2 - Where to stay at Disney

UPDATED 30 Nov 2021

A lot has changed since I first wrote this post. I had my first stay at an onsite Disney resort, for one. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and it was really cool to be able to see giraffes from our balcony. We weren't really in our hotel room that much besides to sleep, but it was very well appointed. We did make use of the pool a few times, which was also fun. Since then, Disney has changed some of their policies. This makes the discussion of whether to stay onsite or not very complex! Here I outline the pros and cons of staying onsite.

You have 2 options when it comes to finding a place to stay at Disney: stay onsite (or at a Disney-affiliated hotel offsite) or stay offsite. You can check out Disney's website for all the options and costs associated with staying onsite. Staying offsite can mean renting a place (like through AirBnB) or staying at a non-Disney-affiliated hotel.

Cost: it will probably always be cheaper to stay offsite. Even when you factor in the cost of the car rental/hotel and the parking at Disney, you'll probably still be coming out ahead. 

Space: this is the main reason why we have always stayed off site in a rental. Having limited space and no kitchen is a real downside to us, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Food: staying a Disney means eating at Disney. Your food costs will definitely be less than if you went to the grocery store and cooked your meals. But then again, who wants to cook on vacation? But even if you ate at restaurants outside Disney during your trip, you'd still be saving money vs. eating at Disney (and in some cases, would probably be eating better food).

Transportation: staying onsite means using Disney transport, which is still free. You'll have a system of buses and (depending on where you're going) the monorail and Skyliner to get your where you're going. Some Disney locations are even walkable depending on where you're staying. However, keep in mind that while this service is free, the cost is the time you spend (I would also add the cost of being on a crowded bus). Everything you do is on their schedule. There is the option of Minnie Vans and Uber if you are staying onsite. Driving your own car to and from Disney will make it easier to take breaks and arrive and leave when you want to, so it's all about weighing your time vs. the cost of a rental/parking. Also note that Disney no longer provides free transportation to and from the airport. 

Dining: Guests staying offsite and onsite can book their dining 60 days in advance, however, guess staying onsite can additionally book their dining for up to 10 days of their trip (as long as they are staying onsite for the duration of their trip). So if there's a restaurant you really want to eat at, you'll have a better chance at booking it if you're staying onsite.

Genie+: Disney no longer has a free fastpass system, so the advantage offered to guests onsite of earlier booking of fastpasses no longer applies. we'll get to talking more about Genie+ in a later section. The new Genie+ system is paid (15$ per day, per person) and everyone, regardless of whether they are onsite or offsite gets to select their first option at 7 am the day they will use them. For Individual Lightning Lane selections, onsite guests can book them at 7am, whereas offsite guests can book them at park opening, although I understand that a portion of the selections are held back and released at park opening. You may want to crunch numbers and see if rather than get Genie+, staying onsite and getting Early Theme Park Entry will be more friendly to your budget.

Early Theme Park Entry: This is one of the big changes Disney has made since our last visit. Disney used to offer Extra Magic Hours, where guests staying onsite got an extra hour before/after the park opens/closes. Not every park had hours every day, so in my mind it wasn't a huge advantage, especially since with young children we wouldn't be able to take part in the later hours anyway. This has since been changed to Early Theme Park Entry. Guests staying onsite get to enter parks a half hour before offsite guests. That's every park, every day. Prior to this, as long as it wasn't a day with Extra Magic Hours, everyone was at an equal advantage when they entered the park. Now offsite guests are entering a park that already has lines, and their ability to get on rides with minimal wait first thing is gone. This is a huge advantage to onsite guests who will get to do a few rides with minimal wait early in the morning and a big disadvantage to those offsite who like to get an early start. Obviously, if you're not a morning person, this will not sway you, but this is enough for me to change my mind about whether it's worth it to stay onsite or not. If you think you can swing early mornings, I would definitely plan to stay onsite, at least for part of your trip. See the link for which resorts/hotels can benefit from this.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours: This only applies to some onsite guests, namely, those staying at Deluxe resorts and villas. Like the old Extra Magic Hours, this offers additional time at the end of the day for Deluxe guests to stay late and enjoy a less crowded park, and is not offered at every park every day as the Early Theme Park entry is. See the link for which resorts/hotels can benefit from this.

The Disney Bubble: is what people call being at Disney. Some people really like the intensity, theming and the overall experience that Disney offers. Staying onsite means staying immersed in that experience.

 Here are the other posts on DisneyWorld planning:

1 - When to go to Disney: what age is a good age? What time of year is good to go?
2 - Where to stay at Disney: breaking down the pros and cons of off vs. onsite
3 - Advance Dining Reservations: because hour long waits for lunch/dinner are for non-planners
4 - Genie+:  getting on the rides faster
5 - What to take to Disney: including discussions about strollers, magic bands and memory maker