Hi Jessica, welcome to planDisney!
The EPCOT Resort area is my favorite place to call home during Walt Disney World Resort vacations. Nothing beats the ability to walk to two theme parks - EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. There are also a number of resort dining options within walking distance. During a recent stay at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, I enjoyed a delightful character breakfast at
Cape May Cafe, a delicious burger from
Ale & Compass Restaurant, and a latte or two from
Carousel Coffee.
Guests of the
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel are eligible for many Disney Resort hotel perks. You can make advance reservations for dining
online for your entire length of stay (up to 10 days) 60 days before arrival. Just make sure your resort reservation appears in your
My Disney Experience account. You can also take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry and
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours during your stay. In my experience, the early birds and the night owls get the shortest wait times for attractions.
I've got magical news, Jessica. Your eligibility for Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is connected to the dates listed on your resort reservation in My Disney Experience. This means you can enter a theme park 30 minutes early on your arrival day, even if you haven't checked into your room, and take advantage of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours on your checkout day, even after you've checked out.
The magical news is still flowing! On days that Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is scheduled, you have an additional opportunity to join the
virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or TRON Lightcycle / Run at 6:00 p.m. These are the two newest, most thrilling attractions at Walt Disney World Resort and I highly recommend experiencing each one at least once during your visit. You join the virtual queue in the
My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the app's homepage > Virtual Queues). I recommend confirming your party by 5:55 p.m. and clicking "Refresh" at 6:00 p.m. Virtual queue boarding groups tend to fill up within seconds so it's important to be punctual.
I hope this information gets you even more excited about your upcoming trip, Jessica. Consider
planDisney your partner in planning - we're all ears for your thoughtful vacation-planning questions!
Choose magic,
Jennifer