Pros and Cons of Staying on Property at Disney World Resort

Hi Companions,

When looking at going to Disney, there are a lot of choices. Picking a time, what kind of ticket, and all the options of where to stay. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to look at staying on Disney property versus staying off property. Today, we are going to look at the pros and cons to staying on property at Disney World Resort.

Pros

1. You have the magic of Disney all of the time

When you stay at a Disney Resort, you are in the middle of the Disney Magic 24/7. You are surrounded by hidden Mickeys in your room, there are Disney movies playing, and you have the Disney Cast Members ready to serve you whatever you need. I love staying at a Disney Resort because then I never really leave Disney until my trip is over. And the customer service is amazing. The Cast Members are friendly and try to accommodate your every need! You can find MIckey shaped everything and the quality of the rooms is very nice. And they have options for everyone! From value to deluxe resorts, standard rooms to multi room suites, Disney has a room for every family's needs. 

2.  Extra Magic Hours

One of the big perks of staying at a Disney Resort are Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours allow those who are staying at a Disney Resort to get in to certain parks early or stay late. This extra hour or two is great because there are less crowds and you can hit a lot of the popular rides before the rush! This means shorter lines and wait times as well as opportunities to take pictures without the masses. This is a huge plus to staying at the Disney Resorts. 

3. Transportation

At every Disney Resort, you will find transportation to each Disney Park as well as Disney Springs. Many off site hotels either do not have transportation or it is not very frequent. At the Disney Resorts, transportation comes frequently and you can even find the times and locations through the My Disney Experience site and the Disney app. They make getting around on Disney property very easy and have a wide variety of transportation depending on where you stay. For instance, if you stay at the Polynesian Resort at Disney World, you can take a monorail or boat over to the Magic Kingdom. There is all sorts of fun ways to get around when you stay at a Disney Resort.

4. Magic Bands

When you stay at a Disney Resort, you will get a free solid colored Magic Band or you can pay a small fee for one with a design. Now I know this may seem small, but having a Magic Band is super helpful. When you stay at a Disney Resort, your MAgic Band can serve as your ticket, your room key, your fast pass holder, and your credit card. It makes traveling so easy! If you don’t stay on property, you can still get a Magic Band but you will pay for them and you can’t use it as a room key or as a payment method. 

5.  Food/Shopping

One of the nice things about Disney Resorts is there is always food and shopping right there. You can find a great Disney souvenir right from your hotel and not have to go out and find it. The other nice thing is if you do purchase an item in the parks or at Disney Springs and you are staying at a Disney Resort, you can have them take it to your hotel so you don’t have to carry it around with you all day. This is a very nice perk. The food at the hotels is also very good and there is a wide variety to choose from. When staying at the All Star Movie Resort, I would get roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, pizza, salad, or go to the bakery. They have a huge selection and also have a ready made area as well where you can just pick up your food and head to the parks. I always appreciate the quality and variety of food that Disney provides at their resorts. 

 (send items to your room)

Cons

1. It’s Expensive!

I love Disney Resorts and try to stay at one every time I go but let’s be honest, it is expensive. You do pay the price to stay at a Resort, especially a nice one. If you are looking to save some money, you can stay off property, or look for deals on rooms at Disney. Often times they run specials and you can find some of their value resorts for a decent price for all the perks that you get. 

2. It’s Hard to get to Other Locations

If you are going to Disney but also wanting to explore more of the city or even go to Universal, it is a little harder to get around. Disney provides transportation around their property and the airport, but otherwise, they don’t have transportation outside of their property. You would have to get another mode of transportation to take you to off property sites. 

3. No Reward Points

If you were hoping to use some rewards points for your Disney trip, then you would have to stay off property. Disney doesn’t have any sort of hotel points and you can’t use those from other companies either. So if you are wanting to save some money by using those points, you would have to stay off property. 

I personally love staying at Disney Resorts and think they are worth every penny for the quality of the room, service and all of the perks that come with it! But we understand that everyone has to make that choice for themselves. That is why we have also written the pros and cons to staying off property which you can read on next week's post. 

If you are looking at booking a vacation and debating where to stay, contact me, natalie@magicaladventurestravel.com, so I can help you find the best option for you. Let us know what other questions you have about staying on property at Disney!

Your Companion, 

Natalie

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