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!
So am I to understand from this article that if I book any hotel in Disney Springs I have the same extra magic hours and eatly booking perks as a Disney Resort Hotel at half the cost?
I don’t think all of the Disney Springs hotels have that perk but many do. Savings are going to vary. It is hard to get much cheaper than Pop Century or one of the All Stars and just depending on Disney transportation (unless you stay in something that has a reputation for being dirty or noisy, etc..). Of course the rooms at many of the DS hotels will be bigger and are true hotels not motels like the value resorts are but that doesn’t necessarily make them better. Many of the DS hotels have what I consider high resort and parking fees. If you stay offsite including the DS area, you really need to rent a car or use uber/lyft. If you rent a car, then you’ll also have to pay for parking at the parks too if you don’t have an anual pass (or maybe own DVC too?) I would estimate a Lyft ride to cost between 11 to 14 dollars after you include a tip so you could be spending close to 22 to 28 bucks a day if you just use those services twice a day. Some people like to go to the parks in the morning, go back to the hotel in the afternoon, and then go back to a park in the evening so then you could be spending
44 to 56 bucks a day. So while those nightly rates at a DS hotel seem like a very good deal, by the time you add in transporation cost (renting or taking a taxi, uber or lyft), potentially paying parking at the hotel and at the parks, and paying the resort fee, you might not be saving much for a comparable hotel. Although the nicer the hotel category, that difference would widen since the extra costs I mentioned don’t change but become less percentage wise of the total cost for the more expensive DS resorts. I usually stay at a value hotel unless I can find a good priceline deal for a DS resort or Disney moderate. In such cases I end up paying about the same (including transportation and fees) for a somewhat nicer DS hotel or Disney moderate as I would for a value without a good discount. There are many variables!
Interesting that you mentioned it would be near impossible to obtain specific fastpasses without having to constantly check back. My 30 days came around this week and all of those rides were available.
We go to Disney every 2 years and always stay off site. We are a party of 5 & managed to get all the fast passes we wanted for our party at 30 days out. This included the mine train and peter pans flight and this was the easter holidays. We did get up at 5am and had our lists ready but thats all part of the fun.
We’ve decided to take a whirl at Universal this year, and I was surprised at how much better the pricing is. We’re going the week before thanksgiving, and we’re getting a club level room at Royal Pacific for only about 323 a night. Yeah, a little pricey for a room (and we’re pretty lucky to be able to adjust out dates to get the best rate), a steal compared to the deluxe resorts at Disney. When you figure that gets us the Unlimited express passes and access to the club level for food and snacks, it actually feels like it’s worth the money.
Wow that sounds like a great price for Club level and Unlimited Express passes for the price of a moderate at Disney. My kids just finished watching the Harry Potter movies and they are finally Harry Potter fans so Universal is our next theme park trip. 🙂
If you forget about the room rate, and look at the total cost. (room, park tickets, and airport transfers) it really is a great value compared to to Disney. It’s even better if you are an annual pass holder, because your room is discounted.
The nice thing about the express passes is that you can enter the park and head off in whatever direction you choose. You go on each attraction as you come to it, completely on your own schedule. It makes for a very relaxed theme park vacation, even when the parks are crowded. You can even sleep in and go to the park later, with express passes you will have plenty of time.
You also get priority seating in the restaurants. (First Available) I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table, but I always go off season so if you are going during the busy season you should probably make reservations. Mythos is Fantastic!
I have done club at the Portofino, and, while the food was good, the selection was pretty limited. It doesn’t help that I don’t eat seafood or pork… It was really good for breakfast, and a good place to get coffee, bottled water or a soft drink in the morning and throughout the day.
Also, the transportation is a joy. Get on a boat and ride to the park where you are dropped off pretty close to the park entrance. Security bag check is handled right at the hotel dock, so you don’t have to wait in line.
Enjoy your trip!
Yeah that’s what has me excited about a trip to Universal. Being able to be spontaneous and not having to be up before dawn to get to the parks an hour before rope drop. And of course Harry Potter areas:)
I had a lovely conversation with a Disney cast member as a follow-up to comments I sent after my last vacation in February. Staying on site is part of the magic! I pay extra for this and to have “special Disney” privileges. Having to compete with good neighbor guests for what I paid for is absolutely not fair! The feedback I received from Disney was that the good neighbor hotels were added in the past because of lower attendance and might not continue (though of course the cast member could not guarantee this). I was also informed that I could pay more money to get extra hours as a Disney hotel guest. I already am paying more as a Disney hotel guest! Make the other hotels pay more if they want Disney privileges!
