For years, there have been massive advantages to staying at Walt Disney World owned resorts: free transportation, higher line-skipping choices, additional hours, and extra. This put up takes a have a look at how perks have modified, whether or not they provide an precise benefit or are merely advertising, and if on-site accommodations are price larger costs. (Up to date January 22, 2025.)
I’ll preface this by saying that we have now been advocates of staying within the Walt Disney World “bubble” and are positively biased in direction of that. In our On-Web site v. Off-Web site at Walt Disney World article we try to be balanced, however concede that we’re drawn to being contained in the Walt Disney World “bubble,” which presents benefits by way of location, comfort, and the sensation of an all-encompassing trip vacation spot.
Nonetheless, that began to vary even pre-closure. We nonetheless love a whole lot of Walt Disney World accommodations and do on-site stays, however not strongly suggest them for everybody. Accordingly, what we’re going to do is ask and try to reply an essential query: what if the promoting factors of staying on-site are usually not as invaluable as Disney’s advertising or standard planning knowledge suggests?
For our 2025 replace, we’re revisiting this from a (principally) optimistic perspective. For these maintaining rating at dwelling, that is now the third title tweak to this put up, with earlier entries being “Is Disney World’s On-Web site Benefit Disappearing?” and “Is Disney World’s On-Web site Benefit Disappearing…or Reappearing?”
Tweak is the flawed phrase. The reply to the primary title was an apparent sure, and the reply to the subsequent incarnation was “it relies upon.” At this level, the query mark has been dropped and it’s a press release–that issues are getting higher. The that means is just about the alternative of what it was once we first revealed this put up.
With that stated, your perspective will very a lot depend on your body of reference. In the event you’re evaluating the on-site expertise at Walt Disney World of 2025 to 2021, issues are completely getting higher. Nonetheless, in the event you’re evaluating the on-site expertise at the moment to the one in 2019, it’s nonetheless a lot worse. Watch the commercial beneath you’re within the temper for gentle despair. Severely, don’t say I didn’t warn you:
In any case, there have been a number of optimistic developments final yr and this yr, so it’s pretty plain that the trajectory for on-site perks at Walt Disney World is optimistic. On-site benefits are persevering with to reappear reasonably than persevering with to vanish, as we’ll focus on right here.
Let’s begin with the newest perk, which is a free water park day in 2025. Walt Disney World Resort resort visitors can take pleasure in admission to Hurricane Lagoon or Blizzard Seaside on their check-in day. Room-only reservations, trip packages and Disney Trip Membership stays on factors will all be eligible–however all visitors should be on the reservation.
That is excessive on this listing as a result of it’s new, not resulting from its precise worth. Exterior of summer season, the water parks commonly shut at 5 or 6 pm. Not solely that, however on many dates throughout the first few months of the yr, they’re closed utterly resulting from climate (as of late January 2025, Blizzard Seaside has been closed this yr simply as usually because it’s been open).
Except you’re taking an early morning flight, there’s a good probability that you simply received’t have a ton of time for the water parks upon arrival. Let’s say you land in Orlando by midday–it may well nonetheless take 90-120 minutes to get to your resort, drop off your baggage, then switch over to Hurricane Lagoon or Blizzard Seaside. Longer in the event you depend on Mears Join. In the course of the winter months, there’s additionally the chance that you possibly can plan round this perk and nonetheless not be capable of use it if the water parks shut resulting from chilly climate.
We love the Walt Disney World water parks and our favourite time to go to is the final 3 hours they’re open (for decrease crowds). This will probably be a pleasant money-saving perk for some visitors. However its worth shouldn’t be overstated. After a protracted journey day, many individuals will wish to simply chill out by the resort pool till their room is prepared, after which head out to Disney Springs or do dinner after that.
Whereas it’s good in idea, if this had been a actual perk to profit visitors, Walt Disney World would provide a free water park day for visitors to make use of at their leisure throughout the course of the journey. Disney is just not doing that as a result of the first aim of the perk is to alleviate the burden on housekeeping groups, which have been struggling to have rooms prepared on time in latest months.
Subsequent up is Lightning Lane Multi-Move, which changed the Genie+ system final yr as the newest iteration of paid FastPass. We’re not going to get into the nuts and bolts of it right here–see our Information to Lightning Lane Multi Move at Walt Disney World for that–however the backside line is that the brand new line-skipping service is very much like FastPass+ with the large distinction being that it prices cash.
Most notably, visitors staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort resort are in a position to plan Lightning Lane passes as much as 7 days prematurely, for his or her whole keep–as much as 14 days. Off-site visitors can plan as much as 3 days prematurely. That is large.
