Disney World’s On-Site Advantage: Perks & Benefits of Staying in WDW Resort Hotels
Walt Disney World owned resorts offer several guest benefits: free transportation, line-skipping priority booking, extra hours, airport luggage transfer & more. This covers how on-site perks have changed, whether they offer an actual advantage or are merely marketing, and if WDW hotels are worth higher prices in 2026.
I’ll preface this by saying that we have been advocates of staying in the Walt Disney World “bubble” and are definitely biased towards that. In our On-Site v. Off-Site at Walt Disney World article we attempt to be balanced, but concede that we’re drawn to being inside the Walt Disney World “bubble,” which offers advantages in terms of location, convenience, and the feeling of an all-encompassing vacation destination.
However, that started to change even pre-closure. We still love a lot of Walt Disney World hotels and do on-site stays, but no longer strongly recommend them for everyone. Accordingly, what we are going to do is ask and attempt to answer an important question: what if the selling points of staying on-site are not as valuable as Disney’s marketing or conventional planning wisdom suggests?
For our 2026 update to this guide, we’re happy to report that Walt Disney World’s on-site perks continue to improve. With that said, your perspective will very much depend upon your frame of reference.
If you’re a first-timer, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by all of the guest benefits offered by Walt Disney World resorts, especially the cheaper ones. The real world counterparts of these budget accommodations don’t offer nearly as much. At the other end of the spectrum, seasoned travelers accustomed to luxury hotels may be disappointed by Deluxe Resorts.
For repeat visitors comparing the on-site experience at Walt Disney World of 2026 to 2021, things are absolutely better. However, if you’re comparing the on-site experience today to the one in 2019, it’s still worse. Watch the advertisement below you’re in the mood for mild depression. Seriously, don’t say I didn’t warn you:
In any case, there have been a few positive developments last year and this year, so it’s fairly undeniable that the trajectory for on-site perks at Walt Disney World is positive. On-site advantages are continuing to reappear rather than continuing to disappear, as we’ll discuss here.
Let’s start with a recently-restored perk that continues to evolve: Airport Luggage Transfer.
This previously existed as a companion to the now defunct Disney’s Magical Express, which we’re also hoping–and somewhat expecting–will make a comeback. Currently, Airport Luggage Transfer is a pilot program available at all Value Resort hotels for guests with Southwest Airlines flights through Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can drop checked baggage off with Luggage Assistance to be delivered directly to your flight. A third-party service, BagCheck, will take your luggage directly to the airport for your Southwest Airlines flight. This outbound service launched last spring.
Guests are also able to check their luggage at the Southwest bag drop area or ticket counter at their home airport for direct delivery to their resort as part of the new Inbound Airport Luggage Transfer works. This service is newer, having launched last holiday season.
This is a great option for a friction-less arrival and departure experience. Honestly, I’d consider Pop Century over a higher tier resort (Caribbean Beach, for example) just for this benefit if I were already planning on flying SWA. We expect this to expand to other tiers of resorts and airlines throughout 2026 and 2027.
Another new one is that Kids Eat FREE All Year in 2026 at Walt Disney World. Throughout all of 2026, guests staying at one of Walt Disney World’s on-site resort hotels will get a Free Disney Dining Plan for their kids (ages 3 to 9 at the time of travel) when purchasing a Disney Dining Plan as part of their package for the other members of their party (ages 10 and up at the time of travel).
The Free Disney Dining Plan included in this special offer depends on the Disney Dining Plan the adults in the party purchase. The standard Disney Dining Plan is included for kids ages 3-9 when purchasing a regular Disney Dining Plan for guests ages 10 and older in the party. The Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan is included for kids ages 3-9 when purchasing a Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan for Guests ages 10 and older in the party.
The Kids Free Dining Plan at Walt Disney World can be combined with other select special offers, meaning you may still be eligible to take advantage of other deals released throughout 2026. There are already several such discounts, from all 2026 room-only discounts to bouncebacks to the new ‘Buy 4, Get 2 Free’ deal. Even DVC point rental is eligible for the Kids Free Dining Plan!
