Hi there Candace,
It’s great to see you here again at planDisney with another fantastic
Walt Disney World Resort question. It looks like you’ll be visiting right before the Christmas holidays, what a wonderful time to experience the theme parks!
I’ve got great news for you, Candace. Yes, you can definitely book tickets and resorts separately and stay onsite for whatever length of time fits your trip. My family has combined an onsite stay at a Disney Deluxe resort with an offsite stay with no problems. We chose to have a non-park day when staying onsite so we could enjoy the resort’s amenities (my daughters love spending time in the resort’s Community Hall - they love doing crafts and playing games).
When checking into a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, you are considered a Guest of the resort for the entire day from early morning on check-in day until midnight on the day you check out. Guests are free to enjoy the resort’s amenities and any perks offered to Guests such as extended hours, as you are inquiring about.
If you have time during your visit, I highly recommend stopping at some of the Deluxe Resorts and seeing the beautifully decorated themed Christmas trees. My favourite tree is found at
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the impressive tree towers more than two floors tall in the lobby! I also love visiting the gingerbread display at
Disney’s Contemporary Resort and checking out the life-sized gingerbread house adorned with sweets and decorations at
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, they both smell divine!
I hope you have the most magical vacation at Walt Disney World Resort, Candace. May your countdown fly as fast as Tinkerbell!
You’ve got a friend in me,
Candace