In the third part of this series, I'm going to explain the perks and extras that make staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel a better value than staying off property. Aside from the Free Transportation that we discussed in the first post, these perks include: Extra Magic Hours, Free Magic Bands, Eligibility to make your Fastpass+ selections early and the ability to take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan. 


We'll start with Extra Magic Hours, which give you more time to play in the parks than someone who is staying off site gets. For example, if Magic Kingdom has a morning Extra Magic Hour, you get to enter the park a full hour before everyone else, which allows you the opportunity to rush to the rides that usually have the longest lines and get them out of the way before the crowds come in. Evening Extra Magic Hours offer even more time in the parks because once the regular crowds have gone home for the day, you get to stay behind and play- often for 2-3 hours longer! That certainly adds value to your park tickets during your stay! 


Next, we'll talk about Magic Bands, which are an awesome new technology that you'll find exclusively at the Walt Disney World Resort! A Magic Band is a wristband that is water and sweat proof, which contains an RFID chip that stores your tickets, room key, Dining Plan credits, Fastpasses and, if you choose to, your credit card information so that you can make purchases on property. All of these preferences can be set up in your My Disney Experience account. If you stay off property, you'll be paying to use them, but on property, they are included! 


Moving on, did you know that as a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel guest, you have the ability to make your Fastpass + reservations a full 30 days before everyone else gets to? It's true! Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel get to plan their Fastpass + reservations 60 days in advance of their stay, as opposed to the 30 days that off property guests get. This means that the most sought after  reservations (like the ones for Soarin', Toy Story Midway Mania and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, to name a few!) are twice as likely to be available for you to book! Awesome, right? 


Finally, we are going to discuss the ability to take advantage of using the Disney Dining Plan as a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel guest who books a room/ticket package. For those of you who are not familiar with it, the Disney Dining Plan allows you to pay for your meals in advance so that you can have more fun and do less worrying about how much your food will cost during your visit. For example, when you sit down for a meal, you won't have to micromanage what each member of your family orders since you can order anything that you want that falls under the category of a dining credit. It's so nice to be able to order what you want instead of looking at prices and there are Disney Dining Plans that work for every budget! 


For more information on the Disney Dining Plan, click here! 

For more information on Magic Bands, click here! 

For more information about Fastpass+, click here! 

For more information about Extra Magic Hours, click here! 


As you can see, it certainly pays to stay on Disney property! 

In the next post, we're going to delve into the different Disney Dining Plan options that are available to you! 

In the second part of this series, we're going to discuss the importance of location when it comes to staying on vs off property. 

In the previous post, I discussed the sheer expanse of the Walt Disney World Resort. Because it is so large, and there is so much to do within its gates, the location of where you choose to stay really matters. 

Many off property hotels are positioned within a reasonable commute to Walt Disney World's Main Gate, but don't offer the convenience that being on property does in that being on property puts you right in the middle of the Magic. Everything that you could possibly want to do is right there and easy to access. It's as simple as hopping on a bus, boat or monorail and you're there. You'll wait longer to get where you want to go if you're staying off property, and that takes away from the fun.

If you've rented a car, location will be especially important in that you will save on gas since you won't be traveling far to get to and from your hotel. There are even a few gas stations located on property for your convenience, so you won't be going far to fill up. 

There's also the exhaustion that many Disney Parks guests experience at the end of the day. It's so nice to just hop into your chosen mode of transportation after a long day of touring and be at your resort within a reasonable amount of time. There's no long drive to get back, which is really great when you just want to get to bed! 

Location is also a factor in choosing where to eat. If you are staying off property, your hotel may offer a complimentary breakfast. That's a great way to save money, but be sure to make sure that it's not just a piece of toast or a soggy bagel, or you may be driving to get something to eat or waiting for a shuttle to take you to the parks for breakfast. When staying on property, you can walk to a food court or table service restaurant within your resort in a matter of minutes and get your breakfast before heading out for the day. Even better, if you have the dining plan, you don't have to worry about the cost of your meal! (We'll discuss this amazing option in the Extras part of this series, which is coming up soon!)

There's also something to be said about the nostalgia and joy that comes from staying on Disney property, which you can't get while staying outside of the gates. You can wake up each morning at a Disney Resort Hotel knowing that you'll get world class service and that touch of Disney Magic that can't be found anywhere else. Cast members go above and beyond to ensure that you get that touch each day and the themes of each resort bring even more of that Magic to you, which we will delve into a little more in a future post. 

So there you have it in regards to location. Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are all positioned within the gates and close to everything that you could possibly want to do on Disney property, plus the built in and easy to navigate transportation system that we talked about in my last post helps you get to the action faster than if you were to stay off property. 

Next up, we will discuss the Extras of staying on property vs off, which includes information about the Disney Dining Plan!