Hiya Mathew!
Welcome to planDisney, and thanks for visiting us with your question. Your springtime vacation at Disney World sounds practically perfect in every way! My family loves doing a split stay at Disney, and your two choices of wonderful resorts will offer you an excellent chance to spend time in two terrific locations.... within walking distance to EPCOT / Hollywood Studios while at the Swan Resort, and then close to Magic Kingdom on the monorail loop while at the Polynesian. That's about as good as it gets!
If I understand you correctly, you are wondering how best to reserve a stay at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort for the last 3 nights of your trip, as well as Disney Theme Park Tickets that can be used any time during your vacation. If you add Park Tickets to your Polynesian reservation, they will be dated tickets that aren't valid until your Polynesian check-in date. So yes, you've got the right idea. You should make a "hotel only" reservation to stay at the Polynesian Resort, and then separately purchase your
Theme Park Tickets, beginning on the date you plan to first use them. The range of your valid use dates will include a few extra days, so look for that when completing your ticket purchase. For example, when you select 5-day tickets starting on April 11 the website says "Use any 5 days from Apr 11, 2026 – Apr 18, 2026".
All of these things will then be seamlessly tied together in your
My Disney Experience plans. And the nice thing is, it won't cost you any more to purchase your Disney Resort stay and park tickets separately. Those items are the same price when bundled in a vacation package, unless it's part of a Special Offer. Which leads me to a tip - keep an eye on the
Special Offers, Deals, and Discounts page! You may see a room only discount offered as your vacation dates draw closer, that will work to save you some money on your Polynesian stay. If there is, you can easily switch your reservation to utilize the discount... and you know what that means? Extra Dole Whip and magical souvenirs! Ka-chow!
One last tip before I go. One of my family's favorite places to dine is at the Polynesian's
'Ohana. I highly recommend you make an advance dining reservation here when your booking window opens up, 60 days prior to your check-in date starting at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. You won't be disappointed! And if you dine at the same time as the Magic Kingdom
Happily Ever After show, you'll be able to see the fireworks from the restaurant windows. They even play the soundtrack in 'Ohana so you get the full effect. It's so magical!
Mathew, I hope this helps answer your question. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at planDisney. And I'll be sending pixie dust your way for you to have the best. Trip. Ever!!!
Go. Live your dream.
Tami