Is Disney World’s On-Site Advantage Disappearing or Reappearing?!
For years, there were big benefits to staying at Walt Disney World owned resorts: free transportation, better line-skipping options, extra hours, and more that justified the higher cost. In this post, we’ll take a new look at how perks have changed and whether on-site hotels are still worth the premium pricing. (Updated September 17, 2023.)
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 no longer as valuable as conventional WDW planning wisdom suggests?
This is a question we originally posed a few years ago as Walt Disney World hotel prices began to soar and the advantages offered by on-site perks were less noteworthy. Since reopening, we’ve revisited this topic a couple of times for different reasons. That started with the end of Extra Magic Hours and free FastPass, as well as the suspension of the Disney Dining Plan.
For our Late 2023 update that looks forward to planning your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation, we’re revisiting this from a positive perspective. There have been a few positive developments last year and this year, and we’re also granting greater weight to various considerations that we previously glossed over. This has us asking ourselves: is Walt Disney World’s on-site advantage starting to reappear?
Let’s start with the Disney Dining Plan as that is finally returning in early 2024. 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 (see the fascinating survey data about halfway down this article).
So the Disney Dining Plan reappearing is definitely 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 overwhelming 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.
Even in the past, the Disney Dining Plan offered the illusion of convenience and budgeting. That’ll be doubly true with the 2024 Disney Dining Plan due to price increases–unless you have more than 2 children or do the Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan. Of course, there are exceptions to this–families of big carnivores or those willing to “hack” the Disney Dining Plan did come out ahead. But for the most part, the house always wins. We look forward to the Disney Dining Plan returning, but it wasn’t the benefit that some cracked it up to be.
There’s also the Genie+ line-skipping system, which replaced the free FastPass ride reservation program. (See our Guide to Lightning Lane and Genie+ at Walt Disney World for full details, recommendations, and everything you need to know for making most of that line-skipping system.)
There are two components to this: Genie+ Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes. The latter offers on-site guests the “benefit” of being able to purchase Individual Lightning Lane access at 7 am instead of park opening time, which is when everyone else can buy access. Certain Individual Lightning Lanes do sell out prior to park opening time, so that window is beneficial for headliner attractions–but even that is seasonal. If you’re visiting during busy holiday travel dates, it matters. If you’re going in May or September, not so much.
It would be beneficial if on-site guests could book Genie+ ride selections early, but that is not how this works. Everyone is able to book Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations starting at 7 am. That could always change down the road, but for now, that’s how the system works.
There’s no sugar-coating this one. Losing free FastPass+ was a colossal blow to all visitors of Walt Disney World, but especially on-site guests. One of the very best on-site advantages at Walt Disney World was the expanded FastPass+ booking window; that was a significant headstart and allowed on-site guests to scoop up most of the best ride reservations before their trip.
However, that could change once again in 2024, with another much more significant shift in the off-site vs. on-site calculus as advance ride reservations are coming to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World in 2024. As compared to the return of the Disney Dining Plan, this has flown relatively under the radar, but we view this as a much bigger deal.
The reason advance booking of Genie+ Lightning Lanes has been “under-discussed” is because Walt Disney World hasn’t really said anything aside from “it’s happening.” There are absolutely no details about how it’ll work, whether it’ll cost more, or even if there will be an on-site advantage to Genie+ advance booking.
We’ve heard a range of rumors over the last few months, and honestly, none of those have done anything to reassure us. It sounds like this was a mandate from on high in response to negative guest feedback, and the announcement came before the details were worked out. If what we’ve heard is accurate, some specifics are still up in the air. (Suffice to say, you shouldn’t be surprised if Genie+ advance booking does not launch right away in January 2024.)
One thing that does seem reasonably likely is that there will be an on-site advantage with advance booking of Lightning Lanes. For one thing, because there was in the past with FastPass+ and what we’ve heard suggests this will replicate some of that system (except costing money). For another thing, because hotel occupancy is starting to decrease, so restoring this perk–even at a cost–would help resolve that. So consider this one a tentative on-site advantage that’ll arrive at some point in 2024.
Next, let’s turn to Walt Disney World’s two replacements for Extra Magic 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.
Early Entry means that Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios (for example) open daily at 8:30 am and 8 am, respectively, to resort guests, and 30 minutes later to off-site guests. The logical criticism here is that morning Extra Magic Hours was an hour long, so this is half the time, and thus, half as good.
We have done Early Entry over one-dozen times (literally), and that has not been our experience 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.)
We’ve used Early Entry to accomplish both Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash at DHS, all three headliners at EPCOT, and pretty much everything in Animal 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. (In case you can’t tell, we are huge fans of Early Entry–it’s bigger than many fans think.) Learn more strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Next, there’s Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. This benefit is exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Vacation Club units), 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.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours occur only two nights per week in total–typically Mondays at Epcot and Wednesdays at Magic Kingdom. This runs for two hours each night, but this is only a perk for those who book more expensive hotels (or the Swan & Dolphin, which are often priced on par with Value or Moderate Resorts). 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. At the beginning of last year, the 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.)
At the start of this year, 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. Speaking of things used by a small minority of guests, we are fans of the Grand Floridian walkway to Magic Kingdom–our favorite form of transportation is “feet” and we wish Walt Disney World made itself more walkable. (Which would ease the burden on existing transportation.)
