Advantages of Staying On Property

If it's a Disney Springs hotel you are still in the bubble. There is no more advantage to staying onsite. If we ever return after this final trip it will be an offsite hotel or house rental.
 
LOL...this is the best laugh I have had all day. thanks. I still can't believe this is such a big issue for people.

Glad I could add some smiles to your day. At face value, it's not that big a deal right? But Disney's execution leaves a lot to be desired. We were not notified of this policy upon check in (hadn't heard of these forums yet), and the consistency application of the room check policy leaves a ton to be desired.

If the employees were all uniformed security doing the checks, and if all guests were notified of the requirement at check in, then great. Sadly, Disney has chosen to not notify guests proactively, and is utilizing a wide array of cast members, some trained better than others. That's not the Disney I know. Hopefully the meaningful feedback they get from a not-insignificant number of guests will lead to meaningful change.

I'd argue that because the room-check policy is unique to basically Disney and some Vegas hotels, it's even more important to communicate to the paying customers proactively, since most people who put up a do-not-disturb sign expect the room to not be disturbed.
 
We loved the magical express and not having to schlep luggage on either end, frequent buses to and from parks, boat to DS, theming of the hotel which was very different from a normal hotel even a nice one, no news channels on as background noise / images anywhere (personal pet peeve at hotels).
 


If it's a Disney Springs hotel you are still in the bubble. There is no more advantage to staying onsite. If we ever return after this final trip it will be an offsite hotel or house rental.

I disagree that the Disney Springs hotels are really part of the bubble, at least for us. They are nice hotels I'm sure, but they look like every other hotel you see around airports, on expressways, anywhere, anytown USA. And those hotels are great for other types of vacations, but for us they don't cut it when we go to Disney, as we view the hotel to be just as important as the parks.

I love the look of the architecture/design of the Disney deluxes. Grand Floridian, AKL, Polynesian, Yacht/Beach, Boardwalk, Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary all have such unique looks to them. Wonderfully themed in our opinion. I know some say the decor in the rooms is generic, but I really don't think so.

Overpriced? Absolutely. Worth a splurge every few years? Absolutely. :)
 
I just love to be on property....It just "feels" like Disney to us. I also use Magical Express, extra magic hours, and Disney transportation. I'll add that we usually stay Deluxe, so proximity is nice.
 
I forgot to add that taking afternoon breaks for naps/ swimming, etc is also very nice while on property.
 


Can you tell me what you think the advantages are of staying on Disney Property are when the hotel we are staying at offers the following?

* Free cooked to order breakfast, not a breakfast buffet like Hampton Inn.
* Ability to take advantage of extra park hours.
* Sign up for FastPasses 60 days out.
* Cost is $250 cheaper over three nights even when I include the Mears Transportation.

George
Is this a Disney Springs Resort? Hard to compare advantages without knowing how far away your hotel is.

My reasons for staying onsite are
DME
Airport desk to check in luggage at resort
Disney transportation, gives me the ability to return to room for mid day break.
Continuous transportation allowing me to come and go when I want.
Lush landscaping at wdw resort, & pretty pools at the WDW mods & deluxe.

Our first visit we stayed offsite at a Courtyard close to Disney Springs. Transportation was limited, couldn’t get back for mid day break and return to park later. Also at park closing we sometimes had to leave before fireworks it get return bus back to hotel.

I don’t want to rent a car. The park transportation wouldn’t apply to you if you’re in a Disney Springs Hotel.

If WDW room prices continue to spiral out of control, and these intrusive room checks are a problem for me, I will be staying at a Disney Springs Resort for future trips. August will be our first trip with these room checks. Ugh.
 
We like to be in the bubble, we like having Disney transportation. We often go back the resort mid afternoon for a break at the pool and like either being able to walk to a park or hopping on a Disney bus. We are adults and enjoy a refreshing adult beverage and like not having to worry about driving. I don't care about the room checks, when we are in the room I always have the lock on so if I happen to be nekid I have at least a minute or two to grab a towel to cover up with before they break down the door and rush in and wave guns at me. Yes, I'm joking about that but that is how some people have made it seem. It's no different than housekeeping knocking on your door at odd hours of the day and I've had that happen just about everywhere I've ever stayed, whether it was the Four Seasons in Atlanta or a Mom and Pop podunk dive motel in the middle of nowhere. We don't use EMH very often, we rarely book FPs more than a day in advance, and we book ADRs the day of. We often stay in the Dolphin so we have to have room keys and don't charge to MBs so none of that matters to us, it just the bubble. We tried staying off site once and that was enough for us.
 
honestly i love the bubble and not sure i would go if i was staying offsite. its like you dont leave the theme parks with the level of service theming etc.

i also think vacation time is precious so the more convenient getting to the hotel etc is the better.

dont get me wrong rooms are over pruced for the room alone. sounds silly but even little things like shopping being delivered to resort make a big difference to me or being able to pop to the concierge and get a disney specific answer or often see your photpass photos in reception.

there ia a definate feel to dianey resorts.

so the thing that really makes it worth staying on site is the thing that is so hard to describe...the magic
 
WDW does best total immersion and location. Location I mean my resort is not off some turnpike, facing I4 or some other highway. Example POR. It’s quite, lush and basically has walkable gardens. Even POP no traffic. Just the parking lot. That Makes me really feel like I am on vacation, shut off from the world. Sure from a pricing view WDW comes out behind. There are some values you can put a price tag on.

