Planning to visit Walt Disney World on Oct. 1 to celebrate the resorts’ 50th Anniversary?

Well, staying onsite — and particularly at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort — just got more exciting.

Disney announced that early (and late) park hours will be returning in time for the start of the 50th Anniversary Celebration!

So what does that mean?

According to Disney, “Just in time for the start of this magical celebration, on Oct. 1, we will be rolling out a new early theme park entry benefit for Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels, giving them the first chance to enjoy select attractions at EVERY theme park, EVERY day. These guests will also be among the first each day to see the dazzling decorations and EARidescent excitement. Guests will need a valid ticket or pass and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same date for early theme park entry.”

Earlier this week, it was mentioned that Extra After Hours would be returning for resort guests, but with little detail … but now we have information on how it will all work: “In addition, with the kickoff of the 50th anniversary, guests staying at one of our Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Disney Resort hotels will also be able to enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks. Extended evening hours will begin in early October with specific dates and parks to be shared at a later time. “

Folks looking to take advantage of these extended evening hours over the first few days of the 50th Anniversary celebration should act quickly, as availability is already quite limited.

More details on dates and times will be announced at a later date, but the logistics of these resort guest extra hours are pretty clear: “Please note that guests will need a valid ticket or pass and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day to experience extended evening hours. Or, guests may visit with a ticket or Annual Pass with the Park Hopper option as long as they entered their first park where they made their reservation earlier in the day. 

“For both of these options, select attractions, merchandise and food and beverage locations will be available. Guests should be sure to also bring their MagicBand, Disney MagicMobile pass or Key to the World card linked to their stay, or another form of Resort ID.”

But that’s not all! Guests will be treated to surprise visits from their favorite Disney characters dressed in their EARidescent best at various times and locations at their Walt Disney World resort hotel.

And one last announcement to keep an ear on — the Disney Dining Plan will be returning, but Disney isn’t quite ready to share the details yet: “While we’re not quite ready to share an update on timing, we are planning to bring this guest-favorite option back at a later date. We will also continue to reopen more Resort offerings, including restaurants like ‘Ohana (with the noodles!).”

No word on the return of the fried chicken at Trail’s End, though.

Are you visiting Walt Disney World for the opening of the 50th Anniversary celebration? Which resort hotel will you be staying at — tell us in the comments below!

And be sure to join us on our weekly Crescent Lake Club live shows as the #CrescentLakeClub begins planning their big 50th Anniversary trip!

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