We’re halfway through December, which means we’re only a few weeks away from 2025!
Many new things are coming to Disney World in 2025 — major closures as the parks make way for new experiences, the opening of new attractions, as well as a new hotel perk that we’ve heard very mixed reviews about. Starting in 2025, all Disney World hotel guests will get free admission to whichever Disney World water park is open at that time of year, on the day of their check in. Many guests aren’t interested in this perk, but we’re here to tell you that you SHOULDN’T discount this seemingly silly offering!
There aren’t any secret loopholes to this offering, it’s just as straightforward as it sounds: if you’re staying at ANY Disney World hotel, you’ll get free admission to a Disney World water park on the day of your check-in for every person on your hotel reservation! The response to the announcement of this perk was immediate and pretty negative, and we can sorta see why.
Disney World has two water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, and ever since the Disney World parks reopened following their COVID-19 closures, they haven’t been open at the same time. Instead, they trade off every year, and the closed park goes under refurbishment to keep it maintained.
Why do people dislike this new offering so much? Well, in our eyes, it’s because they’re thinking of how tired they’ll be after traveling to Disney World (by car, train, plane, they’re all tiring) and wondering if they’ll really want to spend that first day at one of the lesser popular water parks rather than in one of the parks. That’s a fair question, for sure! But there are some fantastic ways to use this new perk that a lot of people aren’t thinking about.
For one, if you take advantage of this perk, you don’t have to buy a park ticket for the day you arrive! Oftentimes people feel cheated when they arrive to their hotel at noon and have paid full price for a park ticket that they can really only use for half the day. By using your FREE water park ticket, you aren’t spending any additional money, but are still getting to have some fun the day you arrive!
Additionally, if you’re doing a split stay, meaning that you switch hotels during your Disney World stay, you’ll get TWO free days of water park admission — each of your check-in days! This is a great way to spend a resort day, or again, save money and not purchase a park ticket for the day and still have tons of fun. It may not seem like you’re saving a lot of money, but every penny counts at Disney World!
If you’re like me and you prefer to stay at Airbnbs or other hotels when you travel to save money, there’s still a way you can take advantage of this deal! Let’s say you stay at an Airbnb or other hotel to save money, then you book ONE night at a deluxe hotel. This will give you extended evening hours AND Early Entry to the Disney World parks. Check in to your hotel earlier in the morning, head to the water park to have a fun day with free admission, then head into the Disney World park with Extended Evening Hours that night to take advantage of that perk. The next morning, use Early Entry at whatever park you’d like before you officially end your vacation.
You can also use the above perk with any Disney World hotel and still use your free water park admission the day you check in, head to a park that closes later when the water park closes at 5 or 6PM, then use Early Entry the next morning!
Now, if water parks aren’t your thing, then you don’t have to take advantage of this perk — you can still use all the other perks that come with staying at a Disney World hotel with no additional cost, but if you’re not opposed to water parks, we say don’t knock this perk until you try it!
We’re always here to help you plan the best Disney World trip possible, so stay tuned to AllEars!
What’s Actually Worth the Splurge (and What’s NOT) at Disney World in 2025, From a Professional Disney Adult
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What do you think of this new hotel perk? Tell us in the comments!
While I think this is a nice perk for those who stay in the resorts, I’m worried that it will overcrowd the one waterpark that is open so much that those of us who pay extra on our annual pass to use it will either be turned away or not have an enjoyable time due to crowding. We are very tempted not to add on that feature this year until we find out how this new perk works out. We really enjoy Typhoon Lagoon. It’s bad enough they only open one waterpark at a time now anyway. I think, if they are going to venture forth with this plan, they need to offer access to both parks, especially during the summer and other peak times.