Right here’s a partial listing of points of interest which have restricted availability beginning 4 days prematurely:
- Tiana’s Bayou Journey (no time slots or dates accessible)
- Haunted Mansion (no morning time slots)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (no morning time slots)
- Jungle Cruise (restricted morning time slots)
- Slinky Canine Sprint (no time slots or dates accessible)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Journey (restricted morning time slots)
- Frozen Ever After (restricted morning time slots)
- Tower of Terror (restricted morning time slots)
- Toy Story Mania (restricted morning time slots)
- Na’vi River Journey (restricted morning time slots)
That means that if you wish to skip the strains at the most well-liked points of interest, you’ll nearly want to be staying on-site or get fortunate with same-day trip reservation refills (hope you will have a powerful refresh recreation).
Availability is usually utterly or almost gone as soon as the 3-day mark rolls round. (For causes mentioned in our information above, you’re at a definite drawback in the event you don’t e-book morning time slots for at the very least a few of your Lightning Lanes, so there merely being some availability isn’t sufficient–you need morning occasions to get essentially the most worth out of LLMP.)
One other factor that’s again is the Disney Eating Plan. For a lot of planners, having the ability to buy the Disney Eating Plan is essential from a budgeting and comfort perspective. Whereas we’ve been skeptical of this for years, but it surely’s however true that visitors discover themselves stunned by meals prices greater than the rest at Walt Disney World.
So the Disney Eating Plan reappearing is unquestionably an enormous plus for lots of Walt Disney World visitors who keep on-site. In our view, that in all probability overstates the diploma to which that is an precise benefit. The fact is that the overwhelming majority visitors will come out forward from a budgeting or comfort perspective by pre-purchasing low cost Disney present playing cards and utilizing these to pay-as-they-go for meals.
Even prior to now, the Disney Eating Plan supplied the phantasm of comfort and budgeting. That’ll be doubly true with the 2025 Disney Eating Plan resulting from worth will increase–except you will have greater than 2 kids or do the Fast-Service Disney Eating Plan. In fact, there are exceptions to this–households of massive carnivores or these keen to “hack” the Disney Eating Plan did come out forward. However for essentially the most half, the home all the time wins.
Subsequent, let’s flip to Walt Disney World’s two replacements for Further Magic Hours: Early Entry and Prolonged Night Hours. Early Theme Park Entry permits all on-site resort visitors and people staying at choose third social gathering accommodations to take pleasure in 30-minute entry to any Walt Disney World theme park, on daily basis earlier than regular working hours start.
We’ve completed Early Entry dozens of occasions (actually), and our experiences are largely optimistic at 3 of the 4 parks. Crucially, Further Magic Hours occurred on choose days of the week and solely at one park on every event. This imply consolidating all on-site visitors at a single park. Early Entry happens day by day in any respect 4 parks, and higher spreads out the gang in consequence.
In apply, we’ve discovered Early Entry to be far much less busy than EMH. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, it primarily presents a 2-3 trip headstart for on-site visitors and is definitely a fairly vital. (Most days, it’s not nearly as good at Magic Kingdom.)
Early Entry is a big perk, and it’s doubly helpful to have the ability to use it each single day at whichever park you need. Don’t underestimate its worth and skip Early Entry as a result of it’s “solely” half-hour. Study technique in our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Subsequent, there’s Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours, which happen solely two nights per week in whole–for 2 hours every night time. This profit is solely for visitors staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Trip Membership), or different choose accommodations (presently Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Inexperienced). Friends staying at Worth or Average Resorts are usually not eligible for Prolonged Night Hours.
This makes Prolonged Night Hours a double-edged sword, with its high quality hinging on resort standing. For many who are eligible, Prolonged Night Hours is large. Crowds are nearly non-existent, as are strains for many points of interest. It’s manner higher than Night Further Magic Hours, which had turn out to be overcrowded resulting from expanded eligibility throughout its previous couple of years. (Actually, the crowds throughout Night EMH are one of many causes we first wrote this put up, within the first place–Night EMH had turn out to be nearly ineffective resulting from overcrowding.)
Sadly, this comes on the expense of Worth and Average Resort visitors who, as famous above, can not benefit from Prolonged Night Hours. So in the event you’re a Deluxe or DVC visitor, this perk is incredible. In the event you’re staying at a Average or beneath, it’s terrible/nonexistent. See our Information to Prolonged Night Hours at Walt Disney World for extra guidelines, eligibility, technique, and so on.
