Disney World’s On-Site Advantage: Perks & Benefits of Staying in WDW Resort Hotels
Walt Disney World owned resorts offer several guest benefits: free transportation, line-skipping priority booking, extra hours, airport luggage transfer & more. This covers how on-site perks have changed, whether they offer an actual advantage or are merely marketing, and if WDW hotels are worth higher prices in 2026.
I’ll preface this by saying that we have been advocates of staying in the Walt Disney World “bubble” and are definitely biased towards that. In our On-Site v. Off-Site at Walt Disney World article we attempt to be balanced, but concede that we’re drawn to being inside the Walt Disney World “bubble,” which offers advantages in terms of location, convenience, and the feeling of an all-encompassing vacation destination.
However, that started to change even pre-closure. We still love a lot of Walt Disney World hotels and do on-site stays, but no longer strongly recommend them for everyone. Accordingly, what we are going to do is ask and attempt to answer an important question: what if the selling points of staying on-site are not as valuable as Disney’s marketing or conventional planning wisdom suggests?
For our 2026 update to this guide, we’re happy to report that Walt Disney World’s on-site perks continue to improve. With that said, your perspective will very much depend upon your frame of reference.
If you’re a first-timer, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by all of the guest benefits offered by Walt Disney World resorts, especially the cheaper ones. The real world counterparts of these budget accommodations don’t offer nearly as much. At the other end of the spectrum, seasoned travelers accustomed to luxury hotels may be disappointed by Deluxe Resorts.
For repeat visitors comparing the on-site experience at Walt Disney World of 2026 to 2021, things are absolutely better. However, if you’re comparing the on-site experience today to the one in 2019, it’s still worse. Watch the advertisement below you’re in the mood for mild depression. Seriously, don’t say I didn’t warn you:
In any case, there have been a few positive developments last year and this year, so it’s fairly undeniable that the trajectory for on-site perks at Walt Disney World is positive. On-site advantages are continuing to reappear rather than continuing to disappear, as we’ll discuss here.
Let’s start with a recently-restored perk that continues to evolve: Airport Luggage Transfer.
This previously existed as a companion to the now defunct Disney’s Magical Express, which we’re also hoping–and somewhat expecting–will make a comeback. Currently, Airport Luggage Transfer is a pilot program available at all Value Resort hotels for guests with Southwest Airlines flights through Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can drop checked baggage off with Luggage Assistance to be delivered directly to your flight. A third-party service, BagCheck, will take your luggage directly to the airport for your Southwest Airlines flight. This outbound service launched last spring.
Guests are also able to check their luggage at the Southwest bag drop area or ticket counter at their home airport for direct delivery to their resort as part of the new Inbound Airport Luggage Transfer works. This service is newer, having launched last holiday season.
This is a great option for a friction-less arrival and departure experience. Honestly, I’d consider Pop Century over a higher tier resort (Caribbean Beach, for example) just for this benefit if I were already planning on flying SWA. We expect this to expand to other tiers of resorts and airlines throughout 2026 and 2027.
Another new one is that Kids Eat FREE All Year in 2026 at Walt Disney World. Throughout all of 2026, guests staying at one of Walt Disney World’s on-site resort hotels will get a Free Disney Dining Plan for their kids (ages 3 to 9 at the time of travel) when purchasing a Disney Dining Plan as part of their package for the other members of their party (ages 10 and up at the time of travel).
The Free Disney Dining Plan included in this special offer depends on the Disney Dining Plan the adults in the party purchase. The standard Disney Dining Plan is included for kids ages 3-9 when purchasing a regular Disney Dining Plan for guests ages 10 and older in the party. The Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan is included for kids ages 3-9 when purchasing a Quick-Service Disney Dining Plan for Guests ages 10 and older in the party.
The Kids Free Dining Plan at Walt Disney World can be combined with other select special offers, meaning you may still be eligible to take advantage of other deals released throughout 2026. There are already several such discounts, from all 2026 room-only discounts to bouncebacks to the new ‘Buy 4, Get 2 Free’ deal. Even DVC point rental is eligible for the Kids Free Dining Plan!
This ability to stack the Kids Eat Free offer is why it’s better considered a perk as opposed to a discount. It definitely improves the value proposition on the Disney Dining Plan for any party with even one child ages 3 to 9. For families with multiple young children or that plan on doing character meals, it becomes a no-brainer!
Another recently added perk is the Free Water Park Day in 2026. Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests can enjoy admission to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach on their check-in day. Room-only reservations, vacation packages and Disney Vacation Club stays on points will all be eligible–but all guests must be on the reservation.
Unlike last year, this perk is only available for summer visits, valid for arrivals from May 26 to September 8, 2026. This free day ended up being hugely popular between last Spring Break and September, to the point that Walt Disney World was forced to (finally) reopen both water parks. It’s disappointing that the perk isn’t returning for (at least) March through October, but at least it’ll be available on the dates when water park hours are longest–making it easier to use on arrival day.
We love the Walt Disney World water parks and our favorite time to visit is the last 3 hours they’re open (for lower crowds). This will be a nice money-saving perk for some guests. But its value shouldn’t be overstated. After a long travel day, many people will want to just relax by the resort pool until their room is ready, and then head out to Disney Springs or do dinner after that.