As a whole, we view Walt Disney World transportation as better today than it was 5 years ago. The big thing here 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.
We’re huge fans and strongly favor the Skyliner resorts now. It’s especially a game-changer for Pop Century; given all of the perks and transportation advantages of that one resort, we can easily justify the premium pricing there.
Also helping with past transportation woes is bus wait times, which show up both on digital boards at the bus stops and in the My Disney Experience app. There’s still room for improvement here, and there have been hotel stays when we’ve noticed overcrowded and inconsistent bus service. (In particular, Coronado Springs is a big offender.)
Walt Disney World has also addressed its bus driver shortage, which actually predated the closure, by bringing in a third party to assist with routes. All things considered, we’ve been more pleased by bus service and found it to be more efficient last year and in 2023 than it was in 2017-2019. With that said, few things are as hit-or-miss as WDW bus service. Someone could have a superlative experience, and someone else an awful one–despite staying at the same resort during the same dates–simply by virtue of luck and timing.
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 huge. Even at the 60 day mark, Story Book Dining at Artist Point, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Space 220, Topolino’s Terrace, ‘Ohana, and others can be scarce.
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’ve done very well 1-2 days ahead of time throughout 2023, but we’re also a party of 2 and are flexible.) The bad news is that the return of the Disney Dining Plan means ADRs will almost certainly become much more competitive in 2024, making this a bona fide on-site advantage once more.
We view dining as a big component of the Walt Disney World experience, so this is a big deal to us. However, it doesn’t matter to everyone, so your mileage may vary. Also, there are tricks (see that tips post) for scoring last minute availability–but they don’t work as well as booking during the 60+10 window.
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 in 2023?, 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 over a dozen different discounts have been released for 2023 and 2024.
As a result of the special offers–which include room discounts of up to 35% off and free dining gift cards of up to $200 per night–the effective price of accommodations at Walt Disney World is actually down considerably in 2023. That’s because many of the same dates in 2021-2022 had no discounts whatsoever for the general public. As pent-up demand continues to exhaust itself, we anticipate even better deals in 2024 as compared to this year.
In other words, this one comes down to your frame of reference. If you visited in 2019 or earlier, a 2024 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. By contrast, if you visited Walt Disney World in the last two years and are planning a trip in 2024, things are starting to look much better. As with so much, it’s all relative!
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 highly 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.
Beyond that, there’s a burgeoning vacation home rental industry, cheap Airbnbs, and robust slate of new off-site hotels near the parks. We should be further investigating all of that, as some great deals abound. The Central Florida accommodations market is incredibly competitive outside the Disney bubble, and that’s reflected in pricing and amenities.
With all of that said, there’s the emotional side. 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!
My last trip was in 2017 those little perks were still there I have been to WDW 14 times we first stayed at Dixie Landings when they had only been open 12 days all of or trips have been there plus a few times at Grand Floridian loved it all we felt special 3 ears ago I had to rent a scooter to get around it was really special to be treated that special now he rich pay for people to go with so they can do that now we will be treated without those special things that really made us feel very special I had hoped to make 1 more trip for my 80th birthday I will stay home.
I recently stayed at the Grand Floridian and discovered the only way to get to Epcot is by monorail. Well it took about an hour with all the stops and the change at the transportation center. Time is the one major commodity you need so this was a waste. Also the Grand Floridian for all the efforts to theme and immerse guests in a turn of the century resort seems to allow work carts to freely drive and park all over guest areas and sidewalks. I saw several just drive across the patio with guests and children playing in front of the Gasparilla Cafe. I had several just park in front of the entrance to my building for no apparent reason. I am not talking about the bellman carts which are themed and have a purpose. I am speaking of hose, ladder, bucket and tool bearing club carts. Way to ruin the magic! I generally always stay on site but probably won’t be at the GF again.
How are the workers supposed to do their work and just not be seen by guests? Despite the theming you are still in the real world.
For me, going to WDW is all about being in the Disney bubble for the time I’m there. So, I think if this comes down to dollars, sometimes it could make more sense to stay off property. But when I go to Disney, I already know I’ll be spending money. Why go if you’re not realistic about this aspect? I agree that maybe it’s not everything that Walt envisioned anymore (and that’s an entirely different subject), but my husband and I have been going together for years (and I went almost every summer growing up) and we love being in the Disney bubble for the time we’re there. I think staying on property is all part of that experience. I grew up staying off property and my husbands and I have taken a few “budget” trips where we’ve stayed off property but the bottom line is, we’re willing to pay a little extra to enjoy the few benefits and ‘feeling’ that staying on property allows.
It’s the part where they remove theming from the rooms that gets me. I hate most of the new room refurbishments. Theming is the main thing than pushes us over the edge and convinces us to stay on-property. There are still some well-themed rooms, but once they’re gone, even we will probably switch to off-site. We can just go off-site and pay for these premium events they have, and probably end up with a more fun, relaxing trip.
What’s shocking about all of this is that I LOVE the Disney bubble. I’m about as enthusiastic about staying on-site as anyone… and if even *I* feel like the end might be a few years down the road, I think Disney is making poor long-term decisions.
^This. As the rooms get more generic, there is less to make them seem special, especially if you have kids (mine will be 11 this June). The pay to park I can live with, even though I grumble about it, but if the rooms are going to look like a Hampton Inn, why not stay at one and save money on the room, while getting a “free breakfast thrown in, (there is one a short drive from the All Stars)?