This ability to stack the Kids Eat Free offer is why it’s better considered a perk as opposed to a discount. It definitely improves the value proposition on the Disney Dining Plan for any party with even one child ages 3 to 9. For families with multiple young children or that plan on doing character meals, it becomes a no-brainer!
Another recently added perk is the Free Water Park Day in 2026. Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests can enjoy admission to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach on their check-in day. Room-only reservations, vacation packages and Disney Vacation Club stays on points will all be eligible–but all guests must be on the reservation.
Unlike last year, this perk is only available for summer visits, valid for arrivals from May 26 to September 8, 2026. This free day ended up being hugely popular between last Spring Break and September, to the point that Walt Disney World was forced to (finally) reopen both water parks. It’s disappointing that the perk isn’t returning for (at least) March through October, but at least it’ll be available on the dates when water park hours are longest–making it easier to use on arrival day.
We love the Walt Disney World water parks and our favorite time to visit is the last 3 hours they’re open (for lower crowds). This will be a nice money-saving perk for some guests. But its value shouldn’t be overstated. After a long travel day, many people will want to just relax by the resort pool until their room is ready, and then head out to Disney Springs or do dinner after that.
The free water park day can be tricky to use, so for more advice on ‘hacking’ this on-site guest benefit (so you can use it more than once), see Beat Big Crowds & Make the Most of Walt Disney World’s Free Water Park Perk!
Next up is Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, which is the latest iteration of paid FastPass. We’re not going to get into the nuts and bolts of it here–see our Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World for that–but the bottom line is that the new line-skipping service is very similar to FastPass+ with the big difference being that it costs money.
Most notably, guests staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotel are able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance, for their entire stay–up to 14 days. Off-site guests can plan up to 3 days in advance. This is huge.
Here’s a partial list of attractions that have limited availability starting 4 days in advance:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Test Track
- Soarin’
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Na’vi River Journey
Meaning that if you want to skip the lines at the most popular attractions, you’ll almost need to be staying on-site or get lucky with same-day ride reservation refills (hope you have a strong refresh game).
Availability is often completely or nearly gone once the 3-day mark rolls around. (For reasons discussed in our guide above, you’re at a distinct disadvantage if you don’t book morning time slots for at least some of your Lightning Lanes, so there simply being some availability isn’t enough–you want morning times to get the most value out of LLMP.)
Another add-on is the Disney Dining Plan. For many planners, being able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan is very important from a budgeting and convenience perspective. While we’ve been skeptical of this for years, but it’s nevertheless true that guests find themselves surprised by food costs more than anything else at Walt Disney World.
The Disney Dining Plan is a big plus for a lot of Walt Disney World guests who stay on-site. In our view, that probably overstates the degree to which this is an actual advantage. The reality is that the majority guests will come out ahead from a budgeting or convenience perspective by pre-purchasing discount Disney gift cards and using those to pay-as-they-go for food.
The big exception to this is families with kids ages 3-9 who qualify for the Kids Eat Free perk discussed above. They’ll absolutely come out ahead on the DDP. There are other exceptions to this, too, such as families of big carnivores or those willing to “hack” the Disney Dining Plan. But otherwise, the house usually wins.
Next, let’s turn to Walt Disney World’s extra hours: Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. Early Theme Park Entry allows all on-site resort guests and those staying at select third party hotels to enjoy 30-minute access to any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin.
We’ve done Early Entry dozens of times (literally), and our experiences are largely positive at 3 of the 4 parks. Crucially, Extra Magic Hours occurred on select days of the week and only at one park on each occasion. This mean consolidating all on-site guests at a single park. Early Entry occurs daily at all 4 parks, and better spreads out the crowd as a result.
In practice, we’ve found Early Entry to be far less busy than EMH. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, it essentially offers a 2-3 ride headstart for on-site guests and is actually a pretty significant. (Most days, it is not as good at Magic Kingdom.)
Early Entry is a huge perk, and it’s doubly beneficial to be able to use it every single day at whichever park you want. Do not underestimate its value and skip Early Entry because it’s “only” 30 minutes. Learn strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Next, there’s Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, which occur only two nights per week in total–for two hours each night. This benefit is exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Vacation Club), or other select hotels (currently Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green). Guests staying at Value or Moderate Resorts are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours.
