Hi Angela!
It sounds like you have quite the adventure lined up and I'm happy to assist you in navigating all benefits and booking timelines associated with your trip.
I believe you have a 2-part stay with a visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park midway through your trip. Your Marriott reservation likely can't be linked to your My Disney Experience account as this is
only available for select Good Neighbor hotels as I shared with another guest. However, your reservation at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel should be linkable (I did so for my stay there a few years back).
You can
do this online by inputting your last name and confirmation number if the information doesn't already appear on your account. Be sure to link your theme park tickets as well. I also recommend double-checking whether your tickets require theme park reservations, and if so, making those as soon as possible. If you selected a start date when purchasing your tickets this may not be necessary, but it's best to confirm.
Lightning Lane Passes can be purchased in advance of your visit subject to a few guidelines. Guests staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel and select other resorts can purchase and begin making selections 7 days in advance of their check-in date. Your stay at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel qualifies for this benefit, but things get a little fuzzy with a split stay and a multi-day ticket.
Off-site guests can begin making selections 3 days before their ticket start date so you'd likely be able to make plans for December 22 (during your Marriott stay) on December 19. However, you should be able to make purchases and selections for any additional park days associated with your Dolphin stay 7 days before check-in. I spoke with a Cast Member who confirmed that "the validity period begins on the first day of the resort reservation and extends for the duration of the stay."
I'd expect you to be able to plan for December 22 on December 19 but plan for additional park days between December 23-28 on December 15. The best way to check is by going through the process on your My Disney Experience App. You'll be prompted to select a date from the calendar and include eligible guests in your plans. If you are unable to select a particular date or you do not appear on the list of eligible guests, try again once you are within the complete eligibility window.
As a guest of the Dolphin, you can also take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry each day and
Extended Evening Hours which are reserved for guests of Deluxe Resorts on select days. This information will be available on the Hours & Events Calendar.
Lastly, reservations for
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique can be made 60 days in advance of your visit to Magic Kingdom Park. Unlike advance dining reservations, there is no length of stay benefit for this Enchanting Extra. A panel friend was able to secure her reservation at midnight exactly 60 days out so you'll want to keep a close eye on the calendar as your booking window nears
I hope this addresses all of your concerns, Angela. If I've misunderstood your inquiry or you have more follow-up questions please come back and let us know.
Magic and memories,
Amy