The free water park day can be tricky to use, so for more advice on ‘hacking’ this on-site guest benefit (so you can use it more than once), see Beat Big Crowds & Make the Most of Walt Disney World’s Free Water Park Perk!
Next up is Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, which is the latest iteration of paid FastPass. We’re not going to get into the nuts and bolts of it here–see our Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World for that–but the bottom line is that the new line-skipping service is very similar to FastPass+ with the big difference being that it costs money.
Most notably, guests staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotel are able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance, for their entire stay–up to 14 days. Off-site guests can plan up to 3 days in advance. This is huge.
Here’s a partial list of attractions that have limited availability starting 4 days in advance:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Test Track
- Soarin’
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Na’vi River Journey
Meaning that if you want to skip the lines at the most popular attractions, you’ll almost need to be staying on-site or get lucky with same-day ride reservation refills (hope you have a strong refresh game).
Availability is often completely or nearly gone once the 3-day mark rolls around. (For reasons discussed in our guide above, you’re at a distinct disadvantage if you don’t book morning time slots for at least some of your Lightning Lanes, so there simply being some availability isn’t enough–you want morning times to get the most value out of LLMP.)
Another add-on is the Disney Dining Plan. For many planners, being able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan is very important from a budgeting and convenience perspective. While we’ve been skeptical of this for years, but it’s nevertheless true that guests find themselves surprised by food costs more than anything else at Walt Disney World.
The Disney Dining Plan is a big plus for a lot of Walt Disney World guests who stay on-site. In our view, that probably overstates the degree to which this is an actual advantage. The reality is that the majority guests will come out ahead from a budgeting or convenience perspective by pre-purchasing discount Disney gift cards and using those to pay-as-they-go for food.
The big exception to this is families with kids ages 3-9 who qualify for the Kids Eat Free perk discussed above. They’ll absolutely come out ahead on the DDP. There are other exceptions to this, too, such as families of big carnivores or those willing to “hack” the Disney Dining Plan. But otherwise, the house usually wins.
Next, let’s turn to Walt Disney World’s extra hours: Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. Early Theme Park Entry allows all on-site resort guests and those staying at select third party hotels to enjoy 30-minute access to any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin.
We’ve done Early Entry dozens of times (literally), and our experiences are largely positive at 3 of the 4 parks. Crucially, Extra Magic Hours occurred on select days of the week and only at one park on each occasion. This mean consolidating all on-site guests at a single park. Early Entry occurs daily at all 4 parks, and better spreads out the crowd as a result.
In practice, we’ve found Early Entry to be far less busy than EMH. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, it essentially offers a 2-3 ride headstart for on-site guests and is actually a pretty significant. (Most days, it is not as good at Magic Kingdom.)
Early Entry is a huge perk, and it’s doubly beneficial to be able to use it every single day at whichever park you want. Do not underestimate its value and skip Early Entry because it’s “only” 30 minutes. Learn strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Next, there’s Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, which occur only two nights per week in total–for two hours each night. This benefit is exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Vacation Club), or other select hotels (currently Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green). Guests staying at Value or Moderate Resorts are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours.
This makes Extended Evening Hours a double-edged sword, with its quality hinging on resort status. For those who are eligible, Extended Evening Hours is huge. Crowds are virtually non-existent, as are lines for most attractions. It’s way better than Evening Extra Magic Hours, which had become overcrowded due to expanded eligibility during its last few years. (In fact, the crowds during Evening EMH are one of the reasons we first wrote this post, in the first place–Evening EMH had become almost useless due to overcrowding.)
Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of Value and Moderate Resort guests who, as noted above, cannot take advantage of Extended Evening Hours. So if you’re a Deluxe or DVC guest, this perk is fantastic. If you’re staying at a Moderate or below, it’s awful/nonexistent. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for more rules, eligibility, strategy, etc.
Two of the most recent changes concern transportation. As you’re likely aware, Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttle service ended. Now, visitors arriving to Orlando International Airport will need to rent a car, use Uber/Lyft, or arrange for an alternative shuttle service in order to get to their resort. This was a huge loss for many Walt Disney World visitors.
Disney’s Magical Express’ closest paid replacement is Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine. See our Guide to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World for other options. There’s no one-size-fits-all perfect solution; it depends on your party size, budget, and other factors.
We’ve used Mears Connect many times, and have found it to be virtually identical to Disney’s Magical Express in speed, quality, and service. The biggest downside is that there’s a fee, and that since these are third parties, there’s not always seamless integration between the resorts and the shuttles in the event that an issue arises. (Some fans will cite the lack of luggage handling, but that disappeared from DME prior to this, so it’s hard to tie that to this particular change.)
On a positive transportation note, Walt Disney World brought back free overnight self-parking to guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Complimentary parking was an on-site perk until a few years ago, and it was another prompt for this post in the first place.
We hated the charge for parking, and thought it was a bad decision that diminished the differentiation between Disney and its real-world counterparts. We were not alone. At the time, the introduction of the parking fee was the most controversial change we had ever seen made by Walt Disney World.
Not only did our post garner over 300 angry comments, but Walt Disney World got hit hard by negative reviews on crowdsourced travel sites like TripAdvisor and Google. I had never seen fans so mad–although backlash to the subsequent elimination of free FastPass and Disney’s Magical Express did exceed that response.