If it’s for lower attendance then why would they just add more good neighbor hotels right before GE opens?
It has nothing to do with lower attendance.
Giving Disney feedback on these matters is crucial, as they do make decisions (sometimes) based upon it, but it’s a mistake to believe the ‘explanations’ provided in follow-up calls. It’s just a form of service recovery. They’re telling guests what they want to hear.
I need to know where are you seeing best western for only $70 per night!!!??!?
Abuse of ECVs or lack thereof has literally nothing to do with the topic at hand. I’ve extended a lot of latitude in allowing this inflammatory topic to persist, and you’ve all already made whatever points you have.
Subsequent comments related thereto will be deleted.
Thank you Tom! Sad to see the hate some people have for other people 🙁
The point in Kay’s comment is, you cannot tell by looking at people how disabled they are if they are 400lbs or 120lbs. If you have mobility issues your going to gain weight easily, as abilities decrease there are fewer things that bring people pleasure ,but yes they can still eat! Right wrong or indifferent it’s not your job to judge.
I can most certainly judge when they are abusing a system. You don’t have mobility issues if you can run to the trough to over indulge. We have seen it time and time again. Oh my back I can’t walk to the ride, oh I need to skip the line because my herniated disc but then oh my god oh mighty, I am cured, run to the free alcohol, run to the food, over indulge, like pigs in the pen. Oh finished, oh my back again. LOL. You cannot deny that. Shameful.
Tom,
You nailed it! “Disney will continue adding up-charge events and increasing prices, because people will pay (or, more accurately in many cases, take on the debt) to partake. We can complain about these practices all we want, but it’s pointless. As long as people keep buying, Disney will keep selling.” As 20+ year DVC members I think we are seeing it with the cancellation of the “Galactic Gathering” dinner at $225 for DVC members!
Also, nailed was the trend to moderate generic updates to high priced deluxe lodging including DVC resorts. We bought for the theming and if we wanted this kind of update we can go elsewhere and pay less. Don’t get me started on ticket pricing and the general greed surrounding the dream “family vacation” when I see Disney adds for WDW vacations i am reminded that many of the kids watching will never see this due to the cost that many families now realize will lock them into a debt they cannot afford.
I love Disney. I went the first time when I was 16 with my family and then went back again for the first time when my son was 18 months. Only because I couldn’t wait any longer to take him. Then my son and I have been coming ever year since he was 7 years old. We will be there in June over his 10th birthday this year. I will never not want to go to Disney and stay on their property. Wait times for lines are imminent. They happen. One time we stayed in like for 6 hours to ride Avatar TWICE. It was worth the wait. My son who was 8 at the time had no issue waiting. He is the one that wanted to wait and ride it again even though I warned him it would be long. He didn’t complain once in line. Disney is Disney. They will always be popular and with Star Wars land, Toy Story land and more coming down the pipe, it’s only going to grow. Why can’t people vacation and not complain about things? I’ve NEVER been to Disney and complained about anything. I’ve stayed on property and just off property. I HATED staying off so even though it was more affordable, I will never do it again. I feel like it takes the Disney magic away from the stay.
Well written– These are my feelings exactly– Only on property hotels should receive perks– Third party hotels –they must go–Sometimes I just scratch my head and wonder just what is Disney thinking– Over the last 19 years I have been a regular at Disney World and I have seen the crowds grow increasing each year. Since I’ve been so many times I’ve learn to deal and now I don’t have to do the commando trip- I do think about the families that have saved and saved and then have to battle such crowds. I have a feeling these people will be the one and done crowd. All this may come back to bite Disney– Guess we will just have to watch and see from the beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
We average going to WDW about every 4 years. We’re going back this summer. My husband is a huge believer of staying in the park. I tend to be more frugal, and I would rather stay outside the park. That being said, I caved and agreed to stay in the park this year. In part because I’m getting chemo therapy every 2 weeks, and tire easily. The kids LOVE staying at Disney hotels, and we’re trying to build as many family memories as we can for them. If I wasn’t ill, we would definitely stay off site, especially since they started charging for parking. We typically drive instead of fly, to save money.
Sad to hear that you are having to go through chemo. I have a special place in my heart for survivors, NEGU! I hope you have a wonderful time on your vacation.
