Hi Melody! Welcome to planDisney! I'm excited you are considering a visit to the
Most Magical Place on Earth! With so many new and exciting experiences to be a part of, now is the best time to start planning your visit!
Staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel is honestly my favorite part of a Walt Disney World vacation! So much so that my family has taken long weekend getaways to just enjoy the amenities and recreation located at the resort we are staying at. Each resort is themed to perfection and has unique offerings that will make your stay absolutely magical!
There are many perks and benefits to staying at a Disney Resorts Hotel. The most notable one by far is having access to
Disney Transportation during your entire stay. No matter which resort you are staying at, you'll have either complimentary access to a boat, monorail, bus, or the Disney Skyliner to get you to and from the parks. Minnie Vans have also made their return to Walt Disney World, so if you wanted a ride to the parks in style, you can pay an additional fee to use this service.
Early Theme Park Entry to all four theme parks each day is another perk for all Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Hotel or other select hotels during your stay. You can enter the parks up to 30 minutes before the official park opening time to get a head start on the rest of the crowds. My family has found this to be extremely helpful to either fit in a few rides during this time or get in line for a popular attraction to minimize the wait time. If you decide to stay in a Deluxe Resort, you'll also have access to the
Extended Theme Park Hours. Guests staying at these resorts can stay an extra two hours on select nights at certain parks to enjoy the attractions with minimal wait times.
If you plan on utilizing
Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, there is a special perk to staying on-site that will help you tremendously during your stay. While all Guests can start making Genie+ reservations at 7 AM, only Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Hotel can make Individual Lightning Lane reservations starting at 7 AM on their park day. With the popularity of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, purchasing an
Individual Lightning Lane early to secure a time slot is vital. Guests staying off-site have to wait until the official park opening to do so, and many times these time slots are no longer available at that time. You'll need to rely on the Virtual Queue System or the standby line to ride that attraction.
A few additional perks to staying on-site include complimentary parking at the theme parks and early access to dining reservations. All Guests can book dining 60 days in advance, but Disney Resort Hotel Guests can book for their entire length of stay (up to 10 days) at the 60-day mark. This gives these Guests an advantage of booking some of the hard-to-get reservations with this extended window.
Melody, with all of these benefits mentioned above, the best of it all is being a part of the Disney magic from the start of your trip until the very end. The level of service at Disney Resorts is unmatched anywhere else you can stay!
Happy planning!
Greg