Hi Susan!
Welcome back to planDisney!
I’m happy to report that the free water park tickets on arrival day are linked to your resort stay whether you have theme park tickets or not. So, as long as you’re a registered overnight guest of a Disney World resort in 2025, you’ll receive this benefit. Such a huge
perk for resort guests!
I personally love a good resort-only stay when visiting Disney World. I think it’s so much fun to experience all that the resorts have to offer, and it really allows us to slow down and relax.
On our last resort-only stay, we actually did exactly what you’re thinking about! We headed to the water park on arrival day. It was the perfect way to kick off vacation. Another fun experience we did that trip was
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. We couldn’t stop laughing during that dinner show!
Something else to think about as you plan…if you don’t want to do full theme park days, but still want some theme park time, I recommend looking into the
Disney After Hours events. Those are a great way to enjoy the parks with much fewer crowds.
Of course, if you’re visiting later in the year when the holiday parties are happening, you can consider getting tickets to
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party,
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or
Jollywood Nights (pending availability). Those parties are some of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays at Disney.
I hope that you have a great trip! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Jenn J.