Surely by now, I’ve mentioned the benefits of staying on site at Disney World often enough that you know them. Besides proximity (you can watch the fireworks from many rooms!), you’ll get FastPasses at 60 days out instead of 30, complimentary transportation between your resort and the parks (and the airport!), complimentary MagicBands and the option to purchase a Disney Dining Plan. These things along with the amazing customer service that’s unique to Disney makes staying on site a no-brainer for me.
But there are a few other reasons to stay at a Disney World resort that you might not have thought about.
The one that seems to be most important at the moment is that on-site guests tend to be more “in-the-loop” when it comes to new attractions/lands opening at the parks. When I was there for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I had a plan of being at Hollywood Studios by 4am. Since Disney doesn’t release a lot of information in advance to the public, I expected I’d need to find an Uber or taxi to get me there. Not knowing what time the park officially was going to open that day, I didn’t know what time the buses would start running. The night before the opening though, there were signs in the lobby and a note in my room letting guests know that the buses would start running at 3:30am. The off-site guests weren’t notified and many weren’t let in to the parking lot as early as the buses. That helped me get much further ahead in line!
I’ve heard the same type of situation is happening for the opening of Rise of the Resistance. On-site guests are getting notifications that the park is opening early which lets them get a head start. Off-site guests just have to show up and wait and see. This is a pretty big advantage for on-site guests as the boarding pass system being used for Rise of the Resistance is at capacity even before the park officially opens most days!
The other huge benefit to me since my favorite park is Magic Kingdom is that the internal Disney bus transportation drops off at the entrance to Magic Kingdom itself. If you are off-site and drive in yourself or use Uber/taxis, you’ll be dropped off at the Ticket and Transportation Center. From there, you’ll take a boat or the Monorail into the park. Not a huge deal if you plan ahead and are prepared for the extra time, but if you’re trying to make Rope Drop or a Reservation/FastPass, that extra step adds several minutes you may not have. And the same is true on the way out. Especially if you leave the park at a time when many others do (after parade/fireworks/closing), you’ll be waiting in the boat/monorail line for a while before you can get back to the TTC to then get to your car or Uber.
One other thing to think about is the dining/gift shop options at the resorts. Although many of the off-site locations have Disney themed gift shops, you’ll only find authentic Disney parks merch in the on-site resorts. And Mickey waffles!! The restaurants have Mickey waffles!!
I know it’s not always in the budget, but if at all possible, stay on site. You won’t regret it! If you just can’t swing it though, I can still help you! I am able to book many different resorts in the area and some have the FastPass at 60 days benefit. Give me a call!!