The pressure to stay at a Disney owned property is real and very intense. When you plan a super magical vacation for your friends or family, there’s a lot to consider. The atmosphere, convenience and cast members make the idea of spending more money to stay onsite very, very appealing. Nonetheless, you can make your own Disney magic staying offsite.
Why Do People Stay Onsite?
Disney World is a magical place for us and soooo many other people. This destination vacation includes so many activities, lodging and dining options onsite. It’s hard to pass up the convenience. Plus, there are perks for staying on the property that you don’t get if you stay elsewhere in most instances.
Perks and Conveniences
Transportation and Parking
The biggest reason we often stay on property is the free transportation to and from the parks and Disney Springs. No matter what Disney resort you choose as lodging, there are shuttles available all day long. Shuttles run continuously starting an hour before opening until an hour or two after the parks closes. For some resorts, you’ll find water taxis, monorail or Skyliner transportation available to certain parks.
Traffic at Disney World is frustrating and the parking costs $25-50/day at the parks if you are staying offsite. The parking lots are often full as the parks open and remain so until close. So you are often parking in the boonedocks unless you arrive well before the park opens. If you are staying in a resort and choose to drive to the parks, you do not have to pay for parking at the parks because your $15-25/night resort parking fee covers you in the parks as well.
Early Entry/Extended Hours
Guests staying at a Disney owned property get to enter the theme parks 30 minutes before the general public. It may not seem like much, but 30 minutes gets you onto 3-4 of rides before the park gates open. Wait times are below 10 minutes at most top attractions during that time and some rides are walk on.
If you are staying at a Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa property, you’ll also have the opportunity to stay in Magic Kingdom or Epcot a couple of extra hours in the evening on select nights. To take advantage of this, you need to check the extended hours calendar. Alas, it’s often only 1 night a week that this option is offered at this time.
Purchase Deliveries
Normally, if you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you can have park souvenirs and purchases delivered to your hotel instead of carrying them around all day. At the time this post is being written however, this service is paused. We have been assured by our Disney contacts that purchase delivery services will return soon.
Reservations and Early Purchase Options
When you stay on Disney’s property, you can book your dining and Enchanted Extras reservations for the entire length of your stay 60 days prior to your arrival date. If you stay offsite, you have to check for reservation openings 60 days out from each individual day. It’s not a huge inconvenience, but it does make a difference during peak times. Especially if you plan to do enchanted extra experiences.
You can also purchase the individual lightening lane passes beginning at 7:00 a.m. if you are staying on Disney property. All other guests have to wait until the park gates open. The Genie+ service is available for all park guests to purchase starting at 7:00 a.m. on the same day as your visit.
The Magic
Disney calls their employees cast members because each person working for Disney is playing a role. Disney cast members set the bar high for customer service, accommodation and problem resolution. The level of service, enthusiasm and friendliness of the guest services teams at the resorts is often unparalleled.
Cast members hand out celebration buttons if the reservation includes any personal celebration info. I’ve seen them hand out free mickey ice cream to kiddos because they were particularly chirpy or were witnessed doing a kind deed for a stranger. These little pixie dust moments at the resorts make it all feel magical.
The poolside activities are led by friendly happy cast members throughout the day. Disney tells stories through the resort and room decor, the entertainment options available onsite and most importantly, the people. The vibe and vision of what we all associate with Walt Disney is definitely present in the resorts and is part of what entices us to stay onsite.
Why Choose To Stay Offsite
There are many reasons people choose to stay offsite when ”doing Disney World”. Cost, space and convenience to other attractions are the top three reasons. You can definitely find great options off Disney property to stay and enjoy your trip just as much.
The Almighty Dollar
The most prominent reason many choose to stay offsite is cost. Let’s be honest here, Disney is awesome, but it is also incredibly expensive compared to other theme park destinations. Park tickets alone are at least $79/ticket during off peak times if you go for 6 days. Add in Genie+, a Lightening Lane Pass for each person each day, Park Hopper+waterpark option and Memory Maker for the whole trip and you’re looking at $3,637 for 6 days in the park for 2 adults and 2 kids under 10.
That’s just for the tickets to get into the park. Of course a lot of people say, ”well we’re only doing 4 days in the parks”. Cool beans, it’s only $2830 in that case. Of course, to most folks, that’s a big chunk of change to spend on 4 days at a theme park.
Disney Property Hotel Cost
For a family of four, the least expensive rooms available are $158/night during off peak and $200+ during peak times. For a moderate resort room, you’ll pay upwards of $250-$400/night and deluxe resorts are anywhere from $400-over $1,000/night for a room or suite. The total for a value resort hotel room during off peak season for 7 nights is $1065.
