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!
Commenting to say that I recently got a survey from WDW…after a trip in December 2019! It covered when I would feel comfortable coming back…but most importantly it had me rank what on-site perks were relevant to me staying on site. Things like FP, ADRs, and different kinds of EMHs were included. Seems like they might be seriously reevaluating what they offer as an on site “perk” for post-COVID travel
Per Disneys own website, it advertises the #1 benefit of staying on property is advance booking of FP+…The other benefits are Magic bands (gone unless you pay for them), free transportation (which everyone gets), theming, dining plan (currently not available but will def be brought back because they make $ on it) and finally EMH (we avoid parks with EMH because they are usually busier on those days, thanks for the tip!)…My question is, why would Disney get rid of FP+ (or worse charge for it) if they are trying to lure back hotel guests when it’s really the only perk that is worth it? I know FP+ is not popular for non hotel guests but I think its a big perk for people that travel for week+ vacations to know they are going to be able to get on the rides they want without having to get up before sunrise………And with the numbers being REALLY bad dung the pandemic because only locals are visiting, i would think this has been an unintended benefit (for lack of a better term) for Disney mgmt to get a look at what their occupancy rates could be if they eliminate all of the on site perks
We save up to go every year to have the onsite experience and after hours but you are right the perks seems to be going away but the price goes higher. We are older and like to go during the late hours or early morning hours but when we went last year in the am Right at rope drop it was packed. Not fun to get up that early because you think they are offering it for on premise only to find that everyone and their brother is their and are not paying what I paid for that luxury. I love disney bit I felt scammed in a way.
*****LONG POST*****
We have a timeshare at Wyndham Bonnet Creek that my wife and I (she purchased it before we were married) have used for about a couple of decades. We’ve been about a couple of times a year on average and it’s been a relatively inexpensive trip because we had the place to stay, we purchase Salute to Service tickets, and till recently, lived within a day’s drive to Orlando. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed staying there, but quite frankly, every time you check in you have to go through the gauntlet of getting a parking pass and are pressured into attending a seminar (?) on how to use your timeshare ‘benefits’ is a pain. It’s gotten to the point now where I shed my normally polite and chipper demeanor and basically demand ‘my damned parking pass’, and ‘no, in fact, I don’t have any time on this vacation to sit through 2 hours of bs’. Frustrations on that part aside, $20-$30/day parking and having to have a designated driver can sometimes limit everyone’s fun. In the past I shy’d away from staying on property at Disney hotels, partially because Bonnet Creek is just about on property, and the thought of having to wait for busses to get around gave me hives.
Then a fellow Navy buddy of ours was getting married at the Yacht Club and since we already had plans to gift our timeshare to my younger brother’s family, I pulled the trigger on staying at a Disney hotel for the first time (this was summer of 2014). The stay exceeded my expectations. Even though I had to wait for one of two busses ;-), the military discount on the room was enough of an incentive. Though we didn’t fully employ all of the incentives of staying onboard due to lack of knowledge and somewhat late booking, the convenience and charm of the resort could not be understated. Want to go to World Showcase for the buffet at the Biergarten? Stop off in Italy for muscles? Chez Paul? No problem, 10 min walk from Beach/Yacht. I was hooked.
Since then, when we are planning a visit, I invariably find a way to find an excuse to stay at a resort. We since moved to OKC and driving down (and over) to Orlando is no longer as efficient an option for a 5-6 night stay. In January of ‘19 we did our first fly-in stay at a Disney resort and even though the wait for bus at the airport took a bit of time, I didn’t have to do a bag drag around the airport so that was nice. In fact, even though we’re both experts at packing light, we checked a suitcase just to see what that was like, and the luggage transfer was mint. In June of ‘19 the Mrs decided the she wanted to do a 1/2 marathon. What she meant was something local to OKC, what I heard was, ‘were going to Disney’. Humble brag, I decided since I had done a marathon in ‘94 as a young sailor, I was going for the Dopey (If you saw what I looked like last June, you’d be impressed, ha!). I tell this long winded bit to say basically I’ve been so impressed with the convenience, the customer service, that even though we still pay maintenance fees on the timeshare, we (more like I) will ‘always’ stay at a Disney resort. And then 2020 unfolded further…..
