What do you consider to be the greatest onsite perk?

[Arielfan98]

1. EMH
2. Free ME transportation/transportation around parks
3. Early FP+/Dining Reservation time slot

I would pay for dining regardless because my family loves to eat, but it is nice they offer it for free some parts of the year.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

1. Safety (I don't take unnecessary risks and try to make smart decisions, but I always feel safe at Disney- and I don't think it is just a false sense of security. While things can go wrong anywhere, the extra security measures Disney takes- like all of the cameras and CMs and security guards really ease my natural tendency to worry. Disney spends a mass of money on security and it shows).
2. Magic Bands. Efficiency and convenience are two of the things I appreciate most- and Disney does them right.
3. Cleanliness and Beauty (I love being surrounded by fresh smells and beautiful surroundings and foliage. The resorts are outstanding in these areas. One of my favorite things is to take a morning or evening walk around the resorts. So relaxing).
4. Customer Service (Disney may have made some cuts, but they still do it better than others).
5. Transportation (we even ride the monorail and the boats just for fun)
6. Theming. Where else can I listen to jazz music and eat beignets in the mornings, have African food and visit giraffes and zebras in the afternoon, and finish my evening with an old fashioned country sing along and a campfire at night? The variety and immersion in various cultures is awesome. I don't even need the parks. Give me the resorts.
7. Pools (So beautifully themed, and the lifeguards are just phenomenal).
8. Resort activities (Love talking with the guides at AKL and taking drum lessons and getting my face painted- love the campfires and the pool games and outdoor movies and bike riding).
9. Resort Quickservice- Love the selection and convenience- especially at the values and moderates. And the restaurant hours are awesome. Love coming back from the parks late at night and being able to get a late night snack.
10. Resort Refillable Mugs- How many ounces of soda can one girl drink in a day? I like to try and find out.


And yet again I am reminded why I keep wanting to be there. Just got back from a week's trip and I'm ready to go back tomorrow.

 

[fla4fun]

And yet again I am reminded why I keep wanting to be there. Just got back from a week's trip and I'm ready to go back tomorrow.

I agree with all your points. I have loved Disney longer than I can remember (there is photographic proof) and I enjoy being in the bubble and not having to deal with the real world.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

For me it used to be the theming of the hotel rooms, but that is slowly disappearing as each resort is re-furbed and the rooms are de-themed to look more generic.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

For me its the transportation to and from the parks. I like that I can park my car and let Disney do the driving. Another huge perk for us are the magic bands, specifically the ease of charging back to the room.

And this one is only available if you are staying at the Poly, but its huge for our family. Being able to order Ohana through room service!

 

[richmo]

I'd go with the 60 day FP+ window. Transportation isn't that big a deal to me since I like having a car there anyway and while free parking at the parks is a nice perk, I usually have an AP, so I get that anyway.

 

[Texans_loyal]

1. Safety (I don't take unnecessary risks and try to make smart decisions, but I always feel safe at Disney- and I don't think it is just a false sense of security. While things can go wrong anywhere, the extra security measures Disney takes- like all of the cameras and CMs and security guards really ease my natural tendency to worry. Disney spends a mass of money on security and it shows).
2. Magic Bands. Efficiency and convenience are two of the things I appreciate most- and Disney does them right.
3. Cleanliness and Beauty (I love being surrounded by fresh smells and beautiful surroundings and foliage. The resorts are outstanding in these areas. One of my favorite things is to take a morning or evening walk around the resorts. So relaxing).
4. Customer Service (Disney may have made some cuts, but they still do it better than others).
5. Transportation (we even ride the monorail and the boats just for fun)
6. Theming. Where else can I listen to jazz music and eat beignets in the mornings, have African food and visit giraffes and zebras in the afternoon, and finish my evening with an old fashioned country sing along and a campfire at night? The variety and immersion in various cultures is awesome. I don't even need the parks. Give me the resorts.
7. Pools (So beautifully themed, and the lifeguards are just phenomenal).
8. Resort activities (Love talking with the guides at AKL and taking drum lessons and getting my face painted- love the campfires and the pool games and outdoor movies and bike riding).
9. Resort Quickservice- Love the selection and convenience- especially at the values and moderates. And the restaurant hours are awesome. Love coming back from the parks late at night and being able to get a late night snack.
10. Resort Refillable Mugs- How many ounces of soda can one girl drink in a day? I like to try and find out.


And yet again I am reminded why I keep wanting to be there. Just got back from a week's trip and I'm ready to go back tomorrow.

Your post nearly made me cry.
take me home now

 

[MommyinHonduras]

Not being a US resident I say Magical Express, on site transportation and charging with my MB. Renting a car for 7 people's for 10 days plus having to buy the insurance is quite high beside the fact I do not want ant to drive anyway. And not having to think about handling money/credit cards at the park is nice, can keep my wallet in the safe in the room. Of course 60+ length of stay fast passes is great too.

 

[supitscarrie]

My top three are going to be DME, Transportation and then FP+ booking 60 days out.

