when you’re staying at a Disney hotel you’ll have free transportation to all the parks, both water parks, and Disney Springs.
Moreover, Disney transportation usually drops off and picks up closer to the park than other shuttles. In particular, Disney transportation is the only transportation that drops directly off at Magic Kingdom. Everyone else must pass through Transportation and Ticket Center.
Keep in mind, we’re sort of salty about Disney transportation. This is one of the areas where Disney really struggles. If you’re at a resort where you’ll be relying mostly on bus transportation, you might be nearly as well off at any hotel with a shuttle. We tend to rely on Uber to get us out of Disney’s tricky transportation problems, and Uber works just as well at any hotel in the area.
Free Parking at the Parks and Your Resort
Disney hotel guests once again get free parking at their resorts, and they also get free parking at the parks. If you don’t mind driving, this is a great way to avoid the hassle of Disney Transport. We have a guide to driving and parking at Walt Disney World.
Ability to Book Disney Dining Plan
Only guests of Disney hotels can book Disney dining plans. Very few people are going to be worse off without the dining plan, which is why we don’t value them particularly high. But in the right circumstances—if you plan deliberately around them—the dining plans can save you money on your meals at Disney World.
Disney hotel guests are also the only guests able to access packages with Free Dining, which can definitely be a huge way to save at Walt Disney World.
Check-In Day Water Park Access (Begins 2025)
Beginning 2025, Disney resort guests will have complimentary access to one water park (presumably only one will be open at a time) on their check-in day only. Generally I don’t consider this a great perk, but guests with split stays might find it valuable on the day they change hotels. Here’s more on the water parks:
Early Access to Event Tickets
Guests of Disney hotels had early access to purchase tickets to events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. As far as I know, no events have ever sold out before they went on sale to the general public, but it’s still a nice perk.
Online Check-In
All Disney hotels offer online check in through the My Disney Experience app. Online check-in allows you to completely skip the check-in desk when you arrive at the hotel. Your Magic Band or NFC-enabled phone can unlock your room door once the app tells you your room is ready!
Any non-Disney hotel might offer online check-in through its own app or website, and your experiences with those may vary.
Cast Members On-Hand
Many hotels have Disney planning stations staffed (we believe) by a Cast Member. But at a Disney hotel, you have a front desk / concierge desk staffed with Cast Members.
They’re not all going to be able to answer every question, but if you have an issue with Lightning Lanes, Advance Dining Reservations, or anything else Disney-specific, these people will be in a good position to help you out.
Magic Bands Charging Privileges
While Disney no longer provides free Magic Bands to guests of their hotels, those guests who purchase them can still use them to charge things to their room. If you’re a Magic Band user, this can be more convenient that digging for your credit card with every purchase.
Package Delivery
We don’t buy much merchandise, but guests of Disney hotels can have merchandise purchased at the parks delivered back to their hotel so they don’t have to carry it around.
Free Towels at The Water Parks
We just learned this one! Hotel guests get complimentary towels at Disney World’s water parks—Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. This is a small savings, only $2.
Perks at Non-Disney Hotels
Disclaimer: The perks at non-Disney hotels change frequently and often are confirmed only a year or so in advance. You must consult with your hotel directly to confirm any perks you’re interested in.
Disney is pretty coy about the categorization of non-Disney hotels, with even experts often confusing what the designations mean. Three important categories are Good Neighbor Hotels, the Swan & Dolphin and Swan Reserve, and Official Walt Disney World Hotels.
We’ll start with Good Neighbor Hotels because they’re straightforward—they get no substantial perks. They have someone on staff to assist you with Disney World planning, and they have transportation to the parks that may require a fee (so not necessarily better than Uber.)
Obviously the “Good Neighbor” badge means at least Disney is willing to acknowledge them, which is something, but you don’t book these hotels looking for the perks discussed on this page.
Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin and Swan Reserve
The Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin and Swan Reserve are operated by Marriott (we have a post on booking the Swan & Dolphin with Marriott points) but have the largest set of perks for non-Disney hotels. They are located adjacent to the Boardwalk and receive the following perks:
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve have access to Early Theme Park Entry
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve have access to the Extended Evening Hours available to Disney deluxe hotel guests
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve can purchase individual Lightning Lanes at 7AM
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve get free parking at Disney theme parks
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve can get package delivery to their hotel from the Disney parks
To access perks, it’s important to make sure your hotel reservation is linked to your My Disney Experience account.
They do not get other perks, most notable:
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve are NOT served by Disney buses
Guests at the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve cannot purchase Disney dining plans or participate in free dining
Guests of the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve cannot make room charges via Magic Band
Guests of the Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve do not get discounted MagicBands
Additionally—I’ve heard mixed reports on whether Swan / Dolphin / Swan Reserve guests have access to “60 + 10” advance dining reservation booking.
“Official Walt Disney World Hotels” (And Disney Springs Resort Area)
Note: B Resort and Spa, in the Disney Springs Resort Area, apparently no longer has access to Early Entry (as of early 2024). The most recent rumor I heard was that this hotel is being converted to a Renaissance, operated by Marriott. I expect details about its perks sometime in the next few months.
You’ll want to confirm which hotels have Early Entry (and any other perks) carefully when making your bookings.
The Official Walt Disney World Hotels are hotels located on or very near Disney property that get some key benefits. The Disney Springs Resort Area hotels are Official Walt Disney World Hotels and have historically all had the same perks.
The Official Walt Disney World Hotels include the Four Seasons Orlando, Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, and the seven Disney Springs Resort Area hotels:
B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista (see above note)
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Holiday Inn Orlando
Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
Guests of these hotels:
have access to Early Theme Park Entry
don’t have access to Extended Evening Hours
cannot book individual Lightning Lanes at 7AM
Guests of the Official Walt Disney World Hotels don’t get other perks, such as free parking at the parks. To access perks, it’s important to make sure your hotel reservation is linked to your My Disney Experience account.
As far as I know, these hotels all have complimentary transportation to the parks, but that transportation is not provided by Disney and thus cannot drop you off directly at Magic Kingdom (you’ll be dropped off at Ticket and Transportation Center).
Not Sure If The Disney Hotels Are “Worth It”?
We’ve got a wide variety of Disney hotel reviews (we linked to the guide earlier in the post), but if you’re on the fence budget-wise, check out our reviews of some value resorts:
Review of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Little Mermaid Rooms)
Let us know if we missed anything! Are there any perks of staying at a Disney hotel that you love?
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.