As we speculated a few months back, Disney will indeed extend the 60-day FastPass booking window to guests at the Disney Springs area hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard. This will begin to be offered to guests at these non-Disney resorts in 2018. Here is the full statement from Disney on the change:
“Guests staying at any of the Disney Resort hotels will continue to experience special features offered at a Disney Resort hotel, including legendary Guest service and unique theming, along with benefits like the Extra Magic Hours benefit, the ability to make FastPass+ selections up to 60-days prior to arrival, (both of these benefits require valid theme park admission), the convenience of MagicBands, complimentary transportation (motor coach, buses and ferry boats) around the Walt Disney World® Resort and standard parking at Disney theme parks, Disney’s Magical Express service and the ability to purchase Disney dining plan packages. Those Guests staying in select Disney Resort hotels can also receive other services such as personalized vacation planning, merchandise delivery to their rooms, and easy access to Minnie Van service.
For 2018, we are also extending some benefits that are currently available to Disney Resort hotel Guests and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel Guests. Each Guest, with a valid theme park admission, staying at one of the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, which are designated Official WALT DISNEY WORLD hotels will be extended these benefits. The Disney Spring Resort Area hotels include: B Resort & Spa; Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort; DoubleTree Guest Suites by Hilton Orlando; Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace; Hilton Orlando Resort Lake Buena Vista; Holiday Inn Orlando; Wyndham Lake Buena Vista; and Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista.
Beginning Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2018, Guests at any of these Official WALT DISNEY WORLD hotels, with a valid theme park ticket, can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours benefit as each day, one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks opens early or extends later for Guests to enjoy select attractions.
Scheduled to begin Jan. 10, 2018, Walt Disney Travel Company packages are available for online bookings for the Disney Springs® Resort Area hotels. Also, scheduled to begin Jan. 10, 2018, Guests at these Official WALT DISNEY WORLD hotels, who have booked a package reservation for the hotel through a Walt Disney Travel Company package, will be able to link their hotel reservation on My Disney Experience, and with a linked, valid theme park ticket, these Guests can utilize a 60-day booking window for FastPass+ selections. These are benefits that are already available to Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel Guests.”
Another reason to skip the overpriced on property hotels?
So not the Four Seasons, Waldorf, or Bonnet Creek Hilton? This doesn’t really help us that prefer to stay in nicer accommodations.
Bonnet Waldorf & Hilton are not on Disney property
Such a bad decision in my opinion – we always stay off WDW resort for duration of our holiday (3 weeks) and then have 5 days in a Disney hotel to experience the benefits (keeking our other room) EMHs will be busier, it’s already virtually impossible at 60 days out to get a fasspass for new rides on a 5 day booking so the £300 a night we paid to stay there for these benefits may as well stay in our pockets – disappointed at another Disney decision – looks like we will stay longer at the universal hotels which only give their guests free fast passes and extra hours – you should get what you pay for ????
See? The rich is not happy with this decision. Sorry wealthy foreign buddy for you to have to deal with equal treatment at Disney World. Just because you can afford 300 a night or whatever does not mean everyone else can but still want to experience Disney magic hours or make that fast pass 60 days in advance. Either deal with it or go back home to the queen.
I live in the US, so no queen to go back to, but I totally agree with Lucy. We save all year to stay at a Disney resort and do so for the extra benefits one gets for booking at a Disney resort. With everyone else getting the same benefits, where’s the incentive to book on property anymore?
It doesn’t make good financial sense to do that. Disney is basically telling people to book at the less expensive resorts.
And if you really wanted the 60 days FastPass, you could stay at a value resort and get it. You don’t need to be rich to stay on property. No reason to be so rude, either.
With your logic you should get a Cadillac for the same price as a Hyundai. This isn’t communism Shawn, we live in a capitalist country. And you will still be paying a hefty price to get these benefits as Disney will be upcharging the cheaper hotels within the Disney package you have to book through them.
This past weekend was terrible. The buses didn’t run to these hotels after the Christmas party or even galactic night and not top of this both MK and HS didn’t have buses to Disney Springs after 1130pm each night.
This is great news! And gives more options price-wise too.
BTW, we love the Wyndham… it was the Dutch Inn way back … our first trip to Disney was in 1972!
It is actually a terrible decision as the ones that actually pay for the entire disney experience should be the Ones getting these perks!
I agree! Disney has just told us that there’s no reason to pay more anymore because we won’t be getting more.
Oh good, cram more people in there for EMH–it’s not busy enough already. On the plus side, that will probably lead to less people at the other 3 parks on those days.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If I am reading this correctly, 60 days is only being offered if you book through Disney and not directly with the various hotel chains or throug 3rd parties like Expedia & Orbitz? You can often find very good deals on all these sites that I assume won’t be available thru Disney
And you have to book a “package”.
The points and miles hobbyists are very excited about this development
Not if the above is accurate and you have to book via Disney to get 60 days. You have to book directly with a hotel to get/use points
IMO, Disney must be projecting 2018 to be a slow year in sales as a ton of people are probably holding out taking their trips till Galaxy edge opens. Therefore, I’m anticipating more discounts, offers, and this would play into that, more bodies in parks = more money being spent. That could work to the advantage of those who want to save money on their trip and don’t care about missing the opening of star wars. However, it does screw over those of us who fork over our hard-earned dough, DVC/AP holders, but hey, Disney already has my money, what do they care!!!!
And annual pass holders still can only make fast passes 30 days in advance. I really think this is unfair…we are being penalized for living in Florida even though we spend a great deal of money in the parks. I can never get a decent fast pass as it is. Now it will be non existent.
No where near what DVC members pay and beyond getting messed over
If you have a room booked and annual passes, you can book 60 days. We just did it.
I wonder if this is part of the plan to get the Pop Century value customer to move to (some) of the lower tier Disney Springs Hotels when they raise the prices when the skyliner is brought online.
But still not Shades of Green for our military?!? WTH Disney
A prediction: Disney keeps cutting back, and cutting back. Soon, fast pass, and maybe even the parks themselves, will ONLY be available to people paying Disney “More”, by either staying at one of those renting property from them, or their own cruddy hotels (Though some cutely themed, none as good as a Howard Johnsons for service).
What about Shades of Green?
I certainly agree. SoG should be included, period.
You can get FastPasses at the 60 day mark at Shades of Green. Just link your SOG reservation to your MyDisney account using your confirmation number.
Will the Swan and Dolphin be getting complimentary magicbands and entrance into rooms with magic bands?
How do you get the dining plan for the Hilton?
When is this coming into effect and how do I book? Do you have to go to the hotel directly? Im looking at possibly booking Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, this would seal the deal as we done want a car and dining plans seem like they could be better value.