I have taken my family to Disney world once a year for the last 15 years. I have an son who is confined to a wheelchair so we always stay on property because of the transportation for him. Renting a handicapped van is really not an option because of the price/availability of such a vehicle and using a regular minivan is no longer an option because my son is too heavy to put in and out of the van. We do not not have the option to stay off property because of the added cost/availability of transportation. With the prices of park tickets and the hotel rooms going up so high this will probably be our last year going. We survive on a budget and this is the one vacation we take every year, it takes me all year to pay it off and with the price increases this is becoming no longer an option.
I did not realize Disney was charging for parking at their resorts now…what a disappointment. We always have a car at the resort and have justified staying onsite for the free parking at the parks. This charge makes that benefit (if it still exists) moot. Shameful! We used to be able to go more often but the pricing has really impacted us from going. Last time we went was 6 years ago after I finished chemo. It was my victory lap! We were able to do the free dining plan for the first time and absolutely LOVED it. Now that the moderate hotels have been downgraded to counter service on free meal plans, it’s even making that less of a benefit. I hate to be priced out of a place I have always loved to be. ☹ï¸
I agree that the whole feel of the Extra Magic hours has changed significantly only the past 15 years!! I feel discouraged each time they announce more hotels being eligible. I also feel like what used to be hours for on site guests have now turned into paid ticket hours. I still love staying on site, will continue to do so BUT I agree completely that the value has decreased.
We typically stay in a Marriott timeshare close to the parks. The rooms are incredibly nice. We have stayed on campus only once in our lives (at Yacht Club). It was nice, lots of fun, and very convenient. However, I cannot justify the significant cost difference to stay on campus. Would I “like” to stay on campus again? Absolutely. It’s not likely though, and the cost has gotten even higher now that Disney is charging resort guests for overnight parking (shame!).
I’ve never visited Disney World and not stayed on site. In fact, I am spoiled now because if we go anywhere else, the prospect of having to deal with a rental car is overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I see the perks diminishing. Our last trip the “extra magic hours” had very long lines, especially when compared to previous trips where it actually meant something. I did just finish pricing out a beach vacation to Florida and by the time I added up car rental, airfare, dining, somewhere to stay and trying to figure out what there is to actually do besides swim, I just couldn’t see the value. Being disabled, for me WDW isn’t just about the rides (cause I can’t do half of them), but it’s about the decor, fireworks, shows, food, weather, characters, shopping, cross-lake boating, parties, festivals and the vibe of the place in general. The demand is high, so unless the economy tanks ( I hope not), I don’t think we’ll see prices drop anytime soon, imho. I wonder who you can contact to make suggestions at the Disney Co? I had thought of the idea of vans before they introduced Minnie Vans. I always thought people needed that option. I think that I’ve read some good recommendations from other commenters as well. My family was involved in the testing of the fast passes and we used to get return offers in the mail. Is Disney getting a big ego?
Re Minnie Vans, while they use the Lyft app, it is definitely not the same as Lyft. The cans are maintained by Disney and the drivers are Disney employees. I don’t use Lyft/Uber and have no plans to start, but I will use Minnie Vans rather than waiting 2 hrs for a bus.
Re themes, that is what I miss with DVC. Art of Animation and other themed hotels are awesome and was indeed part of what made the experience so great.
We started to use uber for the first time ever during our last two annual trips. I’d recommend it for anyone, and found the drivers and there vehicals clean and friendly. They are servicing Disney World after all, and have no hesitation on using them in the future.
Staying on property is my only option, as being in the Disney Bubble is the primary reason. To me, living in Disney World for our stay is priceless, waking up, traveling about, exploring, dining, entertainment, and whatever else you do, you never leave! The greatest escape from reality there is, which is why we all go there…..No?
Sad to hear that you are having to go through chemo. I have a special place in my heart for survivors, NEGU! I hope you have a wonderful time on your vacation.
Disney does not use Uber. The Minnie Vans are only available through the Lyft app. We used the Minnie Vans several times our last trip. More expensive, but the cast members are super and helpful!
We made a trip to DW in early February. Very short notice so we weren’t able to do our fast passes 60 days out. We spent a lot of time in line, even with extra magic hours. I personally no longer see a benefit to staying on site after this last trip. We were at rope drop for HS extra magic hours and even with bee lining straight to Slinky Dog the wait time was already 75 minutes with a huge line…. I can do that on a regular opening!
I made sure to go to Guest Services this trip. First I made sure to let them know of the wonderful cast members we had this trip (they really were great). Then I let them know my disappointment as a Resort guest and how the benefits just weren’t as magical. Even with the after hours event we paid for at Magic Kingdom was a bit of a bummer. Peter Pan and 7 Dwarves still had wait times of 45 minutes almost all night….for After Hours! And it really was almost 45 minutes when we waited…not worth it in my opinion. End rant.