My brother decided to cancel his family’s summer trip due to the COVID. His four kids (I don’t know how he does it, my wife and I can barely afford ourselves) were disappointed and possibly crying, but good ol’ Uncle Johnny promised to make it up to them. We also cancelled our plans to go with him (there’s no feeling better than watching you 6 yr old nephew ask his dad, my brother, for money for some such trinket, my brother saying no because, ‘you might lose it’, or ‘it’s not worth it’, and then swooping in and peeling off a few bills to get them whatever they want…hehehehe) to save vacay days for something else.
I then cancelled our trip for this Sept at Fort Wilderness campground partially because we are selling a house, but mostly because with the new restrictions, some of the magic has been taken away, actually a lot of the magic. No meal plans, extra hours (though that feature has simmered), no early fastpasses, and after reading this I guess no luggage transfer have taken the wind out of the sails. I rescheduled the trip for next Sep at the campground but I’m not a 100% on going if the restrictions are still going to be in place. Plus I’ve had to tell the nieces and nephews we may have to delay again. Apparently, to make it up to them, the kids have declared (the two older ones anyway) they want to stay at ‘one of the houses over the water near where we get on the boat to the Castle!’ Yikes. Aren’t those $2000-2500+ per night?! I’d rather book a private VIP tour for a couple of days. Bottom line, if I’m going to shell out $1000s ($10000s if we stay at the bungalows) everything has better be open and running at full speed. Sorry for the long post, but I’m up early on a Sunday (0500) watching the 24hrs of LeMans and I should be just wrapping up a successful camping trip to see the Mouse.
Quite frankly I had the same problems with the Bonnet Creek “vacation” time share regarding over zealous and relentless badgering to get a parking pass and I sympathize. It was so bad after check in, I would always go to the store afterwards to get a bottle of Jack Daniels, they always had it waiting for me. My husband contacted the CEO and a lawyer and all of a sudden things were better. I did immensely enjoy your long publishment. Thanks for the info on the Yacht Club and the Toyota Team won the LeMans!
One thing not mentioned much as a huge onsite benefit alongside the 60 fast pass window is the 180 day restaurant reservations and being able to park hop – ( be it bus boat or walk) to our favourites at night . For my tweens food is a MASSIVE part of the trip and one of the things they talk about most – they like to look at all the menus , the love the theming. and enjoy choosing our restaurants as much as the park days – and some of the popular ones are really hard to get for 5 closer to the date of travel ( see OHANA) !! This for us is the game changer re on-site or off – no park hop / hard to get reservations and we would base ourselves in a nearby resort and taxi to local restaurants or springs I think.
Offsite guests can also (ordinarily) book dining 180 days out. Onsite guests can do so for length of stay, while offsite is day by day. So there is an advantage, but not as delineated as with fastpass.
With the restrictions and whole VIRUS scenario I don’t see why people would want to pay that much money for a compromised experience? If you are going to drop that much money I would assume that WDW won’t be back to full strength until all those restrictions are lifted.
I can say that for my husband and I, the things that they cancelled actually make it closer to our preferred experience. We both hate the crowding involved in watching fireworks and parades. To the point that we have maybe watched one whole parade during our 10+ trips together? We tend to watch the fireworks from a distance. As far as meeting with characters, it is just another uncomfortable experience. We both appreciate the magical feeling when you happen to just run in to characters so the cavalcade sounds like the perfect way to see them.
I fully understand why we are outliers but for two people that love Disney but are uncomfortable around other people. This makes the experience sound less intimidating, as strange as that sounds?
We have a trip planned for December to experience some Disney and Christmas magic after an incredibly stressful year. We booked CBR so we don’t have to go through interior hallways. We booked December so we can eat all our meals outside and I am more than happy to wear a mask all day long.
But again, we are weirdos?Sara
Tom, do you think they will ever go back to luggage delivered to room and airport checkin at hotel. I am in a wheelchair and it is to hard for my daughter to push me and handle all the luggage. It was worth going because of the easy way with the luggage. Will not be going back untill this happens. We go 2 times a year and stay Beach and Yacht. Thank you.
On our arrival at Boardwalk in June, the bellman offered to wheel our luggage cart to the room for us. I feel reasonably certain that they would help you at the resort! I don’t know how it would work at MCO, though. Do airlines provide any special services for guests using wheelchairs?
It would very much help if Disney had more pet friendly places to stay on-site. Some of the senior groups that have been coming for years are willing to pay for the resort prices but can’t bring our pets with us so we stay at other resorts off-site that allow pets and get our money. WDW should re-evaluate on some of the resorts being pet friendly instead of just one.
