How to Get Early Entry With Disney World’s Third-Party Hotels
I heard from my friend Justin, who had friends staying at a Disney Springs hotel. Justin had the following question:
How do my friends get access to Early Theme Park Entry? We’ve been running around the hotel asking the staff what to do, and none of them knows what we’re talking about. Do we just show up at the park? We don’t have My Disney Experience accounts, and I doubt the Magic Kingdom Cast Members are going be able to scan our third-party room keys to prove we’re eligible.
I read this question on the Disney Dish podcast, and got dozens of emails from guests who’d gone through the exact same thing. So I thought I’d do some research to help future guests get this done faster.
What Is Early Theme Park Entry?
One of the most useful benefits you can get from staying at a Walt Disney World hotel is Early Theme Park Entry. Early Theme Park Entry gets you into all four of Disney World’s theme parks 30 minutes before regular guests, every day of the week (and occasionally, even earlier than that).
Those extra 30 minutes in the park will allow you to see many more attractions than off-site guests.
Early Theme Park Entry’s Benefits Are Worth the Cost
We’ve compared touring plans with and without the benefits of Early Theme Park Entry since it started in 2021. At busier times of the year, it’s possible to see up to 50% more attractions with 50% less waiting with Early Theme Park Entry.
Early Theme Park Entry is really valuable – so valuable in fact, that we think you should stay at a resort that has Early Theme Park Entry, and advantage of it, even if you’re on a tight budget. There’s a small cost difference between a resort on Disney property and a clean, comfortable, safe, and working off-site hotel room. But consider this:
- You’ll also have to pay to park if you stay off-site
- The moment you step foot in the parks, you’ll be behind thousands of Disney resort guests who got in line 30 minutes before you
That’s a bad idea for a good vacation.
Which Third-Party Hotels Get Early Entry?
Many third-party hotels on Walt Disney World property get the Early Theme Park Entry entitlement for Walt Disney World:
Third-party EPCOT resort-area hotels with Early Theme Park Entry include:
The Magic Kingdom-area third-party hotels with Early Theme Park Entry are:
- The Four Seasons Resort Orlando
- Shades of Green
These Hilton Bonnet Creek Resorts, which sit between Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney Springs, also get Early Theme Park Entry:
- Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
And these Disney Springs Area hotels get Early Theme Park Entry:
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Renaissance Orlando Resort and Spa
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
Not all of these hotels are eligible for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, another benefit that allows guests of some hotels similarly restricted access on some evenings. But if you are eligible for the benefit, linking your reservation works the same way for both.
How to Link Your Third-Party Hotel Reservation in My Disney Experience to Get Early Theme Park Entry
Before we get started, here’s a look at My Disney Experience’s “Link a Hotel Reservation” screen. We’ll be referring to it a few times later.
If you’re making a third-party hotel reservation through Disney’s website, your reservation will likely be linked to My Disney Experience automatically. But many folks don’t do that. For example, if you’re using Hilton or Marriott points to book your reservation, that’s got to be done through the chain’s website. This article guides you through how to link that reservation to MDE once it’s made.
Walt Disney World Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin
Linking your third-party hotel reservation is about as easy as it gets: Just enter your hotel confirmation number into MDE, along with the last name on the reservation, and you should be set. This isn’t surprising, because these three hotels are probably the most integrated into Disney’s benefits programs of any non-Disney hotel in Walt Disney World. Other than using third-party bus services (and having Magic Kingdom guests dropped off at the Transportation and Ticket Center instead of the park entrance), there are few benefits for Disney-owned hotel guests that are not also afforded to guests at the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin.
Also, the Swan and Dolphin have their own app, with instructions on how to link your reservation into MDE:
Shades of Green
A Disney Dish listener named Jeff had this to say about linking his Shades of Green reservation:
I can confirm that those staying at Shades of Green can link the reservation on MDE to allow for extra hours access. We did this in August and again for an upcoming week – it works well. MDE knows the number of folks in the reservation and only that many can be chosen in MDE. (By the way, Shades has a really nice indoor set-up at the bus stop too.)
The great news there is that MDE is linked to Shades of Green’s reservation system. So you just have to enter your Shades of Green reservation number – just one step more than guests staying at a Disney-owned hotel.
The Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs Area Resorts
It’s also possible to link reservations made at the Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs Area Resorts to MDE, with one warning:
Disney says it could take 48 – 72 hours (two to three days) for the information to make its way from your hotel to Disney
That’s much slower than with the Swan, Swan Reserve, Dolphin, Four Seasons Orlando, or Shades of Green. That’s fine if you’re making reservations months in advance, but less good if you’re taking a last-minute trip and need to do things in a hurry. Plan accordingly.
