For years, there have been giant advantages to staying at Walt Disney International owned inns: unfastened transportation, higher line-skipping choices, additional hours, and extra that justified the upper price. On this put up, we’ll take a brand new have a look at how perks have modified and whether or not on-site lodges are nonetheless well worth the top rate pricing. (Up to date July 28, 2024.)
I’ll preface this via pronouncing that we have got been advocates of staying within the Walt Disney International “bubble” and are surely biased in opposition to that. In our On-Website online v. Off-Website online at Walt Disney International article we try to be balanced, however concede that we’re interested in being throughout the Walt Disney International “bubble,” which provides benefits when it comes to location, comfort, and the sensation of an all-encompassing holiday vacation spot.
Then again, that began to switch even pre-closure. We nonetheless love a large number of Walt Disney International lodges and do on-site remains, however not strongly counsel them for everybody. Accordingly, what we’re going to do is ask and strive to reply to a very powerful query: what if the marketing issues of staying on-site are not as precious as typical WDW making plans knowledge suggests?
It is a query we in the beginning posed a couple of years in the past as Walt Disney International resort costs started to leap and the benefits introduced via on-site perks have been much less noteworthy. Since reopening, we’ve revisited this subject a few instances for various causes. That began with the tip of Further Magic Hours and unfastened FastPass, in addition to the suspension of the Disney Eating Plan.
For our mid-2024 replace, we’re revisiting this from a certain viewpoint. For the ones preserving ranking at domestic, that is now the 3rd name tweak to this put up, with earlier entries being “Is Disney International’s On-Website online Benefit Disappearing?” and “Is Disney International’s On-Website online Benefit Disappearing…or Reappearing?”
Tweak is the flawed phrase. The solution to the primary name used to be an obtrusive sure, and the solution to the following incarnation used to be “it is dependent.” At this level, the query mark has been dropped and it’s a remark–that issues are getting higher. The which means is just about the other of what it used to be after we first revealed this put up.
With that stated, your viewpoint will very a lot rely on your body of reference. For those who’re evaluating the on-site enjoy at Walt Disney International of 2025 to 2021, issues are completely getting higher. Then again, if you happen to’re evaluating the on-site enjoy nowadays to the only in 2019, it’s nonetheless a lot worse. Watch the commercial beneath you’re within the temper for delicate melancholy. Severely, don’t say I didn’t provide you with a warning:
In the end, there were a couple of certain trends ultimate 12 months and this 12 months, so it’s relatively simple that the trajectory for on-site perks at Walt Disney International is certain. On-site benefits are proceeding to reappear somewhat than proceeding to vanish, as we’ll speak about right here.
Let’s get started with Lightning Lane Multi-Cross, which changed the Genie+ gadget in mid-2024, which changed the unfastened FastPass journey reservation program. In a nutshell, Lightning Lane Multi Cross is paid FastPass. We’re no longer going to get into the nuts and bolts of it right here–see our Information to Lightning Lane Multi Cross at Walt Disney International for that–however the secret is that the brand new line-skipping carrier is very very similar to FastPass+ with the massive distinction being that it prices cash.
Maximum particularly, visitors staying at an on-site Walt Disney International Hotel resort are in a position to plot 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.
It’s nonetheless early, however right here’s a partial record of sights that experience restricted availability beginning 4 days prematurely:
- Tiana’s Bayou Journey (no time slots or dates to be had)
- Haunted Mansion (no crack of dawn slots)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (no crack of dawn slots)
- Jungle Cruise (restricted crack of dawn slots)
- Slinky Canine Sprint (no time slots or dates to be had)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Journey (restricted crack of dawn slots)
- Frozen Ever After (restricted crack of dawn slots)
- Tower of Terror (restricted crack of dawn slots)
- Toy Tale Mania (restricted crack of dawn slots)
- Na’vi River Adventure (restricted crack of dawn slots)
Once more, this is able to all exchange–and journey reservation refills are a factor–however that is precisely what we noticed play out with the FastPass+ carrier, so it’s simplest prone to worsen. Which means that if you wish to skip the strains at the most well liked sights, you’ll virtually want to be staying on-site. Availability might be utterly or just about long gone as soon as the 3-day mark rolls round.
Every other factor that’s again is the Disney Eating Plan. For lots of planners, with the ability to acquire the Disney Eating Plan is essential from a budgeting and comfort viewpoint. Whilst we’ve been skeptical of this for years, but it surely’s nonetheless true that visitors to find themselves shocked via meals prices greater than the rest at Walt Disney International.
