Hi Tyler,
Staying at a Disney Resort hotel is a great way to immerse yourself in the magic. I am excited to hear that you will be spending your first night at one of these fabulous hotels so you can easily get to the theme parks and Disney Springs when you arrive.
Even though you already have your resort stay booked, make sure that you have also purchased your tickets before you start the process of booking
Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass. Guests staying at one of the Disney Resort hotels can purchase
Lightning Lane passes for days that they have valid theme park admission 7 days in advance. This 7-day head start allows you to purchase Lightning Lane passes and choose some fabulous experiences daily before everyone else! That is a huge advantage because some of the most popular rides will fill up super quickly. The rules do state that you can start booking 7 days before the first day of your Resort stay, for the length of your stay. This would mean that you will only be considered an
Eligible Resort Hotel Guest for the length of your stay at a Disney Resort hotel which typically includes check-in and check-out day. The rest of your ticket will be eligible for booking Lightning Lane at the 3-day window.
I would take advantage of the first 2 days of the trip to prioritize some of the harder-to-get attractions. Magic Kingdom is the theme park where I get the most benefit out of using Lightning Lane Multi Pass because there are so many rides and attractions you can use this service for.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is the newest attraction here and as a result reservations for this ride seem to go quickly! I would also plan a day at Hollywood Studios when you can book in your 7-day window to make sure you get a reservation for
Slinky Dog Dash,
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, or
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. These are some of my favorite attractions and an excellent use of a Lightning Lane because they tend to have longer wait times!
Happy Planning,
Jenna