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Should you stay on property at Disney World? Is it really worth the extra money? Absolutely! While staying at a Disney hotel is more expensive, it comes with many benefits that make it worth the higher price. These benefits will save you time and headaches. Here are 12 reasons why staying on property at Disney World is worth the extra money. (Updated 3/28/19)
1. The Disney Bubble
Disney World can completely transport you to a fantasy world. For me, it erases all my stress and makes me feel like a kid again. I don’t like losing that feeling each night by going back to an offsite hotel. Staying in the bubble for a whole week allows me to completely recharge.
2. Daily Naps
A trip to Disney World can be exhausting. Not only are you getting up early and staying up late, but you are also walking a lot! So, it’s nice to be able to take a nap during the hottest part of the day. This is especially helpful when you have little ones. Staying at a Disney hotel makes it easy to go to the parks in the morning, head back to the room for a nap, and then hop back to the parks in the evenings.
3. Transportation
Walt Disney World has its own transportation system. So, when you are staying on property at Disney World, you can go anywhere within Walt Disney World without having to drive. Additionally, the drop off points for the buses are much closer to the front gate than the parking lot, especially at the Magic Kingdom. Goodbye fighting traffic. Hello less walking!
Taking Disney transportation is also part of the experience. It has a way of getting you excited for a day at the parks. Kids love taking the monorail and the boat. The buses always play Disney music. And beginning in the Fall of 2019, you can take a gondola to and from some parks and resorts.
4. Magical Express
Staying on property at Disney World also comes with free transportation to and from the Orlando airport. Just give Disney your flight information. Disney will send you special luggage tags for your checked bags. When you arrive in Orlando, go straight to Disney’s Magical Express. Disney will get your bags and deliver them to your hotel room. When it’s time to return home, check your luggage and get your boarding pass at your hotel. This will save you time and hassles at the airport.
5. Theme
Disney hotels all have a theme which is elaborately carried out through the resort grounds. Some are more detailed than others. But, there is nothing standard about any of them. For my family, this is a plus because it adds to the fun. There are also little Disney touches woven into each theme. Some are over the top, while others are cleverly hidden.
6. Free Magicbands
One of the most convenient perks to staying on property at Disney World is Magicbands. Staying onsite means that you will get your Magicbands for free! These bands hold all of your trip details, including your room key, park tickets, fasspasses, and dining reservations.
7. Extra Magic Hours
Each day, one of the parks will open either 1 hour early or will stay open 2 hours later for guests staying at Disney hotels. This can greatly add to your park time and allow you to experience many of the attractions without much of a line. During morning extra magic hours, you can walk onto many rides if you take advantage of the whole hour. This can be a significant benefit.
8. Early Access to Fastpass+
With Disney’s Fastpass+, you can reserve a time to experience a particular attraction instead of waiting in line. You get three fastpasses per person per day, which you can reserve in advance of your arrival. If you are staying on property, your window for fastpass reservations opens 60 days prior to check in. People staying off property have to wait until 30 days prior to arrival. This may not sound like a big deal, but if your kids are dying to ride Slinky Dog Dash, that extra 30 days is huge. For more information on Fastpass+, click here.
9. Disney Dining Plan
The Disney Dining Plan is only available to those staying at a Disney resort. We love the dining plan and get it on every trip. It allows you to pre-pay for your food before arriving at Disney World. We like that we don’t have to worry about the cost of food once we get there. We eat better with the dining plan than we would without it, which my husband enjoys. Plus, who doesn’t love dessert with every meal?!?! For more information, read about the Disney Dining Plan.
10. Online Check-in
Staying on property at Disney World allows you to check into your hotel online up to 10 days before your arrival. Then, when your room is ready on your arrival day, Disney will text or email you your room number. This means you can skip the front desk and go straight to your room. Talk about speeding up the check-in process! Of course, the front desk is still available if you need them.
11. Package shipments
Another advantage to staying on property at Disney World is being able to ship packages from the parks to your hotel. It is a pain to buy a souvenir at the parks and have to carry it around all day. For Disney’s onsite guests, the gift shops in the parks will ship your purchases to your hotel for you. Just fill out a short form. A day or two later, drop by the hotel gift shop at your convenience and pick up your package. Talk about convenience!
12. Character Wake-up Calls
What kid wouldn’t love a wake-up call from Mickey Mouse? If you are staying on property at Disney World, this can be a reality for your kids. At Disney hotels, the wake-up calls are made by the characters. It may be Mickey Mouse, Stitch, Olaf, or someone else. Disney routinely rotates the characters making the calls. This may not seem like much, but it can be a dream come true for a kid.
Conclusion
The extra cost of staying on property at Disney World isn’t as much as it seems at first blush. Once you figure in the money you save on a rental car and gas to and from the parks, plus add in the convenience that these Disney benefits provide, you may find that a Disney hotel is a much better deal than you thought. Before you dismiss the idea of staying at a Disney resort simply because of a higher price, consider the above benefits. You just might find that it is worth the extra money. For help planning your Disney World trip, check out my step-by-step guide, best resources, and my quick tips. To book your trip, go to Disney’s website. Happy travels!
This is a bet informative blog. There has been several conversations in my family about going to Disney World and each time there is a debate about where to stay. I’m going to make sure that we have all read this before our next discussion.
Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you liked the article! Feel free to ask any other questions that come up as your family decides where to stay at Disney World! I’ll be happy to help you.
I always love reading about Disney! It never gets old! Great information!
Thank you! Check out our newest article about Disney. It is a showcase of some of the animals you can see on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom.