When planning your Walt Disney World vacation, staying at one of the beautifully-themed Disney resorts isn’t the only thing to look forward to. While each resort offers a variety of amenities, being a guest of a Walt Disney World resort comes with other perks as well! Since the reopening of Disney parks and resorts in 2020, things change frequently, so we want to bring you an up-to-date list of advantages of staying on-property at Walt Disney World as of February 2022!
Free Transportation Around Walt Disney World
No matter which Disney resort you choose, you will have free transportation to all 4 parks, Disney Springs, and other Disney resorts. Between a combination of busses, the Skyliner, the monorail, and friendship boats, you’ll find that it’s a breeze to get from place-to-place, and it’s free!
Free Parking At Walt Disney World Theme Parks
If you have your own vehicle or rent a vehicle during your stay at a Walt Disney World resort, you can take advantage of free parking at all 4 theme parks and Disney Springs! However, parking your vehicle at the resort will incur a nightly fee. Keep in mind that when booking a Disney Vacation Club room or Rental you will also get free parking at your resort.
Book Dining Reservations For Your Entire Vacation 60 days In Advance
Once you reach 60 days prior to your vacation, guests of Walt Disney World resorts may book dining reservations for the duration of their trip up to 10 days! Guest staying off-property may book their dining reservations for their trip 60 days in advance one day at a time, resulting in a big advantage for those vying for popular reservations at places like Be Our Guest or Topolino’s Terrace!
Early Theme Park Entry
Guests of Walt Disney World resorts, including good-neighbor resorts, are permitted to enter all 4 theme parks 30 minutes prior to opening to the public! This gives Disney resort guests their own “rope drop” and allowing them to fit in sometimes several attractions before the regular opening time!
Extended Evening Hours
Guests of Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas are able to take advantage of extended evening hours on some days. Select attractions, food and beverage, and shops will remain open until 11:00PM allowing park visitors to take it all in without the big crowds! Be sure to check the calendar of extended hours when planning your park days if you’re staying at one of the deluxe resorts below that offer this exclusive benefit.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House and Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World®
Discounted Magic Bands
While Magic Bands are no longer included in the cost of your Disney Resort vacation thanks to new technology that allows the My Disney Experience App to serve as your room key, park ticket, and form of payment. If you enjoy having the convenience of a Magic Band around your wrist, you are able to purchase one at a discounted cost when staying at a Disney resort.
Some colors are priced as low as $9.99 when bought from Disney at the time of your booking! Magic Bands begin at $29.99 on shopDisney.com, so if you want to snag the low price, be sure to include them when booking your resort reservation! If you purchase after booking, you will not able to purchase at a discounted rate!
Early Access To Purchase Individual Lightning Lane
While the purchase of Genie+ allows you to book return times for a variety of attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks, you may also purchase Individual Lightning Lanes for popular attractions at each park that are not included with the $15 Genie+ price. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort may purchase the Individual Lightning Lanes beginning at 7:00AM. Off-property guests must wait until park opening to purchase. This is also a big perk as many off-property guests report that Individual Lighting Lanes for some attractions are already sold out for the day by the time the parks open.
Attractions for which guests are able to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes include:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Expedition Everest
What is your favorite perk of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by
Shelley Wehler
Contributing Writer
Shelley is a stay-at-home mother of two girls living outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Her love of all things Disney has grown even more as she sees the magic come alive through the lens of her young daughters. She spends her free time keeping up with the latest in Disney news and daydreaming of her next trip to the parks!