So we love resort greeters. It does make a difference.
 
Can you tell me what you think the advantages are of staying on Disney Property are when the hotel we are staying at offers the following?

* Free cooked to order breakfast, not a breakfast buffet like Hampton Inn.
* Ability to take advantage of extra park hours.
* Sign up for FastPasses 60 days out.
* Cost is $250 cheaper over three nights even when I include the Mears Transportation.

George
  • Theming
  • location
  • complimentary transportation to & from the airport and around WDW
  • Extra Magic Hours
  • Resort dining options are more diverse than that offered at most hotels
  • Close proximity to dining at all of the resorts & parks
  • Themed pools with great waterslides: this one is a huge selling point for us, as we always swim in warm weather & we love waterslides
  • Beautiful landscaping and location near lakes or rivers: you really feel away from it all, not stuck at a hotel in the city
 
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For me it's all about being in the bubble. I like walking out of my room and onto a bus (yes, we love the buses). I like being surrounded by Disney....theming, music, decor, all of it. Plus magical express, 60 day FP, EMH, and 180+10 ADRs are still perks in my book. The fact that other hotels now receive some of those perks doesn't mean they aren't still perks.
 
Please be aware of a new policy starting January 8, 2018 which mandates daily access to your room. Do your research. Either housekeeping or security Dept. will access your room every day. Disney will confirm this but won’t tell you about it before you stay unless you count the fine print in terms and conditions as proper disclosure. Some people don't care while others believe it an invasion of privacy. Just a heads up.

Meh. Doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I expect someone to enter my room every day (housekeeping) and would be upset if they didn't. I believe this issue is blown way out of proportion.
 
We spent one night off site last trip and it just wasn’t the same. The hotel was clean, our room was large, we had a good free breakfast and it only took us about ten minutes to get to WDW. But it was lacking that immersive feeling ... I could see the real world, hear the real world, etc.

Off site is so much less expensive, so I can see the attraction ... but I can safely say that I am a bubble person when it comes to WDW.
 
We like to be in the bubble, we like having Disney transportation. We often go back the resort mid afternoon for a break at the pool and like either being able to walk to a park or hopping on a Disney bus. We are adults and enjoy a refreshing adult beverage and like not having to worry about driving. I don't care about the room checks, when we are in the room I always have the lock on so if I happen to be nekid I have at least a minute or two to grab a towel to cover up with before they break down the door and rush in and wave guns at me. Yes, I'm joking about that but that is how some people have made it seem. It's no different than housekeeping knocking on your door at odd hours of the day and I've had that happen just about everywhere I've ever stayed, whether it was the Four Seasons in Atlanta or a Mom and Pop podunk dive motel in the middle of nowhere. We don't use EMH very often, we rarely book FPs more than a day in advance, and we book ADRs the day of. We often stay in the Dolphin so we have to have room keys and don't charge to MBs so none of that matters to us, it just the bubble. We tried staying off site once and that was enough for us.

To be honest, the monorail resorts are convenient. A short monorail ride from the MK and you're back at your hotel. The Epcot resorts are somewhat convenient. They're very convenient to EP and convenient to DHS, but not so convenient some other places. But all the other resorts aren't all that convenient. The bus is more convenient to the MK than a car or a shuttle from an outside resort. DHS the bus is more convenient than driving. But at AK and EP, driving is the more convenient. I stay at the values because I do like the over the top whimsical theming. I don't really stay there for convenience though they are just a bit closer than some of the outside hotels. We do ride the bus to MK and DHS but drive to AK and to EP. And at the end of the day, a muni bus with a picture of Mickey on the side is still a muni bus. So the immersion thing is blown at that point anyway. By the way, they don't have to bust the door down to get in. Those little privacy latches can be turned from the outside in about 5 seconds by those that know how. And they do know how. That said I don't think they're just going to do that and come barging in.

As for free breakfast, well we're just not breakfast eaters at Disney. We're grab a banana and throw some water in the backpack types and head out before the park opens to get there for early touring types. Portions are so huge for the most part, we find we only need two meals. And the grab a banana thing means we're ready for lunch a bit early to avoid the crowds.
 
To be honest, the monorail resorts are convenient. A short monorail ride from the MK and you're back at your hotel. The Epcot resorts are somewhat convenient. They're very convenient to EP and convenient to DHS, but not so convenient some other places. But all the other resorts aren't all that convenient. The bus is more convenient to the MK than a car or a shuttle from an outside resort. DHS the bus is more convenient than driving. But at AK and EP, driving is the more convenient. I stay at the values because I do like the over the top whimsical theming. I don't really stay there for convenience though they are just a bit closer than some of the outside hotels. We do ride the bus to MK and DHS but drive to AK and to EP. And at the end of the day, a muni bus with a picture of Mickey on the side is still a muni bus. So the immersion thing is blown at that point anyway. By the way, they don't have to bust the door down to get in. Those little privacy latches can be turned from the outside in about 5 seconds by those that know how. And they do know how. That said I don't think they're just going to do that and come barging in.

