ike many of you, I am plagued by the 제주독채민박 of whether to stay on property at Disney or to save some cash that can be spent on merchandise (or churros, your choice).
When my husband and I visited in August 2016, we were fortunate enough to be gifted some timeshare points that covered our stay. For our upcoming trip in May, we had to make a decision: on-resort or not?
On-Resort:
-You are right on the grounds, with quick access to the parks. You would have no need for a rental vehicle if you wanted to avoid the cost (Disney has also recently added nightly parking to their resorts, so this is another consideration).
-You will get a complimentary ride to your hotel right from the airport and return.
-You have access to Extra Magic Hours! This is essentially time you can visit the parks when other guests do not have access. You can pay for merchandise with your MagicBand.
-The merchandise you buy can be delivered straight to your room – no need to carry it in a sweaty backpack all day!
-You can book all your Fastpass+ once you are 60 days out from your trip.
-You can book all dining reservations 180 days out (Hello, Be Our Guest!)
On the downside, on-resort stays are typically more expensive than being off-resort.
Buses can be slow if they are shared among multiple resorts.
So, what are your options for staying on resort?
Value Resorts and Campgrounds (starting from $55-$110 USD*):
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney Pop Century Resort (Wide World of Sports area)
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort (Animal Kingdom area)
Disney’s All-Star Movie Resort (Animal Kingdom area)
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort (Animal Kingdom area)
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Wide World of Sports area)
One thing to note is that these resorts will often share buses and will not have their own restaurants (they will have a food court though for those Disney munchies).
Moderate Resorts (starting from $203 USD*):
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (Epcot area)
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (Disney Springs area)
Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter (Disney Springs area) – Note that this resort does not have its own restaurant, but you can hop over to Riverside for this experience. Plus, beignets!
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (Animal Kingdom area) – This resort has the price of a Moderate with the feel of a Deluxe.
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (Magic Kingdom area)
Deluxe Resorts (starting from $332 USD*):
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Animal Kingdom area)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney’s Beach Club Resort (Epcot area)
Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Magic Kingdom area) – This resort has a monorail running right through it to the Magic Kingdom. Cool!
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (Epcot area)
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn (Epcot area)
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel (Epcot area) – May only be available as a vacation package.
Walk Disney World Swan Hotel (Epcot area) – May only be available as a vacation package.
Deluxe Villas (starting from $346 USD*):
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (Disney Springs area)
Disney’s Old Key West Resort (Disney Springs area)
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (Magic Kingdom area)
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Magic Kingdom area)
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village (Animal Kingdom area)
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas (Epcot area)
Disney’s Beach Club Villas (Epcot area)
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House (Animal Kingdom area)
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area)
If you choose to stay on resort, ask yourself:
What kind of vacation is this? Theming or a great pool for rest days could play into your decision if you have kids. Adults only parties may or may not care as much about these aspects.
What am I looking to get out of this experience?
Will I be visiting certain areas of Disney World more frequently than others? This could play into what area you wish to stay in.
What is my budget?
How much time do I plan to spend in my resort? If you will be frequenting the parks almost exclusively and view the resort as a place to sleep, a Value or Moderate may be for you.
