I’ve always been a huge proponent of staying at one of the Disney resort hotels mostly because you get some really great perks that aren’t available to guests staying off-site. These include Disney’s Magic Express airport transportation, Extra Magic Hours, and earlier FastPass and Advanced Dining Reservation windows. This isn’t to mention the amazing theming of the resorts and the immersiveness you feel when on property.
Now, guests staying off-site might have access to one of these perks because Disney is extending their early FastPass reservations to select hotels that they don’t own.
Until now, Disney Resort Hotel guests including those staying at Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin Resorts were the only ticket holders who could make FastPass+ selections 60 days before their vacation, and off-property guests and annual passholders had to wait until 30 days out to make the same selections. By this time, some of the most popular FP+ attractions can be harder to get.
Disney hasn’t made an official announcement yet, so there aren’t many details available and we don’t know what hotels will be included in this offer. However, It does seem that sometime before the end of 2017, guests staying at the Disney Springs Hotels will be offered the benefit at 60 days out, and there will likely be more hotels on the list when it’s made official. These hotels, which Disney refers to as “Good Neighbor Hotels” will make the offer available to their guests though we’re still not sure how exactly this will work. You’ll probably add your hotel reservation to your MyDisneyExperience account and be granted access to the FP+ system through there.
This seems like a great thing, and believe me it is. But also notable is that the Disney Springs area hotels are often much less expensive than the Disney Resort Hotels. The Best Western even advertises stays starting as low as $65 a night!
It’s possible that these hotels could raise their rates with the extra benefit of early FastPass selections, but if prices remain stable, you could save a lot of money and get one of the most valuable perks of a Disney Resort Hotel stay without staying at a Disney Resort Hotel.
FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance for Disney Springs hotels: Good idea?