This makes Extended Evening Hours a double-edged sword, with its quality hinging on resort status. For those who are eligible, Extended Evening Hours is huge. Crowds are virtually non-existent, as are lines for most attractions. It’s way better than Evening Extra Magic Hours, which had become overcrowded due to expanded eligibility during its last few years. (In fact, the crowds during Evening EMH are one of the reasons we first wrote this post, in the first place–Evening EMH had become almost useless due to overcrowding.)
Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of Value and Moderate Resort guests who, as noted above, cannot take advantage of Extended Evening Hours. So if you’re a Deluxe or DVC guest, this perk is fantastic. If you’re staying at a Moderate or below, it’s awful/nonexistent. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for more rules, eligibility, strategy, etc.
Two of the most recent changes concern transportation. As you’re likely aware, Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttle service ended. Now, visitors arriving to Orlando International Airport will need to rent a car, use Uber/Lyft, or arrange for an alternative shuttle service in order to get to their resort. This was a huge loss for many Walt Disney World visitors.
Disney’s Magical Express’ closest paid replacement is Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine. See our Guide to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World for other options. There’s no one-size-fits-all perfect solution; it depends on your party size, budget, and other factors.
We’ve used Mears Connect many times, and have found it to be virtually identical to Disney’s Magical Express in speed, quality, and service. The biggest downside is that there’s a fee, and that since these are third parties, there’s not always seamless integration between the resorts and the shuttles in the event that an issue arises. (Some fans will cite the lack of luggage handling, but that disappeared from DME prior to this, so it’s hard to tie that to this particular change.)
On a positive transportation note, Walt Disney World brought back free overnight self-parking to guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Complimentary parking was an on-site perk until a few years ago, and it was another prompt for this post in the first place.
We hated the charge for parking, and thought it was a bad decision that diminished the differentiation between Disney and its real-world counterparts. We were not alone. At the time, the introduction of the parking fee was the most controversial change we had ever seen made by Walt Disney World.
Not only did our post garner over 300 angry comments, but Walt Disney World got hit hard by negative reviews on crowdsourced travel sites like TripAdvisor and Google. I had never seen fans so mad–although backlash to the subsequent elimination of free FastPass and Disney’s Magical Express did exceed that response.
In addition to this, Walt Disney World resort hotel guests also continue to receive complimentary standard parking at Walt Disney World theme parks, which is another plus. In tandem, these two things take some of the sting out of the elimination of Disney’s Magical Express–at least for the guests who opt to rent a car while staying on-site. (That number will only grow, as Universal Orlando continues to expand and turn itself into an equally-compelling theme park destination.)
Sticking with the topic of transportation, this is another on-site advantage offered by Walt Disney World…and one that has arguably improved by quite a bit. Let’s start with the neutral components: the monorails and boats are more or less the same.
Given that the monorails continue to age and one boat route has been cut, the argument could be made that these have gotten slightly worse. Anecdotally, I’m not sure I agree–monorail maintenance has decreased downtime and the one boat route is used by a small minority of guests.
Nevertheless, we view Walt Disney World transportation as better today than it was ~5 years ago. The big thing is the Skyliner, which we view as the best transportation option at Walt Disney World. When there is a line, it’s constantly moving and usually a short wait. Since the opening couple of months, the Skyliner gondola system has been incredibly reliable.
I won’t include Minnie Vans as a transportation “improvement” since there’s a pricey surcharge for those, and we don’t generally recommend them. Plus, if you’re willing to use Disney’s Minnie Vans, you might as well be willing to use Lyft or Uber, which have become ubiquitous in Central Florida. The ease of Lyft and Uber is definitely an improvement for guests, but it’s neither here nor there from an “advantage” perspective since it isn’t a change made by Disney.
Turning back to dining, there is an on-site advantage when it comes to booking Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs). Currently, everyone can book table service restaurants 60 days prior to the date on which they’d like to eat. In addition, Walt Disney World resort hotel guests can make Advance Dining Reservations for their length of stay (up to a 10-day stay) up to 60 days in advance of their check-in date.
