No more incentives left for staying at Disney hotels

[nursejackie]

My head says 'this is ridiculous - prices, lack of benefits, paid parking etc' but my heart says otherwise. I just can't imagine staying off site, so while I am lucky enough to be able to afford it, I will, but who knows what the future will bring with inflation, fuel costs etc and I may reach the point of being priced out of Disney resorts.

 

[katyjeka]

We have been going for thirty years and have seen too many changes. Some good, some bad! We've stayed both on and off and I still prefer onsite. On our last trip we spent three days at Bonnet Creek(our favorite offsite resort)and made the mistake of going to Magic Kingdom. We had a very long day as the park was crowded and our youngest was tired. Taking the monorail to the parking lot was a nightmare as the monorails were experiencing problems. No lie, it took over an hour to get to our car. At that point we were missing our onsite hotel and quick return to our hotel. A half hour early admission is not a lot of time however on our last trip we had completed TT, MS, and Soarin with zero wait and no Genie. The extra evening hours are also a huge bonus and a good reason to stay deluxe. Disney has some very beautiful resorts and we always feel well taken care of.
I remember staying at Wilderness Lodge for $180 a night when it first opened. Needless to say, we hate how much the prices have increased however price increases seem the new norm with everything today. Paying to park your car is crazy with the price of the rooms however it gives us more reason to fly and shuttle over and less incentive to road trip down, which I'm sure is Disneys plan. No car and guests spend less time offsite and more money onsite. I remember the old package offered to guests. I believe it was called Food and Fun. What a deal. We had food and recreation paid in advance which we loved. We used the boats and bike rentals a lot on those trips. I wish they had a package that included recreation as we love to take the boats out and bike ride through the campground. I miss those days.
We had planned to take a break after our last trip but here I go planning our next. I'm as excited as ever and can't wait to return. We will be staying onsite because the crowds levels are crazy and we want the extra morning/evening hours. I also do not want a repeat of returning to our car after a crazy MK day. Its kind of like a ski vacation. There are ton of hotels around the slopes but NOTHING beats opening your door and the slopes await.

 

[Miffy]

Although, yes, this costs $, but staying onsite does afford (hah!) you the ability to purchase ILL$ before off-site guests. This is the way of the New Disney--$15.98 here, $30 there, etc.

However, it's going to take a lot more something--I can't quite figure out exactly what that would be--for us to stay off-site. We fly down and don't rent a car. Being in the Disney bubble is wonderful. I have no desire to drive around Orlando or leave WDW. I'm there for Disney. Period.

This doesn't mean I don't agree with what the OP said. I miss all those things as well, especially the ability to book FP+ 60 days in advance. If they'd just started charging for it and kept the 60-day-advance booking for onsite guests, that'd be fine with me.

 

[amy1981]

All of these changes are why we've decided to try Universal for our December trip. We're staying at Portofino Bay for just over $300 a night and that will include unlimited express passes for our family of 4. Other than the 'Disney Bubble' and 30 minutes extra in the morning, Disney offers no similar perks anymore and their deluxe prices are over twice as much as what we're paying at Universal. Maybe it won't feel as magical, but we're willing to try it. Also, I really love Disney planning, but part of the benefit of ADRs and advanced FP was that once we were at Disney, everything was set. Now, you need to wake up early to buy Genie+, book LL, not to mention virtual queuing. This adds way more pressure while I'm on 'vacation' than the old system.

One of the reasons we never went to Universal before is that Magical Express made it easy (and free) to get to Disney property and just stay put. With less perks I think a lot of families will question the benefits vs cost of staying exclusively on property. From a business perspective, it seems like Disney is making really bad decisions that are alienating some life long guests or at least making off site look a lot more appealing right now.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I'm in the I prefer onsite, as does my family, camp since we like convenience. We drive in, park the car and forget we own a car until we leave WDW. We'll do a ride share or minnie van on occasion but we mostly rely on disney transportation. We like the convenience and the overall bubble feel. We know it costs more but we've stayed offsite and it's not for us. It clearly works for a lot of people given so many off property, disney area hotels are booked all the time. I like a lot of the off property options too but for me it mostly just comes down to location. And for now, the ETPE, EEH and 7am iLL$ purchase time are small perks that help keep us on property.

I get it, I hate paying for what was once included in our tickets/resort prices but Disney is a business and so long as people continue to go to the parks, frequent their resorts and pay for all the stuff that's no longer free, they'll continue to thrive. Even if we head towards a recession, which I think we may already be in technically, Disney won't make the items that used to be free, free again, they'll just offer some more various incentives and discounts as they have in the past.