I know I’m going to have to pay to park at Universal this summer (soon to be 11 year old is a HUGE self professed “Potter geek,” and will be the same age as a first year), but some of the on site resorts at Universal are a 10 minute walk to the parks, the price level we are looking to stay at has pretty good theming for each resort, with their version of a fast pass thrown in (and no need to pick a handful of attractions to use it one 60 days prior).
Not saying we are going to become a “ “Universal family,” but perhaps the upstart can teach the mouse a few tricks.
I started staying on site and we loved it. But as the years went on we started staying offsite. The number one reason was unlike universal there are no real perks to staying on site (please note I’m an annual pass holder and a Disney fanatic) except extra magic hours which are in the morning typically and we now have older kids who aren’t up at 7am. We stay in the parks most of the day so paying double with no perks just isn’t worth it.
I had my first ever trip to WDW this past month. We stayed on site at Port Orleans Riverside. We definitely got great benefit of the availablity of Fast Pass 60 days out. Apart from that, I couldn’t see a huge benefit. The bus trips were long and tedious, and for our early start for the Star Wars experience we had to use uber anyway to get there on time. The rooms were nothing special and I certainly couldn’t feel the “Disney Bubble” that some people talk about. If I were to visit again I’d find a competitively priced hotel off site and use uber.
Busses completely pop the bubble. Sad but true. If you want to be fully immersed in the Disney experience, you have to stay at a deluxe resort and use ONLY monorail or boat transportation. (Maybe the Skyliner will be bubble-saver #3.) As soon as you get near something that drives on a roadway, the cocoon is torn open and you’re back in reality.
Our passes were blacked out for 2 weeks this month around Easter but we wanted a little Disney magic, so we decided to try Port Orleans French Quarter and do Disney Springs. Final verdict: Meh. This was our first stay at a non-deluxe resort, and it was sorely disappointing. Never again. To its credit, the exterior of FQ was very well themed and we enjoyed walking around at night. But the room? Meh. Being bussed around? Yuck. I specifically picked Port Orleans because of the boat launches to DS, but they were shut down due to gusty winds. Bummer.
Similarly, we like love Boma at the AKL but we were staying at the Polynesian and the only way to AKL was to catch a bus from the MK. The crowded bus ride through heavy traffic seemed to take forever and felt like a daily commute, not a vacation. All traces of bubble, gone. Dinner was great and to get us back in the bubble spirit, we bused only as far as Epcot and hopped on the monorail. That helped restore some magic.
If you really want to experience The Bubble, save up and stay at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Wilderness Lodge, and only visit the MK. (The Contemporary rooms are beautifully appointed, it’s a convenient walk to MK, and watching the FW/WL boats from a lakefront room a higher floor in the main tower is blissfully serene, but the sterile marble-and-chrome theming outside the rooms lacks “magic”.) You can get to Epcot via monorail, and HS via monorail to Epcot and transfer to boat, but that’s a long tip. Point is, get into a MK resort and restrict yourself to boat transportation or the monorail ONLY. (we prefer the boats) Trust me, it will far exceed your Port Orleans/buses experience.
It’s all in your head…. but you sound quite pompous. In my whole life I stayed in a deluxe hotel twice, if I were to save up being on a fixed income it might take longer than I will be here for. I am grateful for value season, value resorts, and buses, they get you there!
I find it funny the fixation on not popping an imaginary bubble. Are we adults or children believing in Santa? Disney is fun and it’s an escape but omg you’re not being transported to another world.
Jess, I agree. I used to feel like there was value in “the bubble,” but with all the construction in WDW over the last decade, the bubble is illusory. I was extremely surprised to find the drive between WDW and our first off-site location, Windsor Hills, to be clean, short and peaceful. There were a few souvenir shops with tacky signs near the end of our drI’ve, but even those had a fun, kitschy quality that did nothing to make me feel I was in some non-bubble ghetto. The photos I’ve seen showing views from the Skyliner further prove that Disney is not working hard to “protect” guests eyes from the non-magical evidence that utilitarian, back stage areas exist on property. I still think that WDW resorts are beautifully themed and nice places to stay. I just no longer buy into the value proposition marketed by Disney, that on-site is so magically perk-laden that a night in a deluxe resort is worth 3-4 times the value of a night in a 6 bedroom rental house with its own pool, game room and Disney-themed bedrooms.
Wow – what a lot of opinions!
We recently stayed at Contemporary for our first ever visit to Disney World and loved that we could walk to the park and back whenever we wanted to!
The buses were great and came frequently – we never had a more than 20 minute trip to any of the parks or home again.
As we flew over from Australia for our FIRST EVER DISNEY WORLD TRIP, we didn’t care about the crowds and the prices as we won’t likely ever be able to do this trip again.
We are incredibly jealous of all the people who are on this blog and able to go to Disney every year, or multiple times a year – to be honest, that is what seems to have removed some of the magic for you??!!
We had the most wonderful time and enjoyed every minute of it – I would love to be able to do it all again, but too many other places on our bucket list (including Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland).
Tom and Sarah – your blog is amazing and I can’t tell you how valuable it has been to us to plan our Disney trips – please don’t ever stop!
