Disney World Vacation Package

Should we stay in 1 of the walt disney world resorts or right outside in a hotel? Is it worth the money?

We are going for a few days... is it worth it to stay inside one of the resorts or to stay outside in one of the hotels? Do you get any perks for staying inside the resort? Anyone know? The website is not loading for me for some reason.

Public Comments

1. hm; okay. well. I went to Walt Disney World, Orlando, in july this year (2OO9) and stayed at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort with my sister and my parents. my aunt, uncle and 2 cousins however, stayed at the Doubletree Guest Suites which was around 10 mins from disney itself. Staying in the Swan and Dolphin we had: transport to all 6 parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) either by water way (from our hotel) or by buses that came around every 5 minutes; we gained access to the magic your way hours, allowing us into the parks after they'd been closed to the public etc. staying at the hotel outside of disney WITHOUT a hire car meant that the other half of our party had to travel by TAXI each way into the disney parks, and they were kicked out of the parks early. ^^check out www.google.co.uk as there's sure to be some info on everything there, but if i went again, i would DEFINATELY stay in a Walt Disney World resort, and my aunty said she would also do the same. *happy new year*
2. There are definitely lots of advantages to staying on-site: - reliable transportation to the theme parks & water parks. If you're staying off-site, you'll likely need to rent a car and then pay to park each day at the theme parks (which is $12 at least per day) or depend on their shuttle buses, which aren't very dependable. - being close to the parks means you can scoot back to the room for a quick break and then be back in the parks much more quickly. - each of the hotels has at least a food court (many have sit-down restaurants) -- so, it's easy to get a quick breakfast in the mornings, etc. If you stay off-site, you may save more money per-night on the room, but then you end up either relying on your hotels shuttle service (and those are never very useful) or you have to pay to park your car each day. Hope that helps!
3. I highly recommend staying on Disney property if you're planning on doing Disney Parks for the most part of your vacation. I've stayed both on and off property, and the feeling of being surround by Disney 24/7 is just the beginning of why staying at their resorts is better. Perks: -Magical Express: When you book a Disney trip, you can choose to provide your airline information. You will then get special things to put on your luggage. When you land in Orlando, you don't have to wait for your luggage. You get right onto a Magical Express Bus. Disney Cast Members will wait for your luggage, which they can locate because of the special tags. They will then take it to your room, where it will be waiting for you. Amazing service! -Early Reservations: It's very tough to get dining reservations at any table service restaurant in Disney, especially the popular ones. Anyone can make reservations exactly 180 days in advance. Disney guests can make reservations 180 days from the day they check in, but for their entire stay. So you would be able to most likely get everything you wanted, since you'd be a week ahead of others in making your reservations.. -Free Transportation & Parking: You can take the monorail, ferry or bus for free at anytime, anywhere, as long as it's during operating hours. You never have to pay for any transportation as long as you're at a Disney Resort. If you choose to drive into the parks with your own car, you'll be provided a free parking pass, so you don't have to pay the same $12 as everyone who isn't on property. -Extra Magic Hours: Everyday, certain parks will be open one hour earlier, or three hours later. This is only for Disney Resort guests though! You show them your room key, and you will be allowed in. This is especially nice in the morning, as crowds are extremely minimal. You're able to get on a lot of rides before people, and to get fast passes to popular attractions before they run out for the day. The night time magic hours are nice, because they're something very special about walking around the parks late at night. Sometimes they're open until midnight or one. -Miscellaneous: Characters sometimes make random visits at Disney Hotels which is a lot of fun. If you're celebrating something, let the front desk know and you can have special free surprises awaiting you in your room. Photographers are at the resorts, and if you approach them they can take pictures of you in great spots that you can purchase online. The pools & hotels have amazing themes that you won't find anywhere else. You can find hidden mickeys blended into the hotel room decor/disney restaurants/pool areas/ and anywhere else you can think of. Your wake up calls are Mickey Mouse! There's so many reasons to do it. I know it's a bit more expensive, but always be on the lookout for deals. Consider staying at a Value resort like Pop Century which has extensive, beautiful theming. Or stay at a Moderate like Port Orleans, which most people claim is just as nice as the Deluxe's but much cheaper! Good luck planning your trip =-)