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Hello, Again! Welcome back to my Disney Series! This time I'm going to be talking about where to stay when visiting Walt Disney World and the advantages and disadvantages to staying on or off Disney Property.
People Often ask, Is it better to stay on or off Disney Property. The answer is: BOTH! Honestly there are advantages to both, and I'll go over them now!
Staying on Disney Property
First and foremost, I want to go over the different types of Disney Properties. There are several different categories. Value Resort Properties, Moderate Resorts, Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, and the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground.
Value Resorts-These are the cheapest resorts on Disney Property. They are perfect for guests with smaller children because they are highly Disney Themed. They are very family friendly! This option is great if you think you're going to spend a lot of time away from the room or in the parks. They're your standard hotel rooms with a little Disney themed magic scattered throughout. Also, don't worry about beds for the little ones.. (ALL Disney resorts will have a pack-n-play in your room) Most of the time these can be found in your closet in your room, if not, you can request one free of charge from the concierge) These rooms aren't fancy by any means, but I think are perfect when you have little ones! Most of the resorts now also carry mini fridges free of charge in the room for you to store snacks and drinks. No, they do not come stocked with Alcohol so it's kid friendly. If your room does not have a mini fridge, you can request that as well! Each resort has A great food court and several pools, arcades, gift shops and all the usual benefits of staying at a Disney Resort! A personal tip when staying at the value resorts! These resorts are HUGE! Sometimes you have to walk a long way or take a bus to the main building, which houses check- in and the food courts! If you pay a little extra for a preferred room, you will be closer to the main building and bus stops to the parks! Two Great Examples of the Value Resorts are Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort!
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Moderate Resorts-These resorts are a little schmancier. (That should be a real word) You're going to have some nicer rooms here, but they will cost around 50-100 dollars more a night than the value resorts. These resorts usually have a couple of different restaurant options as well. Again, these resorts will have all the benefits of staying on property with Walt Disney World. Check out one of my faves, the Port Orleans Riverside resort! Some of the Rooms have beds that actually display their own fireworks show, or the Carribbean Beach Resort that has Pirate themed Rooms!
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Disney Deluxe Resorts- These Resorts are the most expensive resorts! They are also the fanciest of the resorts. You will receive all the benefits of staying at the Disney resorts as well. The details and quality of these resorts are amazing. They also offer some pretty fabulous restaurants! This is the way to go if you're having a special event such as a honeymoon or an anniversary...perfect. Or if you just want an all around amazing experience, these are highly recommended. Keep in mind you will be paying several hundred dollars more a night. A fun idea might be to stay at the Polynesian (A deluxe resort) for a night or two and then travel to a value resort for the last days of your trip! (Disney will handle all your luggage and transportation as well!)
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Deluxe Villas-These are located at the Disney Deluxe resorts and are basically suites with kitchenettes or multiple bedrooms! These can be pretty pricey but would be great if you had a large family or large group of friends traveling together where the cost could be split between everyone!
Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground-This is a cheaper option if you're a camper at heart. Bring your trailer and hitch it up....this is the cheapest lodging option at Disney! DFWC also has cabins you can stay in, but those cost a lot more...in the Disney Deluxe range!