Two of the latest modifications concern transportation. As you’re seemingly conscious, Disney’s Magical Specific airport shuttle service ended. Now, guests arriving to Orlando Worldwide Airport might want to lease a automotive, use Uber/Lyft, or prepare for an alternate shuttle service with a view to get to their resort. This was an enormous loss for a lot of Walt Disney World guests.
Disney’s Magical Specific’ closest paid substitute is Mears Join Pushed by Sunshine. See our Information to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World for different choices. There’s no one-size-fits-all good resolution; it is determined by your social gathering measurement, funds, and different elements.
We’ve used Mears Join many occasions, and have discovered it to be nearly equivalent to Disney’s Magical Specific in pace, high quality, and repair. The largest draw back is that there’s a payment, and that since these are third events, there’s not all the time seamless integration between the resorts and the shuttles within the occasion that a problem arises. (Some followers will cite the shortage of bags dealing with, however that disappeared from DME previous to this, so it’s laborious to tie that to this explicit change.)
On a optimistic transportation observe, Walt Disney World introduced again free in a single day self-parking to visitors staying at Walt Disney World Resort accommodations. Complimentary parking was an on-site perk till a number of years in the past, and it was one other immediate for this put up within the first place.
We hated the cost for parking, and thought it was a foul resolution that diminished the differentiation between Disney and its real-world counterparts. We weren’t alone. On the time, the introduction of the parking payment was essentially the most controversial change we had ever seen made by Walt Disney World.
Not solely did our put up garner over 300 offended feedback, however Walt Disney World received hit laborious by unfavorable critiques on crowdsourced journey websites like TripAdvisor and Google. I had by no means seen followers so mad–though backlash to the following elimination of free FastPass and Disney’s Magical Specific did exceed that response.
Along with this, Walt Disney World resort resort visitors additionally proceed to obtain complimentary commonplace parking at Walt Disney World theme parks, which is one other plus. In tandem, these two issues take a few of the sting out of the elimination of Disney’s Magical Specific–at the very least for the visitors who choose to lease a automotive whereas staying on-site. (That quantity will solely develop, as Common Orlando continues to broaden and switch itself into an equally-compelling theme park vacation spot.)
Sticking with the subject of transportation, that is one other on-site benefit supplied by Walt Disney World…and one which has arguably improved by fairly a bit. Let’s begin with the impartial elements: the monorails and boats are kind of the identical.
On condition that the monorails proceed to age and one boat route has been minimize, the argument might be made that these have gotten barely worse. Anecdotally, I’m unsure I agree–monorail upkeep has decreased downtime and the one boat route is utilized by a small minority of visitors. Talking of issues utilized by a small minority of visitors, we’re followers of the Grand Floridian walkway to Magic Kingdom–our favourite type of transportation is “ft” and we want Walt Disney World made itself extra walkable. (Which might ease the burden on current transportation.)
As a complete, we view Walt Disney World transportation as higher at the moment than it was ~5 years in the past. The massive factor is the Skyliner, which we view as the perfect transportation choice at Walt Disney World. When there’s a line, it’s continuously shifting and often a brief wait. For the reason that opening couple of months, the Skyliner gondola system has been extremely dependable.
We’re large followers and strongly favor the Skyliner resorts now. It’s particularly a game-changer for Pop Century; given the entire perks and transportation benefits of that one resort, we will simply justify the premium pricing there.
Additionally serving to with previous transportation woes is bus wait occasions, which present up each on digital boards on the bus stops and within the My Disney Expertise app. There’s nonetheless room for enchancment right here, and there have been resort stays once we’ve observed overcrowded and inconsistent bus service. (Particularly, Coronado Springs is an enormous offender.)
Walt Disney World has additionally addressed its bus driver scarcity, which truly predated the closure, by bringing in a 3rd social gathering to help with routes. All issues thought-about, we’ve been extra happy by bus service and located it to be extra environment friendly now than it was in 2017-2019. With that stated, few issues are as hit-or-miss as WDW bus service. Somebody may have a superlative expertise, and another person an terrible one–regardless of staying on the similar resort throughout the identical dates–just by advantage of luck and timing.
I received’t embrace Minnie Vans as a transportation “enchancment” since there’s an expensive surcharge for these, and we don’t usually suggest them. Plus, in the event you’re keen to make use of Disney’s Minnie Vans, you may as properly be keen to make use of Lyft or Uber, which have turn out to be ubiquitous in Central Florida. The benefit of Lyft and Uber is unquestionably an enchancment for visitors, but it surely’s neither right here nor there from an “benefit” perspective because it isn’t a change made by Disney.