Family members going this week. Hotel theming and Disney Transportation are enough reasons to stay on-site, as well as fabulous dinners at the hotel dining rooms. We will still stay at Disney hotels. There is still enough to see and do, including Disney Springs. And we still love being in the Disney bubble.
I’d love to see a post about driving at WDW – how good is the signage? What’s the parking like? How is it leaving the parking lots at park-close?How early do you need to get there if you want a close spot? What’s it like if you have a handicapped parking pass? If I’m going to think about renting a car and driving around, I’d love to have some more information about what I’d be getting myself into
Hey Red. Driving around Disney is super easy. We make the annual trip each year, driving down from CT, so we have our car there and we stay off site. The access road is wide and easy to drive and the signs for the parks are huge…. you can’t possibly miss them.
We like to get to the parks for rope drop, so we are in the parking lots real early, that puts us in the front row pretty much every time as you might expect. I don’t know what its like if you need accessible parking, but I’m sure its right up there close.
If you aren’t early risers, i cant really say what the parking may be like except that the trams run on a fast schedule and are huge so i would imagine its no problem if you aren’t within walking distance. In fact at AK, even the first row is nowhere near the entrance, so you will be hitting the tram anyway. Again, in general, the parking lots are well organized and the trams hold alot of people and run very frequently.
Honestly, We have never had a complaint about parking (other than the ridiculous price/day) in all the years we have been going. Though i think if you are staying onsite, the parking fee is waived? (or did they get rid of that perk too).
We stopped staying onsite about 15/20 years ago when we realized that every Disney room is basically a Holiday Inn in Disney themes.
We stated renting entire houses for 7 to days with private pools for the price of about 5 days at a Value resort in a cramped room. Plus most of the time, these homes were located where we could get back and forth faster than we would if we had to take the buses back to the resort we were staying at.
We still occasionally stay on site, but ONLY if we decide to stay ay Fort Wilderness and that is only because it is one of the nicest campgrounds around and you don’t even need to go to parks to enjoy a week there.
The author is correct, it simply isn’t worth staying on property anymore.
They are charging more and more while taking away more and more each year.
I disagree.
I’ll never stay off site–-ever.
Part of the whole experience is staying on site
Nothing better than staying as late as possible at the parks then taking the monorail back to Grand Floridian or the Polynesian and strolling through the gorgeous property to get to your room.
And wake up the next morning seeing the castle and hearing the horns on the boats and ferries.
That’s all part of our Disney bubble
Donald Mouse – agreed! We’ve been villa owners in Windsor Hills for the past 9 years and love how close it is to the Disney parks and yet at the end of the day we come back to so much space and a private pool and spa with no closing time. And we have a couple of great theme rooms too! We really feel this is the best way to vacation at Disney.
Went to EPCOT August 22-23, 2020! Stayed at the Swan, it was $10-20 more than a moderate resort and $150 less than the nearby deluxe resort.
The Passholder discount Swan/Dolphin is $75 cheaper than the Passholder discount rate for Caribbean Beach for the week of Christmas. Even with discounts Disney is still trying to charge ridiculous prices.
The Swan and Dolphin are Marriott hotels not Disney, so they can charge whatever they want, higher or lower. But our Magicbands will not open our hotel room door.
Hi, I always have been eligible for shades of green, but liked the Disney theming, and multiple transportation options. Would you suggest that SOG is a good option now, given all the changes?
Yes! It’s beautiful, well maintained, and has a wonderful indoor waterfall. If you are a frequent WDW visitor, maybe check it out and grab a meal on a Magic Kingdom day, as the restaurants are better than most choices in the park.
(Actually, I’d really like to see Tom’s photo tour of the property, and see if there’s a more consistent theme now that the 50’s Ice Cream Parlor has been remodeled.)
There are many vacation homes available within 10 minutes/miles of property. I happen to own one of these properties. We are annual passholders who live 1000 miles away from FL. We were always the stay on property family. We came and stayed at a vacation home one year and loved the convenience of having a full kitchen for meals (breakfast mostly), having our own private pool and spa to relax after a long day at the park, and separate bedrooms (this one is the top of the list reason). With so many changes – maybe this could be a good change for your family. Might as well try it while the perks of staying on property are currently suspended.
So sad :(. Is this non-theming no doubt another cost-cutting move? I just feel like current Disney leadership may be moving in the wrong direction; even sans pandemic. People go because of all that is uniquely magical about Disney. If it becomes less and less so, where’s the motivation?
