3 NEW Disney World Hotel Rules That Will Make Your Trip EASIER

Disney hotel guests, listen up — a few quiet updates just dropped that could seriously smooth out your next trip.

There are three new Disney World hotel perks and policies that are easy to miss, but once you know about them, you’re gonna wonder how you ever planned a vacation without them. We’re talking about free water park entry, a new hotel luggage service that lets you skip the airport chaos, and an important hotel cancellation update that could save you hundreds. Let’s break it all down — what’s changed, how it works, and what you need to do to take full advantage.

Disney’s NEW Airport Luggage Transfer

You know that last-day stress of juggling your bags, trying to check out of your room, catch a bus, make it to the airport, and somehow still enjoy your final morning in the parks? Yeah, Disney is finally testing something that might actually help.

If you’re flying Southwest Airlines and staying at a Disney Value Resort, you can now take advantage of Disney’s new Airport Luggage Transfer. This perk is in “pilot” mode right now, meaning it could change at any time — but here’s how it works for now.

When you check in at your resort (this includes All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, and Art of Animation), you can ask about luggage transfer at the Luggage Assistance desk. On your departure day, you’ll be able to drop off your checked bags directly at your hotel, and Disney’s third-party service will get them onto your Southwest flight. Seriously.

You’ll still need to check in for your flight online the day before, and when you go to drop off your bags, you’ll need your boarding pass and a valid photo ID. Depending on your flight time, you’ll either need to drop your bags off:

By 1 AM the night before if your flight leaves before 1 PM, or
At least four hours before departure if your flight leaves after 1 PM (but no later than 1 PM, period).

Once your bags are on their way, you can track them in the Southwest Airlines app, skip the airport check-in counter entirely, and go straight to security when you arrive at Orlando International Airport.

Just remember — this service is only for departing flights, and only for Southwest out of MCO. It doesn’t apply to your arrival day, and it’s not available if you’re flying with another airline. But if you qualify, this can be a game changer. One less thing to worry about when you’re trying to squeeze in that last Mickey waffle.

Hotel Cancellation Policy Update

Now, before we get too deep into this one, we’ve want to be sure that you don’t let a simple misstep with Disney’s updated hotel cancellation policy cost you your deposit.

As of 2025, you now need to cancel your room-only reservation at least eight days before your arrival to get that deposit (usually one night’s stay) refunded. If you cancel 0–7 days out? That money’s gone. Period.

This is a small shift — previously, you had five days — but it matters. Especially if something unexpected comes up (which, let’s be real, happens more often than not). That extra buffer is now gone, so don’t wait till the week-of to make changes to your hotel plans if you’re on the fence.

Now, if you booked a vacation package (hotel plus tickets), don’t panic — those cancellation policies haven’t changed. You still have until 30 days out to cancel for a full refund. Cancel between 2 and 29 days before arrival, and you’ll just lose $200. But cancel within 48 hours, and you forfeit the full amount.

If your schedule is even a little bit unpredictable, you may want to consider travel insurance. Disney offers its own Travel Protection Plan, and there are third-party plans out there that could give you even better coverage for less money. Either way, it’s worth looking into — because missing the cancellation window and losing hundreds of dollars isn’t exactly magical.

Free Water Park Admission on Arrival Day

This one’s short and sweet — but it’s a BIG deal if you time it right. Throughout 2025, Disney Resort hotel guests get FREE admission to a Disney Water Park on their check-in day. Yes, for real. And yes, that’s every single registered guest on the reservation.

Historically, check-in day tends to be a weird in-between — your room may not be ready, you’re not fully settled, and you’re trying to avoid blowing a full park ticket on a half-day. This solves all of that.

Now you can cool off at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon (whichever is open), no extra ticket required. Just bring your swim stuff in your carry-on or leave it easily accessible in your luggage, and hit the water while the rest of your vacation gears up.

So yeah, these new rules might seem small on paper, but they have real potential to simplify your trip if you know how to use them. Whether it’s skipping bag drop chaos, giving yourself a better cancellation cushion, or squeezing a bonus park day out of your arrival, Disney’s starting to sneak in some pretty guest-friendly changes — even if they’re flying a little under the radar right now.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you! They’ll keep an eye on all of the best deals so you don’t have to.

As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney news.