Surround Yourself in the Magic - Our Top 10 Reasons to Stay at a Walt Disney World Resort
10. Complimentary Airport Transportation
If you are flying into Orlando (MCO), and are staying at a Disney Resort, you are able to use Disney’s Magical Express. The Magical Express is a complimentary bus service that will pick you up from the airport and drop you off at your Disney Resort. When flying on select airlines departing from the United States you do not need to wait at the baggage claim for your luggage. Disney Resort guests will have personalized luggage tags mailed to them before departure for this service. Disney will pick up your luggage and deliver it to your resort within a few hours, making your vacation much easier when travelling with young children. (This service is not available on flights arriving at MCO after 10:00 PM EST) Due to customs restrictions, those departing from a Canadian airport, must collect their luggage from baggage claim and load on a nearby conveyer belt before proceeding to the Magical Express. Most Disney Resorts have an airline check-in desk near their main lobby entrance. This feature allows travellers on select domestic airlines to check their luggage at the resort before leaving the Walt Disney World Resort and not have to touch it again until your return flight has landed.
9. Complimentary Theme Park Transportation
Once you are at your resort, you do not need to rent a car or spend extra money on taxi or Uber fares. Disney Resort guests enjoy complimentary transportation to all four theme parks, both water parks, and Disney Springs. Enjoy that nice bottle of wine with dinner and let Disney Transportation take you home.
8. Disney Cast Members at Your Resort
This point will likely seem a bit obvious, but you might find it helpful to be staying at a resort that employs Disney cast members since most of your vacation is going to be centred around Disney. If you have questions about reservations, Fastpasses, or just planning your day in the parks in general, chances are that the staff at a Disney resort will be better equipped to help than at non-Disney resorts.
7. Proximity to the Parks
The Walt Disney World Resort is 44 square miles (twice the size of Manhattan). This means that if you’re staying off property, getting into the property might become a hassle. You can easily get stuck in traffic, and you will need to leave earlier to get to where you are going, especially if you are relying on sporadically scheduled shuttles from non-Disney resorts.
6. Complimentary Package Pickup
If you are staying at a Disney Resort, and you do some shopping in one of the theme parks, you can have those items shipped back to your resort for free, so that you don’t need to carry them around for the rest of the day. Non-Disney resort guests can still take advantage of sending packages to the front of the park for pick up on your way out, however this service requires 3 hours from the time of purchase and can add extra hassle when leaving. The 3 hour window for this service can also be problematic for those wishing to park hop.
5. Kids’ Activities
Unsurprisingly, Disney Resorts have unparalleled activities for kids. Whether you are looking to relax by the pool with some child-friendly activities, roast marshmallows on the beach, or watch a movie under the stars, Disney’s kids’ activities are the best in the industry, and you can only take full advantage of them while staying at a Disney Resort.
4. Dining Options
Only Disney Resort guests can take advantage of all 3 Disney Dining Plans (Quick Service, Disney Dining, and Deluxe Dining). We will explain these dining plans in much greater detail in a later post. While some Disney approved partner hotels do allow guests to purchase a quick service dining card, this card is valid only for quick service meals. The Disney Dining plan is the most popular dining plan and is only available for those staying at a Disney Resort (same applies to Deluxe Dining Plan). For most vacationers, knowing that most of your trip is paid for before you leave home allows for a much more relaxing vacation, making the Disney Dining plan very appealing.
3. Extra Magic Hours
Extra Magic Hours are when the theme parks either open earlier or stay open later for Disney Resort guests only. For instance, Epcot might close at 9:00 PM, but have Extra Magic Hours until 11:00 PM. This means that if you do not stay at a Disney Resort, you would be missing out on an extra couple of hours at each of the parks.
2. Fastpass+ Selections
Fasspass+ is Disney World’s “front of the line” service. It allows all theme park guests to select 3 attractions (including character greets) that you can return to at a specific time and basically “walk on” to the attraction. Selecting the right Fastpass+ can have a significant impact on your vacation. Naturally, there are a limited number of Fastpasses available for each attraction and missing out on a sought-after attraction could result in you spending over 3 hours in the standby line. Guests at a Disney Resort can make their Fastpass+ selections 60 days in advance of their check-in date. For non-Disney resort guests, you can only choose your Fastpass+ selections 30 days in advance. With Fastpass+ selections being limited, often the most popular attractions will have no availability left 30 days before your trip. In addition, Disney Resort guests can select all their Fastpass+ selections for the entire vacation (provided it doesn’t exceed 10 days) 60 days before check-in. Non-Disney resort guests will have to make their selections one day at a time.
1. Immersing Yourself in the Magic
By staying at a Disney Resort, you are never going to be leaving behind the magic until you check out and go home. Walt Disney World is meant to serve as an escape from the realities of everyday life and this escape is best accomplished while staying on a Disney property. With so many resorts to choose from, all having an incredible themes, as well as different resort categories (deluxe, moderate, and value) you are sure to find a resort that is perfect for your vacation. To us, staying on a Disney Resort is the difference between a Disney Vacation and “going to Disney”.