Hotel stays have been a part of Walt Disney World from the very beginning, and guests staying on property in 2026 are going to have a slew of perks available to them.

These perks range from extra time in the parks and early Lightning Lane bookings to theme park transportation and baggage transport. However, not every perk is available to guests at every tier of Disney hotels.

Free Transportation

Disney’s massive transportation apparatus — which includes buses and boats, as well as access to Disney’s Skyliner and Monorail — is available to Walt Disney World hotel guests at no additional charge.

We would recommend looking into WHICH vehicles are available at your hotel, however. For example, if the Skyliner is make-or-break for you, the only hotels it services directly are Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach Resort, and the Riviera Resort.

Free Water Park Tickets… with a Catch

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.

While the park is confirmed to return in 2026, it will only be offered during the summer season.

30 Minute Early Entry

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).

Extended Evening Hours

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.

Lightning Lanes

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.

Dining

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).

Value Resort Luggage

In 2025, Southwest Airlines teamed with Disney to bring an element of the dearly departed Magical Express back. Specifically, the airline introduced a service for guests at Disney’s Value Tier Resorts (the All-Star Resorts, Pop Century, and Art of Animation) that delivers bags straight from their flight to their hotel, no bag claim required. All you’ll need to do is the following:

• Fill out the registration form for the Airport Luggage Transfer at Disney service anytime from 30 days to 5 days prior to your departure flight. You will need your Disney Resort confirmation number and your Southwest Airlines confirmation number when you register. You will receive a confirmation email after registering.
• Check in to your flight online as normal and pay any necessary baggage fees.
• Head to the airport and follow the Southwest Airlines procedure to drop off your luggage.
• From there, the bags will go straight from their flight to their hotel room.
• When returning home, you’ll simply:
• Check in for your Southwest Airlines flight online starting 24 hours before departure and pay any necessary baggage fees via the Southwest mobile app or online.
• Drop off your bags at Luggage Assistance in the Resort hotel lobby area by the required drop-off time. Please be aware that you will need to provide a valid government-issued form of photo identification in order to drop off your bags. You can also call Luggage Assistance from your in-room telephone to ask for help with your bags. For a smoother experience, leave all inbound tags on your bags.
• Head to the airport, skip the check-in line, enjoy your flight, and pick up your bags at baggage claim when you arrive at your final destination.

If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World hotel in 2026, be sure to take advantage of all these perks and stay tuned to DFB for more tips on staying at the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

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What’s your go-to Disney World hotel? Let us know in the comments below.