In addition to this, Walt Disney World resort hotel guests also continue to receive complimentary standard parking at Walt Disney World theme parks, which is another plus. In tandem, these two things take some of the sting out of the elimination of Disney’s Magical Express–at least for the guests who opt to rent a car while staying on-site. (That number will only grow, as Universal Orlando continues to expand and turn itself into an equally-compelling theme park destination.)
Sticking with the topic of transportation, this is another on-site advantage offered by Walt Disney World…and one that has arguably improved by quite a bit. Let’s start with the neutral components: the monorails and boats are more or less the same.
Given that the monorails continue to age and one boat route has been cut, the argument could be made that these have gotten slightly worse. Anecdotally, I’m not sure I agree–monorail maintenance has decreased downtime and the one boat route is used by a small minority of guests.
Nevertheless, we view Walt Disney World transportation as better today than it was ~5 years ago. The big thing is the Skyliner, which we view as the best transportation option at Walt Disney World. When there is a line, it’s constantly moving and usually a short wait. Since the opening couple of months, the Skyliner gondola system has been incredibly reliable.
I won’t include Minnie Vans as a transportation “improvement” since there’s a pricey surcharge for those, and we don’t generally recommend them. Plus, if you’re willing to use Disney’s Minnie Vans, you might as well be willing to use Lyft or Uber, which have become ubiquitous in Central Florida. The ease of Lyft and Uber is definitely an improvement for guests, but it’s neither here nor there from an “advantage” perspective since it isn’t a change made by Disney.
Turning back to dining, there is an on-site advantage when it comes to booking Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs). Currently, everyone can book table service restaurants 60 days prior to the date on which they’d like to eat. In addition, Walt Disney World resort hotel guests can make Advance Dining Reservations for their length of stay (up to a 10-day stay) up to 60 days in advance of their check-in date.
As discussed in our Top 10 Tips for Booking Difficult Advance Dining Reservations, this “60+10” window can be incredibly advantageous for popular table service restaurants or larger parties, especially during busier travel dates. If character dining or highly themed restaurants are important to you, this is valuable.
The good news is that ADRs have gotten easier over the course of this year, to the point that the 60+10 window is not really necessary for most parties or travel dates. We book a lot of last minute ADRs as a party of 1-3, and they’re not nearly as difficult as a few years ago. However, if you’re a party of more than 4 people, the 60+10 window can be advantageous.
Then there’s the biggest consideration, which is cost. This has always been the primary selling point for staying off-site. It’s worth reiterating here because the cost difference between off-site and on-site accommodations has become much more pronounced in the last few years.
As discussed in How Much Does a Walt Disney World Vacation Cost?, the average total price of a trip this year versus a comparable vacation in 2019 is up by thousands of dollars. On a positive note, that has already improved since publication, as numerous discounts have been released for 2026. Walt Disney World continues to get more aggressive with deals, to the point that prices can be lower in 2026 than they were in 2022-2023.
In other words, this one comes down to your frame of reference. If you visited in 2019 or earlier, a 2026 Walt Disney World vacation is still going to cost a lot more and you’re going to get less. However, the same is true pretty of much everything and everywhere–inflation, shrinkflation, and skimpflation have hit American consumers hard.
If you can afford on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, it’s definitely still nice to stay in a resort with an immersive design, attention to details, and various Disney touches. It’s also nice to be able to walk to the parks, or be part of the Disney bubble.
For many people, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this. There’s a certain x-factor that the Disney resorts offer that elevates the overall experience into something more special. This is true for us, and even with all of the complaints here, we still prefer staying on-site in Disney-owned properties.
To their credit, Walt Disney World’s resorts are still meticulously themed, with a ton of charm, detail, and transportive environments you mostly won’t find off-site. This has long been a big selling point, as your resort stay feels like an extension of the theme parks.
This applies mostly to the exterior grounds and interior common areas. With certain recent room refurbishments, the sense of theme inside Walt Disney World’s hotel rooms has been diminished. We’ve been critical of this because themed environments are what defines Disney, and are in the wheelhouse of Imagineers.
Many of the new rooms seem to be striving more towards crowd-pleasing styles, with generic modern designs, clean and crisp aesthetics, and generally elegant luxury (the last one only applies to Deluxe Resorts). In general, the rooms are less fun and have traded unique and colorful designs for more bland and basic ones.
On a positive note, Disney seems to be turning the corner on this. The new rooms at the Grand Floridian are an unequivocal upgrade over their predecessor in both theme and luxury, and just one recent example of a shift in this regard. It would seem that the worst of this occurred between 2016 and 2019, with the rooms in the last 2-3 years striking the balance much better. Hopefully this is the start of a positive trend and shifts into the ‘on-site advantage’ column over time.
The problem with the previous move towards modern and nondescript rooms is that Disney went from a realm with almost no real competition (ornately themed designs) to placing itself in direct competition with real-world hotel brands by mimicking their style.
This not only makes for an easier head-to-head comparison in terms of guest rooms, but it’s also a comparison that’s often not favorable to Disney. I love a lot of things about Walt Disney World, but do not view it as one of the world’s great operators of hotels.
Actual luxury hoteliers such as Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Four Seasons have high end properties near Walt Disney World, and they generally surpass even Walt Disney World’s flagship hotel on a luxury front. It’s arguable that even the Marriott, Hilton, and Wyndham hotels give Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World a run for their money–and those are often priced below Moderate levels!
