Planning a trip to Walt Disney World is a huge undertaking. You’ve got tons of questions to answer just to figure out the basic foundation of your plan. One of those foundational decisions to make is whether or not to stay at a Disney Resorts Collection Hotel. Everyone has an opinion about this, and I’ve got actual knowledge due to staying both inside and outside of the Disney bubble. If you’ve seen our shocking coverage about how an Annual Pass might be more affordable than you realize, you know that I can break down all of the figures. Now I’m applying that same research to this article about why you should choose a Disney Resort.
The Theming
One of the main reasons to choose a Disney resort is because there’s nothing quite like it. When you walk into a Disney resort, you see the result of Disney Imagineers working their magic. These resorts transport you to a special place, and there’s plenty to choose from.
If you want to see your favorite Disney Movie icons in larger than life form, Disney’s All-Star Movies resort is for you. For animation lovers, Disney’s Art of Animation resort is your dream resort. Even if you want a more sophisticated stay with small, muted touches of Mickey, there are resorts for you. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort mixes the beach vibes of the Caribbean islands with a subtle touch of Disney. You can also escape to the heart of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which sits in the middle of four lush savannas home to over 30 species of African wildlife.
Of course, if you are staying off-site, you can visit any of the Disney resorts. Just go to Disney Springs, then take a bus to the resort of your choice. Due to limited parking at some resorts, you may be turned away if you drive up without reservations (hotel or dining). Taking Disney Transportation from Disney Springs to the resort will alleviate this issue.
When you stay in a Disney resort, every second of your time there just feels magical. To paint a picture, it feels like the difference between being on vacation 24 hours a day vs being on vacation only when you’re in the theme park. If you want the vacation vibes to continue after you leave the theme park, you’ll appreciate the Disney resorts.
Dining Options
When I go on vacation, I appreciate convenience. I’m a DIY-er at home. I fix as many things as I can (not because I love to do it, but because it saves money). When I’m on vacation, I want to take it easy. For this reason, I appreciate the easy ability to find food at Disney resorts.
Each resort has at least one main dining option. Depending on the resort, there could be upwards of five options to satisfy your hunger. In addition to that, most resorts are within walking distance (or a quick ride on the monorail or Disney Skyliner) of another resort with completely different dining options.
For example, all three All-Star resorts (Sports, Movies, and Music) are next to each other. Art of Animation and Pop Century are next to each other, and both of them are on the free Skyliner line, connecting them to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and the three EPCOT area resorts. Over by Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are all connected via monorail, and there is also a connection to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge via boat.
Additionally, many Disney resorts have a character dining option. These are dining locations where you can spend time with some of your favorite Disney characters. A few of these interactions include the Fab 5 at Chef Mickey’s (Disney’s Contemporary Resort); Snow White, the Queen, Grumpy, and Dopey at Story Book Dining at Artist Point (Disney’s Wilderness Lodge); and Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy in their artist outfits during Breakfast à la Art at Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera (Disney’s Riviera Resort). There’s so many character interactions, and you don’t even need to step foot in a park!
There is something for everyone to eat at Disney resorts. Options include buffets, table service, quick service, signature dining (more upscale), character dining, and cafeteria style.
You won’t be hungry at a Disney resort, and you don’t have to drive anywhere to get good food. As long as you eat before 11 PM, your tummy will be happy.
Free Transportation
When you stay at a Disney resort, you can let Disney do the driving. No matter where you are trying to go on Disney property, you can get there for free. Everyone has their favorite forms of Disney transportation. I prefer the monorail, boats, and Skyliner over the buses. However, I think the buses are quite good as long as I’m not on a crowded one.
So, where are you trying to go? Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs all have free transportation from the Disney resorts. Also, if you prefer to drive your car, Disney resort guests can park at the resorts and theme parks for free. Non-resort guests, however, will pay $35/day to park at each of the theme parks unless you are an Annual Passholder. (Note that the Disney Springs bus trick does not work for the parks. You cannot park at Disney Springs for free and ride a bus to a theme park, as no Disney Springs buses go to any of the theme parks).
Here’s something that’s oftentimes overlooked: Magic Kingdom does not have a parking lot in front of the park. This is important because Disney resort guests riding the monorail and Disney buses load right in front of Magic Kingdom. However, if you drive a car, take a rideshare/cab, or take transportation provided by a non-Disney hotel, you will go to the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC), not Magic Kingdom.