All that to say, while there is an ever growing list of what was once free benefits to stay onsite quickly dwindling, it really is the location and few crumbs of benefits left that keep us on property.

 

[NightGuardianAngel]

To add:

Dining at Disney World is your magical gourmet version of elementary school cafeteria qualify, fare, and flavor for the price that is a lot more than fine dining at a luxury Las Vegas resort.

Extra Magic Hours are now getting your dairy air out of bed extremely early for the Extra Magic 30 minutes and then, as for me, ending up so tired and exhausted around 3:00 or 4:00 PM.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

The Swan/Dolphin is a really nice compromise...just saying. You're getting Deluxe resort perks and staying in the ultra expensive Epcot resort area but paying less than half...sometimes a quarter of those deluxe hotels. And the "theming" isn't as non Disney as people make it out to be. You do feel like you're on campus.

 

[Stratman50th]

Just read through this thread and it really brings home a quote that @DemonLlama posted elsewhere. Their post was longer but the final comment brings home the point of a lot of these discussions:
"Weaponized nostalgia is a powerful strategy".

 

[TWINKLETWINKLE]

My family heads to Disney as often as we can. it is our favortite place. our last vacation was in August of 2021. We stayed in a two bedroom villa in Saratoga springs in a newly renovated room. It was amazing! Didn't think this would be my last vacation at Disney! So much at Disney has changed sinced that trip. As a family of 5 its getting harder and harder to go to disney. We love to stay onsite, use disney magical express, disney tranportation and be in the disney bubble. Disney took away some of our incentives for staying onsite and booking a vacation is no longer afforable for my family. Staying offsite and renting a car, really isn't our thing. Sad to say this, but we decided Disney is longer a place we can attend and vacation. Going to take my kids and experience other vacation places. We also never went to Universal or Sea world so will be going there. Want to thank The Dis community for all the wonderful content. Planned so many wonderful vacations Thanks to the Dis. I will still come to the forums and check out the dis unplugged and all that great stuff. I can get my Disney fix through you guys!

 

[Tom Hafner]

There really is no incentives left in staying at the Disney hotels anymore. Free magical express, extra magic hours, free magic bands, fastpass plus (booked 60 days in advance if staying at a Disney hotel which gave you first dibs on everything in the parks), free parking at Disney hotels for guests, etc. have now all faded into the oblivion. Might as well just stay at a nearby Motel 6 and get an Uber. Disney hotels now charge for parking in addition to the room rate. I sure miss the good old days. I sure wish I can borrow Emmitt Brown’s (Doc’s) Delorean time machine and travel to the year 2015 and book a vacation to Walt Disney World hotels to savor and enjoy the magic of yesteryear. I would be like “Great Scott!!!”. One good thing about Motel 6 is they will leave the light on for you.

One advantage still is booking Genie+ at 7am, as opposed to when the park opens for non-Disney Hotel guests. We stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek in Feb 2022 and this hurt us. Star Wars ROR, Slinky Dog, and many others were gone by 9am on Genie+

 

[DL1WDW2]

My family heads to Disney as often as we can. it is our favortite place. our last vacation was in August of 2021. We stayed in a two bedroom villa in Saratoga springs in a newly renovated room. It was amazing! Didn't think this would be my last vacation at Disney! So much at Disney has changed sinced that trip. As a family of 5 its getting harder and harder to go to disney. We love to stay onsite, use disney magical express, disney tranportation and be in the disney bubble. Disney took away some of our incentives for staying onsite and booking a vacation is no longer afforable for my family. Staying offsite and renting a car, really isn't our thing. Sad to say this, but we decided Disney is longer a place we can attend and vacation. Going to take my kids and experience other vacation places. We also never went to Universal or Sea world so will be going there. Want to thank The Dis community for all the wonderful content. Planned so many wonderful vacations Thanks to the Dis. I will still come to the forums and check out the dis unplugged and all that great stuff. I can get my Disney fix through you guys!

The Disboards has a section for Universal and SeaWorld planning.
Keep us updated with your trip planning and trip report, etc.
Goodluck

 

[Dizne Ed]

I knew all of this except no free magic bands? Really? You pay for them? If you don’t want one do they give you a room key?

Might as well just get a plastic room key like the good 'ol days!

 

[Dizne Ed]

Yes, really.

And yes, you pay for all MBs now, even the boring solid gray one.

You can still get the plastic card called a KTTW or Key To The World card free. Just ask at your resort's front desk or at Guest Services.

If you have a smartphone, it can do a lot of the things a MB does.

Yes a plastic card just like the old days.