As discussed in our Top 10 Tips for Booking Difficult Advance Dining Reservations, this “60+10” window can be incredibly advantageous for popular table service restaurants or larger parties, especially during busier travel dates. If character dining or highly themed restaurants are important to you, this is valuable.
The good news is that ADRs have gotten easier over the course of this year, to the point that the 60+10 window is not really necessary for most parties or travel dates. We book a lot of last minute ADRs as a party of 1-3, and they’re not nearly as difficult as a few years ago. However, if you’re a party of more than 4 people, the 60+10 window can be advantageous.
Then there’s the biggest consideration, which is cost. This has always been the primary selling point for staying off-site. It’s worth reiterating here because the cost difference between off-site and on-site accommodations has become much more pronounced in the last few years.
As discussed in How Much Does a Walt Disney World Vacation Cost?, the average total price of a trip this year versus a comparable vacation in 2019 is up by thousands of dollars. On a positive note, that has already improved since publication, as numerous discounts have been released for 2026. Walt Disney World continues to get more aggressive with deals, to the point that prices can be lower in 2026 than they were in 2022-2023.
In other words, this one comes down to your frame of reference. If you visited in 2019 or earlier, a 2026 Walt Disney World vacation is still going to cost a lot more and you’re going to get less. However, the same is true pretty of much everything and everywhere–inflation, shrinkflation, and skimpflation have hit American consumers hard.
If you can afford on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, it’s definitely still nice to stay in a resort with an immersive design, attention to details, and various Disney touches. It’s also nice to be able to walk to the parks, or be part of the Disney bubble.
For many people, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this. There’s a certain x-factor that the Disney resorts offer that elevates the overall experience into something more special. This is true for us, and even with all of the complaints here, we still prefer staying on-site in Disney-owned properties.
To their credit, Walt Disney World’s resorts are still meticulously themed, with a ton of charm, detail, and transportive environments you mostly won’t find off-site. This has long been a big selling point, as your resort stay feels like an extension of the theme parks.
This applies mostly to the exterior grounds and interior common areas. With certain recent room refurbishments, the sense of theme inside Walt Disney World’s hotel rooms has been diminished. We’ve been critical of this because themed environments are what defines Disney, and are in the wheelhouse of Imagineers.
Many of the new rooms seem to be striving more towards crowd-pleasing styles, with generic modern designs, clean and crisp aesthetics, and generally elegant luxury (the last one only applies to Deluxe Resorts). In general, the rooms are less fun and have traded unique and colorful designs for more bland and basic ones.
On a positive note, Disney seems to be turning the corner on this. The new rooms at the Grand Floridian are an unequivocal upgrade over their predecessor in both theme and luxury, and just one recent example of a shift in this regard. It would seem that the worst of this occurred between 2016 and 2019, with the rooms in the last 2-3 years striking the balance much better. Hopefully this is the start of a positive trend and shifts into the ‘on-site advantage’ column over time.
The problem with the previous move towards modern and nondescript rooms is that Disney went from a realm with almost no real competition (ornately themed designs) to placing itself in direct competition with real-world hotel brands by mimicking their style.
This not only makes for an easier head-to-head comparison in terms of guest rooms, but it’s also a comparison that’s often not favorable to Disney. I love a lot of things about Walt Disney World, but do not view it as one of the world’s great operators of hotels.
Actual luxury hoteliers such as Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Four Seasons have high end properties near Walt Disney World, and they generally surpass even Walt Disney World’s flagship hotel on a luxury front. It’s arguable that even the Marriott, Hilton, and Wyndham hotels give Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World a run for their money–and those are often priced below Moderate levels!
When it comes to alternatives to staying on-site, we think that the real sweet spot is on-site third party hotels like the Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons Orlando, and Bonnet Creek Resorts. (See our List of the Best Third Party Hotels Near Walt Disney World.)
Several of these have locations that are as good or better than Disney-owned and operated hotels, and are less expensive. Many also offer the same perks as Disney hotels. Swan & Dolphin, for example, offer Extended Evening Hours whereas Disney Value and Moderate Resorts won’t have access to those.
