Fans Are BEGGING for This Disney World Hotel Perk Change

Staying at a Disney World hotel has always come with a long list of perks, but there’s one perk Disney fans would love to see change.

At Disney Resorts, you get immersive theming, complimentary transportation, early access to dining reservations, and special park benefits. Over the years, some of those perks have changed (or even disappeared), and fans have made it very clear which ones they want back. While a lot of guests still miss Disney’s Magical Express, there’s another hotel perk that fans are actively begging Disney to improve, and it has everything to do with Early Theme Park Entry.

What Is Early Theme Park Entry?

Early Theme Park Entry is a benefit that allows eligible guests to enter any of the four Disney World theme parks 30 minutes before the official park opening time, every day. This perk applies to guests staying at Disney World Resort hotels as well as guests of select partner hotels, including certain Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, and Disney Springs area hotels.

During Early Entry, select attractions are available, typically the most popular rides in each park. Think Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Flight of Passage, or Rise of the Resistance. For many guests, those extra 30 minutes can be the difference between a short wait and a very long one.

How Early Entry Replaced Extra Magic Hours

Longtime Disney fans will remember Extra Magic Hours, which were first introduced in the early 2000s. This complimentary benefit allowed Disney Resort hotel guests to enjoy one or more extra hours in a specific park, either in the morning or late at night. Guests would plan their vacations around those extended hours to maximize ride time and avoid crowds. While not every park had Extra Magic Hours every day, when they did happen, the extra time often felt significant and worthwhile.

Early Theme Park Entry officially replaced Extra Magic Hours as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration. Instead of one park offering extended hours on select days, Disney shifted to a system where all four parks offer early entry every day, but for a shorter time window.

Why Fans Want More Than 30 Minutes

While Early Theme Park Entry is appreciated, many Disney fans feel that 30 minutes simply isn’t enough. Guests often arrive well before early entry even begins, but are only getting in one to two major attractions or a few smaller attractions. When we reported that Disney would be adding characters to Early Entry this summer, one AllEars reader shared their frustration, saying, “They need to bring back the full hour.” Another reader commented, “Maybe if they went back to 1 hour early entry and Magical Express, I’d be impressed.”

Disney’s Reasoning Behind the Change

The Early Theme Park Entry benefit was designed to better spread visitation across all four theme parks, rather than funneling large crowds into one park offering Extra Magic Hours. It also provides added flexibility by allowing guests to choose which park they want to visit early on each day of their vacation. On paper, that flexibility makes sense, but many guests feel the tradeoff just isn’t worth it.

Will Disney Ever Bring Back the Full Hour?

At this point, Disney hasn’t announced any plans to extend Early Theme Park Entry to a full hour, but fan feedback continues to roll in. With rising ticket prices and fewer complimentary perks than in years past, many guests believe that increasing Early Entry to 60 minutes would go a long way in restoring some of that value, especially for on-site hotel guests.

Disney World hotel perks have always been a major part of what makes staying on property feel worth it, and Early Theme Park Entry is one benefit fans want to see improved. For the latest Disney news, hotel updates, and planning tips, be sure to keep checking back with AllEars.net.

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What do you think? Would you like to see Early Entry be extended to 60 minutes? Tell us in the comments below!

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