Early Theme Park Entry is a free perk for Disney World Resort Hotel guests that lets them get into the parks half an hour early!
A foggy morning at Magic Kingdom!
This, along with Extended Evening Hours for Deluxe Resort guests, is one of the many reasons that it can pay off to stay at a Disney resort. Starting today, Early Theme Park Entry is going to be even better because of an added bonus!
From December 19th, 2021 to January 3rd, 2022, Early Theme Park Entry will let Disney World Resort Hotel guests to enter the parks for a whole hour before opening! This is a major bonus for anyone staying at a Disney hotel, you can squeeze in a TON of rides during that time without using Genie+.
Resort Guest? Right this way!
The extra time will be a big help for anyone visiting the parks during the holidays, especially with the big crowds we’ve been seeing lately! Although not every ride is open during Early Theme Park Entry, major attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, Frozen Ever After, Test Track, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Avatar Flight of Passage, DINOSAUR, and Expedition Everest are available, along with many other rides.
FULL List of Rides Available During Early Theme Park Entry!
We headed into Disney’s Hollywood Studios this morning to check out the new extended version of Early Theme Park Entry! Getting into the park was pretty easy, with crowds being minimal at the entrance. It’s important to note, however, we arrived at the park about 10-20 minutes after rope drop.
It was SUPER easy to get into the park this morning!
Inside the park, some sections felt like a ghost town! It wasn’t particularly crowded anywhere we went, but there were some sections of the park that were just empty. Of course, you can always expect more people in areas like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.
Hey…where is everybody?
Of course, we had to ride some attractions during our extra time in the parks! We started off with Tower of Terror, which had a posted wait time of 10 minutes, but it only took us 6 minutes to get on the ride (including the time for the preshow). Later on, the wait was changed to 5 minutes.
Tower of Terror had a whopping 5-minute wait!
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster also had a posted wait time of 10 minutes, but it was only 7 minutes because the preshow was not running. We just headed straight to the coaster!
It was only 10 minutes for Rock n Rollercoasters
Finally, right before the park opened to the general public, we headed over to Slinky Dog Dash which, although having a posted wait time of 50 minutes, actually took us only 33 minutes to get on! We were able to get on three major attractions at Hollywood Studios before the park opened (and you could get on even more if you wanted to!), so that goes to show you how great of a perk this is.
Was Slinky Dog Dash really 50 minutes?
Take advantage of this added perk to make the most of your holiday Disney trip! Plus, the extra time in the parks can also free up your day to enjoy the holiday festivities like EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays, the Candlelight Processional, and all the delicious holiday treats (can you tell we like Disney food?).
Bûche de Noël from the Festival of the Holidays!
Be sure to use this bonus if you’re staying at the Disney World Resort Hotels from December 19th to January 3rd! We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, so stay tuned here for more.
5 Important Tips For Early Theme Park Entry in Disney World
DON'T MISS A MOMENT
OF HOLIDAY MAGIC
Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World.
It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including:
- The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season
- How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!)
- ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM.
- And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat!
Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT.
MORE Disney World Holiday INFO!
Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights
Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
What do you think about this new perk? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I was confused by this article in the Feb 14th email. It references park perks that occur in the past. Am I missing something?
Hi Sean! Apologies! Just to clarify since the article was in the newsletter today and to avoid any more confusion, the early park entry perk still exists, but it’s 30 minutes before park opening instead of one hour, which was the bonus perk in December-January.