Historically, I have loved Disney. My parents met while working at Disneyland (my Dad captained a submarine and my mom worked in a Main Street candle shop). I worked as a seasonal Disneyland employee throughout college and part of grad school. I had annual passes for about 20 years (which I abandon when they expired at the end of 2019 as they became crazy expensive). I used to go to Disney World at least once a year, and had cancelled reservations because of COVID. I will not be going back anytime soon as I will not get on an unnecessary flight until COVID passes (circa February 2020, I was flying for work about once a week)
I have stayed at all of the deluxe Universal properties and all of the deluxe WDW hotels (except Boardwalk) along with the Swan and Dophin. In Orlando, I have also stayed at the Four Seasons and the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. I chose WDS hotels for the FastPass access and the proximity to Parks either by monorail (MK resorts) or foot (Beach Club). I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge once, but would not stay again because of the proximity issue and tiny rooms. Animal Kingdom has a beautiful lobby and animals, but no proximity to parks and tiny rooms. I booked Club level when it provided the opportunity for 6 Fast Passes per day 90 days in advance. Without the Fass Pass advantage, I will not stay at a WDW hotel again, unless they are more in line with the Hyatt or the Universal hotels from a price perspective.
The Universal hotels, Hyatt, and Four Seasons all boast absolutely amazing pools. The Hyatt and Four Seasons are far superior to Stormalong Bay. The Universal hotels provide Express passes (which work for almost all attractions as many times as you want); Disney offers nothing remotely comparable. Without any park advantage, I simply cannot see paying for a Disney hotel, which really are crazy expensive (at least the deluxes).
My ranking of hotels without any Fastpass or Extra hours advantage taking into consideration relative price is as follows:
1, Royal Pacific (you can get a suite here for a tiny room at a WDW deluxe, nice pools, great ambiance and theme, walking distance to parks, easy access to Volcano Bay, and Express Passes)
2, Portofino Bay (beautiful hotel, large rooms, beautiful pools and grounds, Express Passes)
3, Hyatt Grand Cypress (awesome pool complex, large and comfortable rooms)
4. Four Seasons (great service, great pools, beautiful rooms, but expensive)
5. Polynesian (theme like the Royal Pacific, proximity to MK, nice pools, nice atmosphere)
6. Grand Floridian (good theme, big rooms, nice pools, proximity to MK and restaurants, expensive)
7 Contemporary (walk to MK, nice rooms, California Grill, poor pools, average theme)
8. Yacht Club/Beach Club (great pools, proximity to HS and Epcot, average rooms) — I slightly prefer the theming of the Yacht Club
9. Animal Kingdom (small rooms, animals are great, average pool, beautiful lobby, good restaurants)
10. Hard Rock (bad theme, outdated rooms, great pool, great proximity to parks, Express Pass)
10. Wilderness Lodge (small rooms, great theme, average pools, no proximity to anything except by slow boat)
As far as Orlando parks for parents with tweens and teens who like Harry Potter, my park ranking is:
1. Discovery Cove (this is the best place to spend a relaxing day)
2. Islands of Adventure
3. Universal Orlando
4. Magic Kingdom
5. Hollywood Studios (I have not been there post RoR and the train)
6. Volcano Bay
7. Epcot (my tweens and teens like wandering the nations, otherwise AK here)
8. Animal Kingdom
9. Aquatica
10. Sea World
11. Typhoon Lagoon
Wow! What a post. Thanks for all the great tips and rankings. I’ve been waiting for Tom to do a review of the resorts at Universal.
PLEASE READ ( Family of 4, 5yr old and almost 2yr old) most bloggers don’t talk about certain things.
We r currently at Pop n well our experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. I really think u should discuss the state of Disney from the ppl who r actually giving u some feedback, specially those of us who are out of state but love to visit on a yearly basis. We usually book our stay for the following year the day we leave our current vacay n try to book during the “free dining” season, needless to say we all know what happened with that. But here is the reality of what’s going on n no bloggers seem to want to discuss.
NO ROOM SERVICE, if u r staying longer than 3 days n want new sheets, u have to ask for n change them urself, u have to request ur room to be swept, and they will only change towels and trash EVERY OTHER DAY.
RESORTS: even though it seems they increased the allowed number of guests in the resort it doesn’t change that u order ur food ahead thru the app n have to wait until it’s ready for pick up so be ready to wait on line outside of the entrance for some time specially at peak hours. Same goes for gift shops wait outside if it looks to busy to go in.