In the past, there was a workaround with a physical card if your reservation was not yet showing in MDE when you arrived. That does not appear to be the case anymore, and if it’s been more than 72 hours a call to Disney tech support is your best bet. (See: Getting Help With My Disney Experience App When Something Goes Wrong)
Disney World Third-Party Hotels Booked Through Hotwire, Priceline, Expedia and Others
Ah, this is a little trickier because there are three companies involved: Disney, the hotel chain you’re staying at, and the third-party booking engine.
Lucky for us, a Disney Dish listener named Robbie found a solution by calling the Disney Wholesale phone number:
As a huge fan of scouring Hotwire’s “Hot Rate” hotel offers and finding the Disney World resorts hidden there, I discovered a great work-around. After getting my room confirmation from Hotwire, I call the Disney Wholesale number (below). I give them my Hotwire confirmation number and they convert it for me to a MDE-friendly reservation number within minutes of making the original reservation. I hope this helps, and keep up the good work!
The Disney Wholesale number is (407) 939-7671.
Other Disney-Area Hotels and Information
This is what I’ve found out so far for these Disney World-Area hotels. The common themes are:
- Link your reservation in MDE for the best success
- Try to allow at least three days between making the reservation and trying to link it in My Disney Experience
- If you aren’t successful in linking to MDE but your hotel offers Early Theme Park Entry, be prepared that you may need to talk to multiple employees to find one who is familiar with the process.
If you’ve stayed at another hotel and figured out how to link your reservation to My Disney Experience, let me know in the comments.
Also, if you’re thinking about using your third-party hotel’s transportation, make sure to verify that the hotel shuttle will get you to the park in time to take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry. Some off-site shuttles only operate a few times each day, and some don’t start until close to park opening. In those cases, it might be more useful to take a taxi or ride-share to the parks. It’ll save you a ton of time in line.
Postscript: All the Different Names Disney Uses for “Nearby Hotels We Don’t Own”
In updating this post I had to verify the difference between hotels in Disney’s own hotels, the ones in Disney’s “Good Neighbor” program, and others. It’s confusing because Disney uses a lot of different names to refer to these hotels and their benefits. Here’s a quick rundown:
Disney Partner Hotels – Mainly used by Disney’s U.K.-based sites, “Disney Partner Hotels” refers to:
- The Disney Springs hotels (also called “Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels” – see below)
- The Swan and Dolphin (and probably the Swan Reserve, but the website doesn’t list it even though it opened in 2021!)
- The Bonnett Creek resorts: Hilton’s Waldorf-Astoria and Signia, and Wyndham’s Grand Orlando Resort
- The Four Seasons Orlando
- The SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites at Flamingo Crossings, which this site calls the “Western Entrance”. See also “Disney Gateway Hotels” below
Disney Gateway Hotels – Another term used by Disney to refer to the hotels of Flamingo Crossings. But this one includes the Fairfield Inn, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Residence Inn by Marriott, all of which are at Flamingo Crossings but not listed in the Disney Partner Hotels site.
Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels – Along with “Disney Partner Hotels”, Disney uses this term to refer just to the seven hotels within the Disney Springs area.
Good Neighbor Hotels – Disney uses this term to refer to third-party hotels that aren’t Partner or Gateway hotels and that do not receive any special theme park benefits. These hotels include national chains such as Empassy Suites and Hampton Inn, as well locally-run hotels such as the Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista. Note that the link on Disney’s site that shows the list of these hotels can be reached directly here: https://www.wdwgoodneighborhotels.com/browse-hotels/
Orlando Area Hotels – Disney uses this term to refer to the combined set of its own hotels, the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin, plus the Four Seasons Orlando, the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, the Good Neighbor hotels, and the Bonnett Creek Resorts.
(Originally published November 9, 2022, last updated October 8, 2024)
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I’m staying at the Wyndham by Disney Springs. I booked through another vendor (Priceline). The front desk was able to give me a physical early entry pass for everyone in my party with our reservation number. Alternatively, you could ask the hotel for your reservation number and connect it through the app!
Thanks for that information, Mike!
Has anyone stayed at Drury Plaza Hotel? It’s a newer hotel and curious how they handle early entry and if they are aware of a business card.
I know this is an old post, but did you ever get a photo of one of these cards Len? I can’t get my Wyndham hotel to show up in MDE and I called the hotel and they had no idea what I was talking about for the “business card”. I’ll try again when there in person, but would be nice to have a pic or reference as you said!
Ah, I didn’t. Definitely try in person, please, and let me know how it goes.
Yes you get early entry on the day of check in and day of check out. You don’t have to be physically checked in yet, but you need the reservation linked to your disney account so that you can show it on your phone to the gate keepers at Disney.
I think morally you’re just fine! You are paying for the early access with points.
Sorry one further to this question. If I am checking in on a Monday, but cannot check in until 4 PM, can I get early entry on that Monday? Thanks.