Actually, I don't like the monorail resorts. We stayed in them back in the day when they were all that offered but as soon as the Epcot resorts, opened we moved over to them. MK is only a half day park most trips for us so being close is not worth it. We love Epcot and HS so being able to walk to both of them is a huge perk. If we want to go to MK while we are already in Epcot, we will just hop on the monorail then depending on the time of day we are done, we either hop back on it back to Epcot or hop on a bus. We always have a car, always have since we drive down and I park it and don't get in it again unless we are doing a split stay and we are changing resorts. As mentioned, we like refreshing adult beverages and like having someone else to do the driving. The only time we have driven to a park in over 30 years of going and staying on site is twice. Both time were on a resort switch day and we drove to AK since we would have to take a bus there no matter where we stayed. We did a half day or so then checked into resort #2. Since we tend to do split stays, night one and/or two are used for MK and AK, then it's over to Epcot resorts. It's just more convenient for us to rely on someone else for transportation and knowing the buses will be there at least on a partially regular schedule is great. And the bust down the door was tongue in cheek, I'm aware if they really wanted to they could get past those privacy latches but it gives me enough time to either grab a towel or yell I'm nekid wait a minute. If, for some reason, they feel the need to get past it and see me nekid, seriously it might burn their eyes out anyway so I'm not worried about it. I'm a scuba diver and more often than not we are slipping in and out of bathing suits on dive boats with 5 to 10 complete strangers so it's not a big deal. I don't have a small child so there isn't the danger of them being woken from a nap (although back in the day before all this silliness I have been woken from one by housekeeping and in other resorts besides Disney). I travel with my adult son so there is no danger of them interrupting anything else so if we are in our room in the middle of the day and they knock, no big deal. It's not about immersion but convenience for us and worth it.
 
To be honest, the monorail resorts are convenient. A short monorail ride from the MK and you're back at your hotel. The Epcot resorts are somewhat convenient. They're very convenient to EP and convenient to DHS, but not so convenient some other places. But all the other resorts aren't all that convenient. The bus is more convenient to the MK than a car or a shuttle from an outside resort. DHS the bus is more convenient than driving. But at AK and EP, driving is the more convenient. I stay at the values because I do like the over the top whimsical theming. I don't really stay there for convenience though they are just a bit closer than some of the outside hotels. We do ride the bus to MK and DHS but drive to AK and to EP. And at the end of the day, a muni bus with a picture of Mickey on the side is still a muni bus. So the immersion thing is blown at that point anyway. By the way, they don't have to bust the door down to get in. Those little privacy latches can be turned from the outside in about 5 seconds by those that know how. And they do know how. That said I don't think they're just going to do that and come barging in.

Actually, I don't like the monorail resorts. We stayed in them back in the day when they were all that offered but as soon as the Epcot resorts, opened we moved over to them. MK is only a half day park most trips for us so being close is not worth it. We love Epcot and HS so being able to walk to both of them is a huge perk. If we want to go to MK while we are already in Epcot, we will just hop on the monorail then depending on the time of day we are done, we either hop back on it back to Epcot or hop on a bus. We always have a car, always have since we drive down and I park it and don't get in it again unless we are doing a split stay and we are changing resorts. As mentioned, we like refreshing adult beverages and like having someone else to do the driving. The only time we have driven to a park in over 30 years of going and staying on site is twice. Both time were on a resort switch day and we drove to AK since we would have to take a bus there no matter where we stayed. We did a half day or so then checked into resort #2. Since we tend to do split stays, night one and/or two are used for MK and AK, then it's over to Epcot resorts. It's just more convenient for us to rely on someone else for transportation and knowing the buses will be there at least on a partially regular schedule is great. And the bust down the door was tongue in cheek, I'm aware if they really wanted to they could get past those privacy latches but it gives me enough time to either grab a towel or yell I'm nekid wait a minute. If, for some reason, they feel the need to get past it and see me nekid, seriously it might burn their eyes out anyway so I'm not worried about it. I'm a scuba diver and more often than not we are slipping in and out of bathing suits on dive boats with 5 to 10 complete strangers so it's not a big deal. I don't have a small child so there isn't the danger of them being woken from a nap (although back in the day before all this silliness I have been woken from one by housekeeping and in other resorts besides Disney). I travel with my adult son so there is no danger of them interrupting anything else so if we are in our room in the middle of the day and they knock, no big deal. It's not about immersion but convenience for us and worth it.

I'm not fond of Epcot myself. The front section is about half a day for us and the back is nothing more than a glorified shopping mall with eateries with an international theme.
 
When the kids were small staying on property was nice. Now that we require at least 3 beds I am not willing to pay the absolutely ridiculous prices for a deluxe or a villa. The rooms are not worth 500 or 600 dollars a night. There is no amount of theme they could do to entice me to pay that much for a place to sleep. We are squeezing into Pop because this was a last-minute add on to a cruise we had already booked. After this it's a suite hotel that provides the space all adult-size people in our family require.
 

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