You also might consider renting a vacation home, both for the sake of privacy and isolation. (See our Best Vacation Home Rentals Near Walt Disney World.) These are especially great for larger parties, and you can literally rent an entire house for the cost of a mid-tier Walt Disney World hotel room. Some of these contain themed kids rooms, in-home theaters, game rooms, private pools, plus everything else you’d expect from a house.
Another great option right now is staying at Universal Orlando, which still does offer most of its on-site advantages and its own sense of immersion and being inside of a “Universal bubble” (albeit to a lesser extent).
If you want to go all-out with Universal’s nicest hotels that are in walking distance of the parks and include unlimited line-skipping at attractions via Express Pass, see our Hard Rock Hotel Review and Portofino Bay Hotel Review. Even though these are Universal Orlando’s more expensive hotels, they’re still priced about on par with Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World.
Our Universal Orlando Hotel Rankings & Reviews covers the pros & cons of all those resorts, many of which we love for their locations, theme, on-site perks, and value for money. Additionally, refer to Universal Orlando v. Walt Disney World Resorts for a comparison between Disney’s and Universal’s hotels to see what each does better.
Ultimately, that describes our dilemma with accommodations at and around Walt Disney World. The rational side of my mind knows that staying off-site provides significantly better value for money and that the some of the perks we receive from Walt Disney World hotels aren’t as valuable as they once were.
We do now have a lower price ceiling for most Walt Disney World resorts (except Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and All Star Movies, which are all a bit higher for us now), which can be a challenge given that room rates have been increasing. However, there are still ways to find good discounts, and failing that we can either use or rent DVC points or look at the on-site third party options like Swan & Dolphin, Disney Springs, and Bonnet Creek.
There’s also Universal Orlando, and we absolutely love several of those hotels. Universal can hold its own with many of Walt Disney World’s hotels from a thematic perspective, and many of the amenities at Universal are actually superior to Disney. Plus, the perks of staying on-site are far superior and nightly room rates are far lower.
With all of that said, there’s the emotional side of staying on-site. We have nostalgic attachments to certain resorts at Walt Disney World, and enjoy their lush grounds, dining, and amenities. We love being able to stay late in the parks, even if they’re crowded and all we’re doing is wandering around. We enjoy the seamless experience of going from the parks to our resort, feeling a temporary reprieve from the real world.
It’s difficult to put a price on all of that. While we “value” it below the cost difference between comparable third party hotels, we often jump through hoops to find ways to justify staying at Walt Disney World hotels. I’m not suggesting this is the right (or wrong) approach. I know part of this is Disney’s emotional power, and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker a lot. I’m not making a judgment either way–it simply is what it is. However, we find it happening less and less with Walt Disney World continuing to raise prices and cut offerings–that makes staying off-site a much easier decision!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think…are the perks of staying on-site as valuable to you as they once were, or are you getting less value for your money staying at Walt Disney World hotels? Will you continue to stay on-site despite this all? Have you already moved off-site? Other thoughts on this? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We are DVC owners, and have been loyal Disney consumers for 20 years, but that is changing for us. Crowds are pretty ridiculous, as are prices of pretty much everything. WDW is nickel-and-diming more and more, and we find ourselves becoming less enchanted.
We pretty much do our 3 fastpasses in any park and leave. We love the perks that Universal offers annual pass holders, and often head over there to spend our evenings. On the way over, we stop at a restaurant and grab a reasonably priced meal.
We live a 17 hour drive from WDW and used to fly, but now we drive so we can have our car to toggle between WDW and Universal. I wish Disney would realize how much money they are losing by having overcrowded parks and overpriced perks and add-ons. We still love hanging out at the resort, but are spending far less time in the parks than we used to. Even with our DVC points and discounts on annual passes, we find that we could pay for about 1/2 of a Europe trip with what we spend to go to WDW (if we rented out our DVC points).
IMHO, Disney has over-built hotels and DVC properties when considering what crowd levels leave “reasonable” wait times for rides.
Being loyal regular Disney fans since we were married 13 years ago ,has about come to an end. Crazy high increase in cost combined with more of a herded like cattle feel has taken the charm and relaxing vacation feel away. It’s as though we are paying them to let us work hard. Diminished cast member interaction and personal touches are disappointing. Why pay thousands to stand in line 3 hours and play an app on your phone to pass the time? You can do that on YouTube in the comfort of your home for FREE! Walt must be tuning in his grave at this.He was more interested in the”happiest place on earth” than this empire and money mentality.