When it comes to alternatives to staying on-site, we think that the real sweet spot is on-site third party hotels like the Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons Orlando, and Bonnet Creek Resorts. (See our List of the Best Third Party Hotels Near Walt Disney World.)
Several of these have locations that are as good or better than Disney-owned and operated hotels, and are less expensive. Many also offer the same perks as Disney hotels. Swan & Dolphin, for example, offer Extended Evening Hours whereas Disney Value and Moderate Resorts won’t have access to those.
You also might consider renting a vacation home, both for the sake of privacy and isolation. (See our Best Vacation Home Rentals Near Walt Disney World.) These are especially great for larger parties, and you can literally rent an entire house for the cost of a mid-tier Walt Disney World hotel room. Some of these contain themed kids rooms, in-home theaters, game rooms, private pools, plus everything else you’d expect from a house.
Another great option right now is staying at Universal Orlando, which still does offer most of its on-site advantages and its own sense of immersion and being inside of a “Universal bubble” (albeit to a lesser extent).
If you want to go all-out with Universal’s nicest hotels that are in walking distance of the parks and include unlimited line-skipping at attractions via Express Pass, see our Hard Rock Hotel Review and Portofino Bay Hotel Review. Even though these are Universal Orlando’s more expensive hotels, they’re still priced about on par with Moderate Resorts at Walt Disney World.
Our Universal Orlando Hotel Rankings & Reviews covers the pros & cons of all those resorts, many of which we love for their locations, theme, on-site perks, and value for money. Additionally, refer to Universal Orlando v. Walt Disney World Resorts for a comparison between Disney’s and Universal’s hotels to see what each does better.
Ultimately, that describes our dilemma with accommodations at and around Walt Disney World. The rational side of my mind knows that staying off-site provides significantly better value for money and that the some of the perks we receive from Walt Disney World hotels aren’t as valuable as they once were.
We do now have a lower price ceiling for most Walt Disney World resorts (except Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and All Star Movies, which are all a bit higher for us now), which can be a challenge given that room rates have been increasing. However, there are still ways to find good discounts, and failing that we can either use or rent DVC points or look at the on-site third party options like Swan & Dolphin, Disney Springs, and Bonnet Creek.
There’s also Universal Orlando, and we absolutely love several of those hotels. Universal can hold its own with many of Walt Disney World’s hotels from a thematic perspective, and many of the amenities at Universal are actually superior to Disney. Plus, the perks of staying on-site are far superior and nightly room rates are far lower.
With all of that said, there’s the emotional side of staying on-site. We have nostalgic attachments to certain resorts at Walt Disney World, and enjoy their lush grounds, dining, and amenities. We love being able to stay late in the parks, even if they’re crowded and all we’re doing is wandering around. We enjoy the seamless experience of going from the parks to our resort, feeling a temporary reprieve from the real world.
It’s difficult to put a price on all of that. While we “value” it below the cost difference between comparable third party hotels, we often jump through hoops to find ways to justify staying at Walt Disney World hotels. I’m not suggesting this is the right (or wrong) approach. I know part of this is Disney’s emotional power, and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker a lot. I’m not making a judgment either way–it simply is what it is. However, we find it happening less and less with Walt Disney World continuing to raise prices and cut offerings–that makes staying off-site a much easier decision!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think…are the perks of staying on-site as valuable to you as they once were, or are you getting less value for your money staying at Walt Disney World hotels? Will you continue to stay on-site despite this all? Have you already moved off-site? Other thoughts on this? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We stayed at the Art of Animation Resort shortly after the Skyliner “crash”, so we were worried about whether it would be operational. It was the driving reason for choosing that resort. It had some later start times but it was SO WORTH IT. We gave up on the buses for the other parks and just used Lyft. The buses were overpacked and the waits for them were ridiculous. I had to keep my falling asleep 6 year old standing up while trying to keep myself standing up because there was no room and nobody offered us their seat despite watching me beg him to stay awake because it wasn’t safe to fall asleep. I’ll never get on a disney bus again unless it’s the one from/to the airport, which is another perk of staying onsite.
Great article, I’m glad that someone is drawing attention to this growing problem! You captured many of the points that our family has discussed over the years before and after visiting Disney.
The advantages of staying on-property have gradually been diluted over the years to the point where we now prefer off-site lodging and restauarants (Gasp!)
We’ve found that we can get far superior lodging, food, and freedom by staying off property for less money.
We may have a longer trip to and from the parks, but the added benefits more than make up for it.
Let’s face it, Extra Magic Hours are decidedly less magical than ever before, and most Disney fans avoid them altogether.
I would love to see an article on APs and how the related perks have dwindled as well over the years.
Right on, about your mention of Annual Passes. Price increases are insane, going up 22% in the past 18 months. FL Resident Gold pass was $589 in Sept 2018, now $719 in March 2020. (22.1%) During that same 18 month period Platinum was $729, now $899 (22.3%). What we get in return are fewer blocks of rooms set aside for AP discounts, add-on parking fees at resorts, parks that are more packed than I’ve ever seen, and special “limited-attendance” events with so many ($100+) tickets sold that it’s just as crowded as regular park days. The joyous getaway I’ve loved since childhood (FL resident who’s attended since 1972) has become the equivalent of a rush hour traffic jam that never eases. It breaks my heart!!
