Welcome to planDisney, Michelle! I'm so glad to answer your question today. It sounds like we've got a lot in common because I'm also always dreaming about my next Walt Disney World vacation, even if it's many months away. With that in mind, let's chat about Summer 2026 and when you can expect to hear about all the offers and other fun things taking place at that time.
Disney has announced that the
Water Park Benefit, which lets eligible guests visit a Disney Water Park for free on their check-in day, will return in Summer 2026. The basic idea is that if you're checking into a
Disney Resort Hotel, you can pop over to whichever water park is open that day and enjoy admission on the house. No theme park ticket needed for that visit! You'd just use your
MagicBand or
Disney MagicMobile to verify your resort stay at the gate.
Now, as for the timing piece, Disney is telling us on the website to "check back in 2026" for the full details. That means we don't yet know exactly how Summer 2026 will be defined just yet, and I can't confirm whether your upcoming stay in early May falls inside that window. The good news is that we should have clarity in just a few weeks when we ring in the new year, and Disney updates the official info for 2026. Once that drops, you'll see the exact date range and any specifics for the return of this offer. I recommend keeping an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for more information!
I hope this answers your question, Michelle, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation.
Jessica