 

[Dizne Ed]

The Swan/Dolphin is a really nice compromise...just saying. You're getting Deluxe resort perks and staying in the ultra expensive Epcot resort area but paying less than half...sometimes a quarter of those deluxe hotels. And the "theming" isn't as non Disney as people make it out to be. You do feel like you're on campus.

We stayed at the Dolphin a couple of times in the past with my government discount and it was well worth it. Now with the added parking and resort fees it just isn't.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you don’t want one do they give you a room key?

Yes. Just like this entire time, even in the heyday of the awful plastic bangles. Happily I kept all of my lanyards.

The term vacation requires some sort of sleep, so I usually would never rope drop

Ah but "disney vacation" doesn't usually involve sleeping in.

Not to do a Universal comparison but the premier hotels have way more value at the moment. They include free unlimited Express pass, 1 hour early entry and merchandise delivery back to your resort (which Disney still hasn't brought back yet).

Disney doesn't deliver back to the ROOM anyway. Uni does.

I4 is 7th layer of h e double L

I've never experienced that. And there are tons of hotels that don't involve 4.

free magic bands (which you wear around your wrist and never have to worry about losing it especially on the rides etc,)

You had magical MBs then! I have been constantly worried about mine, and I have nearly lost them multiple times.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I've never experienced that. And there are tons of hotels that don't involve 4.



You had magical MBs then! I have been constantly worried about mine, and I have nearly lost them multiple times.

Guess you have better luck driving than I do. I4 is horrific. I'd rather have bamboo shoved under my finger nails, or even, drive in Atlanta!

 

[sheilafri]

OK. I am an outlier. I do not like staying on site. If I pay the price for mods or deluxe I can’t relax and enjoy as I just feel ripped off. The values are a hot mess imho as I no longer have young children and prefer a quieter atmosphere. So they’re a no go.

I’ve compromised and stay at the Swolphin when I can get a somewhat reasonable rate. I do enjoy evening hours for deluxe guests.

 

[MacMaam]

Been to Disney many times staying off site, have never had to deal with that.

Neither have I. We rent a Vrbo, park themed house, 5-6 bedrooms, 5 bathroom, full kitchen, private screened in pool with hot tub, laundry room and the garages are usually some type of game room. $1510 for 9 nights. 10-20 min ride to parks depending on park. Might take 30 min when we leave parks. We leave, get on 192, second light, take a left and 5 min later we are “home”.
I can say I have never waited for Disney transportation, especially at park close and it take 1 1/2 - 2 hours or more to get back to my room, as I read on these boards. But to each their own. We use to stay on Disney property but love having the space in a house. Now when we go to universal in Nov, we are staying at the hardrock, because the benefits are worth it. Kind of feel like it will be a vacation after our days at Disney…lol no getting up for 7 am to maybe book the rides we want.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Neither have I. We rent a Vrbo, park themed house, 5-6 bedrooms, 5 bathroom, full kitchen, private screened in pool with hot tub, laundry room and the garages are usually some type of game room. $1510 for 9 nights. 10-20 min ride to parks depending on park. Might take 30 min when we leave parks. We leave, get on 192, second light, take a left and 5 min later we are “home”.
I can say I have never waited for Disney transportation, especially at park close and it take 1 1/2 - 2 hours or more to get back to my room, as I read on these boards. But to each their own. We use to stay on Disney property but love having the space in a house. Now when we go to universal in Nov, we are staying at the hardrock, because the benefits are worth it. Kind of feel like it will be a vacation after our days at Disney…lol no getting up for 7 am to maybe book the rides we want.

I do advise getting up at 7AM to make early entry to ride Hagrid's and Velocicoaster

 

[Chuck wright]

There really is no incentives left in staying at the Disney hotels anymore. Free magical express, extra magic hours, free magic bands, fastpass plus (booked 60 days in advance if staying at a Disney hotel which gave you first dibs on everything in the parks), free parking at Disney hotels for guests, etc. have now all faded into the oblivion. Might as well just stay at a nearby Motel 6 and get an Uber. Disney hotels now charge for parking in addition to the room rate. I sure miss the good old days. I sure wish I can borrow Emmitt Brown’s (Doc’s) Delorean time machine and travel to the year 2015 and book a vacation to Walt Disney World hotels to savor and enjoy the magic of yesteryear. I would be like “Great Scott!!!”. One good thing about Motel 6 is they will leave the light on for you.

Just stay off property and visit the hotels like all the bloggers do … they go in and lounge in the lobby .. if they can .. sneak into the pool area … your right no incentive to stay at Disney hotels