DME because of the ease of not having to rent a car. As a kid my parents always spent time renting a car (though we were USUALLY doing things outside of just Disney during those trips) but as an adult, being able to step off the plane and basically directly into the Disney Bubble is such a good feeling. Plus, having bags delivered is such a huge plus! I usually pack pretty light for trips and will generally roll with just a carry-on with most other trips, but for Disney I'll always check a bag and have it delivered.
Transportation for a lot of the same reasons... not having to worry about driving anywhere, finding my own way around the resort, parking, et cetera - so awesome. Getting up, having a quick breakfast and then being able to relax for a few minutes on the bus before really needing to wake up is great.
And of course, FP+ booking! I'm a pretty meticulous planner when it comes to Disney and I don't know that I'd survive if I didn't manage to get my FastPass selections that far ahead, hahaha

 

[nkereina]

My favorite perks are DME and also the ability to send in-park purchases back to your resort. Just like Disney hopes for, it definitely causes me to spend more freely knowing I don't have to carry my souvenirs around!

We have friends that can't understand why we visit WDW so often (they've never been). I explained to them that WDW is a one-stop-shop type of vacation for us and is more than just visiting a theme park - from the time we step off the plane, we can start to relax knowing we don't have to grab luggage at baggage claim and we don't have to pick up a rental car and figure out how to get there. There are tons of dining options, bars, shows, music, entertainment, etc. at our disposal with transportation to and from. There's always something to do. So these are all great perks to me as well.

 

[married2mm]

I'm loving all the replies.

Amazed by how many folks rate transportation so highly.

 

[DisneyLore]

1. Safety (I don't take unnecessary risks and try to make smart decisions, but I always feel safe at Disney- and I don't think it is just a false sense of security. While things can go wrong anywhere, the extra security measures Disney takes- like all of the cameras and CMs and security guards really ease my natural tendency to worry. Disney spends a mass of money on security and it shows).
2. Magic Bands. Efficiency and convenience are two of the things I appreciate most- and Disney does them right.
3. Cleanliness and Beauty (I love being surrounded by fresh smells and beautiful surroundings and foliage. The resorts are outstanding in these areas. One of my favorite things is to take a morning or evening walk around the resorts. So relaxing).
4. Customer Service (Disney may have made some cuts, but they still do it better than others).
5. Transportation (we even ride the monorail and the boats just for fun)
6. Theming. Where else can I listen to jazz music and eat beignets in the mornings, have African food and visit giraffes and zebras in the afternoon, and finish my evening with an old fashioned country sing along and a campfire at night? The variety and immersion in various cultures is awesome. I don't even need the parks. Give me the resorts.
7. Pools (So beautifully themed, and the lifeguards are just phenomenal).
8. Resort activities (Love talking with the guides at AKL and taking drum lessons and getting my face painted- love the campfires and the pool games and outdoor movies and bike riding).
9. Resort Quickservice- Love the selection and convenience- especially at the values and moderates. And the restaurant hours are awesome. Love coming back from the parks late at night and being able to get a late night snack.
10. Resort Refillable Mugs- How many ounces of soda can one girl drink in a day? I like to try and find out.


And yet again I am reminded why I keep wanting to be there. Just got back from a week's trip and I'm ready to go back tomorrow.

I love this! I love "Welcome home" and everything else! As I don't drink coffee or tea or hot drinks at all, diet coke is my caffeine of choice so the refillable mugs are a huge perk!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Magical Express and transportation.

When you think about it, MCO is your last real encounter with the "real world". You get on this bus and the next time you step foot outside you're in this alternate universe that is Disney. Honestly, outside of your phone, you kind of lose touch with the outside world. We'll watch TV at night before falling asleep, but outside of that, we kind of remain disconnected on vacation—only really using our phones to post photos on social media, text family, etc. It's kind of nice.

 

[GPC0321]

In no particular order:

1. Magic Bands
2. Refillable Mugs
3. Magical Express
4. Resort Airline Check-in (which even makes the sad departure day somewhat magical)
5. WDW Transportation
6. The WDW info Channel on the TV in the room
7. Dining ADRs at 180 days
8. FastPasses at 60 days
9. EMH

I'm to a point where I wouldn't consider staying off-site. Part of a WDW vacation for me is staying on the property. And now that I've stayed at the Grand Floridian, I'm going to be impossibly spoiled, I fear, LOL.

 

[Shellyred8]

The "bubble" is my favorite part about vacation. I love being able to disconnect from the world for just a little while while I'm on vacation.

 

[loves to dive]

Disney transportation. We drive down, park the car and never get in it again until we leave. We rarely use EMH, we don't book FPs or ADRs any more in advance than a week and usually day of. Don't use the dining plan because we just don't eat the way it's structured.
We just like being in the bubble.

 

[rg35]

60 FP and EMH.

Disney transportation is convenient, but slow so I've never found it to be an onsite perk. Renting a car is the fastest and easiest way to get around (especially when you have triplets and massive strollers).

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Transportation/proximity to the parks, or the pools! I love being able to take a mid-day break, and if it takes me 2 hours to get from the back of MK to my off-site hotel, it's less relaxing and more a waste of time & money.

 

[Lvsdisney]

Add me to the DME/Transportation group! I feel so spoiled not having to rent a car/drive that I hate planning trips elsewhere. I like the magic bands too, but not as much as the DME. We don't really utilize EMH, and while 60 day FP is nice, it's not the driving reason behind onsite stays. Transportation is KEY.

 

[Polyonmymind]

Waking up and going.. meh, let's not go fight the crowds at the parks today. Let's stay around here and enjoy the resort, or go check out another resort. Maybe go out later if we feel like it, or not.