Perks of Staying Onsite

[Jerseyprincess317]

We have a 3 night stay planned for August. Recently I’ve been wondering if it’s worth it to stay onsite anymore. We originally planned to stay to take advantage of extra magic hours which are now gone. We also wanted to make sure we got it to DHS early to get a boarding group for ROTR but now you don’t have to be in the park to check in. Are there any perks I’m missing because I’m having a hard time justifying the extra cost right now.

thanks!

 

[NoTime42]

Magical express and Free parking at the parks (buy pay to park at the resort). More frequent park transportation.The ability to charge to the magic band (if you have/buy one)
Usually better Park availability (same as select partner hotels)
For some the Disney bubble /theming/ park proximity is worth it

 

[DizneyFamof4]

The perks have been getting less and less and yet the rates keep climbing, EMH is gone and Magical Express is being stopped after this year. If you have a vehicle, you can get more from offsite hotels for a lot less $$. We are a family that loves being in the bubble but we are not foolish with our money and are totally considering starting to stay offsite. We always drive so transportation is not an issue.

 

[Gehrig1B]

Proximity for us is important. We hop almost every day so it is nice to be able to walk back to our room or take a quick boat ride in the evening. We also return to the resort mid-day which takes much less time when on property, especially if an EPCOT or MK resort.

 

[redrosesix]

Another perk we often used -- and you might still have it in August, but not for much longer -- is resort pick-up for anything you bought in the parks.

We found all of the perks made the extra cost of staying onsite worth it for us because it made our trips so laid back. But like the pp, without them we will probably opt for offsite. For the price of a room in a value resort, we can get a 3bed/3bath condo in our favourite TS resort and many others.

 

[ChiGirlMom]

That Disney Bubble is something magical.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We found a really nice room off property.
We rented a car so the off property hotel wanted to charge a resort fee plus parking. Then the parking fee at Disney parks. When I added it up it was close to staying on property. So we stayed on property and I'm so glad we did.

 

[Pinkshoos]

For me, it's just personal preference to stay on-site. I just detest I-drive and the area outside of Disney World. The traffic is insane, and I'm not really interested in visiting the attractions outside of Disney. When I was younger, I loved them, but they're just not my thing anymore. I also like staying in the Disney bubble, where it feels like a bit of an escape from every day life. I fly down, go straight into Disney, and don't leave it for my whole vacation.

Now, if someone wanted to go to Universal and Sea World and the other attractions, there's so many great options other than Disney. Some of Marriott's properties are stunning, and Universal's resorts are amazing, at least they were when I stayed in them years ago (I remember at Portofino Bay, they brought a fully-prepared beef dinner and Evian water on a tray just for my little dog... I don't know if they do that anymore). Also, there's vacation homes with private pools to rent. The options are endless, really.

 

[loves to dive]

I actually rarely used most of the perks even when they were available. For us, it's the Disney transportation to the parks or being able to stay within walking distance to HS/Epcot. We do stay at Swan/Dolphin more than the WDW resorts now days but still on property. We drive down but I hate driving around Disney and we like to enjoy a refreshing adult beverage (or two) so not having to worry about driving is great. We rarely used EMHs, usually only the late ones if we did, didn't book FP or ADRs in advance (we are more fly by the seats of your pants type people) don't charge to our MBs (for some reason I feel better pulling out my CC and using it, plus can't charge to your MB staying at Dolphin). I think they only thing we used a lot was sending our packages back to the room. That has been suspended due to Covid but we will work around that. It's all about the bubble for us.

 

[TOBS2010]

My hope is that in the post-covid era Disney will bring back some of the benefits to staying on property. I love being in the Disney bubble, but not for what it currently costs. My fear is that it will take several years for this to happen because so many people are waiting to go to Disney when they are vaccinated and mask mandates are gone. Our family falls into that category, despite being advocates for masks. Hopefully we will be back next summer---but it is looking more and more likely that we will be staying off property, which is a big bummer as we had been going almost every year with our family. Luckily we didn't buy into the vacation club like we were contemplating.

 

[chasgeese]

In my opinion, extra magic hours were never enough for me to make the call to pay the exorbitant prices Disney charges to stay on-site. It was always being in the Disney bubble and the convenience of location/Disney transportation that justified it for me (plus part of the fun for me is staying at the WDW resorts, even if they are nowhere as nice as they should be given the price). You will still have DME when you go, and while the lack of FP is not ideal, that's a problem no matter where you stay. Obviously, you have to determine what makes the most sense for your group, and you certainly will save a lot of money off-site (at a potentially nicer hotel), but I wouldn't say right now that staying on-site is that much less "worth it" than it was pre-covid. I know a lot of people on here like to complain about all the cuts to staying on-site, but far less has been cut on that front than the cuts to the parks themselves right now.

 

[jeffmw]

Here we go again.

This is a frequent argument topic here. I am/was a huge believer in the Disney Bubble and the continuous magic of staying onsite. And I'm not a super Disney fan by any means. It's just a great, immersive experience that makes you feel a certain way for the entire length of your stay. It was the Disney theming/experience, the perks (FP+, Magical Express, etc.) as well as the outstanding customer service from everyone from the bell staff to the phone customer service center.