Once you get to the TTC, you will then have to either board a ferry or the Express Monorail to be taken to Magic Kingdom. When it’s time to return, you will do the same in reverse. The only way to be travel between your Disney resort and Magic Kingdom’s doorstep is to take a Disney bus, the Resort Monorail, or a Minnie Van™ (which is not free). That’s something to remember if you’ll be traveling with a child who may be beyond tired after walking 20,000 steps in the park, or first thing in the morning after a late night.
If you want to leave your resort and have lunch at another resort, that’s not a problem either (although since buses do not go from resort to resort, you will need to take a bus from your resort to a theme park or Disney Springs, then transfer to a another bus serving your destination resort). The bottom line is that the hassle of driving in an unfamiliar tourist area with thousands of other confused tourists doesn’t have to be your problem. Relax and let Disney drive you around the resort for free. You’re on vacation!
Lightning Lane Priority
If you are thinking of purchasing any Lightning Lanes at Disney World, this is yet another reason it is advantageous to stay in a Disney resort. As a reward for staying on-site, Disney provides a perk that allows Disney resort guests the opportunity to purchase their Lightning Lanes and make their ride selections before anyone else! If you are staying at a Disney resort, you can purchase your Lightning Lanes and make your initial selections a full seven days prior to your resort check-in date. If you stay off-site, you will have to wait until three days prior to your park ticket effective date. I have bolded a couple of phrases because the wording is key.
Why This Is Important
Let’s say you and your sister are planning a Disney World trip. You will both arrive late on July 3rd, will spend a day shopping at Disney Springs on July 4th, then will go to Magic Kingdom on July 5th. You are staying at a Disney resort, but your sister is staying off-site. Since you are a Disney resort guest and check in on July 3rd, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and make your initial three ride selections on June 26th (seven days before your resort check-in). However, your sister cannot do so until July 2nd (three days before July 5th). So, even though you enter the park the same day, staying at a Disney resort gets you access a full six days earlier. Remember that there are only a limited number of Lightning Lane passes for each ride. That time delay can be the difference between getting a Lightning Lane (or not) for the highest demand attractions, especially during a busy holiday. This is another often overlooked perk!
Sometimes It Just Pays To Stay
We’ve discussed some of the non-financial ways that staying off-site can be a burden to you. I get it though, sometimes it just comes down to dollars and cents. In that case, I have one warning: Compare all of the costs.
Many times there are hidden costs off-site that quickly erode the perceived savings. Some hidden costs include resort fees and parking fees. A resort fee of $35/night and parking fee of $25/night is a quick $60/night worth of hidden charges. On top of that, theme park parking will cost $35/day while staying off-site (Disney resort guests can park there for free). These three fees amount to $95/day, so a $75/day saving actually turned into a $20/day loss (and don’t forget about the non-financial perks mentioned above that you would lose). Additional costs mount if you also rent a car to get around Disney World to compensate for lack of free transportation. So, while saving money is important, look at the big picture to find out if the savings are real. Sometimes, there is more than meets the eye.
Other perks included with a Disney resort stay include additional time in the theme parks. Disney resort guests automatically get Early Theme Park Entry, which allows entry into the parks 30 minutes before everyone else. You can rush to the more popular rides before the big crowds enter. If you are staying at a Deluxe-tier Disney resort, don’t forget about Extended Evening Hours. This perk allows deluxe Disney resort guests to remain in the park for two hours after the park closes to the public on specific nights! This means there are very low crowds as everyone else departs the park. The MouseHouseNews.net team‘s record in Magic Kingdom currently sits at 12 rides completed during Extended Evening Hours! That’s how low the crowds are during those two hours.
I should also mention a perk that still exists for the remainder of 2025, but will be going away for most of next year. Currently, Disney resort guests get free water park admission on the day of their check-in (a $74/person + tax value). This means that you can go to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park right at the start of your trip! It’s a good way to spend that first partial day without paying for a theme park ticket. Again, this perk lasts through the end of 2025 only. Disney has announced this deal will return in the summer of 2026.
As you may be able to tell, I am a fan of staying at a Disney resort. Some of the reason is emotionally driven, but it’s also because I’ve considered all the things. I highly encourage you to do the same, and to keep checking on Disney World’s Special Offers page. They introduce new deals all the time, and you can usually apply new deals to existing reservations. Of course, we’ll keep you posted with more helpful tips here on MouseHouseNews.net!