I have tried both Wat Disney Resorts (stayed at the Grand Floridian even) and none Walt Disney Resorts (Disney Springs Resorts & Bonnet Creek). Past couple of times I’ve looked into staying at Wilderness Lodge (my favorite) and possibly Grand Floridian). I’ll tell you the diff is the 60 day window but that all changed recently. Yes, the room were more magical a while back but now, they seem to be more ordinary & puts Disney in DIRECT competition with other hotel brands. Since the addition of other hotels with EMH and 60 day windows, I’m MUCH more inclined to stay at my favorite Non-Disney brand, Hilton or Waldorf Astoria. I can get better value, same service, same benefits, and I earn on my Hilton Rewards while still having money left over to spend on nicer dinners, souvenirs, or other trips. I truly believe Disney has increased their prices of their resorts partially to try to get more people to purchase DVC memberships. I think with the refurb of the rooms at the resorts, they’ve done a disservice and gone more sterile in the rooms then keeping the Magic in them.
i’ve been saying this for awhile- their focus now is not on the average family as it was in the 80s and 90s, but instead on DVC and those who will spend every dime on every “extra” they possibly can and spend 6 digits on a once in a lifetime vacation. people taking annual trips or trips every few years, they don’t matter, even though their money is also green.
We stopped staying onsite at least 3 years ago. We stay at lovely two bedroom condo/hotels for 1/3 of the price of a room at Disney. We sometimes have a car and sometimes rely on Uber. Still makes for a much less expensive experience. We find the food at Disney somewhat overprices and, often, less in quality. We eat onsite, but we eat offsite as well in some of the bigger hotels and still have lovely meals. Our children are grown and when they come with us, they fend for themselves. Unless we choose to stay at one of the new hotels for the experience, we’ll be staying offsite going forward. I should, in all fairness, note that we visit for long weekend at least once a month, sometimes twice a month. This factors strongly in looking for less expensive options.
I think I’m upset by them charging for parking at the resorts. I’m going to be a resident of Florida coming up this summer and staying at a Disney World hotel increases the cost of the hotel by $20 – $25 a day to just park there. I know there are Florida resident deals but the parking cost will still be there. That is something to also consider when booking a hotel at Disney and renting a car or driving your own there.
I agree, the paid parking maddens me. For years we have stayed on property and rented a car. This year, the extra parking cost was an expense that we just feel is unnecessary. There is plenty of parking at most hotels that we have ever stayed at, it feels like a cash grab…
We do both as we live 2 hours away and visit often. That said our “real” trips are the ones where we stay in the bubble. No logic, no math, just bubble.
We love your blog, Fabulous Bricker Duo!! My husband and I decided on a family-moon to Disney last spring break with our teen and tween. The kids and I had never been to WDW and my husband is a mega-fan (we are now, too). One of our wedding gifts was a week at a “nearby” timeshare. We are grateful, don’t get me wrong, but we swore up and down to stay on-property next time. We read all your guides and got to the parks super early which allowed us time to get on rides like Flight of the Avatar without a FP nor waiting for 3 hours. During Spring Break! Nonetheless, we were not in the bubble. And we had a horrible bus experience for the Magic Kingdom!! The bus driver drove us in a huge circle so we ended up exactly where we started. He was exceptionally rude. Then, the Disney people were surprisingly unhelpful. They gave all of us passes to jump to the head of a line for a number of rides since we missed our FP. The only problem? They were expired. Regardless, it was all about lessons learned and how we want to do things next time. On property all the way. Especially with more options than just the bus!
It’s been a decade since I stayed off-site, and I determined that it wasn’t worth it then. Haven’t seriously revisited it, although I include the Disney Springs hotels in my calculations. If I’m trying to save, I find a stay at a value resort with an AP discount sufficient for my budget while still getting the Disney bubble.
I’ve had phenomenal success with morning EMH but agree that evening EMH are hilariously bad now. I miss those old days of LATE closings of Magic Kingdom (1 am or so). At this point, I’m not going to move to staying off-site but definitely don’t stay at deluxe resorts unless there is a very high discount.
