Hiya, Ashley Elizabeth!
Planning a trip to
Walt Disney World is pretty much the same if you are staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel or not. The big difference may be the timing of some of the things you want to do, but let's jump right on in.
You can purchase your
theme park tickets right through Walt Disney World just using your computer or by using the
My Disney Experience app on your phone. Once you have purchased your tickets and linked them to the people in your travel party, you can also use the same tools to make your
theme park reservations. Since it's been a little while for you, I just want to emphasize that everyone needs a theme park reservation to get into any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Don't wait until the last minute to book those!
Dining reservations can be made for non-Disney resort guests 60 days prior to the day you want to dine. They can also be done right on the website or your My Disney Experience app. The advantage for Disney resort guests is that they can book those reservations at 60 days for up to 10 days, so they don't have to call for each day of their stay.
You can add
Disney's Genie+ to your ticket when you purchase it, and you can make your first selection at 7 AM the day you enter the park. For
Individual Lightning Lane attractions, non-Disney resort guests can begin making their selections when the park regularly opens.
If we can help with anything else, please come on back and see us!
Anna