Why Staying Off Property at Disney World is Not An Option For My Family

The House of Fauci’s is currently planning a trip to Walt Disney World that is scheduled for December. I cannot express how excited we are, especially since our entire family will be going. Since so many people are going on this trip, during our planning stages we had to consider what everyone could afford and what was financially smart. One of the most important decisions that we had to make as a family was where we were going to stay during our time at Walt Disney World. During this decision-making process, we discussed the benefits and cost of staying on Disney property and off of Disney property. After talking about the pro’s and cons as a family, one hour later we made our decision. Here is Why Staying Off Property at Disney World is Not An Option for My Family.

My family has been to Walt Disney World three times and each time has been amazing. When we plan our trips to Disney, we do our best to get our money’s worth but at the same time, enjoy our trip to the fullest. Since we are only able to go to Disney every 5 years or so, we want to make sure that we make amazing memories and limit any type of stress. Depending on the hotel or resort that you stay at while at Disney, can determine how much stress you might carry while visiting Disney. With that said, here are the reasons why staying off property at Disney World is Not an option for my family:

• If you stay off site, then you do not get to participate in the magic hours that the parks provide the guests that stay on site. An extra hour may not sound like a lot but it certainly is nice to get inside of the park faster. In addition, it’s nice to have the extra after hours as well. From my experience, the crowd really dies down and it gives you an opportunity to really see the parks.
• When you stay off site, you pretty much have to have a car. There may be some hotels that offer a bus service, but you would have to travel around their available hours. When you stay on Disney property, no car is necessary because they provide all types of transportation and you can even walk to some of the parks.
• This will be our second time to use the Disney Dining Plan. Since our party is so large, it only makes sense for us to take advantage of the Dining Plan. If we stayed off site then we could not take advantage of this plan.
• If you have small children that get tired easily or need an afternoon nap, when you stay on property, it is much more convenient to get to your hotel to let the kids relax and recharge.
• Some of the resorts on Disney property offer a babysitting service. We have never used this and I am sure it is pricey but I love that the option is there.
• When we visit the Disney parks, especially Epcot, we like to shop! One huge benefit of staying at the Disney resorts is that they will, for no extra cost, deliver your purchases to your room.
• You can charge your purchases to your room when you stay onsite.
• If you drive your car to the parks and you are staying at the Disney resorts, then parking is free.
• Often times, especially during the holidays, the Disney resorts have special activities for guests such as visits from Mickey and Minnie or Christmas caroling throughout the lobby and story time by the fireplace.
• For our family, we felt that by not staying at a Disney resort we’d be missing out on the total Disney experience.

I am sure that there are a lot of benefits, especially the cost, of not staying on Disney property. Even though our family wanted to be financially smart with our trip to Disney we wanted to make sure that we got the full experience. Do you insist on staying on Disney property when you visit the parks? Did I miss any perks of staying at a Disney resort?

If you love Disney as much as I do, check out these posts: Check out more awesome Disney posts and please share: 5 Disney Inspired Themed Party Treats, 5 Amazing WDW Character Dining Restaurants, What to Skip at WDW, 5 Must-Do Attractions at Epcot, What Not to Buy at Walt Disney World, Why Disney’s Art of Animation is NOT For Me, 5 Things I’ve Never Experienced At Walt Disney World, Mind Your Manners at Disney , 5 Reasons My Family Loves Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and more.