We know that booking a Walt Disney World vacation can be a daunting experience — especially when trying to decide where to lay your head each night! Disney resorts number in the dozens (with expansions, renovations, and new resorts in progress!), with tons of Orlando-area hotels to consider as well.
You can never go wrong at the Polynesian Village Resort!
But many visitors to the World have discovered the sort of hidden gem that is the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels. These hotels are all about location, location, location, and they all cater to Disney World guests by offering transportation to and from the parks.
Disney Springs Town Center
Plus guests can even meet and greet characters at select hotels (Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, for example, offers a character breakfast featuring Goofy and Pluto!).
This guy!!
But starting in 2018, guests staying at the seven Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels will receive even more Disney Resort Hotel benefits! And while this might complicate your decision making process, it’s also an amazing opportunity.
These benefits begin on January 1 and continue through December 31, 2018. They include Extra Magic Hours — both scheduled morning and evening hours — previously available only to Disney Resort guests! As Disney World fans know, on select days, these Extra Magic Hours extend the park hours at the four theme parks and, from time to time, at the Disney Water Parks! Guests wanting to take advantage of this new benefit will need valid theme park admission and will pick up their Extra Magic Hours voucher at their hotel.
Evening at Epcot is always Extra Magical!
And that’s not nearly all! Beginning January 10, 2018, guests at the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels will also be able to link their hotel reservations in the My Disney Experience app — making guests eligible to book those important 60-days-out Fastpass+ selections!
My Disney Experience app
But Disney foodies will want to pay attention to this next bit because guests at the Springs-area resorts will also receive a new “Disney Springs Passport” which contains — wait for it! — coupons for discounts and specials at Disney Springs dining locations! What, what?!
This Wolfgang Puck Express Pepperoni Pizza Could Be All Yours!
That’s right! Discounts on the dining you already want to enjoy at spots like the House of Blues Restaurant & Bar, T-REXTM Café, Paddlefish, Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs Marketplace, The BOATHOUSE, The Polite Pig, STK Orlando, Wolfgang Puck Express, and Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop! The Passport will also include coupons for select shopping and entertainment as well!
We all scream for ice cream!
We know. The thought of chasing your Polite Pig Buttermilk Chess Pie with your favorite Ghirardelli sundae is almost too much to bear. So here’s what you’ll want to do: book a stay at one of these seven resorts: B Resort & Spa, Best Western Lake Buena Vista, Doubletree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando, or Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista. Easy peasy!
Have you enjoyed a stay at one of the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels? Tell us about it in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
The detail that has been getting overlooked is that you must book your stay at one of the Disney Springs resort through the Disney website (or by calling Disney) and purchasing a package. You can’t just book it yourself through the offsite hotel website.
DebC, this has now been clarified you do NOT need to book directly through Disney.
Do you know if these hotels offer the bus service directly from hotel to park or just take you to the TTC where you have to make a connection to a Disney resort bus?
But, how much discount? How will it compare to free dining?
Hi, Karen! We haven’t seen details of the Passport yet, so can’t give you an accurate comparison. We will follow up!
Rachel, the seven Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels do offer transportation directly to each park.
Do you know if the buses the Disney Springs Resort Hotels use can accommodate scooters, or would we need to check with each hotel?
Linda, I was able to confirm that Disney Springs Resort Hotel buses do accommodate scooters!
So this deal is only if you travel in 2018? I wonder if it will be a continuing promo
I just wanted to let you know that I will be staying at the Holiday inn Disney springs hotel in June 2019, And both they and Disney world have confirmed that these perks will continue through 2019.
Natalie, thanks for the info!
I booked at Disney Springs hotel with ahead of time, and now I would like to add a Dinning plan. Is there a way to get this done? Thanks
Maria, you can not purchase the Disney Dining Plan when stay at a non-Disney resort such as those in the Disney Springs resort area.
Maria, when I spoke to Disney directly they said that when it comes to benefits associated with their hotels a good rule of thumb is if the word Disney is in front of the name of the hotel then it is owned by them and all of the benefits apply. If Disney is at the end of the name then only 75% of the benefits apply such as advance magic hours , early fast pass booking, shuttle to the parks, and in park delivery to your hotel. This is because this is a Disney partnered hotel, not Disney owned. ONe idea you could try that I have done is budget how much money you think you will need based off your preferred dining plan and then purchase that amount in Disney gift cards at your local Sams club or Costco. They usually sell them at a discounted price so you may end up saving money. I hope this helps. Have fun on your vacation.
Thank you Natalie for your answer. Definitely will do it. ?