Disney4me Posted April 8 Report Posted April 8 Staying at a Disney World hotel comes with tons of perks! We love the convenient location and transportation, along with access to early booking for Lightning Lanes and dining reservations, and so much more. Of course, just staying in the Disney bubble with gorgeous theming and fantastic service is always an added benefit. Magic Kingdom Early Entry One of our favorite perks is Early Entry, which is where we get extra time in the theme parks, but Disney is making some changes to the program you need to know before you book your hotel. For Early Entry, guests staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel get access to the theme parks 30 minutes early, before the park opens to the public. This includes your check-in and check-out days and is a great way to catch an extra ride or two with the lower crowds. You get Early Entry at: Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Disney’s Pop Century Resort The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Pop Century Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Port Orleans French Quarter Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney’s Beach Club Resort Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Yacht Club Resort BoardWalk Resort Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village Disney’s Beach Club Villas Disney’s BoardWalk Villas Disney’s Old Key West Resort Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows Disney’s Riviera Resort Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Skyliner at Disney’s Riviera Resort Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel Walt Disney World Swan Hotel Walt Disney World Swan Reserve DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista Four Seasons Resort Orlando Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Holiday Inn Orlando Renaissance Orlando Resort and Spa Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Waldorf Astoria Orlando Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Four Seasons May is a big month for Disney World because so many new attractions are opening, which totally changes how we do Early Entry. Let’s take it park by park, so you know which attractions are available. Magic Kingdom We don’t yet have the exact opening date, but Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is set to reopen sometime in early May. We expect this ride to return to the Early Entry list, but since it’s been closed for over a year while they replace the entire track and add new Rainbow Caverns, it’s not officially on the list right now. ©Disney When Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens, the ride is going to be popular, so it can be a great choice for Early Entry to get in line before the park officially opens to the public. We also wanted to mention that, even though Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin reopened in April, it is likely to remain a popular choice since it was also closed for a lengthy refurbishment. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Here are all the available rides for Early Entry: “it’s a small world” Astro Orbiter Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Dumbo the Flying Elephant Mad Tea Party Peter Pan’s Flight Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Space Mountain The Barnstormer The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Tomorrowland Speedway Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress Hollywood Studios On May 22nd, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will get new updates, including the addition of the Mandalorian and Grogu! You’ll also be able to choose which adventure you want to take, and the whole ride should feel like a welcome refresh. Smugglers Run is already a part of Early Entry, but keep in mind that this could be a much busier option. New missions will be added to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu. We also wanted to give a quick shoutout to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, which is set to reopen this summer. Now, we wouldn’t call May a summer month, and it’s likely Disney would have already announced its opening with the other attractions, but it’s a good one to keep your eye on in case it opens early. ©Disney Walt Disney Studios, the new area replacing Animation Courtyard, will be opening on May 26th. While we don’t expect this to be part of Early Entry, if you want to spend some time in the area, it might be better to use Early Entry for your top attractions to make sure you get those out of the way so you have more time to enjoy Walt Disney Studios later in the day. “Olaf Draws” Concept Art ©Disney The rides currently available for Early Entry are: Alien Swirling Saucers Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets — Opening Summer 2026 Slinky Dog Dash Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Toy Story Mania! EPCOT You’ll definitely want to circle May 26th in your calendar because it is a big deal this year! In EPCOT, Soarin’ Across America will open. The current version, Soarin’ Around the World, will close on May 13th, and then the new version will open on the 26th. Since this ride is available during Early Entry, you’ll want to be aware that you can’t go for 14 days, so other attractions may be busier. ©Disney Check out all the rides available: Frozen Ever After Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Mission: SPACE Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Soarin’ Around the World Spaceship Earth Test Track The Seas with Nemo & Friends Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom is currently undergoing a massive transformation, with many attractions closed as the changes are underway. On May 26th (we told you that date would be important!) Bluey’s Wild World will be opening at the Conservation Station. We are not expecting this to be part of Early Entry (most shows and character experiences are not), but you might want to cross off some bigger rides off your list so you have more time to have fun with Bluey and Bingo. Bluey and Bingo Here are the Early Entry rides in Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage Expedition Everest Na’vi River Journey Zootopia: Better Zoogether! The best way to stay on top of all of the changes is to keep an eye on the Disney World app. If there are rides you know you’ll want to go on and you have access to Early Entry, you might want to prioritize them. Sometimes, rides don’t open for Early Entry even if they’re scheduled to, so having a backup isn’t a bad idea, either. Make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more tips and tricks to make your next Disney World trip the best one yet! FULL LIST OF WHAT’S OPENING IN DISNEY WORLD IN 2026 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Do you use Early Entry? Tell us your favorite attraction to ride in the comments. View the full article Quote
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