Disney Hotels: On-Property vs. Off-Property
Whether you’re a seasoned Disney goer or a newbie to the scene, Disney hotels can be overwhelming - especially when we’re talking about Walt Disney World. But in either park, your choice whether to stay on property or off is a big one to tackle. But no worries! I’m here to make that decision a little easier.
Price - The first consideration in most peoples choice, is the difference in price. While the general thought is Disney hotels are more expensive, that isn’t explicitly true. In regards to Disneyland hotels, you have three options: The Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and The Grand Californian Resort & Spa - the lowest cost on average, being at $300 a night at Paradise Pier.
Walt Disney World offers more variety in both hotel tiers and rates to accommodate every lifestyle and budget. Disney resorts fall into three categories: value, moderate and deluxe. As you can imagine, these also help determine the cost to stay at each Disney resort.
The lowest rate you will typically find at a Walt Disney World resort will be with their All-Star resorts, pop-century resort and for a slightly larger room option, Art of Animation. These resorts have been known to cost as little as $120/night depending on the dates of your stay. There is also camp sites available for pitching a tent or to park a motor-home that you can often get for under $100 a night.
So, to some folks, $50/night for a hotel outside the park starts sounding pretty good. Of course, there is give and take with going with the “cheap” option. You get what you pay for, and comfort isn’t usually one of them.
Transportation - Typically the second biggest factor in ascertaining which hotel to book is your means of transportation. Saving on a hotel is costing you elsewhere - in this instance, that means your mode of transport.
There are decent hotels within walking distance to Disneyland that you may find for less, but you need to take into account how far YOU are willing to walk. Half a mile is the least you’ll be doing with most hotels, and much more than that at others. And if you would prefer a rental car, let’s account for the daily cost of the rental car at no less than $15 a day most places and the cost of parking at Disney parks now a minimum of $20 a day.
In the case of Walt Disney World, there are not hotels within walking distance. Because Walt Disney World Resort is all-encompassing with it’s significant amount of acreage, you would need a rental car from an off-property hotel or the very least, a shuttle. The problem with shuttles is their departure and return times are usually not very flexible or bountiful - some with as little as one time in the morning and another in the evening. This really cuts down on your ability to control your time in the parks and return to your hotel on your own time.
For a rental car, we do the same math of cost per day for the car, parking and gas for the entire trip, and your left close to the same number as a Disney value resort.
Ubers, I know from personal experience, rack up even more so. Wonderful for the occasional rush, but not for everyday transportation.
Now, there are hotels on Disney property not a part of the Disney chain, but these cost similar to Disney resorts.
One of the best parts about staying at Disney resorts is that you DO have variety in your transportation to and from the parks, including: Disney buses, skyline gondolas, the monorail and riverboats. These options do vary depending on your resort, but many have at least two of these options that run throughout the day.
Other perks of staying on property:
Extra Magic Hours - time to visit the park before or after normal hours!
Disney Dining at your fingertips!
Advanced Dining Reservations or ADR’s - WDW dining reservations pre-COVID could be made 180 days in advance, plus on-site guests had 10 extra days to select their preferred dining reservations. Now, both WDW and Disneyland dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance!
Package Delivery - Have merchandise you purchase sent back to your room for you rather than carry it around the park the rest of the day!
Charge to your room - Ability to charge dining and merchandise to your room!
With perks like that, I can say it definitely makes the on-property resort worth the price. However, Disney’s consideration in their tiers of hotels and consequential rates makes staying on property feasible for most families and budgets!
Whew! That was a lot of information, I know. BUT! Feel free to reference this post when needed, and reach out with any questions or help booking your next Disney visit!
Until Next Time!
Love,
Once Upon A Time Travel