Hi Katie!
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by with such a great question! While there are
many benefits of staying at a hotel in the Disney Resorts Collection, there have been several times over the years that staying at a neighboring hotel has best suited my family as well. We've stayed at the
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando before and enjoyed the spacious accommodations - especially as a larger family! The location is also great if you're plannig to visit
Disney Springs. If you're spending a day or evening at Disney Springs, I'd suggest checking for a reservation at
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' - my favorite restaurant! I like ordering the Thigh High Chicken Biscuits and Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes which are both listed as appetizers. When you pair these with a cold iced tea, it's the perfect "southern comfort food" meal!
Katie, one of the great perks at this resort is that you can also take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry while visiting Walt Disney World Resort. The best way to make sure you can access the magic during this extra time each day is to have your hotel reservation linked to your
My Disney Experience account along with your theme park admission. This way, when you scan your
MagicBand+ or use
Disney MagicMobile Service at the theme park entrance, everything is connected!
If you haven't already done this, it's a super simple process! I've found it easiest to log into your account on your
My Disney Experience Mobile App and navigate to "Future Plans" by clicking the three lines in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Here you'll see an option to "Link A Reservation," but you may need to scroll to the bottom of the page if you already have dining reservations and other activities planned. Use the confirmation number provided by the DoubleTree when prompted and you should be good to go! I have found that it sometimes takes a few days after making a reservation for the confirmation numbers to sync up and work in the app, but that may not be an issue for you if you have had this reservation for some time now. If you need
additional support to link your resort reservation, you can always call and speak with a Cast Member.
Katie, one final tip I'd like to share is to confirm the transportation schedule at the DoubleTree when you check in and any vouchers or reservations that may be required. When staying at hotels outside of the Disney Resorts Collection, we've found each one has handled transportation in it's own unique way and that these procedures sometimes even change between visits. Confirming your transportation to the theme parks will make sure you don't miss any of the magic you plan to enjoy!
I hope this information is helpful and that you enjoy a wonderful visit to Walt Disney World Resort later this month! If you have any other questions, please stop by to see us again here at planDisney!
See ya real soon!
Kristi