It’s a new year, which means new hotel perks for both the Disney World and the Disneyland Resorts!
Typhoon Lagoon
Change is coming to the two U.S.-based Disney theme park resorts in 2026 — and that includes changes to already established hotel perks! With the new year now getting into full swing, it’s an important time to remind you about a few existing hotel perks at both Disney World and Disneyland that will look mighty different in 2026…and maybe not for the better.
In 2025, Disney introduced a new water park perk that allowed any guest staying at a Disney World resort hotel FREE ENTRY into Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon ONLY on check-in day. This perk worked for all registered guests on a Disney hotel reservation year-round, but was criticized for limiting access to check-in day only. Well, the limitations are only growing this year.
Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach
Disney revealed last year that starting January 1st, 2026, this perk will now be limited to specific summer dates ONLY. As of this writing, Disney has yet to release the eligible dates, but it’s something we’re monitoring and expecting to be released VERY soon.
Typhoon Lagoon
I had mentioned the perk’s controversy over limitations already, and this change certainly doesn’t help. With the perk being valid only on check-in day — which is a common travel day where guests are just looking to get to their hotel room and decompress — it makes matters worse that you have to time your arrival to fit the water park’s hours of operation. Now, with this new summer limitation, this is a perk you won’t even receive in the colder months.
Blizzard Beach
With that said, if you’re still intent on taking advantage of this new summer-exclusive perk in 2026, the following Disney World hotels will grant you eligibility:
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort
- The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Blizzard Beach
The Disneyland Resort is also having some hotel perk changes kick in — each starting January 5th, 2026. First up is the controversial removal of the Early Entry for Disneyland Resort hotel guests.
The Early Entry perk used to let hotel guests staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Pixar Place Hotel, and the Disneyland Hotel enter a select theme park 30 minutes before the normal posted park opening time.
Disneyland Hotel
Hotel guests can now enter the parks early via rope drop, along with other regular guests.
Rope drop crowds!
However, these hotel guests will have a small leg up in the form of a new complimentary Lightning Lane pass per guest for any Multi Pass eligible attraction per trip. This replacement perk has not been met with fanfare, however, as it is only offered for one use during the entire length of stay, and cannot be used on Single Pass rides Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland and Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure. To view this pass and book a reservation, you’ll need to follow the appropriate steps in the Disneyland app.
Lightning Lane at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
But that’s not the only bad news coming out of the West Coast. The same day that Early Entry is removed, guests staying at Pixar Place Hotel will LOSE the dedicated park entrance to Disney California Adventure.
Pixar Place Hotel
This entrance was used exclusively by Pixar Place guests as a shortcut into the heart of Disney California Adventure, bypassing a lot of walking through Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Esplanade.
Pixar Place entrance in DCA closed
Guests can still use the dedicated Grand Californian entrance to get into California Adventure — which is about half the walk of the regular trek. This entrance is open to all guests via the hotel entrance or the one found in Downtown Disney, and the park entrance from the hotel drops you off right in Grizzly Peak.
Grand Californian Hotel
Perk changes — both good and bad — are expected to continue at both Disney World and Disneyland as the year continues, so be sure to keep it posted right here at DFB to stay in the know all year long!
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Does this restrictive, black out date, perk bring people into the water parks?
We don’t do the water parks anymore. Arthritic joint can’t climb 5 flights of stairs for a minute long water slide ride.
It’s silly that anyone is annoyed with the water parks restriction considering it was a free perk that never existed until the past year. I thought it was extremely generous although I don’t ever intend to use it.
I definitely understand limiting it to summer because the winter months result in unexpected closures plus one of the water parks is always closed for refurbishment. The goal is likely for those paying for water park admission to have a less crowded experience in the one open park as opposed to all the volume that might come with the complimentary resort admissions.
I am so glad they are doing this. As a person who adds the water park package to their Annual pass for use during the hot humid summer days, it was extremely unsettling to get there and find the park completely full with no chairs, and let’s not even get started on the complete grid lock in the lazy river and wave pools. The lines for drinks, food and merchandise weren’t long, because instead of the people purchasing food and drinks, they were bringing their picnics to really make it a freebie experience. It was a complete waste of time, money and effort for passholders. This doesn’t even touch on those who wanted to purchase a single day ticket and were turned away. I’m pretty sure Disney realized pretty quickly that this was not a wise business move. Bravo to the higher up for hearing and acting in favor of AP pass holders, locals and day guests. We really appreciate it and will love joining you for splashes, waves, sun, fun, cocktails and food