Similar Property Offsite Cost
If you are planning on having a car, add $105 for 7 nights…ouch. Comparatively, Rosen Inn International, located closer to Universal Studios (around 11 miles from Epcot Disney World) has similar amenities to a Disney value resort. It includes parking and boasts slightly larger rooms. A standard room cost $684 for Expedia members the same week.
Of course, you must add the $25/day parking fee at the Disney parks. If you went the parks 6 days, that’s an additional $150. Still $834 vs. $1165 for the same setup is enticing. That $300+ could be used to offset the cost of many extras. It pays for Lightening Lane Passes, Genie+, Park Hopper or just provides additional spending money in the parks.
I Need A Little Space
One thing that disappoints me when staying at a Disney World Value Resort is the size of the rooms. They are-whack your knee on the bed when you turn around-small. Like, I have to slide sideways between the second bed and the beverage fridge/counter area small. In most instances, one bed is a murphy and there’s nowhere to sit when the bed’s down.
The mini fridge is often just a beverage fridge and microwaves are available but not standard. If it’s just me and Dhubs going, it’s not too bad. We leave the murphy bed up which gives us a table and 2 chairs so we can work, eat or sit somewhere and chill.
Photo provided by disneyworld.disney.go.com
Grant it, when we’re with others, we aren’t in the room a whole lot. Nonetheless, on rest days we want to rest comfortably and not be right on top of each other. The moderate and deluxe resorts offer better space and amenities but you’re paying a premium for the luxury of space and comfort.
All The Lovely People Traveling With Us
For the price of a Disney Moderate Resort standard room, you can rent a 3-4 bedroom condo or house offsite with pools, water park features, game rooms, and a full kitchen. We often travel with my brother, sister-in-law and their two beautiful kiddos along with my parents. If you are going with multiple family groups like we do, a condo or house offsite provides you with the comfort and space you need, while also allowing you to feel connected to your travel party.
You can also split the cost with others in your travel party making it much more cost effective. Some condo resorts in the area even offer free shuttle service to the Disney World and Universal Studios parks. Talk about helping you make your Disney magic while staying offsite, free shuttles will help tremendously with that.
Make Disney Magic Renting A House Offsite
Not everyone knows this, but many rental homes in Orlando have Disney or Universal Studios character themed bedrooms! These spaces automatically create Disney magic offsite. They have Disney+ or Disney movies on DVDs, Disney board games, and Disney photo props all over their home. It’s absolutely incredible.
So you can start creating your own Disney magic by staying offsite in a themed house. You can find these awesome houses on VRBO, Expedia and Air BnB. Each townhouse, condo or house offers something different and though not all properties are themed, you’ll find many that are.
Make Your Disney Magic Staying Offsite In A Hotel
This idea started for us when one of my travel clients wanted to stay at Pop Century in one of the Cars Suites because both of her kiddo love the Cars movies. As is often the case, the suites were booked and unavailable for each week her family was able to travel. Everybody was super bummed and none of the suites in any of the Disney property resorts were available for them.
So, we improvised and made some Disney magic of our own. If you want to stay close to the magic, Disney has many ”good neighbor” hotels that are adjacent to the property. Some even offer shuttle services, early admission and ticket packages to Disney park guests.
Make Your Own Disney Magic Staying Offsite: Decor
These hotels also offer very similar ”Disney experience” style service so you still get all the warm fuzzy feelings from the staff members that you get at Disney World Resort hotels. What you don’t get is the Disney storytelling vibe. There are no characters roaming around or large Disney props or artwork around the property. But you can totally make that happen with a little creativity!
Cardboard stand-ups of Disney characters, Disney character balloons, and cling decals add the flare you need to your hotel room. Throw in a themed pillow plushy and a throw for less than $100 you’ve officially created a Disney oasis in any room. Your best bet for finding these items is going to be Amazon.
Make Your Own Disney Magic Staying Offsite: Character Encounters
A few offsite hotels in the Disney Springs area have been known to see Disney characters on the property! Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Palace, Four Seasons Resort and Wyndham Lake Buena Vista will have character interactions from time to time. But if you want to really wow you kids, have their favorite character show up in person!
Tutu Tales Party Productions and other companies like it offers character experiences with your favorite characters. In Orlando, there’re a variety of packages starting at $150 for 30 minute sessions. No matter where you stay, this will be an epic way to make memories with your kiddos.
Wrapping Up Making Your Disney Magic Offsite
No matter where you stay, you are sure to have a wonderful time at Walt Disney World as long as you focus on what it is you want to get out of your trip. When you choose to stay offsite, you can add your own magic through decorations and character interactions. You can save some cash and spend your funds on experiences rather than a room and sometimes find even more magic.
Finding a place that has Disney vibes built in makes magic easy and there are plenty of those place available. But if it’s not there, just add your own Disney spice. Make your memories last with add ons in the park like Memory Maker to keep all the magic photos from your vacation. Most importantly, remember to plan a triptastic Disney adventure you and your travel party will love!
Comments