So the Disney Eating Plan reappearing is surely a large plus for a large number of Walt Disney International visitors who keep on-site. In our view, that most definitely overstates the level to which that is an exact merit. The truth is that the vast majority visitors will pop out forward from a budgeting or comfort viewpoint via pre-purchasing bargain Disney reward playing cards and the usage of the ones to pay-as-they-go for meals.
Even up to now, the Disney Eating Plan introduced the phantasm of comfort and budgeting. That’ll be doubly true with the 2024 Disney Eating Plan because of value will increase–until you’ve gotten greater than 2 youngsters or do the Fast-Provider Disney Eating Plan. In fact, there are exceptions to this–households of huge carnivores or the ones prepared to “hack” the Disney Eating Plan did pop out forward. However for essentially the most phase, the home all the time wins.
Subsequent, let’s flip to Walt Disney International’s two replacements for Further Magic Hours: Early Access and Prolonged Night time Hours. Early Theme Park Access lets in all on-site hotel visitors and the ones staying at make a choice 3rd birthday celebration lodges to experience 30-minute get admission to to any Walt Disney International theme park, each day earlier than customary working hours start.
We’ve executed Early Access dozens of instances (actually), and our studies are in large part certain at 3 of the 4 parks. Crucially, Further Magic Hours happened on make a choice days of the week and simplest at one park on each and every instance. This imply consolidating all on-site visitors at a unmarried park. Early Access happens day-to-day in any respect 4 parks, and higher spreads out the group in consequence.
In observe, we’ve discovered Early Access to be a long way much less busy than EMH. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, it necessarily provides a 2-3 journey headstart for on-site visitors and is in truth a lovely important. (Maximum days, it’s no longer as just right at Magic Kingdom.)
Early Access is a big perk, and it’s doubly advisable so to use it each unmarried day at whichever park you need. Don’t underestimate its worth and skip Early Access as it’s “simplest” half-hour. Be told technique in our Information to Early Access at Walt Disney International.
Subsequent, there’s Prolonged Night time Theme Park Hours, which take place simplest two nights a week in overall–for 2 hours each and every night time. This get advantages is completely for visitors staying at Deluxe Inns, Deluxe Villas (Disney Holiday Membership), or different make a choice lodges (lately Swan & Dolphin and Sun shades of Inexperienced). Visitors staying at Worth or Reasonable Inns aren’t eligible for Prolonged Night time Hours.
This makes Prolonged Night time Hours a double-edged sword, with its high quality hinging on hotel standing. For individuals who are eligible, Prolonged Night time Hours is large. Crowds are nearly non-existent, as are strains for many sights. It’s approach higher than Night time Further Magic Hours, which had transform overcrowded because of expanded eligibility all through its previous few years. (If truth be told, the crowds all through Night time EMH are one of the most causes we first wrote this put up, within the first position–Night time EMH had transform virtually pointless because of overcrowding.)
Sadly, this comes on the expense of Worth and Reasonable Hotel visitors who, as famous above, can not profit from Prolonged Night time Hours. So if you happen to’re a Deluxe or DVC visitor, this perk is implausible. For those who’re staying at a Reasonable or beneath, it’s terrible/nonexistent. See our Information to Prolonged Night time Hours at Walt Disney International for extra regulations, eligibility, technique, and so on.
Two of the latest adjustments worry transportation. As you’re most likely conscious, Disney’s Magical Categorical airport go back and forth carrier ended. Now, guests arriving to Orlando World Airport will want to hire a automotive, use Uber/Lyft, or organize for an alternate go back and forth carrier so as to get to their hotel. This used to be an enormous loss for lots of Walt Disney International guests.
Disney’s Magical Categorical’ closest paid alternative is Mears Attach Pushed via Sunshine. See our Information to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney International for different choices. There’s no one-size-fits-all best possible answer; it is determined by your birthday celebration length, price range, and different components.
We’ve used Mears Attach repeatedly, and feature discovered it to be nearly just like Disney’s Magical Categorical in pace, high quality, and repair. The largest drawback is that there’s a rate, and that since those are 3rd events, there’s no longer all the time seamless integration between the inns and the shuttles within the tournament that a subject arises. (Some fanatics will cite the loss of baggage dealing with, however that disappeared from DME previous to this, so it’s onerous to tie that to this actual exchange.)