As Anton Ego said: “After reading a lot of overheated puffery about (insert everything we argue about on blogs about WDW), you know what I’m craving? A little perspective. That’s it. I’d like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?”
Thanks for some perspective from someone not exactly as spoilt-rotten as I am about trips to WDW.
For me, perspective is accepting that Disney is a greedy corporation that peddles make-believe for big profits. It is what it is. Then I toss that knowledge aside and fully immerse myself into the experience upon arrival.
I’m in my mid-50s and have been coming to WDW since the first summer it was open (1972). And you know what? After 47 years, I still feel like a kid roaming the park, and love planning the next trip. Each time I score a great room deal, great FastPasses, and dining reservations that fit right in, I almost get giddy. My wife thinks I’m nuts, but she accepts she’s married to a diehard MK fan. We live within a 2 hour drive to WDW, and go 6-8 times a year on average. I feel very fortunate in that regard.
To be clear, I hate the obscenely high prices. I hate the suffocating crowds, aggressive stroller-moms/dads, scooters with clueless drivers, tour groups that fan out and block walkways, toddler meltdowns, exasperated parents arguing, and any of a hundred other things that ruin the magic.
But at the same time, I have a LOT of great memories at MK. I love walking through the gate into Main Street USA and seeing the castle. Going to Casey’s for a dog, fries and Coke. Hearing the Pirates sing. Flying over London in the dark. Giving a hitchhiking ghoul a lift. Easing along on the riverboat. Visiting Belle at her castle for a magical tale. Having one of the Plaza’s cool chicken-strawberry salads on a hot summer day, or a hot thanksgiving dinner at Liberty Tree on a cold winter day. Giving my feet a rest on the People Mover. Taking a journey through the last century on the Carousel. And any of a dozen other favorites. Then at the end of the day, boating across the lagoon back to the resort to watch fireworks from the beach. Good stuff.
For those who complain about long waits and not being able to do anything, are they doing any due diligence or planning in advance? We have no trouble filling a day of fun with minimal waiting for anything. On the 60th day out (or any time in the 50 day range) get your FastPasses and dining booked. Reservations for rides and food make the day go smoothly. Then at the park, in between FassPasses and dining, visit attractions with short waits– Tiki Room, Treehouse, Carousel, Philharmagic, Laugh Floor (“usually” short wait), take a raft to the island and watch the beehive of activity in Liberty Square and Frontierland from a distance. There are a ton of things to do with little to no waiting. Anybody who spends more than 15 minutes in any line hasn’t planned well.
Accept the fact you won’t be able to do *everything* in one day, or even 2 or 3. Plan your days. Book room, rides, and food in advance. Decide what you’ll do in between those reservations. Then go and enjoy.
Jay,
Planning and Due Diligence?
I am not interested in scheduling every minute of my vacation 60 days in advance.
I don’t have to at Universal, so I will just keep skipping Disney and go to Universal instead.
If I want to spend my day following a schedule, I can just go to work.
Ok, I’ve had it. I just cancelled a 7 night vacation at Coronado Springs. I will stay off premise. I will not renew our annual passes. Since Disney has made it clear that the most important thing is money and prophets I will use the savings to purchase shares of Disney stock. Then I can sit back and cheer each time Disney raises ticket prices. I tried, but with the restrictions placed on the Disney faithful it just is not that much fun anymore.
So you go Mickey and get every last penny out of your guests.
I echo Jim’s sentiments. There used to be a profitability statement that went something like Disney can pay their entire overhead by March or April for Disney Worlds over all expenses. The upgrades to the parks have been nominal at best yet the prices have jumped steadily and often throughout the year. Now they have a rolling cost schedule based on day of the week and month of the year. I remember the “Length Of Stay Pass”. Stay in a Disney hotel, any park from the time you arrived until the time you left. I remember more buses from the hotels, never waiting more that 5-10 minutes. Never being so jam packed you couldn’t breath. Few people embrace what Walt Disney wanted for employees. Smiling, helpful, engaging. Now it’s just like going to any McDonalds… The FastPass system is ruined. The food has steadily gone down hill. We hit the Chick-Fil-A for a quick breakfast on our way to the park. Parking skyrocketed, for absolutely no reason. Nothing has changed with parking. Disney has become the most disappointing place in earth.
Unfortunately, I disagree and find this a crazy statement – I know, it’s just my “opinion.” But NO WAY does $10.6 BILLION get made by March or April – that’s just crazy internet stuff. Upgrades NOMINAL? Star Wars, anyone? The most expensive and advanced upgrade in Disney’s history. Pandora? Flight of Passage is the best current attraction ANYWHERE. Have you seen the work on Guardians at Epcot? It’s HUGE! How about Tron Lightcycles? 3 new cruise ships at a BILLION each? Skyliner is NOMINAL? Riviera, new tower at Coronado, dozens of AMAZING new restaurants in Disney Springs and the resorts. I live a block away from a Chick-fil-a and love it, but really? I have been going for 44 years, and I don’t remember waiting 5 minutes for a bus or 5 minutes in line for anything other than something like 3 Caballeros. The bus system has IMPROVED over the last few years with links to MDE and view boards, and reworking the routes by computer. “Never been so jam packed”…and you question parking and transportation, and price? Absolutely no reason? And for Disney CAST MEMBERS, my daughter is one, gladly trading a year away from college to wait on griping, ungrateful individuals at Star Tours 8-10 hours a day for $10/hour (McDonald’s prices, but then you don’t want to pay more for tickets, remember?). You apparently don’t know ANYTHING about their training and the difficulty of even getting a gig there – they may be the strictest employer on the earth. And they release Cast Members (“term” the DCPs) for too many points. All the while smiling and saying “Have a Magical Day” to guests apparently like you (that’s a code, by the way).