Turning again to eating, there may be an on-site benefit with regards to reserving Advance Eating Reservations (ADRs). At present, everybody can e-book desk service eating places 60 days previous to the date on which they’d prefer to eat. As well as, Walt Disney World resort resort visitors could make Advance Eating Reservations for his or her size of keep (as much as a 10-day keep) as much as 60 days prematurely of their check-in date.
As mentioned in our Prime 10 Ideas for Reserving Tough Advance Eating Reservations, this “60+10” window might be extremely advantageous for standard desk service eating places or bigger events, particularly throughout busier journey dates. If character eating or extremely themed eating places are essential to you, that is large. Even on the 60 day mark, Story Ebook Eating at Artist Level, Akershus Royal Banquet Corridor, Cinderella’s Royal Desk, House 220, Topolino’s Terrace, ‘Ohana, and others might be scarce in the event you’re a bigger social gathering.
The excellent news is that ADRs have gotten simpler over the course of this yr, to the purpose that the 60+10 window is just not actually essential for many events or journey dates. We e-book a whole lot of final minute ADRs as a celebration of 1-3, and so they’re not almost as tough as a number of years in the past. Nonetheless, in the event you’re a celebration of greater than 4 folks, the 60+10 window might be advantageous.
Then there’s the most important consideration, which is value. This has all the time been the first promoting level for staying off-site. It’s price reiterating right here as a result of the associated fee distinction between off-site and on-site lodging has turn out to be far more pronounced in the previous couple of years.
As mentioned in How A lot Does a Walt Disney World Trip Price in 2025?, the common whole worth of a visit this yr versus a comparable trip in 2019 is up by 1000’s of {dollars}. On a optimistic observe, that has already improved since publication, as quite a few reductions have been launched for 2025.
Because of the particular presents, the efficient worth of lodging at Walt Disney World is definitely down considerably in 2025. That’s as a result of most of the similar dates in 2021-2022 had no reductions in any respect for most of the people. As pent-up demand continues to exhaust itself and Epic Universe opens at Common Orlando, we anticipate even higher offers in 2025 as in comparison with this yr.
In different phrases, this one comes right down to your body of reference. In the event you visited in 2019 or earlier, a 2025 Walt Disney World trip continues to be going to value much more and also you’re going to get much less. Nonetheless, the identical is true fairly of a lot all the things and in all places–inflation, shrinkflation, and skimpflation have hit American customers laborious. In contrast, in the event you visited Walt Disney World in 2021-2022 and are planning a visit in 2025, issues are beginning to look a lot better. As with a lot, it’s all relative!
In the event you can afford on-site accommodations at Walt Disney World, it’s positively nonetheless good to remain in a resort with an immersive design, consideration to particulars, and varied Disney touches. It’s additionally good to have the ability to stroll to the parks, or be a part of the Disney bubble.
For many individuals, it’s unimaginable to overstate the significance of this. There’s a sure x-factor that the Disney resorts provide that elevates the general expertise into one thing extra particular. That is true for us, and even with the entire complaints right here, we nonetheless want staying on-site in Disney-owned properties.
To their credit score, Walt Disney World’s resorts are nonetheless meticulously themed, with a ton of attraction, element, and transportive environments you principally received’t discover off-site. This has lengthy been an enormous promoting level, as your resort keep seems like an extension of the theme parks.
This is applicable principally to the outside grounds and inside widespread areas. With sure latest room refurbishments, the sense of theme inside Walt Disney World’s resort rooms has been diminished. We’ve been vital of this as a result of themed environments are what defines Disney, and are within the wheelhouse of Imagineers.
Most of the new rooms appear to be striving extra in direction of crowd-pleasing kinds, with generic trendy designs, clear and crisp aesthetics, and usually elegant luxurious (the final one solely applies to Deluxe Resorts). Typically, the rooms are much less enjoyable and have traded distinctive and colourful designs for extra bland and fundamental ones.
On a optimistic observe, Disney appears to be turning the nook on this. The brand new rooms on the Grand Floridian are an unequivocal improve over their predecessor in each theme and luxurious, and only one latest instance of a shift on this regard. It might appear that the worst of this occurred between 2016 and 2019, with the rooms within the final 2-3 years hanging the stability a lot better. Hopefully that is the beginning of a optimistic development and shifts into the ‘on-site benefit’ column over time.
The issue with the earlier transfer in direction of trendy and nondescript rooms is that Disney went from a realm with nearly no actual competitors (ornately themed designs) to putting itself in direct competitors with real-world resort manufacturers by mimicking their model.