I have stayed in Disney resorts almost every time we went. A few years ago my daughter and her family invited along with them. They booked off site but close to Disney springs. Even so the transportation was a nightmare, times were long between buses, you could only catch one or be picked up in one location. The kids much younger than me often chose to just walk back to the hotel I did that twice! Never again! I love staying in Disney and have never had a problem with transportation.
We like staying on site, but I have a hard time with the deluxe prices when the rooms don’t compare to what you would get at a high end Marriott. The quality of the beds and linens don’t come close. And the noise! It’s like the people in the neighboring room are in your room. I will say we were delightfully surprised by AoA, it was by far the nicest hotel I’ve stayed at on site. I just wish it was walkable to a park from there. I’m curious what the gondolas will be like.
Last month we made one final stay at Swalphin before the new points rates kicked in (we paid 36,000/night, and it’s now 50,000/night). We’ve stayed DVC by renting points, but that’s gone up at least $5/point since we last used it. We’ve done MVT agency specials, but they’re not as good as they used to be. We love Disney but I think we’re going to save our vacation time and money for the forseeable future for Europe and Asia.
You can buy stuff at the disney’s stores and not carry those bags everywhere you go.., you could have it delivered to your room on the next day… I like that one. But yes.., its only worthwhile if you spend more money (buying stuff in the store)
I used to be totally against staying off property, but after my last few visits I’ve changed my stance. The off-site resorts/hotels are really nice and just as close as some of the Disney hotels. I’ve felt that Disney has been moving more towards a model where you have to either pay extra to have the same amenities they used to offer for all guests, or be a DVC member. I’ve been looking to do my next trip through Costco Travel, which has amazing deals, and offers the same on-site amenities, in giant rooms/suites, and some include rental cars. Saving over $1000 on the trip makes the 25$ a day parking at the parks worth it!
You must get tired of “when you have kids” posts, but here’s one more. I do think there are some unique transportation benefits for families of small children at WDW resort that maybe aren’t as applicable for kid-free adults. Getting a sleeping baby/child out of a stroller to board transportation is a recipe for a full scale meltdown, whereas wheeling the stroller onto the monorail or walking back to an Epcot-area resort from the parks is amazing–and the only way mom and dad will get to see those post-bedtime fireworks. Minnie vans are also good when you need two carseats (not an option on lyft and uber), since carseats are required by law in florida for kids age 5 and under. The magical express transportation from the airport and resort is also extra magical when you can’t wheel your own suitcases because your hands are full with pushing strollers.
I would also say that while I agree the room refurbishments are not as exciting as they could be, the resort lobbies, restaurants, grounds, and swimming pools at WDW resorts blow us away with their elaborate themes.
I never thought EMH was much of a perk. Your waits in EMH for hot ticket rides like Slinky and Flight of Passage will still be nuts, everything else is fast-passable, and there are higher crowds overall throughout the day on EMH days. Agree with you the 60 day benefit is also pointless for those of us who can’t plan vacation that far ahead (read: lawyers).
“You must get tired of “when you have kids” posts, but here’s one more.”
Actually, I don’t get tired of this feedback at all (so long as it’s not condescending, and your comment obviously isn’t).
Not having kids presents numerous blind spots for us. I try to think about the family perspective when posting, but there’s so much that’s incredibly easy to miss without having first-hand experience.
So I appreciate the perspective; thanks for the thoughtful comment! 🙂
And I forgot to add the most important family benefit of all: almost every disney resort has rooms that sleep 5, so with three kids too young to sleep in a room on their own, that more or less ensures we’ll keep staying disney.
This!! We took our 2 year old a few years ago, and even staying at an All-Star resort was too inconvenient for kid travel. (We paid $90/night, so although we won’t stay there again, inexpensive on-property rooms are there). I dread ever having to rent a car just to bring car seats on a plane. We have booked at Bay Lake for our next trip, and hoping the location will be as beneficial as I expect. With kids, morning EMH are helpful but evening is often out of the question for us anyway. And since I’m pro-planner, I enjoy the 60 day FP window immensely. At this stage of life, we see benefits, though understand for adults with more flexibility, off-site would have its perks.