Can’t believe I am defending a multi-billion-dollar business, but if it’s the most disappointing place to anyone reading a Disney blog, I suggest going to Universal instead and complain about them. On another forum I might question who is a “troll” here. Why can’t we discuss how to get the most out of a Disney Vacation, even with the high costs, construction, and crowds? Why does everyone have to be so down on a vacation/entertainment place? It’s like complaining over and over that you won’t go back to Cancun. Great. Find somewhere else, please.
Tom, if you want to ban me from comments and kick me off. I LOVE Disney still and will gladly pay the exorbitant prices to get to make memories with my family. And if I see a guest being rude to a Cast Member in the parks or resorts I will do what I always do, step up and tell the Cast Member how great they are, and resist telling any but the rudest guests what I think of them. By the way, I go to Guest Services and give the Cast Members name (or go to the Lead on the attraction, etc.) – the get “Keys” as special recognition for making magic or spreading pixie dust, and they crave this, I can tell you. The readers here should try to understand how hard they work, for so little money, usually because they LOVE Disney and all the guests.
Brian, you have really drank a lot of Disney kool-aid, haven’t you?
Your daughter makes $10.00 per hour working as a cast member and you seem to think her pay is tied to the ticket price… Keep drinking that kool-aid buddy!
Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, earned 65.6 million dollars last year… (just one single Year, 2018) If it helps, that is $65,600,000.00!
Bob Iger’s salary happens to be 1424 times the salary of the MEDIAN Disney employee. (The Median employ makes a bit over $46,000. Probably quite a bit more than your daughter)
Your daughter makes $10.00 an hour because Bob Iger and the big stock holders want the money… All the money… More money… Money money money… Need. More. Money. More more more money!
Thus, your daughter makes $10.00 an hour… They would pay her 10 cents an hour if they thought they could get away with it.
Keep drinking that delicious kool-aid!
Ha ha! Steve, I understand what you are saying. Yes, Iger makes a lot. But I am a business owner, and run a small company. Iger’s earning went up 80% this last year, and is stepping down after 2019 (I would step down and enjoy $60 mill too!), so this is a lifetime-achievement award. The year before he made $36 million to run a company that grossed $59.4 BILLION, so he was number 18 and made less percentage of revenue than the top 50. Companies like Oracle, Discovery, AIG, TripAdvisor (really?), Time Warner, CBS, First Data, and Broadcom paid their CEOs more.
And by the way, P Diddy earned $130 million, Lionel Messi earned $111 million, Conor McGregor earned $99 million, Howard Stern earned $90 million, and LeBron earned $85.5 million. “If it helps that
is” $85,500,000.00! Actually, no need to put the cents, you know, after an estimate…. I guess you like to be snarky, and I don’t mind. I find it fun.
And make sure you fact-check yourself. MEDIAN employee pay is not salary, and is based on a majority of less than 40 hr per week employees. And 10,00 college interns making less money but getting experience for future jobs and careers (they also provide really cheap housing in nice apartments that Disney owns just for the college program, and are building 2600 more for the Flamingo Crossings development – more Disney dollars at work that we don’t see as a guest). And a large number (thousands) of INTERNS that are getting job experience. The average SALARY is $80k according to payscale.com. And Disneyland just raised the lowest wages to $15/hr, and Florida is likely set to do the same after negotiations. “Salaries at The Walt Disney Company range from an average of $46,766 to $135,425 a year” – based on department.
“…money… All the money… More money… Money money money… Need. More. Money. More more more money!” And I bet you turned down the last pay raise you were offered, and gave away 50% to your church or charity, Steve? And my daughter, by the way, will be all right. Thanks for your concern. She has her English degree and is finishing up a Zoology degree and will make as much money as she is willing to work hard for, maybe for Animal Kingdom. That’s why she works for $10/hr, for her future, and she works hard. So do most of the young people there. Exaggerations like “10 cents and hour” are probably just out of frustration, and I understand it. But in the real world, yes even Disney is in that, when people refuse to buy a product the price will go down, and as long as people VALUE the product more and more, it will go up. Look up “Austrian School of economics” or laissez-faire-economics to see why this happens.
And if you prefer Conor McGregor attacking a bus with his gang/courtiers to a Disney Exec, so be it. But you can’t have it both ways. I am done. Sorry.
We come to Disney World at least once a year . We have been staying at a Disney resort every year for the past 28 years . Our favorite was PO Riverside . Due to price we switched to Pop Century . We stayed in a newly renovated room at Pop in December 2018 . I did not like it at all . The rooms have lost the Disney Experience and have become rather “cold”. We will start staying at Shades of Green . I love Disneyworld but have not been pleased with some of the changes over the past few years .
I completely agree about the impersonal blah theming inside the rooms direction! The thing that set them apart is the Disney theme and characters. Now it’s white bedding everywhere and blah.