Interesting article, we are a huge Disney Family with many park vacations and now cruise vacations under our belt. I think that from our experience, we are ahead of the game with figuring out the Disney way. We have always stayed on property, taking advantage of everything we could. Even though some of those advantages are disappearing, we would probably still stay on property anyway. A few weeks ago my daughter and I were at Disney for a soccer tournament President’s Day Weekend. We had to book through Disney Sport Travel. We did not have an onsite hotel. The first time we have EVER stayed off property. We had about 30 days prior to the trip to use a “Key” card to book fast passes as we only had two day park tickets and that was the way the booking worked. Needless to say we did not get any of the major attractions for Fast Passes, so we took what we could and then used our knowledge to help us. We had a day at Hollywood Studios. We scored Rise of the Resistance (I’m sure by the luck of my daughters quick texting hands). After that we took advantage of being in the park early and managed Rockin Rollercoaster in under a 30 minute wait. Then we did do the waits but it got us all the other good stuff (Slinky Dog, Tower of Terror, Buzz Lightyear and Smugglers Run). It was a good day. We have to always do the Magic Kingdom so that was our other day. We applied all we knew about where to go and such and again had a successful day. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, People Mover (lol…a favorite) and Peter Pan’s Flight…(Jungle Cruise, Pirates were our only Fast Passes). A slight rain and fireworks helped us score Peter Pan’s Flight. So off or on property, if you really know your Disney, you can still have a great time.
You make many very good points here. I think another thing to consider in the comparison is how often one visits WDW. Our first visit was in 1998 and we have returned maybe a dozen or so times since then. There is no arguing that things have certainly changed over time. Staying on-site is just no quiet the experience that it once was. With that being said, as one that visits now once a year or so, if I were to stay off-site, yes I would save some money, but I would also probably find myself wishing I had spent the additional money to stay at a Disney resort. For someone such as yourself who visits WDW many, many times a year, staying off-site probably doesn’t lead to the feeling that you are missing out on something because you know you will be back again real soon. Just another factor to consider. Keep up on the reports and stories…I love em”
We just returned from a 6 night stay at Grand Floridian and in all our years of going down in February this year was by far the busiest and biggest cluster ever. When you have to fight for stroller parking at every given turn you know you are in big trouble. We did not see much value at all in staying onsite when you encounter long long waits for buses at some of the deluxe resorts, and when you also encounter wait times that exceed 2 and 3 hours for some average attractions things are starting to get a bit nutty. Time for a fifth park perhaps? Our trips are usually magical and we have never in the past had very many negative things to ever say about a Disney vacation but this time around things just seemed different, the parks were bursting at the seams and the new attractions are driving crowds like never before. Good for the Disney bottom line but bad at times for the guest experience.
Last month, my wife, daughter, her fiance and I did a 5 day/4 night trip to WDW to celebrate their engagement. We used Tom’s suggestion of Be Our Guest Vacations to book our blow out trip. We stayed at the Riviera for 40% off with our Disney Visa and used Lyft to go everywhere (Skyliner wasn’t running early enough on the two mornings we secured Rise of Resistance boarding passes). We also paid extra for Animal Kingdom after hours. Even with the 40% off, the onsite expense increased the cost of the trip from $7,000 to $10,000. We had fun but our next trip will definitely be offsite at a nice condo we’ve stayed at before and using Lyft again. As Tom mentioned in his article, the benefits of staying onsite just aren’t there anymore.
There is no charge for extra magic hours don’t know what you paid for but it was not extra magic hours.
He didn’t say extra magic hours. He said AK After Hours. Big difference. One is a paid ticketed event. Please do not call someone out when you read something wrong.
My biggest gripe is now there is a nightly charge to park at the resorts even if you are annual pass holders, which for now, includes free parking at the parks.
Times change and things that once were, sadly,disappear. I remember December 2005, my first trip at Christmas. The Grand Floridian felt half full, and the parks felt empty. We felt lucky to score tickets to Mickey’s Christmas Party in which the park was half full at the most. Fast forward 15 years later and the place is jam packed and every other weekend there is a festival, marathon, or celebration of some kind designed to keep the resort full. I periodically see people post the question, “if you could change one thing” and see a ton of responses, “make it less expensive”, then they gripe about the crowds. In-congruent! If prices were lowered, it would be Christmas Day every weekend. I also see a ton of post about people griping about the lack of theme, then they also want cheaper rooms and more frequent “free” transportation. You can’t have both. So times and things change, I think we have to accept that the days of low crowd seasons is over. From a corporate perspective, the days of paying to keep the parks open for a handful of on-site guest is no longer necessary so why do it? I love the elaborate themed resorts, but they are more expensive to build and operate. Disney has to compete with luxury branded resorts that build large towers with centralized “everything”. These towers are far less expensive to build, staff, and operate. Think of the logistics and inefficiency of a resort with multiple buildings. You need a fleet of golf carts and twice the staff to secure, clean and manage the buildings and grounds. Think about one of my favorite resorts, Port Orleans Riverside. It has over 2000 rooms spread over 325 acres. Compare that to the Dolphin with 1500 rooms on a site that could fit in a small section of Riverside. The cost to run a bland tower compared to a spread out resort must be staggering. That, by the way is partially why its cheaper to stay at a Hilton than POR. I see that comparison all the time on how its less expensive to stay at the Waldorf than the Moderate, Port Orleans. Anyway, I agree with Tom on many points. But sadly understand that this is about changing times and changing guest preferences along with the need to stay profitable. Just like we no longer build cobblestone roads with gas lamp lit sidewalks, have “deep ends” and diving boards, neon lit signs and so many other nostalgic and quaint things of the past, we will not see half full parks kept open late into the night at a great expense or millions spent on a what is realistically, just a hotel people stay at for a few nights. And yes, it makes me a bit sad when I think about it but it also makes me relish a stay at what will slowly become known as an “old” resort like Riverside, Old Key West, The Polynesian, etc…
As Oddball says: “Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change!”
