Benefits of staying onsite?

[mmastro719]

Due to Covid we haven’t taken our annual trip to Disney since August 2019 but am looking to go this year. So much has changed and I’ve read so much online about the various onsite perks being gone.

To anyone who has stayed onsite since the changes have been made do you still consider it to be a benefit vs staying off property? I’d love to hear your experience since I’m torn right now.

 

[Shellyred8]

IMO, the only real "benefit" there is to staying on-site right now is being able to use Disney's transportation between your resort and the parks so you don't have to worry about renting a car and driving yourself.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Yeah it’s really more if you just love to stay on property for the resorts sake.

 

[k5xs]

For us, the value of the overall trip has diminished, but the benefits of staying on-property are still there:

- Extra Magic (Half) Hour (early park entry for resort guests).
- Disney transportation to/from the resorts is still way ahead of any off-property hotel shuttles.
- Immersion in Disney vibe and Disney theming 24x7 matter to us.
- We generally know what we're getting in a Disney Resort.

Serious losses:

- Free parking gone
- Package delivery to resorts is gone
- Housekeeping seriously reduced
- Buses seem to be running less frequently
- Extra Magic Hour is limited

 

[lockets]

For us ditching a car altogether and not having to drive around is a major part of the vacation so we stay on site

 

[Turksmom]

Having teens, I feel more comfortable with them having a bit of independence on property.

 

[nonnadisney]

Extended evening hours for those staying at a Deluxe resort. The Swan, Swan Reserve and Dolphin are included with this perk.

 

[Pickles516]

I heard they’ve added an extra hour (for a total of 2 hours) to extended magic hours at night and are adding Hollywood studios to the mix now. Can anyone confirm/deny?

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I heard they’ve added an extra hour (for a total of 2 hours) to extended magic hours at night and are adding Hollywood studios to the mix now. Can anyone confirm/deny?

Yes, extended evening hours are 2 hours at the moment. I don't know about HS. It was just MK and Epcot when we were there. We got a lot done in the 2 hours, so we began adjusting our arrival times on those days so we weren't completely wiped out by the time they started.

 

[Sabine W.]

If you are willing to pay for ROTR, you will be better off staying on-site. That ride sells out minutes after 7am, and there is no availability left when off-site guests can begin purchasing at 9am.

The evening hours are only available on certain nights and only for deluxe/DVC properties and Swan/Dolphin, but it is 2hrs.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

If skipping the line for Rise of the Resistance is important to you, being able to book that at 7am is an on-site perk.

 

[CarolynFH]

I heard they’ve added an extra hour (for a total of 2 hours) to extended magic hours at night and are adding Hollywood studios to the mix now. Can anyone confirm/deny?

As above, evening extra hours are 2 hours. Extended evening hours at DHS are scheduled for April 13. No one knows whether that is permanent or temporary. There is no MK evening that week - at the moment. You can follow the schedule HERE -- hours are posted each Friday for the next scheduled week, i.e., the schedule for the week of April 18 should be posted this coming Friday, February 4.

 

[mmastro719]

Thanks everyone! This was helpful!!

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Until someone finds a way to eliminate driving in Orlando traffic it will always be better to stay on site for us

 

[Kevin1281]

For us, the value of the overall trip has diminished, but the benefits of staying on-property are still there:

- Extra Magic (Half) Hour (early park entry for resort guests).
- Disney transportation to/from the resorts is still way ahead of any off-property hotel shuttles.
- Immersion in Disney vibe and Disney theming 24x7 matter to us.
- We generally know what we're getting in a Disney Resort.

Serious losses:

- Free parking gone
- Package delivery to resorts is gone
- Housekeeping seriously reduced
- Buses seem to be running less frequently
- Extra Magic Hour is limited

Package delivery to resorts is gone? What do you mean by this?

 

[ktink]

I haven't stayed off site. I don't plan on doing so. For me, it's more of the convenience of Disney transportation. I just like being in the bubble.

The deluxe extra hours are a perk. I wish that the same incentives were offered now as they were when we first started going to WDW>

 

[k5xs]

Package delivery to resorts is gone? What do you mean by this?

In the past, you could buy merchandise in parks and have the package delivered to your resort. That service has been suspended.

 

[Her Dotness]

In the past, you could buy merchandise in parks and have the package delivered to your resort. That service has been suspended.

However, even at the least busy times of year, delivery could take up to 2 days.

We generally found the ship-to-home service more useful. Once, the package almost beat us home!

 

[Kevin1281]

In the past, you could buy merchandise in parks and have the package delivered to your resort. That service has been suspended.

Gotcha. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

IMO, the only real "benefit" there is to staying on-site right now is being able to use Disney's transportation between your resort and the parks so you don't have to worry about renting a car and driving yourself.

This