I stayed off site Nov 28th through Dec 7 and have annual passes. As such my Fastpass+ window is only 30 dats prior. I too ran into trying to book Fastpases greater than 7 days. At first I thought something was wrong with the Disney app. After digging around on forums I found a single post about this. 7 days is currently the limit. However, once you finish the first day and your Fastpass days drop to 6 then you can rebook your actual eighth day (new 7th day) and continue adding single days. Just one day at a time.
Thank you for the info
We stay at Holiday Inn’s Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee when we go to Disney, renting a condo with 3 bedrooms. We buy groceries from the local Publix and only eat lunch at WDW. We get 3 day tickets at WDW and intersperse them with off days swimming at the resort, where there is an incredible “lazy river” and multiple pools. The condos have washers/dryers as well, which are great when you are with kids. You do need a car when you are there, though, since your unit might be a good distance from the check-in office.
I book onsite if I’m only taking my older son. If I take the whole family, I rent a house. We need our space since my boys and mom got older, while I’ve stayed the same (Ha!). No way we are fitting into one room for more than a night, and there is no way I’m paying the price for bigger onsite accommodations. So that is what makes the decision for me. We always have avoided EMH, the bus, and the dining plan. 30 day fp booking window is okay. I’ve still managed to ride everything we wanted. My big 50 is coming up next summer and my dream trip would be a stay at the Poly but my budget doesn’t recognize my age. It still thinks I’m 19. So POP or offsite for us.
I am going to keep this as short as possible.
If your going to Disney World today it is not like 5 years ago. Or even two years ago. FP+ is useless. Magic hours are often the busiest times of day. And nothing short of early morning magic will get you on rides before the crowds. Character breakfast even with the earliest start times during busy times of year often put you behind other guests who got let into the park early and are just waiting for the attraction areas to open.
But there is one way to have a good time. Forgo the Disney resort tax entirely and stay offsite and spend the money on VIP day of thrills, VIP night of adventure, and after dark HS. A three day trip and you will ride all the most popular rides at the park. With lines far lower than fast pass lines.
Planned on spending a week or more? Universal studios, lego land, sea world, and some of the most amazing arcades and go cart tracks in the world are yours for the taking. Plus all of those experiences cost less than being locked into a 7 day Disney only vacation.
Emotions run high on this topic and everyone has a strong opinion, that’s for sure. I checked the prices of May 4 DHS AH, and Night VIP May 5, and Day VIP May 6. That’s 11 hours total VIP experience (7 hours for the daytime one and 4 hours for the night) and 3 hours After Hours at DHS. The total cost for 4 adults (my family)? $2900 plus $1645 for the 3-day ticket (oh, yes – you still have to buy park tickets). Total – $4545. Our plan? We get 20 night a year as a DVC member staying in the Deluxe Studio (the cheap ones!), this time in Mayfor 12 days in a Savanna View in Kidani, and 8 more days in September at Copper Creek. The pro-rated cost of the DVC (not including time-value of money, but that is another topic) for the original cost (over 50 years) and the dues makes it about $185/night, so $3780 for the 20 nights. Our Platinum APs are $636 each plus tax, or about $2750 for the 4 of us, for a total of $6530. A lot of money, but 20 nights in WDW at great resorts, and a relaxed atmosphere since we are spending many days, and less than $2000 more than the 3 days of VIP – oh, and the the 3 days didn’t include the cost of the off-site hotel, gas/rental car/Lyft, etc. AND, I got every FP+ we wanted, including 4x Flight of Passage, a Frozen Ever After, 2x Seven Dwarfs, Slinky Dog, etc. We will ride every ride we want and then some, often multiple times, by planning and using a good plan, arriving early (we love rope drop, actually – and planned rests when the parks get crowded. Personally, the idea of Character Breakfasts to get into the park early is not my favorite, as filling up on a buffet before Expedition Everest of Tower of Terror is not much fun anyway. We go to those about 10:30am when the crowds have settled down and we are ready for a break. We love the restaurants (especially World Showcase) in the evenings and strolling through the crowds watching people at night. It’s not for everybody, and it requires a lot of work. But I have been going since 1975 and I don’t want to go back to the early days – I like the new parks and rides, though I do miss many things (the Adventurers Club, original Figment and Dreamfinder, The Great Movie Ride, etc.). The prices are horrible for a 3 day trop now, but I bought my first car in 1975 for $3200 (a ’74 Monte Carlo). I just bought a new GMC HD2500 Diesel – let’s just say it was more expensive, too, like the cost of tickets a WDW.
Just an FYI nerdy note:
In 1975 a General Admission ticket was $6 – but no rides. The 8 ride Adventure
Book of tickets was an additional $7. $13 a day. For just a few rides, and
inflation adjusted it is about $54 (2017).
The median home cost in 1975 was $28,266. The average was $39,500 (US
Census). On 2017, it was $291,320. But disposable income only doubled.
Disney took in $6.6 BILLION in profits on the Disney Media side, and $4.4 billion
for the parks worldwide. The 6 Domestic parks cost $10.68 billion to run
each year. Profits DOUBLED since 5 years earlier.
However, Disney is spending $24 BILLION on new attractions, hotels and ships –
all current projects.