On a good transportation be aware, Walt Disney International introduced again unfastened in a single day self-parking to visitors staying at Walt Disney International Hotel lodges. Complimentary parking used to be an on-site perk till a couple of years in the past, and it used to be every other instructed for this put up within the first position.
We hated the fee for parking, and idea it used to be a nasty choice that reduced the differentiation between Disney and its real-world opposite numbers. We weren’t by myself. On the time, the advent of the parking rate used to be essentially the most arguable exchange we had ever observed made via Walt Disney International.
No longer simplest did our put up garner over 300 indignant feedback, however Walt Disney International were given hit onerous via destructive opinions on crowdsourced commute websites like TripAdvisor and Google. I had by no means observed fanatics so mad–even if backlash to the following removal of unfastened FastPass and Disney’s Magical Categorical did exceed that reaction.
Along with this, Walt Disney International hotel resort visitors additionally proceed to obtain complimentary same old parking at Walt Disney International theme parks, which is every other plus. In tandem, those two issues take one of the most sting out of the removal of Disney’s Magical Categorical–no less than for the visitors who choose to hire a automotive whilst staying on-site. (That quantity will simplest develop, as Common Orlando continues to increase and switch itself into an equally-compelling theme park vacation spot.)
Sticking with the subject of transportation, that is every other on-site merit introduced via Walt Disney International…and person who has arguably advanced via fairly a bit of. Let’s get started with the impartial parts: the monorails and boats are roughly the similar.
For the reason that the monorails proceed to age and one boat direction has been lower, the argument may well be made that those have got reasonably worse. Anecdotally, I’m no longer positive I agree–monorail upkeep has reduced downtime and the only boat direction is utilized by a small minority of visitors. Talking of items utilized by a small minority of visitors, we’re fanatics of the Grand Floridian walkway to Magic Kingdom–our favourite type of transportation is “toes” and we want Walt Disney International made itself extra walkable. (Which might ease the weight on current transportation.)
As a complete, we view Walt Disney International transportation as higher nowadays than it used to be ~5 years in the past. The massive factor is the Skyliner, which we view as the most efficient transportation possibility at Walt Disney International. When there’s a line, it’s continuously transferring and most often a brief wait. Because the opening couple of months, the Skyliner gondola gadget has been extremely dependable.
We’re large fanatics and strongly want the Skyliner inns now. It’s particularly a game-changer for Pop Century; given the entire perks and transportation benefits of that one hotel, we will be able to simply justify the top rate pricing there.
Additionally serving to with previous transportation woes is bus wait instances, which display up each on virtual forums on the bus stops and within the My Disney Revel in app. There’s nonetheless room for development right here, and there were resort remains after we’ve spotted overcrowded and inconsistent bus carrier. (Particularly, Coronado Springs is a large wrongdoer.)
Walt Disney International has additionally addressed its bus motive force scarcity, which in truth predated the closure, via bringing in a 3rd birthday celebration to help with routes. All issues thought to be, we’ve been extra happy via bus carrier and located it to be extra environment friendly now than it used to be in 2017-2019. With that stated, few issues are as hit-or-miss as WDW bus carrier. Any person may have a superlative enjoy, and any person else an terrible one–in spite of staying on the similar hotel all through the similar dates–just by distinctive feature of success and timing.
I gained’t come with Minnie Trucks as a transportation “development” since there’s an expensive surcharge for the ones, and we don’t in most cases counsel them. Plus, if you happen to’re prepared to make use of Disney’s Minnie Trucks, chances are you’ll as smartly be prepared to make use of Lyft or Uber, that have transform ubiquitous in Central Florida. The convenience of Lyft and Uber is surely an development for visitors, but it surely’s neither right here nor there from an “merit” viewpoint because it isn’t a metamorphosis made via Disney.
Turning again to eating, there may be an on-site merit in relation to reserving Advance Eating Reservations (ADRs). Recently, everybody can guide desk carrier eating places 60 days previous to the date on which they’d love to consume. As well as, Walt Disney International hotel resort visitors could make Advance Eating Reservations for his or her period of keep (as much as a 10-day keep) as much as 60 days prematurely in their check-in date.
As mentioned in our Most sensible 10 Pointers for Reserving Tough Advance Eating Reservations, this “60+10” window can also be extremely wonderful for in style desk carrier eating places or better events, particularly all through busier commute dates. If personality eating or extremely themed eating places are vital to you, that is large. Even on the 60 day mark, Tale Guide Eating at Artist Level, Akershus Royal Ceremonial dinner Corridor, Cinderella’s Royal Desk, House 220, Topolino’s Terrace, ‘Ohana, and others can also be scarce if you happen to’re a bigger birthday celebration.
