Well, hello there, Tara. Welcome back to planDisney! Your trip is coming up in just over a month, so let's get your question answered.
Currently, to take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry, you must be staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel on the days you visit the theme parks. It shouldn't matter if you booked a
vacation package or not. The same is typically true for booking Lightning Lanes. As long as you are using your theme park tickets on the same dates as your hotel reservation, you should be able to make
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations seven days ahead of check-in. Furthermore, if you are staying at a
Deluxe Resort Hotel or
Deluxe Villa and you are using your theme park ticket on one of the days where
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is being offered, you can take advantage of that perk as well! Just note that you will not be able to purchase a
dining plan if you're not booking a vacation package.
So, one of the things I prefer most about booking a vacation package over booking
theme park tickets and a hotel room separately is the fact that if I'm booking more than 30 days out, I am usually only required to put down a deposit. Then, I can pay down the amount owed as often or as infrequently as I would like, as long as it's all paid in full 30 days before my arrival date. And, if my plans change, I can usually cancel up to 30 days before my arrival date for a full refund (minus any third-party fees that I may have added to my reservation). In contrast, when purchasing theme park tickets separately, I have to pay the full amount at the time of purchase, and they are nonrefundable and nontransferable. As far as separate hotel reservations go, I usually have to put down a deposit when booking and can cancel up to 5 days before my arrival for visits in 2024 and up to 8 days before my arrival for visits in 2025 for a full refund. You can see all of these details by checking out the
Vacation Package Terms & Conditions as well as the
Ticket Store Terms and Conditions.
Tara, enjoy your visit to the resort. And since you're visiting toward the end of November, make sure you take advantage of the
holiday offerings! It's the
Most Wonderful Time of the Year to visit the
Most Magical Place on Earth!
Reach out again if you have any other questions.
I like warm hugs,
Matt