We're Begging You to Stop Making This Disney World Hotel Mistake

Are you going to Disney World soon?

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Bay Lake Tower

If so, do you know where you’re going to stay? Choosing a hotel in Disney World can take a lot of consideration, especially if you have specific priorities or things you want to do during your trip. So we’re going to tell you about what you should NOT do when booking your hotel, but also what you shouldn’t do when checking in and staying at your hotel.

Not using mobile check-in

Did you know that you can check in to your hotel room without ever visiting the front desk (which will almost ALWAYS have a line)? You can actually check into your hotel up to 60 days in advance on Disney World’s website or through the My Disney Experience app.

On your arrival day, you’ll just need to check the app to get real-time updates about the status of your room. You’ll get a notification when it’s ready with your room number. Then you can just go directly to your room, unlock your door through the app or with your MagicBand. You can also check out through the My Disney Experience app.

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Not considering the location of the hotel

You’ll also want to consider the location of your hotel. Do you want to be close to Magic Kingdom or just a Monorail ride away? Do you want access to a hotel with a Skyliner station for easy trips to and from Hollywood Studios and EPCOT? Would you like easy access to Disney Springs?

Sure, Animal Kingdom Lodge may seem nice when you’re looking at it, but if your priority is to spend a lot of time at Magic Kingdom, that bus ride to and from is going to feel pretty long. Likewise, if you want to spend more time in Animal Kingdom, staying at the Contemporary Resort might be a big mistake.

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Not checking on closures

Before you book your hotel, you should always check to see if any closures are happening that could affect your time spent at that hotel. For example, in January, the Skyliner closes for several days for refurbishment.

That’s not the only thing that closes at hotels, though. We’ve also seen pools closed for refurbishments, so if you had a resort day planned with time at the pool, you might want to reconsider your hotel if the pool is closed during your stay. Restaurants can also close. If you want to keep up with closures at Disney World, we keep a list here.

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Not taking advantage of the room request feature

You can make room requests from the My Disney Experience app. You can do this when you do your online check-in (which, remember, you can do as early as 60 days before your trip). You’ll find two separate dropdown boxes for room requests when you check in through the app. You can choose ground floor, king bed, select hotel sections, and more. You can also tell Disney to prioritize having your room ready earlier than meeting your requests.

If you need to make a different kind of request, you can call (407) 939-1936 and have a notation made on your reservation with your request. You can also make room requests when you book your hotel.

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Buying water at your resort

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is buying water at your resort. Bottled water in Disney World is expensive and can really add up. Instead, you can have bottled water delivered to your hotel room via a grocery delivery service.

Bottled water is NOT cheap in Disney World

Or you can save even more money by bringing your own water bottles and filling them up in your hotel’s food court or counter service restaurant. Some hotels also have water bottle refill stations.

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Not using a luggage cart

If you have a lot of bags and luggage to take to your room, don’t hesitate to ask a Cast Member to help you get a luggage cart. Disney World hotels are HUGE, and you do not want to be lugging heavy bags all the way to your room, especially if it’s far away from the hotel’s front desk (Caribbean Beach, we’re looking at you).

The luggage cart is your friend. If you need it, be sure to ask for it.

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Don’t expect your room to be ready early

Disney World hotel check-in time is 3PM for hotel rooms and 4PM for deluxe villas. If you arrive before that, do not expect your room to be ready. Although Disney will try to accommodate you if you arrive early, it just might not be possible.

Don’t expect your hotel room to be ready early

Instead, check your luggage with the hotel concierge, and go hit up the pool, go to the parks, or do some shopping and eating at Disney Springs.

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If you’re driving to your hotel, go right at the gate

If you’re driving to your Disney World hotel and already have your MagicBand handy, you’ll want to go to the right side of the gate where you can just scan it to be allowed through the gate.