The excellent news is that ADRs have got more uncomplicated over the process this 12 months, to the purpose that the 60+10 window isn’t in point of fact vital for many events or commute dates. We guide a large number of ultimate minute ADRs as a birthday celebration of 1-3, and so they’re no longer just about as tough as a couple of years in the past. Then again, if you happen to’re a birthday celebration of greater than 4 other people, the 60+10 window can also be wonderful.
Then there’s the most important attention, which is price. This has all the time been the main promoting level for staying off-site. It’s price reiterating right here since the price distinction between off-site and on-site lodging has transform a lot more pronounced in the previous few years.
As mentioned in How A lot Does a Walt Disney International Holiday Price in 2024?, the common overall value of a travel this 12 months as opposed to a similar holiday in 2019 is up via hundreds of greenbacks. On a good be aware, that has already advanced since newsletter, as over a dozen other reductions had been launched for 2024.
Because of the particular provides–which come with room reductions of as much as 35% off and unfastened eating reward playing cards of as much as $200 in keeping with night time–the efficient value of lodging at Walt Disney International is in truth down significantly in 2024. That’s as a result of most of the similar dates in 2021-2022 had no reductions in any respect for most people. As pent-up call for continues to exhaust itself, we look forward to even higher offers in 2024 as in comparison to this 12 months.
In different phrases, this one comes down on your body of reference. For those who visited in 2019 or previous, a 2024 Walt Disney International holiday continues to be going to price much more and also you’re going to get much less. Then again, the similar is correct lovely of a lot the whole lot and all over the place–inflation, shrinkflation, and skimpflation have hit American customers onerous. Against this, if you happen to visited Walt Disney International within the ultimate two years and are making plans a travel in 2024, issues are beginning to glance significantly better. As with such a lot, it’s all relative!
If you’ll have enough money on-site lodges at Walt Disney International, it’s surely nonetheless great to stick in a hotel with an immersive design, consideration to main points, and more than a few Disney touches. It’s additionally great so to stroll to the parks, or be a part of the Disney bubble.
For many of us, it’s not possible to overstate the significance of this. There’s a undeniable x-factor that the Disney inns be offering that elevates the entire enjoy into one thing extra particular. That is true for us, or even with the entire proceedings right here, we nonetheless desire staying on-site in Disney-owned homes.
To their credit score, Walt Disney International’s inns are nonetheless meticulously themed, with a ton of attraction, element, and transportive environments you most commonly gained’t to find off-site. This has lengthy been a large promoting level, as your hotel keep appears like an extension of the theme parks.
This is applicable most commonly to the outside grounds and inside commonplace spaces. With sure fresh room refurbishments, the sense of theme inside of Walt Disney International’s resort rooms has been reduced. We’ve been essential 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 opposition to crowd-pleasing types, with generic trendy designs, blank and crisp aesthetics, and in most cases chic luxurious (the ultimate one simplest applies to Deluxe Inns). Typically, the rooms are much less a laugh and feature traded distinctive and colourful designs for extra bland and elementary ones.
On a good be aware, Disney turns out to be turning the nook in this. The brand new rooms on the Grand Floridian are an unequivocal improve over their predecessor in each theme and comfort, and only one fresh instance of a shift on this regard. It could appear that the worst of this happened between 2016 and 2019, with the rooms within the ultimate 2-3 years placing the stability significantly better. Confidently that is the beginning of a good pattern and shifts into the ‘on-site merit’ column over the years.
The issue with the former transfer in opposition to trendy and nondescript rooms is that Disney went from a realm with virtually no genuine festival (ornately themed designs) to striking itself in direct festival with real-world resort manufacturers via mimicking their taste.
This no longer simplest makes for an more uncomplicated head-to-head comparability when it comes to visitor rooms, but it surely’s additionally a comparability that’s regularly no longer favorable to Disney. I really like a large number of issues about Walt Disney International, however don’t view it as one of the most international’s nice operators of lodges.
Precise luxurious hoteliers comparable to Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and 4 Seasons have prime finish homes close to Walt Disney International, and so they in most cases surpass even Walt Disney International’s flagship resort on a luxurious entrance. It’s debatable that even the Marriott, Hilton, and Wyndham lodges give Deluxe Inns at Walt Disney International a run for his or her cash–and the ones are regularly priced beneath Reasonable ranges!