This may be pedantic, but arguments for the price of tickets may be emotionally correct, even repulsive, but they don’t hold up to scrutiny and comparison – even to common sense. Houses and cars have gone up more rapidly that ticket prices, and though cars are better today, and houses, the same can certainly be said for the quantity and quality in attractions, hotels, food, etc. at WDW – and nostalgia aside, it is an extremely dramatic increase, actually. And Disney is SPENDING gobs of money in the arms race with Universal, and to satisfy our insatiable demand for more Disney “Magic”. I am not saying I am in favor of it, I kinda wish it could freeze in time like it was when I took my kids for the first time.
Lastly, if people are complaining about the crowds, and how you can’t do Character Breakfast without being behind huge rope drop crowds, think of the logic – how crowded would it be if Disney actually lowered the prices? It is a Disney principle that there is an occupancy rate after which guest experience plunges. By the logic of everyone here who advocates no increased cost, how do you think the crowds will be next year?
Like I said, Disney is not for everyone, and the way people enjoy it or hate it is as varied as anything can be. But to treat Disney as either: 1) an evil, money-grubbing empire or 2) as Tinker Bell with Pixie dust for everyone, is disingenuous.
Actually, maybe I should thank those who won’t go back or stay on property, since it will be easier next year to get my reservations. It’s just sad that something that is for ENTERTAINMENT is treated as life-or-death with people taking sides and bi***ing on social media outlets.
I also just heard about canceling evening magic hours at Magic Kingdom. Maybe it is too difficult to have non-eligible guests leave the park? Morning hours will remain. For now.
This really saddens me. As someone stuck going in the summer if I want to go more than a week (and of course I do), then the summer extra hours bring some much needed heat relief. Going early, taking a break, then going back for the evening is how we navigate the extreme summer heat.
Yeah looks like Disney has decided to take away more onsite advantages by ending evening EMH starting in October. http://blogmickey.com/2019/04/evening-extra-magic-hours-removed-from-magic-kingdom-starting-in-october/
Because Disney want us to pony up for an After Hours event ticket. It’s obscene.
Really there are none in August. We are there 11 nights and only one has a two hour extra evening option. 🙁
A few years ago we stay in Disney springs area hotel Holiday Inn. It was clean large rooms nice pool comfortable beds. Reasonable rates employees were kind and helpful. The only downside was transportation, you walked and waited for hotel bus which picked up and dropped off in one location in Disney springs parking lot. After drop off you waited for the bus for where you wanted to go it seemed like it took a long time to get where you wanted to be same for return. I would never rely on hotel transportation again I would rent a car or use Uber.
I would love if you could provide blog posts on staying at specific alternative off site hotels. We stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek once (8 years ago now with just one easy to manage child) and the hotel was much better than any of the hotels we have stayed at on property. It was also MUCH cheaper. The food, especially breakfast was amazing (and so efficient). With kids it’s great to stay on Disney property to benefit from the transportation between parks and also from the airport. It’s “one less thing” to worry about when you know that your luggage is taken care of and you can take the Magical Express to your hotel for free. Plus, it’s Disney and heartwarming.
That being said we do prefer higher end hotels and amenities (we are by no means “upper class” but save to spend on vacation). We have stayed a couple times at The Yacht Club and do love it, but pricing is basically double compared to Bonnet Creek Hilton. The Hilton also has a beautiful zero entry pool with water slide that could compare to Stormalong Bay. You will never be turned away at a restaurant. At our last stay at The Yacht Club our only option for food was the little Market if we didn’t have a planned in advance reservation because the restaurants at and near our hotel needed to be booked way in advance. When I attempted to book a decent breakfast “close” to our hotel, the Dining line offered us reservations at Animal Kingdom. Again, it’s wonderful to stay on property simply because it’s DISNEY and because of transportation. We would travel to Disney much more often if hotel prices were not so crazy high for their value.
I always look into booking one of the Disney Springs or Bonnet Creek hotels, but never follow through. We have 2 kids and cave to staying Disney for transportation and the Disney feel. It would be really great if there were blogs from Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs putting a focus on transportation between parks and the airport! It would help us know what to expect if we decided to stay off site 🙂
Swan and Dolphin too! Or if you have any previous posts, would love the link to read them 🙂
I would also be interested in a full review of Bonnet Creek including details about the transportation, rooms, feel of the resort compared to similarly priced Disney resorts, pool area, food, etc… We are Hilton members so being able to get points while also getting the Disney perks is enticing.
This post came at the exact time that I was on the phone with Disney trying to find out why I couldn’t make fastpasses for my 2nd trip within 60 days. It appears that the policy for fastpasses has changed. Now, you can only make fastpasses for 7 days within 60 days even staying on property if the days are not on one stay. We are DVC members and often split our reservation (4 days at one property, 4 days at another or coming back within the 60 days). Now we can only make fastpasses for 7 days. I don’t know if anyone else has found this problem (we realize that we are very fortunate to be able to come back to WDW multiple times within a 60 day window) but another of my colleagues has found this problem as well.
Did you find out when that changed? We are also DVC members and went this past Xmas. Stayed in 3 different DVC resorts over 14 nights. At the 60 day mark for the first check-in, I had no problem booking fast pass selections for the whole 14 night combined stay. Of course the system checks that you actually have enough days on your tickets to match what you are booking. You should not be penalized for splitting the stay as long as it is altogether. Or making the next round of fast pass selections at the 60 day marker on the second or third part of your trip.
