Taking a trip to Disney World and trying to figure out which is better, staying at Disney World Property or off property? I am here to help you with that process but I am going to warn you I have lots of great reasons for staying at Disney World. I think it is best for families to Stay at a Walt Disney World Resort while they are on vacation at Disney World.
Is it worth staying At Disney World properties?
I am sure many of you are here to find out that exact answer. Is it worth it to stay on Disney Property? I am going to tell you right off the bat that I would not have it any other way when taking a trip to Disney World. We find it 100% worth it to stay on Disney property, even the times that we have driven down and had a car with us. There are many perks of staying on Disney property.
I love Disney and I love all of our Disney vacations that we have done. One of the things I love about Disney (aside from that it is Disney World) is that they make things super easy. Vacationing with kids and planning a trip is not always easy, the trip itself is not always easy for Mom and sometimes we come home from vacationi feeling like we need a vacation.
When going to Disney World I have never felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation. A big part of that is because there are so many ways that Disney makes life easier when you are getting there, when you are there and when you are leaving to go home.
What are the advantages to staying at Disney World On-Site Properties?
Early Reservations. If you are booking reservations for dining or fast passes then you will get to do this earlier then those who are visiting but staying off property. Being able to book early means you will be able to get the dining reservations you want along with the fast passes for your must ride Disney rides.
On Property transportation. Transportation to and from the resorts to the parks is FREE. There are busses, the monorail, and ferries that will take you anywhere you have to go on Disney property. It also makes it super easy to take a mid-day break in your room and then head back to the parks again.
Extra Magic hours. All guests of Disney Resorts get to join in the extra Park hours, which are called extra magic hours. These hours are for a different park each day and some are in the morning while others are at night. The huge benefit is that the parks are less crowded during these times (especially at night) and you can enjoy the park even more that day.
FREE Magical Express services. You can read my post about using the magical express at Disney World for all the information but it makes traveling to and from the airport so much easier than getting a rental car and worrying about luggage. This service is only for those who are staying on the Disney properties.
Shopping Deliveries to your room. You can have the purchases that you make at the parks delivered for FREE right to your room. No need to carry things that you buy in the parks, Disney will have them delievered to your resort for you.
Luggage Storage. When you have a flight that is leaving later then your room sign out is you can have the resort hold your luggage for you or they will send it to the airport ahead of time for you. You can also have them hold your carry ons until it is time for you to go.
Check Luggage and Get Boarding Passes for flights. You can check your luggage and get your boarding passes right at the resort without having to do it at the airport (Get more information about that in my Using the Magical Express post).
At the end of the day, there is no fighting the traffic to get to your hotel off the property. All you have to do is hop on your shuttle, bus, or ferry and go back to your resort. This was great for when our kiddos were exhausted and just wanted to get back to the room. Our longest ride was 15 minutes back from the park.
Each resort has a gift shop. I know you think I am crazy for that being a bonus but it really is because you don’t have to stress out about buying all your goodies at the parks and can get a lot of things that are at the parks right at your resort gift shop.
All the gift shops have things like bread, peanut butter, and jelly along with lots of other snack and food items which will save you from having to find a grocery store to shop at if you want to do some of your meals in your room and didn’t bring things like bread that will get smushed in your luggage.
You can use your room card to make purchases anywhere on Disney property. Carrying cash on a vacation is what I recommend to stay on a budget however, it is easy to lose it. Staying at a Disney resort I attached my credit card to my room key (each person gets their own key with their name on it) and instead of carrying the cash I brought with me to the parks. I could use my room key to charge it to my room and then just pay it at the end of my stay. Just make sure you are keeping track of what you spend so you don’t go over budget.
You don’t need to have car seats for your kids. Carrying car seats through an airport is awful- they are heavy and bulky and are a pain in general when you are traveling. With staying at the resorts you can use the busses, ferries and monorail that kids do not need car seats when you are going places. In fact you don’t need a car seat at all if you are using the magical express as well.
What Disney Resort Should I stay at?
The price range of Disney property resorts varies depending on what resort you stay at but they have some that are just as magical as the expensive ones that you can get for around $85 a night and you get all the magical extras of staying on property.
However, even though the pricing of the resorts has different ranges we have never experienced less than stellar service and help no matter what level of the on-property hotels we were at. We have stayed at everything from the Grand Floridian to Art of Animation and many in between and all have been amazing.
If you are trying to figure out which resort would be best for your family, check out some of our posts about the different resorts.
Disney Vacation Planning Tips
- Disney Military Discount – All the Discount Military Members can get from Disney Tickets, Hotel and more!
- Secret Disney World Tips – Secrets about Disney World from Disney Cast Members
- How to Ride More Rides at Disney World – Want to ride the most rides while at Disney? Be sure you check out these tips!
- Weeklong Disney World Vacation Tips – Making your Disney World Trip a week long adventure? Be sure to check out these Disney vacation planning tips!
- Bippity Boppity Boutique – Everything you need to know about the Princess (and Prince Disney World Makeovers)
- Disney free stuff – Everything you can score for free at Disney World – and so many of them are AWESOME!
- Tips for Doing Disney World in the Rain! Don’t let a little rain get in the way of your fun! You can still have an amazing time even when it is raining at Disney World!
- 5 Reasons to make a Chef Mickey’s Dining Reservation. (It is perfect for the whole family!)
- 3 GOOD Reasons to upgrade to a Disney World Park Hopper Pass
- Why you should make a Cinderella’s Table Reservation. (It is perfect for the whole family!)
Kimberly says
With the release of Magic Bands, ONLY available to on site guests, credit cards can be attached. Again this eliminates the need for cash. And if you want your children to have money to spend, you can set a limit on the band. FastPass+ is also available with MagicBands (you can make your FastPass selections before leaving home.
samantha wagner says
I’m going to have to keep this post in mind when we plan our Disney vacation.
Gretchen says
Thank you for the break down and Kimberly thanking you for the knowledge on the Magic Bands. I would love to take my girls but can never seem to get the straight information. Hotels say oh its on our website or its in our brochure but it’s never broken down for a person on a budget.
Knowing I wouldn’t have to waste the expense and the time of renting a car due to the express is a bonus. Thank you for sharing!
cheryl c. says
It is so worth it to stay on the property. We do every time we go.