2024 seemingly just started but Walt Disney World waits for no man. Resort and package bookings begin for 2025 on February 27th. With that booking window comes good news about on-site hotel perks for 2025. In this post, we’ll break down these perks and add our own commentary.

Before we get into what’s being offered, a quick reminder that these new perks are not a ‘special offer’ by Disney. Honestly, it’s easy to confuse the two. Perks come with staying at an on-site hotel. The water park addition that I’m about to talk about is strictly relating to 2025 but it is on all bookings for on-site hotels.

Special offers are generally discounts or special packages for on-site stays. Those are offered about 3-6 months in advance of the date, with a few exceptions, and the discounts can be applied to already booked packages. Technically, you could book a 2025 stay on February 27th, 2024 to secure the hotel you want for those on-site perks and then add the special offer if and when it becomes available. With that out of the way, let’s talk about some noteworthy perk additions and continuations for 2025!

Water Park Admission on Check-In Day for 2025 Booking

Disney Resort hotel guests arriving in 2025 can enjoy complimentary admission to one of the water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park or Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, on their check-in day. The fun can start on day one at a Disney water park when you stay in the Disney Resorts Collection! At this time, a park reservation is not required to visit a water park; however, reservation requirements are subject to change and admission is subject to availability.

We should also note that water parks are subject to extended rehabilitation, seasonal, capacity and weather closures, or may close for other reasons. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon close far more frequently than the WDW theme parks, due to weather especially. Whether it’s too cold or forecasted to rain all day, there are days when neither water park is open.

Moving away from the caveats, this is a fantastic and savvy move from Disney World. Getting to a water park on check-in day is difficult enough that it shouldn’t overcrowd either park but it’s a great perk for those guests that can use it. Tickets to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach aren’t cheap but are both really well done. This is the first really meaningful addition to on-site perks in quite a while.

If this perk really appeals to you then I think there are a few ways to make the most of it. Planning to do a water park after arriving at Orlando International Airport in the afternoon isn’t attainable. By the time you made it to the hotel to drop off your luggage, changed, caught a bus and then arrived, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon would probably have been closed for 2 hours and you’d be wanting dinner!

Going to a water park after a red eye flight makes sense. Napping on the lounge chair, followed by the lazy river and a slide or two is a fantastic way to spend the day! If you’d rather avoid trying to sleep on an airplane then staying off-site for the first night and checking in to your on-site hotel the following day would be far more manageable. That’s eating into some of the trip but allows guests to enjoy a full day at a water park.

My favorite option is to book a split stay. For those unfamiliar, this would involve switching hotels halfway through the trip. Bell services transfers bags between the hotels and that deluxe resort you’ve always wanted to stay in is way more affordable for 2 or 3 nights than it is for 6! Reading through the rules, guests should be able to have admission to a water park each time they check-in somewhere new that’s on-site. This is beating the system a little bit, but I think guests could check in somewhere new every night and get a free water park day every time? Now that I’m writing this, Disney may change the rules. Assuming that doesn’t happen, a split stay is a great option to fully take advantage of this perk.

No matter how you try to use the water park option on a 2025 booking, it’s a great addition for guests! The water parks are a blast and could add a perfect rest day to catch up from traveling or in the middle of your trip with a split stay.

Extra Park Hours to Continue in 2025

Disney Resort hotel guests can get extra time in the theme parks with 30 minutes of early theme park entry. Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts or Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts can maximize their time with extended evening hours at select parks on select nights. Early theme park entry and extended evening hours require valid admission, a Disney Resort hotel ID and a park reservation, if applicable.

This continues to be the best perk of staying on-site. The extra 30 minutes in the morning at each park really helps to get in front of the crowds and will get you a head start on itineraries. For those staying at a deluxe resort, the extra time at night will be the emptiest you’ll see the parks during your stay. It’s a great time to soak in the ambiance or fit in a bunch of attractions!

It’s not a surprise that the extra hours will continue into 2025 but it is good to know. Continuing the extra 30 minutes every morning and in every park is a fantastic perk and helps spread the crowds around.

Should I Stay On-Site in 2025?

With the announcements today, I definitely recommend an on-site stay. Really, I recommended it even before the new perk was announced. That is dependent on budget, of course, and Disney’s availability. We’ve run into nights where value resorts are nearly $300 and, if that’s the case, then looking off-site or at one of the partner hotels is a good idea. That price is too high!

Assuming that availability is more friendly, staying on-site is convenient and now offers multiple perks that will make a meaningful difference in your WDW experience. Going to Walt Disney World is an expensive endeavor no matter where you stay. At this point, finding the most bang for your buck is important because of how much it is. Taking advantage of the water park perk like I mentioned above and using those extra hours goes a long way in making a trip have more value and fun on a 2025 booking.

What do you think about these new perks? Let us know your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. Looking for Disney World discount tickets? You can find them here! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!