And Moriarty’s answer? “Crap!”
I have been going to DL and WDW since 1958. I guess I’m a sucker, because my wife and I and our 2 grown kids have APs, are DVC members for the last few years, and go 3-4 times a year while living in Oregon. My daughter was a Disney College intern (DCP) and worked Star Tours as a CM. She is marrying a guy in Florida that she met while there. So,I have seen Disney over the years change and grow, and I have seen the people who come change much more than the prices and the parks. CMs if they are honest will tell you how crappy the average guest treats them now. Everyone wants “the good ol’ days” when Disney didn’t care about money and the food was free and the rooms were free too! When everyone stayed at Cindy’s place and all the rides worked all the time. Of course this is fantasy, not Fantasyland. IT IS A BUSINESS. THEY ARE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. Don’t believe me? Check the crowds Valentine’s weekend – 10/10. The rooms are booked, the restaurants are full. PEOPLE LOVE DISNEY – still. It obviously has magic for someone, to spend all their money to bring their kids – and 60 year-olds who come again and again. Disney doesn’t “OWE” us anything, and we can choose not to go. Frankly, I wish everyone who says they had a miserable time would NOT come again, then maybe the crowds would go down a little and the prices would stabilize – but I am not counting on that. People complain, and then go back. It’s weird, because if I don’t like a travel destination, I don’t go back. But Disney is like a crack addiction I guess, and there are happy addicts, and angry addicts.
The on-site advantage is changing, to say the least. I agree. I, too, miss the days where we could book a room at French Quarter and not worry about getting FPs or ADRs – actually, we just didn’t worry – you always had to plan these things if they were important to you. But I believe (again, just my opinion) that there is advantages in so many more options. For big groups, there are Disney-themed AirBNBs of whole houses that are cheaper than a 3-BR villa. And with so many DVC properties (and anyone can rent points), there are tons of themed options and incredible restaurants that wouldn’t have been available when it was just the Contemporary and Poly. We are staying a week in September with our trailer at the FW campgrounds, when the crowds are very quiet. Another option. And we stayed at a cheap Westin off of Disney Springs for 3 days in December and moved to Saratoga Springs for 4 days (that was all the availability last minute).
Lyft has made the travel time resort-resort so much better, and Minnie Vans (if you want to shell out that much) are fun. The Skyliner is a blast, little kids think it is an attraction. Walking from BC/BW to 2 parks is incredibly valuable. Monorail resorts still have that option of getting back from MK to take the kiddies for a nap or grab a better quick-service meal. Mini-Golf at Fantasia Gardens, real golf, themed pools, Extra Magic Hours, free transportation from airport and quickly between hotel and park, are all still real on-site perks and give value (at a price). For my family, the costs and changes just mean we have adapted – DVC membership, using Lyft more, Table In Wonderland/AP (so no meal plans – which saves a TON on room costs – and we don’t feel forced to eat more than we want). We share meals more frequently (e.g. Flame Tree BBQ – easily enough for 2 “normal” adults, though Tom seems to be rather like a Meatasaurus or Carnotaurus). We go when crowds are expected to be low, or go in the crowds to people watch and laugh, and above all avoid Food&Wine on weekends,
Sorry for the rant, guys. Just wish I didn’t get a constant flood of email notifications of negative comments. Not much help in moving forward, are they? Thank you for everyone who posts advice or suggestions – like the resfinder on touringplans (I use that FREQUENTLY).
Brian,
Very good comment! Plus 1 for you!
Thank you , I love the rant!
+1
We have always stayed on site. We are a family of 6 with all boys who have big appetites. For us, staying on property to get the meal plan has been the better deal. However, with the rising costs at the park – hotels, food plans, souvenirs, parking, etc. – and reducing the free meal plan dates and options, I’m wondering if the benefits of staying on site to get the meal plan just aren’t there anymore. When I compared the cost of tickets, parking, food, and hotel cost vs. the on site package a few years ago, I felt it was pretty much a wash for us and simply more convenient to do the on site package. Now, I think that advantage is gone and staying off property would be the way to go. What are your thoughts on this?
We are in the same boat, a family of 6. Trying staying off-site and no dining plan for the first time this spring. This is our 6th trip in the last few years and I really struggled with the decision because we have had great experiences at Disney resorts. We have always stayed onsite and had the dining plan. We are only eating table service meals two days in the parks, but got great reservations. Did not have good luck with the fast passes, but honestly even with the 60 day window I was never able to secure the newest attractions. Not staying on-site made this trip way more financially feasible, even budgeting for food.