TRANSPORTATION: Lines r INSANE, they allow an average of 4-5 families or groups per bus at best. So be ready to wait again. Also the skyliner doesn’t run when it rains, but buses do so that’s a plus
PARKS: WE MISS THE CHARACTERS!!! As much as they make it a point to sporadically spread them out thru the day on rides or balconies or have calvacades it doesn’t change the fact that we have no characters to interact with it’s such an important aspect u don’t realize how much u miss it and how it’s that little extra Disney the parks need.
DINING: If u r trying to stay cost effective and doing quick services, again all orders r made ahead on ur phone and only picked up when ready. Sit downs, the hostess will check ur temp b4 sitting ur party, and once seated you scan a code to see the menu on your phone. If u want a menu for the kids to color or draw is only upon request.
Conclusion. WE LOVE DISNEY! But if things don’t change we may reconsider even making a reservation for next year, we miss our characters, shows, FIREWORKS! We miss our dining plan, FastPasses, packed buses, water parks, room service, parades. I know this is all for the safety of everyone but if u r visiting you can judge for urself. This is just how we felt and we miss what it used to be b4 the world changed. PRICES NEVER CHANGED BUT ALL ELSE DID
Angelica – this may be a great opportunity for your family to try an off-site accommodation for your Disney trip. Check out options at Windsor Hills Resort. This community is just 10 minutes away from Disney and has 2-3 bedroom condos, 3 bedroom townhouses and 4-6 bedroom private pool homes. Many of the homes are decorated in themes or at the very least have a couple of themed bedrooms. We have one with a Mickey themed bedroom and another with a Harry Potter theme. The community features a water park, arcade, gym, tennis courts, beach volleyball, putting greens, and much much more! It’s a good time to explore alternatives since you aren’t getting all the extra perks at the Disney properties right now.
I have a question about uber. About how much does it cost to get from airport to a Disney Spring area hotel? Or are there shuttles for that? We have thought about going that route. Have a timeshare down there, but have always enjoyed the perks of staying on Disney property. You made a lot of great points! Thank you!
Go to uber or lyft websites to get an estimate of travel between two addresses and for different sizes of vehicles.
My husband just took Uber last night from Orlando International to meet us at The Dolphin hotel and it was $70. They said it was a premium time and it was raining. Around 7:30 pm.
I have normally enjoyed reading your blog, but it’s very distracting lately to try and read about Disney while political propaganda featuring a serial sexual Predator is displayed with the Disney info.
Disappointing. And more than a little concerning that you choose to put the demented pedophile on a site for family vacations.
Huh???
lolwut??
I’m looking at the photos in this post and still cannot fathom what you’re referencing. Olaf? Ramone? Slinky Dog? BB8?!
I can’t find bb8?!
I don’t believe Tom chooses which advertisements are displayed on this page. Election ads are running on every website I visit, not just this one.
It’s just ads, Tom. Sometimes ad placement momentarily confuses me when I’m reading your posts. You’ll reference a photo “below” or similar, and the first thing I see when I scroll down is a totally unrelated photo that is advertising something. Below that will be your beautiful shot. Truth is, though, our personal online behavior drives as content as much or more than anything connected to this blog!
Definitely agree with this is likely an add – I too have seen unrelated material in these articles. The best observation is that our own online activity tends to direct these adds – so a politically charged individual tends to see more political adds… both those they favor and those they don’t.
We just got home from Disney and had a great visit at POP Century. I had a good deal from way back in April and hung on to it all along. We encountered mostly short lines. Our longest wait was for Test Track that said 20 minutes but turned out to be a bit longer when they shut down for cleaning. Other than that we managed to arrive early enough or stay late enough to avoid lines. You are right about them looking long but moving fast as they are mostly just due to spacing.
But your question was about the value for the Disney bubble verses other resorts. For us it works out best to stay on property because we usually travel with a group with different likes and rest times and a lot of travel independently back and forth between the parks. The parking costs alone are worth it since the resorts started charging. But that is about it. All the special charges for events and cutting of extra magic hours makes it a lot less attractive to pay extra. And to be honest the minimalist approach to the rooms is depressing. Even the Art of Animation with it’s themed rooms is not as fun as the old Disney. I have been going since 1981 and it has been downhill ever since. Everything from the matchbooks (once present in every room) to the napkins and bags used to be matched to the resort. But I guess I would still opt for on property.
I just canceled my reservation for January online. In the “reason for cancel” box, there was no “because there are no early fastpasses anymore” option. That was a huge motivator for me.