Thanks for the blog!
Tom! I know you have been holding back here! After reading through these posts, I’d like your assessment on what is happening here. You are after all, The Keeper of the Light.
You and the other Mike have made some interesting points in other comments, some of which I agree with.
Namely, that consumers are currently being squeezed in all directions. This is unquestionably true. Contrary to a chorus of comments (on this post and elsewhere), Walt Disney World is absolutely not targeting the wealthy–at least, not exclusively. Rather, they are capitalizing on Americans’ increased willingness to go into debt.
WDW has always been a rite of passage vacation, but social (media) pressures are making that the case now more so than ever, I believe. This is a contributing factor. Likewise, Disney is also currently benefitting from being popular amongst millennial adults and the generation following them, whose nostalgia have made Disney a trendy thing.
Circling back to the whole debt matter, that’s a ballooning issue that will eventually have catastrophic consequences. When? Two years ago I would’ve said, “any day now.” My answer remains the same…but who knows when that’ll actually come to pass.
Until then, Disney will continue adding upcharge events and increasing prices, because people will pay (or, more accurately in many cases, take on the debt) to partake. We can complain about these practices all we want, but it’s pointless. As long as people keep buying, Disney will keep selling. The moment there’s a consumer debt crisis is the moment Disney will be forced to reverse course.
I think it would be fair to say that there hasn’t been just one silver bullet leading people to be swearing off WDW. It is death by a 1000 cuts.
Food price/quality, ticket prices, crowds, hours, room theming, transportation…etc. I think for every step forward Disney has made, they have stepped back a half step.
Being a millennial with kids, I looked forward to taking the kids to WDW on that special trip that WDW meant to me at their age. However the experience on our “mini” trip we had in November vs. our cruise this past Feb. led to our booking a cruise over WDW. (For the record, I sailed on RCL and cannot justify spending 2-3k more on DCL for similar itineraries)
I just don’t think the Disney “premium” is as valuable as it once was.
I think you’re right. People are spending thousands for the Disney vacation experience and some not all, look down on those unwilling to spend for the full package. That means the meal plan, staying on-site, shopping and eating in the parks. I’m frugal so I’d rather save on our Disney trip when I can.
Our vacations to WDW are unlike the experiences of most other people, in that we spend way(!) more time just driving around the property from hotel to hotel, park to park, attraction to attraction, or inevitably, offsite to CVS or Target. One morning alone during our last trip, our rental car was driven from: Saratoga Springs to the Beach Club for Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast, back to Saratoga Springs, over to the Grand Floridian for Afternoon Tea, and then back to Saratoga Springs. That didn’t even include at least one more round trip that evening for Dinner. Everyone does WDW differently; but for us and the need for pure flexibility and the shortest amount of time to attain that, onsite is a must, and so is a rental car. (despite the additional cost)
As the saying goes, “time is money!”
We don’t mind paying extra for something that will give us more time. Like them or not, we used the Minnie Van service at least four times on our trip last summer with the grand-kids. To not have to wait at the bus stop at park closing – at midnight in the rain – with a 1.) tired 4 year old and 2.) hyped-up 6 year old who just finished off a churro the length of her arm, was worth the $22 we dropped to get back to our room sooner than later. The driver actually delivered us just steps from our room.
Also used it to go to Disney Springs one morning for breakfast and shopping, totally worth it.
As I have mentioned previously, we don’t drop hundreds of dollars on a “fine dining” meal at Disney, that is such a waste to spend $20 on a mac-n-cheese meal for a kid just so the adults can have a fancy meal with wine; save that for the next couples trip to New York or Miami. I am fine with the fast food options, we spend less there so we can apply those funds toward other perks, like the Minnie Van service.
We do the same but Uber is so much cheaper than the Minnie Vans and is essentially the same thing.
We just started going to Disney with our three children 4 years ago. We’ve gone at least once a year since then. I am constantly thinking about the next trip and love it so much! I have considered taking on debt to get there. It’s ridiculous though… I agree with Tom until people realize it’s not worth getting into debt for or taking on a second or third job as I see on some social media Disney groups I’m part of, it will not get better. People will buy so Disney will sell. I’m sad thinking what Walt would say about those philosophies… they know people are going to go into debt to get that extra experience (or one at all- neither I or my husband experience Disney as a child) and they don’t care. It’s about the $$$! I understand money is business but ripping people makes me sad…