We first starting staying on site 19 years ago. The Music was only $45 per night! Then we found the Grand Floridian and never stayed anywhere else. We always booked their club level (helps with teenagers). We would visit a park every other day so we could enjoy the resort. Then as it became very expensive (over $600 night), crowds were insane, rooms not well kept and Disney crowds insane; we stayed offsite for most of our stay and only stayed two nights at the GF. Now; with the GF being so expensive, we do not stay there. My adult children do not like it; but the buses are super crowded! We had to take one from the Beach Club to the ticket & transportation center and I had to keep my young grand daughter in front of me standing holding on. Disney is not what it used to be; it is very sad. My kids still love it and go often; but everything is too expensive now. It really take the magic out of Disney 🙁
We were at WDW this past Christmas stayed on site for 10 days. Price of our hotel was 4x the regular rate, which is still higher than off site because of Christmas. We wanted the extra perks and love Disney but my whole family was disappointed. We had to pay extra parking at hotel, extra magic hours were really nonexistent ( which we were really surprised) the Disney Springs hotels and some others also had the extra hours perk so it was extremely crowded when they did have EMH. Mostly a couple of mornings had EMH. The Disney Springs hotels, even the luxury ones were less than a $100/ night. We still had to drive to get to Star Wars early enough and transportation was packed. The rooms were plain no more colorful themed rooms how boring. We have been Disney fanatics for years but even the kids were what a waste of money. We could have planned another 10 days if we had stayed offsite and a lot even offer free breakfasts. My boys have been to Disney at least 25 times and are Star Wars fanatics as well but this is the only trip they left saying they really weren’t in a rush to return maybe in several years maybe not. They all felt Disney has lost that special feeling and now Disney’s focus is ONLY in how much money they can make.
Also I wanted to add how disappointed we were in cast members, we always bragged about how Disney cast members were the best. This trip they were grumpy, busy talking to other cast members, rude several even telling us they hate their job. This was never acceptable before. Also there was trash everywhere even besides the rides when you got on, bottles, wrappers, food you. We use to brag about all the cast members being there sweeping up the trash before it could hit the ground. Cast members weren’t even trying to pick it up. We were heartbroken really.
Just curious where did you stay? I know that isn’t necessarily Your point but curious. I agree that Disney is losing its magic.
I agree, staying on property owned by Disney has lost the charm and advantage. We’ve stayed at Contemporary, Key West, Boardwalk, and now Beach Club. It’s hard to justify the price when when it’s so much cheaper to stay property and almost have the same perks. By Disney after this year.
It’s your choice what resort you stay in. Disney has resort rooms $100 a night. I have stayed at the yacht club, the swan, Coronado, and off Hyatt grand cypress and many many more. Now I stay at all stars , I don’t need a car and I can have a very reasonable vacation. I will not go when it’s wall to wall people it’s not fun. It’s pretty magical to me. Maybe you have lost your magic!
Thank you for posting this! We just got back from a 4 night stay at Caribbean beach and 4 nights off property! We were so disappointed with Disney this trip! Everything Had long lines including restaurants that we had dining reservations at. Even our fast passes had 30 minute wait’s, and it was hard to get around in the parks because they were so crowded! We don’t feel like we want to go back, which is so sad because I am a huge Disney fan.
Wow! That’s sad to hear, but not terribly surprising given all the recent changes and our booming economy. I’m hoping that things will settle down a bit in the next year or two as I’d love to take my kids again. We are Star Wars fans, and I’d love to see the changes they’ve made. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Thanks for your reply. Out of curiosity, how would you compare the 4 days on site with the 4 days off site? Which was the better experience this time?
I am a DVC member and so I’m stuck with staying on site. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
But let me share my recent situation with you to add value to staying on site. And I know it’s unlikely but similar situations may add value for you, too.
My party stayed at the end of January and one of the big things I planned thoroughly was our day at Hollywood Studios. Well, my daughter had an emergency and my husband and I took her the the ER, expecting to be back to the resort that evening. You know, like a normal 5 or 6 hour ER visit. But she got admitted to the hospital. We had 3 teenagers left back at the resort. I felt they’d be perfectly fine getting their own meals, walking to HS in the morning, and the front desk staff got their My Disney Experience app working. I wouldn’t be sure they’d still be able to go and enjoy their day if we were offsite.
They had their magic bands, and they had cast members to help them. That peace of mind was priceless.
Thank you , I love the rant! You are preaching to the Choir.
What about the travel perks- airport pick up, not having to touch your bags after checking at your home airport, magic bands for free… Do other hotels do that as well? (That’s not a rhetorical question )
Thanks!
Airport pick up is nice; one less thing to worry about. It gets crowded so be prepared to sit with strangers if you have a party of 3+. Bags – eh. One bag was delivered to us on time which was great. One bag was missing/delayed for several hours which was not so magical. Magic bands are nice, but I don’t really agree with the term “free” since the cost of a motel style room at Disney could easily get me a hotel room with a hallway indoors. With all that said, I would stay at Disney again.