I love staying at Disney. Just don’t like the buses especially when you have a pram and sleeping baby and have to remove the child fold the pram try to carry numerous bags and pram and baby not ideal. Us to buses where prams can go on without collapsing. Then people complained because pram had to be folded and left in middle off walkway due to the size off pram. It wasn’t a small on. It cones in two pieces. Easier and cheaper to hire a car. But live Disney and prefer to stay on site.
As always, a great post that gets you thinking, and re-thinking WDW vacation decisions. We have a vacation planned with “free” dining which helps make the decision easier, but more & more I’m considering off-site options to test how that experience sits with my family. Our dilemma is that we only make it to Disney every year or every other year, so taking the risk of an off-site accommodation is one we always worry about when it comes time to actually make the booking.
Totally understand that dilemma, and I’d likewise have significant trepidation about going far off-site. (Or more pointedly, I just wouldn’t do it.)
However, have you considered the on-site third party options? For instance, Swan & Dolphin are pretty low risk. Even if you dislike the rooms and resort itself, you’re still just 5 minutes from BoardWalk and Yacht & Beach Club, so you can spend time relaxing at those resorts.
There are ways to ease yourself into third party options so you know whether that’s a compromise you want to make without jumping off the deep end, if that makes sense.
A couple of years ago we were at BW for a week and decided to extend our stay by a couple of nights. BW has no vacancies but, because we love the great location and wanted to stay nearby, both Swan and Dolphin did. Have to say that even though we were only a few hundred yards from BW our stay at the Swan felt entirely different. Definitely less “Disney” more European convention hotel. Room was cleaner, staff was more polished and we could still walk to Epcot & HS but….
I agree with the resorts being way easier with small ones. And with teenagers we felt comfortable letting them explore the parks without knowing that they could easily find transportation back to our resort (whichever one it was at the time).
I agree with you though. Staying on property really makes no economic sense. It’s just a an experience of scent & visual memories and emotional longing that makes our past Disney come to life. Can’t put a dollar figure on that. Yet….
Great advice, and especially on-point since we’re booked at Yacht Club. I think our next trip will not be planned around free dining so we will look at luxury accommodations just outside the bubble, but within the set that gets some of the on-site perks like early FP+ booking & EMH. I’ve been reading your site since the beginning and enjoy it as much now as then.
We have always stayed on DisneyWorld property but are increasingly disappointed in the rising costs and diminished benefits. The only perk that keeps us there is that we like to take a midday break. We return to our hotel room after lunch and spend several hours at the pool. That experience leaves us energized and ready for a return to the parks for dinner and attractions. It would be unappealing to do this when staying off property due to lost time in transportation going back and forth.
A really good thought provoking argument. We have tried on and offsite hotels. There is no doubt whatsoever that on site in the bubble is so convenient and whilst costly we do justify it with heart ruling head!! That said I wasn’t aware of the perks carrying over to some Disney Springs hotels and will now look at that as an option. It would also be easy to get to s close resort and use Disney Transportation system.
Did not know that off property hotels offer EMH and early booking windows for fast pass. However, staying on the property gives such a nostalgic feel and Disney transportation is extremely convenient. If we were to stay off property, I wouldn’t want to spring extra for the park hopper option or do “breaks” during the day because who’d want to sit in an Uber back and forth with 3 kids ages 5,7,13? Lol, this post kind of changes things a bit! Thanks!
Just for the sake of clarification, some of the third party hotels are within the boundaries of Walt Disney World property, and are closer to the parks than other resorts. For instance, Swan & Dolphin, Bonnet Creek, and the Disney Springs hotels are all (arguably) more conveniently located than the All Stars and several other Disney-owned hotels.
I have generally found staying on site good for our requirements – we are at Caribbean Beach – however at this particular hotel, the rooms are 2* at best, the food is very poor on the fast service dining plan – Spyglass has a very limited menu – and overall I won’t return to Disney – overpriced food and drink, ridiculously busy so you really can’t get the best out of it – ticked off our bucket list and a feeling of buyers remorse.