Karen, I checked with DVC and nothing has changed. If the stays are split non-consecutively then you will run into some issues. You should be able to start booking fast pass at 60 days out from the start of each stay as a minimum. Also you need to ensure your tickets have enough days on them and fall within the parameters they now have tied to specific days and length of validity. If you have annual passes, then maybe someone could chime in on this. DVC members need to keep complaining. In this day and age there is no reason that MDE and reservations on all ends are not able to at least manually link all reservations together as one booking to avoid all of this nonsense. The same for non-DVC folks splitting stays at various hotels. For the amount of money we spend and they generate, they can fix it. Keep giving them the hammer!
Thanks. Yes, I am going to write them (and anyone else within Disney that I can think of). Our trip consists of 6 days at WDW, 3 day cruise & then 4 days back at WDW. We do have annual passes. A friend of mine, however, did have a problem where it was 2 reservations all together & the computer couldn’t do it. DVC had to do it for her. The time that I am most concerned about is that we are in WDW for Thanksgiving & then at Christmas so we will not be able to make the fast passes for both trips. I realize that we are very fortunate to go often & stay on property but what is the point if we can’t get fastpasses @ 60 days.
As always, you give some great insights! I am one of those people emotionally attached to Disney, but with your new info I will definitely consider off-site accommodations for my family. Thank you, Tom!
Reading the comments on any Disney Blog should qualify for college credits in psychology. There are so many layers of thoughts and opinions and the emotions attached it makes me dizzy! And I feel EXACTLY LIKE THAT – every opinion at least emotionally makes sense or maybe I vehemently disagree, but it is so easy to make snap judgements. About anything it seems. I don’t think Disney is any different than any other business or almost every guest who comes to WDW – money is a motivator. Doesn’t make Disney “bad” for making ticket prices meet the demand. I have been a business owner for 30 years and no employee has ever wanted less money because payroll was getting too high! Everyone wants what they can get and if that means less for someone else, so be it. I’m just trying to be less of a hypocrite. The one park in 1971 at a cheap rate and few hotels cannotbe compared to 4 parks with more incredible attractions, food and entertainment that you can fit in a day or several days. 50,000+ cast members that make the magic happen. World-class chefs at DS and the logistics crews which keep everyone parking, busses moving, roads constructed, tons of food and goodies delivered, rooms cleaned, refurbishments and new hotels-restaurants-attractions opened at a breakneck pace. All while keeping us feel incredibly safe compared to, say, downtown Orlando, and providing an emotional security blanket and provide life-time memories. Bezos is the richest man now (or was until his divorce) but who doesn’t use Amazon Prime? And it has destroyed many, many business and is reportedly not a great employer.
Just saying, it’s a personal choice and if you think it is too expensive, ask yourself why you pay $5 at Starbucks everyday, and $200 a month for Hidef cable, and why you had to have that new iPhone with unlimited data so you could stream a movie that you pay another monthly charge to have?
We demand that Disney do this – like in the Incredibles – what are we waiting for? I don’t know, something AMAZING I guess! And gripe about the price.
I live 30 miles from Mt Hood and I know that for free I can walk up to snowline in July, catch a trout ina mountain lake, or walk along the crashing surf. And I do – often. But also my family goes twice a year for 10-12 days each time to WDW and we stay on property and relish the time we can be together “outside” the real world. We strive to “stay in the magic”. I know, it is expensive. And we can afford it because I choose this over other options. And I have worked hard and been lucky. But I don’t blame Disney for anything that I have free-will about. My family loves camping on the cheap too.
That doesn’t mean I give the Mouse a free pass! I write emails (there are a couple secret email addresses for complaints during and after a trip you know), talk to cast members directly with complaints and suggestions, etc. And they listen more than Google or Amazon I guarantee. It helps that I am a DVC member and AP and my daughter is a cast member in DCP.
Not that anyone has the time to read this post (long-winded) but I hope all Disney fans can have the grace they expect Disney to show them to accept that it isn’t just about them but try to change the things that they can change. It’s easier to complain in a blog than look for solutions. One other thing has changed beside prices I have noticed in 55 years of going to DL and WDW – guests are mire rude and demanding of cast members than ever. It’s not just Disney, we are the problem too. And that’s all I have to say about that (heh heh – sorry!)
That was an awesome post!
And you know people forget that even in the late 70s into the early 80s it was not cheap for the average family to go. My parents needed 1 to 2 years of savings for each trip. We stayed in the cheapest room at contemporary, never in the main tower as they could not afford it. It is relative to what we make and pay these days. Ultimately they would not be doing this if people stopped paying. As you said I am also dvc and give them honest feedback after each visit. As you also said it’s amazing what how they run this 24-7 operation even at these prices. Take the behind the scenes tour and you will have a better understanding and respect for what is going on here.
We have stayed onsite and off. Short trips (5 days or less) we like to stay onsite as time becomes a factor, long trips (1week +) we stay offsite usually in a Vacation Home Rental and time is not a factor. The money we save staying offsite allows for a longer time in the area and we usually rope drop in the am and are out by 1 and return after dinner for the evenings. We also see other things in the Orlando area that we don’t when staying onsite and are usually experience a more relaxing trip. Overall what we pay for a Deluxe resort in 5 days is the same cost as a 14 day vacation home stay offsite. But those short trips and staying onsite are pretty awesome too.