The Uncomfortable Truth About Hotel Check-In at Disney World

There are quite a few perks to staying at a hotel in Disney World.

The perks of staying on property continue to grow as Disney recently announced a new perk for hotel guests that will start in 2025 — free water park admission! (You can read more about that right here!) While the perks are great, there is one unfortunate truth about staying on property at Disney World.

As mentioned, there are many perks to staying on property at Disney World, but we do want to warn you about one uncomfortable truth. First, we will dive into all the benefits of staying at a Disney World hotel.

The obvious perk of staying at a hotel on Disney World property is that you are fully immersed in the magic. From the theming of your resort, the food offerings, and sometimes even character sightings, you never have to leave the “Disney bubble.”

Staying at a hotel on property means you get access to complimentary transportation to and from the parks. Disney has a huge line of transportation options including Monorails, Skyliner, boats, and buses. This can help ease the stress of traveling by allowing Disney to take you to your destination.

By staying on property you also get access to Early Theme Park Entry where hotel guests get a 30-minute jump on their day at the parks. Guests staying at Deluxe Resorts or Deluxe Villas will get access to Extended Evening Hours. Disney announced that these perks will continue into 2025.

A brand new perk for hotel guests will start in 2025. Hotel guests will get to enjoy Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon for free on the day of check-in. This can be a great way to start your trip and another reason why you should consider staying on property.

While all of this is great, there is one uncomfortable truth about staying at a Disney World hotel, and that is the check-in process.

If you arrive earlier than 4PM, there is a good chance that your room will not be ready early. You can check in early on the My Disney Experience app and put in your estimated arrival time, but this still does not guarantee that you will be able to enter your room early. 

While this is not ideal for travelers who take early morning flights, guests can check in their luggage at their resort and start using the free transportation options to explore the resort. Once 2025 rolls around, check-in day will allow guests to explore and cool off in one of Disney’s water parks as they wait for their room to be ready.

It may be frustrating to arrive at Disney World and have to wait for your room to be ready, but if you go in knowing that you will have to wait, it can make your arrival and check-in day much smoother.

Click Here for Our Reader’s Ranking of the Top 10 Disney World Hotels!

 

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