What You Need to Know Before Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort

4. Free transportation around Disney property

While parking overnight at a Disney resort may cost a bit of money now, you can still get around the property for free. There are bus stations at every resort with buses arriving every 20 minutes or so. Some resorts offer additional options, such as boats or the monorail. A new form of transportation will debut this year: the Disney Skyliner. It will connect guests staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and its newest resort opening later this year, Disney’s Riveria Resort, to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

5. Your MagicBand will be your lifeline

Every guest gets a MagicBand upon check in, which you can customize before your arrival. Your MagicBand will not only be your room key, but also allow you to make purchases and enter the parks! Your park tickets will be placed onto your MagicBand, making it easy to scan your wrist and head inside! If you want to make purchasing things easier, you can choose to add a credit card to your account. This will allow you to scan your MagicBand at any merchandise or quick service dining location and pay automatically without fishing for your wallet. You will also use your MagicBand for any PhotoPass photos you take and any FastPass+ experiences you have selected.

6. You can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours

One of the best perks about staying on property at Disney is being to go to the parks before regular guests and stay after all the regular guests have left. Each day, one park will open early and one park will remain open late for resort guests. It’s usually for one or two hours, but this gives you the opportunity to hit the attractions that normally have the longest wait times during the day, such as Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Seven Dwarves Mine Train at Magic Kingdom.

Staying at a Disney resort rounds out a Walt Disney World vacation, and it’s great to know what to expect before you arrive so you can plan accordingly. Be sure to check out all of the resorts available and pick the best one for you and your family!