I had two questions related to this:
1. If my checkout day is a Monday (let’s assume an 11 AM checkout time), am I eligible for early entry on that morning for perhaps a 7:30 AM early entry day?
2. I was planning on renting a home (family of 5), but using Hilton points to get a room for 4 days at the Hilton Double Tree Suites (that will sit empty) that will accommodate 5. Is this morally dubious or TP Savvy to get the early entry benefit?
I am staying at: Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort
Address: 12205 Apopka Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32836
Phone: (407) 239-0444
It is a Disney Good Neighbor hotel. I booked through Undercover Tourist.
Do you think it’s possible to get early entry for us and how, please?
I shared my (outlier) experience on Twitter, but I’ll expound on it here.
I stayed at The B in late April 2022, booked through a lesser third-party site (I think it was called Agoda?). I used early entry three days of my trip (more on that in a second). I could not see my reservation in MDE. My park ticket was a 4-day base ticket.
On day one, I went to Epcot. I scanned in with my MagicBand, and the CM asked where I was staying. I told her, and flashed my room key. She let me in.
On my Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom days, I had my room key ready when I scanned my MagicBand. Never was stopped or challenged about whether I should have early access.
As noted in the article and echoed by others, bus service is wildly unpredictable. The service that stopped at the row of Hotel Plaza Blvd locations differed in operation from day to day. Usually it was three busses, but the two parks combined onto one bus (and the order of drop off) changed daily. This is why my Hollywood Studios day wasn’t an early entry experience. Our shuttle ended up behind another bus that spent ten minutes at the Animal Kingdom booths. By the time we made it through that, dropped off the Animal Kingdom guests, and went to Studios, it was regular park open.
Now, it’s possible that I was incredibly lucky during my trip. I was traveling solo, and I generally look amenable, trustworthy, and laid-back. (My wife thinks this is why I often get pulled for routine additional screening by TSA.) But it’s also possible that CMs at the gates are making the general assumption that the folks who know about early entry, show some plausible form of confirmation, and are using a base ticket (not an annual pass) are not trying to swindle Disney out of a 30-minute benefit they are not entitled to.
I have been successful linking Good neighbor hotels to my MDE account (both Hilton and Holiday Inn).
But… if you have to make changes to those hotel stays, there is no way to get MDE to recognize the change. First, we had to move our dates back a few days due to some airline flight changes. Made the change on the Holiday Inn website, then went to MDE – message says to call to make changes. I called, and after a long hold time was told they cannot change the dates, and it would have to be escalated to a different group, with a 48 hour turn around to show in MDE. A week went, by, and then another, with no change. Called again, got same info relayed. Again, two weeks later no change. In the end, we ended up switching to a Hilton property and a brand new reservation. I was able to link that one, and it overlapped with the Holiday Inn reservation in MDE.
Finally, I had to call again and tell them to cancel the Holiday Inn reservation. After 6 weeks, and multiple phone calls the changed reservation finally showed correctly in MDE. That was frustrating.
Thanks for this, Chuck. Based on this experience, it sounds like the process is a “Send once in batch mode” thing. The first time a reservation is created, it’s sent to Disney. And nothing after.
Thanks for this article (and the podcast)! I stayed at the Dolphin last year, booked through Priceline, and had to call the Dolphin to get the confirmation number to link to MDE. The confirmation number I got from Priceline didn’t work. Once I entered the number the Dolphin gave me, it took a couple of days to show up, but all good after that.
Thanks Dee! This is good to hear.
Thanks for the article, Len! I heard the segment on this and decided to investigate a little further as we were heading down for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend and staying at the Doubletree (Disney Springs). I called and spoke with the front desk, and they informed me to just ask for the paper business card (my words, not theirs’) when we checked in. We requested our early entry cards upon arrival, and the front desk happily filled them out. We utilized them two different days at Epcot with no issues. Simply showed them to the cast member monitoring early entry and they let us in. On a related note, I took the bus from Doubletree one morning (meeting my husband after he finished the half marathon) and the bus driver was unaware of the road closures due to the race. He drove around a while, then informed us that he couldn’t get us to Epcot, and dropped us at the TTC. Not a big deal but this was the same bus then going on to Hollywood Studios and had picked up at multiple hotels before it picked up at Doubletree. Seems like you would be on this bus for a while trying to get anywhere! I spoke with others on the bus who said it took forever to get to the parks and then their bus never came when they were supposed to take it home the night before. So, definitely consider using your own transportation in order to take advantage of early entry if staying at the Doubletree (Fabulous Buses was the company but they were less than fabulous…). Thanks for all the great info!
Thanks Erica! Do you happen to have a photo of those business cards? In case someone else goes looking for them, it’d be nice to say “…and this is what it looks like.”
Len, I do still have the card. Happy to pass along a photo. Is there a way to attach an image to this thread? If not, if you want to email me, I would be happy to attach to send along a photo!