Since Disney World opened with the Contemporary and Polynesian back in 1971, hotel guests have had access to numerous perks while staying on property, ranging from transportation to dining and park access.
Hippy Dippy Pool at Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Guests staying at a Disney hotel in the summer of 2026 will have access to several perks, including some popular options that are returning after having been successfully introduced in 2025.
Free Water Park Tickets!
In 2025, Disney introduced a new water park perk for hotel guests, which gave each member of their party admission to one of Walt Disney World’s water parks on their check-in day. The perk is returning in 2026…. with some differences.
Typhoon Lagoon
While the offer was available for all of 2025, that’s not the case this year. Instead, 2026 will see the complementary ticket available from May 26th through September 8th, and guests will be able to choose between Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, as both will be open.
Blizzard Beach
30 Minute Early Entry… with Character!
Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels (and select other hotels) can take advantage of a 30-minute early entry into each of Walt Disney World’s theme parks every day of their stay (including check-in and check-out days).
Early Entry at EPCOT
Furthermore, as part of the returning Cool Kids Summer promotion, Disney will offer special character meet & greets during Early Entry. There’s no list of which characters will be available in each park, but they WILL be different! Disney is encouraging guests to visit the different parks for Early Entry throughout their trip so they can take advantage of all the special meet and greets.
Look for Cast Members in blue!
Character Appearances
In 2025, certain Disney hotels hosted scheduled character meet & greets on their property, and that’s going to continue in 2026. This game-changer allowed guests to have a taste of the parks’ character encounters on days when they chose not to leave their hotels.
Character Meet and Greet sign at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort
The program has been confirmed to return for the summer of 2026 as part of the Cool Kids Summer promotion, expanding to the following hotels:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Art of Animation
Of course, those are in addition to some of the major perks that are always included in Disney hotel stays, including:
- Extended Evening Hours are offered at select Walt Disney World theme parks on select nights. However, these two extra hours are only available to guests at Disney Deluxe Tier or Deluxe Villa resort guests.
- Guests staying at Walt Disney World Hotels can begin booking their Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance of the first day of their stay for the duration of their stay (up to 14 days). This is 4 days sooner than non-Disney guests who’ve purchased theme park tickets. Meanwhile, Disney hotel guests can also book their dining 60 days in advance of the first day of their stay, once again for the full duration of their stay (up to 14 days).
Animal Kingdom During Extended Evening Hours
Guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels in the summer of 2026 will have access to a slew of new and returning perks! Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s newest offers.
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WE KNOW DISNEY.
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