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Advantages of Staying On Property
-No Car Necessary! If you FLY into Orlando International Airport (MCO) Disney will transport you to your resort. This option is called the Disney Magical Express! (YOU WILL SKIP BAGGAGE CLAIM!) Disney will handle your luggage and get you where you need to go on the property! They will also deliver your baggage to your room! There are buses that will transport you for FREE around your particular resort as well as to ALL Disney themed Parks, Disney Water Parks, and Downtown Disney! (Disney was pretty smart doing this because in reality it keeps people from going off property and spending their money elsewhere!) Not that you can't go off property, but you will need to have your own transportation! Even if you drive to Disney, you can leave your car at the hotel and save a ton of money on parking! Its about TWENTY DOLLARS per DAY per PARK to park at Disney World. So my recommendation would be to take advantage of this free transportation as MUCH as possible. This is only offered to those Staying ON Disney Property! Extra Tip-If you're staying on Magic Kingdom Resort Property-Disney's Wilderness Lodge, The Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian, or Polynesian, you will have monorail transit to those resorts, Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Park Hopper- anyone can use the advantage of the Park Hopper whether you're staying on or OFF Disney Property. The Park hopper is extra feature that you can add to your Park tickets package (more on that later) allowing you to visit more than one park in a day. Say you wanted to go to Magic Kingdom in the morning, but have dinner reservations at Hollywood Studios that night and want to watch Fantasmic! The park hopper option allows you to do this! The reason I think this is an advantage for On-Property guests, is because they can leave on Disney's transportation system, go back to the room to relax a bit, or go straight to another park in a matter of minutes. If you are staying off property and driving your own vehicle this may not benefit you as well as staying on property. Keep in mind that you will have to go to your car, which will consist of waiting for a tram to take you there, then fight traffic to get to another park or back to your hotel and you will pay an additional parking fee to park at the second park! Remember its around 20 dollars PER PARK per DAY! So in the long run, I feel that the guests staying on-property have more of an advantage of this feature!
Disney Movies-Ok this is a personal favorite of mine. Most of you probably don't have time to watch Disney Movies while on you're vacation or want to waste your time doing that. However, EVERY Disney resort offers a FREE showing of a Disney movie EACH night at your Disney Resort Hotel! The movies are usually outside under the stars! Come on, everyone knows watching a movie outside on a blanket is better than in your hotel room or the back seat of your minivan! Maybe you've decided on a low key day of hanging out at the resort pool and you've had dinner and now its the perfect time to watch a movie! This is such a fun option for kids! While all the resorts show the free movies...My favorite thing to do is go to the Fort Wilderness Resort for Chip and Dale's Campfire Sing-Along! Because you're a Disney Resort on-Property guest, you can take your FREE transportation to the campground and sit outside. There will be an official sing along, s'mores, and the chance to meet Chip and Dale and watch a movie under the stars! This is ABSOLUTELY FREE! What a fun night with the kiddos! BTW- anyone can travel to any of the other Disney Resorts to look around, shop, or enjoy some of the Disney restaurants. Its all open to you! The only thing you can't do is swim in another resorts pool. Understandable! The movie schedule will be listed on each resort's website! Take advantage of the free things...kids love this stuff!
Souvenirs-I just wanted to throw this last one in here because I think its cool! When you are shopping at any of the Disney Theme parks and you buy a
Staying Off-Property
Ok, While I love and highly recommend staying on-property due to its advantages, I also think staying Off-Property is a great choice for a few different reasons!
You can get away from it all!-tired of listening to Disney Music all day (btw you're crazy if you are!- just kidding?) Come home to your non-Disney themed room for the evening and take a load off!
It's CHEAPER!-Probably the biggest advantage! You can find MUCH better rates for hotels outside of Disney...there are HUNDREDS of Hotels within a five mile radius of Disney World! Keep in mind that you will have to drive yourself (unless taking a taxi or city-bus) and will have to pay the usual 20 dollars to park catch the tram to the entrance where you will then take the Ferry or Monorail to the front gate! (at Magic Kingdom)
You can travel to other parks and Orlando Attractions!-The world is your oyster! You can go anywhere you want, easier. Yes, maybe you're doing Disney one day and Sea World (also great) another day. Maybe you're going to visit family! Maybe you feel like hitting up Gator Land (yes that exists and I've been there) or the beach! you are free to go anywhere you want! (EVEN if you are staying on-property) you can leave anytime. Keep in mind that while on- property you will have to take your own transportation as Disney's transit system is specifically for Disney attractions only and for Disney Guests Only.
I hope this helped you plan your stay a little easier. The beauty of Disney is that there are so many options! And you can personalize your stay as much as you want! PS: Don't forget to leave notes for Disney "MOUSEKEEPING"- you may find a special surprise in your room when you return!
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