This not solely makes for a better head-to-head comparability by way of visitor rooms, but it surely’s additionally a comparability that’s usually not favorable to Disney. I like a whole lot of issues about Walt Disney World, however don’t view it as one of many world’s nice operators of accommodations.
Precise luxurious hoteliers comparable to Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and 4 Seasons have excessive finish properties close to Walt Disney World, and so they usually surpass even Walt Disney World’s flagship resort on a luxurious entrance. It’s controversial that even the Marriott, Hilton, and Wyndham accommodations give Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World a run for his or her cash–and people are sometimes priced beneath Average ranges!
In the case of alternate options to staying on-site, we predict that the true candy spot is on-site third social gathering accommodations just like the Swan & Dolphin, 4 Seasons Orlando, and Bonnet Creek Resorts. (See our Listing of the Finest Third Celebration Lodges Close to Walt Disney World.)
A number of of those have areas which might be nearly as good or higher than Disney-owned and operated accommodations, and are inexpensive. Many additionally provide the identical perks as Disney accommodations. Swan & Dolphin, for instance, provide Prolonged Night Hours whereas Disney Worth and Average Resorts received’t have entry to these.
You additionally may contemplate renting a trip dwelling, each for the sake of privateness and isolation. (See our Finest Trip Dwelling Leases Close to Walt Disney World.) These are particularly nice for bigger events, and you’ll actually lease a whole home for the price of a mid-tier Walt Disney World resort room. A few of these include themed children rooms, in-home theaters, recreation rooms, non-public swimming pools, plus all the things else you’d anticipate from a home.
One other nice choice proper now could be staying at Common Orlando, which nonetheless does provide most of its on-site benefits and its personal sense of immersion and being inside a “Common bubble” (albeit to a lesser extent).
If you wish to go all-out with Common’s nicest accommodations which might be in strolling distance of the parks and embrace limitless line-skipping at points of interest by way of Specific Move, see our Arduous Rock Lodge Evaluate and Portofino Bay Lodge Evaluate. Though these are Common Orlando’s dearer accommodations, they’re nonetheless priced about on par with Average Resorts at Walt Disney World.
Our Common Orlando Lodge Rankings & Opinions covers the professionals & cons of all these resorts, a lot of which we love for his or her areas, theme, on-site perks, and worth for cash. Moreover, confer with Common Orlando v. Walt Disney World Resorts for a comparability between Disney’s and Common’s accommodations to see what every does higher.
In the end, that describes our dilemma with lodging at and round Walt Disney World. The rational facet of my thoughts is aware of that staying off-site supplies considerably higher worth for cash and that the a few of the perks we obtain from Walt Disney World accommodations aren’t as invaluable as they as soon as had been.
We do now have a cheaper price ceiling for many Walt Disney World resorts (besides Pop Century, Caribbean Seaside, and All Star Films, that are all a bit larger for us now), which is usually a problem on condition that room charges have been rising. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless methods to search out good reductions, and failing that we will both use or lease DVC factors or have a look at the on-site third social gathering choices like Swan & Dolphin, Disney Springs, and Bonnet Creek.
There’s additionally Common Orlando, and we completely love a number of of these accommodations. Common can maintain its personal with a lot of Walt Disney World’s accommodations from a thematic perspective, and most of the facilities at Common are literally superior to Disney. Plus, the perks of staying on-site are far superior and nightly room charges are far decrease.
With all of that stated, there’s the emotional facet of staying on-site. We’ve nostalgic attachments to sure resorts at Walt Disney World, and luxuriate in their lush grounds, eating, and facilities. We love having the ability to keep late within the parks, even when they’re crowded and all we’re doing is wandering round. We benefit from the seamless expertise of going from the parks to our resort, feeling a short lived reprieve from the true world.
It’s tough to place a worth on all of that. Whereas we “worth” it beneath the associated fee distinction between comparable third social gathering accommodations, we frequently leap by means of hoops to search out methods to justify staying at Walt Disney World accommodations. I’m not suggesting that is the proper (or flawed) strategy. I do know a part of that is Disney’s emotional energy, and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker quite a bit. I’m not making a judgment both manner–it merely is what it’s. Nonetheless, we discover it occurring much less and fewer with Walt Disney World persevering with to boost costs and minimize choices–that makes staying off-site a a lot simpler resolution!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Lodges Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things it’s essential to know!
Your Ideas
What do you suppose…are the perks of staying on-site as invaluable to you as they as soon as had been, or are you getting much less worth on your cash staying at Walt Disney World accommodations? Will you proceed to remain on-site regardless of this all? Have you ever already moved off-site? Different ideas on this? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