I’m another “nostalgia wins out every time” even though I know it’s not the most cost effective. As a long time visitor, the one thing that really still irks me is the parking fees for the hotels. They are just a pure money grab. Also, this year the general public and passholder early year discounts were only for Sun-Thur for value and moderate resorts. $200 for All Stars in February for Princess weekend was kind of tough to swallow.
I agree wholeheartedly about the parking fees. I know almost all hotels are now charging but given that this isn’t a congested urban area there really is no excuse. I suspect part of the reason is to again keep you on Disney property.
Why do you even need parking staying on site disney provides transportation to and from the parks.
A-
Not everyone flies to Disney. If you are driving there and staying in a Disney Resort, where else are you supposed to park your car?
Curious I have 2 questions:
1). Do you think Disney might go to something like Universal has for fast pass. When you stay at one of the 2 top tier hotels (we stayed at Hard Rock) your party got super fast passes.
2). Currently you can buy a super fast pass about $150.00 extra to a park ticket.
This was a game changer for our family, we did both parks in 1 2/3 days.
We LOVE tent camping at Fort Wilderness! During “low” season you’re paying less than $100 a night to be on property in some incredible old-school Disney World ambiance. Tents/campers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but combined with reasonable airline tickets it’s an easy winter getaway for us!
Kayla, you fly and camp? How do you do this without a car to haul your gear?
First, it’s just my husband and I – if we tried this with our kids it may be too much gear to fly with! But we’re able to fit our tent, sleeping bags (in compression sacks), air mattress and pump all in our checked luggage. We usually put those things in a hiking pack, and then have a suitcase for clothes and toiletries. We bring snack food and prepackaged items but otherwise we eat in the parks or at Trail’s End!
Thank you Kayla! I am going to give this some serious consideration!!
Being able to purchase the Disney Dining Plan Is the reason we stay onsight plus the stuff you mentioned
We just returned from a trip to the World (stayed at French Quarter) and I was just thinking about this. The amount we all pay expecting those benefits we pay extra for and yet it seems like we don’t really get them anymore. What good is fast pass when everyone gets it? 30 days only really allows people staying on site a slight advantage.
Lines have gotten worse since fastpass+, when everyone was equal it surprisingly was better and less stressful. If you pay all this money then you should get fastpass for free but if your not then you should have to pay for it like any other theme park/resort in America. Even Universal makes their express pass an extra unless you pay for the premium hotels. It only makes sense since you are paying more than the guy down the road at the Best Western. 30 days hardly equates to hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars more spent. Not to mention that transportation isn’t really that amazing anymore, it takes forever usually by bus to get anywhere.
I think you also need to consider advance dining reservation when staying on property. There are several places that are difficult to get without ADR. I know you can keep checking back and some will pop up, but I’m one of those that like getting most things done at one time. The older I get the dining becomes more important than the rides. Like you, I’m really beginning to question the benefit of staying on property. Love your blog. Thanks for doing it.
TW
TW – touringplans.com has the amazing resfinder tool that will alert you when your desired ADR opens up. It does require that you act diligently once the alert appears, but I had no trouble getting any of my preferred ADRs staying offsite, using resfinder. We scored PPO ADRs at Garden Grill and BOG, plus fireworks dinner at Cali Grill, along with a handful of other ADRs that I was able to snag at the 180-day mark. For someone like me, who enjoys the planning of a Disney trip almost as much as the trip, it doesn’t bother me to have to pursue the dining reservation. As Tom frequently says, “Your mileage may vary…”
Thanks. I do enjoy the pre-trip planning as much if not more than being there. I will definitely look into your advice. Thanks again.
I have noticed that getting a morning fastpass for any ride at any park at WDW is virtually impossible 30 days out at 7 a.m. sharp for Annual Passholders. Especially at AK where the word is out. Morning safaris are the best for seeing the animals in the hot Florida sun. I assume what you have discussed above is shrinking the amount if any FP s left for AP s. your Thoughts?
I enjoy the Disney dining option and couldnt get that when I stayed off site. I know it cost more for dining sometimes with the plan but in my head it was already paid for and I ate a more variety of foods. When my husband and I would go to a restaurant and saw the prices we would go for the least expensive meal. When we had a dining plan we ate like kings.
I too prefer the DDP especially as it is cheap to upgrade the free dining to the DDP.
Last time we did Cinderella’s castle, Beast’s castle and another 6 character meals, T-Rex, Planet Hollywood and Rainforest Cafe. We would never have done these paying out of pocket. My nieces ate what they wanted and had their snacks without worrying about the cost.
Having to use an electric wheelchair and coming from the UK a wheelchair accessible van is now around £900 for 2 weeks so free transportation is great.
This saving pays to upgrade the dining, tips and more.
Staying on site now is as good as it was in the late 90’s
I’m doing that as well, eating at 8 different character dinners in our next trip. I love the variety of 1900, artist point, Trattori, and to a lesser extent Garden Grill (with Chip and Dale). Would love more options like a Toy Story or Star Wars character dinner and maybe a few other options. but they’re still fun and things that I probably wouldn’t do as much of if not on a dining plan. And definitely being able to grab a snack at a park and not worry about the cost is pretty convenient :).
You stole my reply. That’s exactly the way I feel about the Disney dining plan… When paying cash we always have a sense of trying to save money, but when it’s all paid for we enjoy it so much more. Wish we could buy it and stay offsite