Relating to possible choices to staying on-site, we predict that the actual candy spot is on-site 3rd birthday celebration lodges just like the Swan & Dolphin, 4 Seasons Orlando, and Bonnet Creek Inns. (See our Record of the Best possible 3rd Celebration Resorts Close to Walt Disney International.)
A number of of those have places which can be as just right or higher than Disney-owned and operated lodges, and are more economical. Many additionally be offering the similar perks as Disney lodges. Swan & Dolphin, as an example, be offering Prolonged Night time Hours while Disney Worth and Reasonable Inns gained’t have get admission to to these.
You additionally may believe renting a holiday domestic, each for the sake of privateness and isolation. (See our Best possible Holiday House Leases Close to Walt Disney International.) Those are particularly nice for better events, and you’ll actually hire a whole area for the price of a mid-tier Walt Disney International resort room. A few of these include themed youngsters rooms, in-home theaters, sport rooms, non-public swimming pools, plus the whole lot else you’d be expecting from a area.
Every other nice possibility presently is staying at Common Orlando, which nonetheless does be offering maximum of its on-site benefits and its personal sense of immersion and being within a “Common bubble” (albeit to a lesser extent).
If you wish to pass all-out with Common’s nicest lodges which can be in strolling distance of the parks and come with limitless line-skipping at sights by way of Categorical Cross, see our Exhausting Rock Resort Assessment and Portofino Bay Resort Assessment. Despite the fact that those are Common Orlando’s dearer lodges, they’re nonetheless priced about on par with Reasonable Inns at Walt Disney International.
Our Common Orlando Resort Scores & Critiques covers the professionals & cons of all the ones inns, lots of which we like for his or her places, theme, on-site perks, and price for cash. Moreover, discuss with Common Orlando v. Walt Disney International Inns for a comparability between Disney’s and Common’s lodges to peer what each and every does higher.
In the end, that describes our catch 22 situation with lodging at and round Walt Disney International. The rational facet of my thoughts is aware of that staying off-site supplies a lot better worth for cash and that the one of the most perks we obtain from Walt Disney International lodges aren’t as precious as they as soon as have been.
We do now have a cheaper price ceiling for many Walt Disney International inns (except for Pop Century, Caribbean Seashore, and All Big name Motion pictures, which can be all a bit of upper for us now), which is usually a problem for the reason that room charges had been expanding. Then again, there are nonetheless tactics to search out just right reductions, and failing that we will be able to both use or hire DVC issues or have a look at the on-site 3rd birthday celebration choices like Swan & Dolphin, Disney Springs, and Bonnet Creek.
There’s additionally Common Orlando, and we completely love a number of of the ones lodges. Common can grasp its personal with lots of Walt Disney International’s lodges from a thematic viewpoint, and most of the facilities at Common are in truth awesome to Disney. Plus, the perks of staying on-site are a long way awesome and nightly room charges are a long way decrease.
With all of that stated, there’s the emotional facet of staying on-site. We have now nostalgic attachments to sure inns at Walt Disney International, and experience their lush grounds, eating, and facilities. We adore with the ability to keep overdue within the parks, even supposing they’re crowded and all we’re doing is wandering round. We benefit from the seamless enjoy of going from the parks to our hotel, feeling a brief reprieve from the actual international.
It’s tough to place a worth on all of that. Whilst we “worth” it beneath the price distinction between similar 3rd birthday celebration lodges, we regularly soar thru hoops to search out tactics to justify staying at Walt Disney International lodges. I’m no longer suggesting that is the appropriate (or flawed) way. I do know a part of that is Disney’s emotional energy, and we fall for it hook, line, and sinker so much. I’m no longer creating a judgment both approach–it merely is what it’s. Then again, we discover it taking place much less and not more with Walt Disney International proceeding to lift costs and lower choices–that makes staying off-site a far more uncomplicated choice!
Making plans a Walt Disney International travel? Know about lodges on our Walt Disney International Resorts Critiques web page. For the place to consume, learn our Walt Disney International Eating place Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to shop for, learn our Pointers for Saving Cash on Walt Disney International Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney International Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Walt Disney International Go back and forth Making plans Information for the whole lot you wish to have to grasp!
Your Ideas
What do you suppose…are the perks of staying on-site as precious to you as they as soon as have been, or are you getting much less worth in your cash staying at Walt Disney International lodges? Will you proceed to stick on-site in spite of this all? Have you ever already moved off-site? Different ideas in this? Any questions we will be able to assist you to solution? Listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas beneath within the feedback!
