Staying on property benefits?

[MarkS2112]

Transportation, Skyliner if at one of those resorts, Disney bubble over a room and resort that is run of the mill. Now does that justify cost, not sure. They have been cutting perks on a regular basis over the years. Perks used to make it worthwhile but now not so sure.

 

[JM23457]

Since there are no extra magic hours or FP right now, what are some benefits of staying on property vs at a non-Disney hotel? Is there anything I'm forgetting, beyond being in the "bubble" and the transportation options?

Location, theming, special pools, Disney restaurants, resort activities.

 

[cpep42]

Well other than Magical Express...which is important to me...I feel more safe and secure at a Disney resort. I know they're doing all the right things. Then of course there are the busses to the park.

 

[Mikey6080]

It's hard to beat the Magic Express service. You can arrive and go right to the parks while your luggage is delivered to your room. That plus the Disney transportation services really make staying on site worth while.

 

[Dug720]

It's hard to beat the Magic Express service. You can arrive and go right to the parks while your luggage is delivered to your room. That plus the Disney transportation services really make staying on site worth while.

Luggage delivery is not happening now. No big deal for me - I always do carry-on only. But if you're a heavy packer could be a factor (though you'd have to get it and drag it through the airport even if you did a car service or rental car, so...)

 

[Doug S]

It's hard to beat the Magic Express service. You can arrive and go right to the parks while your luggage is delivered to your room.

Luggage delivery is temporarily suspended with DME.

 

[_19disnA]

Staying on-site vs off-site even pre-covid was mostly a matter of budget and personal preference. Some people place a high value on things associated with Disney that are hard to place a $$ value on. Over the years we have stayed both on-site as well as off-site and enjoyed them equally. You are in the best position to know your budget and what your family's preferences are.

Another consideration is if you feel safe traveling to Florida/Disney and mingling with people from all over the country in the midst of covid.

 

[Mikey6080]

Luggage delivery is temporarily suspended with DME.

Wow, I wasn't aware of that ; so just the transportation then. And there's no park hopping I believe, so maybe staying off site right now does make sense.

 

[Edeyore]

I'd love to stay at one of the properties that's within walking distance someday!

I stayed at the Polynesian twice in 1992 & 1998. After the turn of the century, I think I would need to take out a second mortgage to stay there.

 

[SugarSweetLee]

I stayed at the Polynesian twice in 1992 & 1998. After the turn of the century, I think I would need to take out a second mortgage to stay there.

Yeah, I don't know how folks do it! But good for those that do.

 

[Farro]

Yeah, I don't know how folks do it! But good for those that do.

You save for it. We saved a few years to stay there. (was it worth it is another question entirely...)

We stay on-site (we only go every 4 years-ish). Magical Express and transportation to parks and a host of other things that can't be explained.

Trying Gran Destino next year, can't wait!!!

 

[SugarSweetLee]

You save for it. We saved a few years to stay there. (was it worth it is another question entirely...)

We stay on-site (we only go every 4 years-ish). Magical Express and transportation to parks and a host of other things that can't be explained.

Trying Gran Destino next year, can't wait!!!

Oh yeah, I get it For me, the "is it worth it" question always looms too large for me to be willing to plunk down serious money for the resort. But more power to you, Gran Destino looks awesome!

 

[Farro]

Oh yeah, I get it For me, the "is it worth it" question always looms too large for me to be willing to plunk down serious money for the resort. But more power to you, Gran Destino looks awesome!

For us - Polynesian was not worth it, at all. I actually regret the money we spent.

Yacht/Beach - we still have to save for those, but definitely worth it and not as expensive as Polynesian.

Gran Destino - I'm hoping we just love it because it is so much more in our comfortable price range!

 

[meclark3]

We usually take multi generational trips and the villa options so we can be together plus transportation make it worth the expense.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We have 3 days at pop right now but I just added 4 more nights to our trip. I was going to add pop nights on hotwire they are 89 a night plus tax plus parking. So we are moving off site......
I cant take the skyliner to HS and be in the park by 10 due to long lines in the AM, I dont want to line up at 8am for a 9 am skyliner start time. And we are not visiting Epcot this trip.
If I move off site I can get free parking and just take lyft/ hotel transport and get a bigger room without the bigger price tag. Because I'm just at a month out I was able to get park ressies with no issues.

 

[SL6827]

Storm Along Bay. I would not do a Disney resort only trip other than at the Yacht or Beach Club.

 

[olecow]

A lot of people have already expressed good reasons to stay on property. As someone who has stayed both on and off I personally would never want to stay off property again. Yes, you can save money and get bigger and perhaps nicer accommodations but for me it's about that feeling of being away from it all. From the moment I get on the Magic Express bus I just want to faceplant into the Disney experience and not come up for air again until I'm at the airport for my return flight. I love feeling part of it all staying on site. I realize others may not get that feeling but for me it's worth paying more for that.

My family usually stays at a value resort or mid level (POR). We stayed at POP in January and the gondolas are such a great way to get to Epcot and the Studios. POP is our new go to resort. We stay value because we don't spend much time in our room or at the resort other than occasional pool time. We're park or Disney Springs people.

 

[DisCopper]

Since there are no extra magic hours or FP right now, what are some benefits of staying on property vs at a non-Disney hotel? Is there anything I'm forgetting, beyond being in the "bubble" and the transportation options?

The key to me is”the bubble.” Being at Disney is an all-encompassing experiment, or for me, it should be. Even those aggravating buses are part of the adventure. I don’t want to have to drive out of that experience every day. Dealing with the traffic can be miserable. But even on the best days, I just don’t want to see the outside world.

 

[DisneyNDecember]

Ditto. The all immersive experience. This is our first time back in 7 years. The hotel choice is always a very important part of the vacation for me. We chose the Gran Destiny tower this year, December 11-19. I sure hope the in room dining comes back by then. I love ordering breakfast room service on vacation each morning.

 

[silver236]

I stayed at the Polynesian twice in 1992 & 1998. After the turn of the century, I think I would need to take out a second mortgage to stay there.

We're staying there next week. Renting DVC points made it 60% cheaper. And if you have some flexibility, there are some confirmed reservations right now that are absolutely dirt cheap that people are trying to get rid of.