But I'm pissed about what they've done over the past several years, and they're dismantling it piece by piece. The resorts and experience are still premium, for sure, but the prices are going up and up, while the perks are being snatched away one by one, Worst, though, the customer service has gone from their greatest asset to average, at best.

I've still yet to take the plunge and go off-site because I love the convenience of onsite, but I have a trip planned for October and I'm very close to giving up on the onsite experience.

 

[mamaofsix]

By the time you go in August, they may be starting the "30 minutes early entry at every park for onsite guests" that they announced recently. So, that's a bit of an edge on crowds.

 

[chasgeese]

But I'm pissed about what they've done over the past several years, and they're dismantling it piece by piece. The resorts and experience are still premium, for sure, but the prices are going up and up, while the perks are being snatched away one by one, Worst, though, the customer service has gone from their greatest asset to average, at best.

I fully agree with this sentiment. It’s not just the perks like FP+ (which will come back in some form and probably will have some built in advantage for on-site guests) or DME, but the customer service quality has gone down and it seems like every change/renovation that happens make the rooms less nice instead of offering an improvement. All while the prices continue to shoot up each year no matter what. While the bubble/transportation/fun of staying on-site is still enough for me to justify staying on site, there are certain resorts that are just no longer justifiable ($600+ for a GF room that is marginally better than an airport Sheraton circa 2000, is just over the top) I could see that changing if Disney keeps raising rates and they don’t start making a serious effort to make the resorts closer in quality to the prices they charge.

 

[hlrubin507]

I was a die-hard onsite person until I took an extended trip (2 weeks) in December. There was no way I could afford to stay onsite for that long, and really needed to be able to settle in so my two kids could do remote school and I could work for a few days. We spent 6 days in the parks, driving, and I was stunned by how little I missed being onsite. The value you currently get with Disney hotels is not great. Now, if I was going for 3-4 nights I WOULD stay on site for the convenience and theming as I don't mind using a hotel room for a short stay. But the amount of space and amenities you get with an offsite rental (full kitchen, private pool, separate bedrooms/bathrooms) is umatched for the price, and that's the direction I will now always go if I am staying a week or more.

That said, I am not sure that I would stay in an offsite HOTEL room even for a short stay. It was the full house (or townhouse) that really made it great and easy. If you do an offsite hotel, you have to factor in the cost of resort fees and parking and weigh the total cost of the stay at that property vs. at Disney and see what makes the better value for you. If it was only marginally more, I'd choose Disney (for convenience and theming). The Bonnet Creek resorts (Hilton, Waldorf, and a new JW Marriott) are good ones to check/compare if you are looking for a "deluxe" property (they are a little newer/nicer than the Disney Springs resorts).

Another aside, for a good value "on property" you can check the Wyndham Bonnet Creek timeshare resort (via VRBO) which is right next to CBR. What you lack in theming you make up with a full kitchen and separate bedrooms and bathrooms (priceless . You do have to either drive or rideshare to the parks, but even without a car and staying onsite, I frequently use Uber/Lyft anyways for the convenience. Ever so slightly further and off property, there are countless rentals in Kissimmee (e.g. Windsor Hills).

Good luck with your decision making!

 

[Bobb_o]

For me the current benefit is DME (which we all know will be gone), on site transportation, location, theme/quality, and with DVC I find the pricing to still be reasonable.

That being said I think the Swan/Dolphin are becoming more and more attractive as you still get most of the benefits while saving vs a Deluxe (or even a moderate) and especially so if you can use points.

That being said renting DVC points directly I think will still be a great option for those who don't own DVC.

 

[_19disnA]

LOTS of older threads on this commonly asked topic. It usually comes down to budget and personal preference.

 

[maltdizzy]

Another perk we often used -- and you might still have it in August, but not for much longer -- is resort pick-up for anything you bought in the parks.

Nope. Hotel Delivery (as well as package holds in the park) has been suspended since WDW reopened last July. COVID protocol.

The loss of perks stinks (I've not forgiven them for charging for parking at resorts), but we'll still stay on-site to take advantage of proximity.

 

[Mazz519]

We love staying on property, yes it does stink that a lot of perks are being taken away but I dont care what anybody says theres nothing like staying at a Disney Resort....

 

[robinb]

We have a 3 night stay planned for August. Recently I’ve been wondering if it’s worth it to stay onsite anymore. We originally planned to stay to take advantage of extra magic hours which are now gone. We also wanted to make sure we got it to DHS early to get a boarding group for ROTR but now you don’t have to be in the park to check in. Are there any perks I’m missing because I’m having a hard time justifying the extra cost right now.

thanks!

You need to make sure that you add all the costs of staying offsite and compare them to staying onsite. I think the biggest added expense is transportation.

Offsite expenses can include:
* car rental
* transportation from the airport
* parking fees at the resort
* resort fees
* transportation to the parks
* parking fees at the park

You can find nice, affordable places that will not charge you to park or charge you resort fees. You can also rent a nice condo through airbnb or VRBO for the cost of most hotels. You will still need to get to your offsite lodging and then to and from the parks.

But honestly, I think with only 3 nights the proximity of being onsite has an added value. You can cut costs by staying at a cheaper resort. You can also look into renting DVC points to stay in a studio villa.