Planning a Disney Vacation Step by Step; Where to Stay

You are in the midst of planning a Disney Parks vacation, and  in a previous post, we discussed when would be the best time for a visit. Since heading to a Disney Park for more than a day-trip will require overnight accommodations, we are now ready to discuss the next important and slightly complicated task – Where to Stay!

I say complicated with hesitation, as it is complicated only because there are so many choices.  Let’s start by pointing out the options – a Disney Resort Property, including the Disney Vacation Club, and off Disney property. 

Off Disney property would be any hotel, motel, condo, or lodging option not directly on the Disney property or affiliated with Disney.  Since the possibilities are endless within this category, I will leave the investigation of these options strictly up to you, but will offer some insight.

Within the category of off Disney property lodgings includes Good Neighbor Hotels.  These exist at both Walt Disney World (map) and Disneyland (map) Resorts.  A Good Neighbor Hotel is one that is in close proximity to the Disney Parks, offer sales of Disney theme park tickets, and provides scheduled transportation to and from the Resorts.

There is one suggestion that I might offer if you are looking for a suite or condominium unit.  Be sure to include extended stay hotels in your search.  We have often stayed at these type of hotels when we were moving, but have not considered them for vacations. These properties most likely will have kitchen facilities and very often include breakfast and/or evening snacks in their amenities, making these hotels a good family vacation option.

There are a few benefits to staying away from the Disney property:

• When everyone needs a little break from the Disney madness, and let’s be honest, as much as we all love Disney, the sensory overload can get overwhelming, you can get totally away.
• Price – with so many units available, off Disney properties can be less expensive

The question you must ask yourself now is, why stay on a Disney Property?  To quote an old saying when selling any real estate property, “location, location, location”!   The convenience of being close to your room when anyone needs a little downtime, wardrobe change, or you left the tickets in your other pants pockets — can be priceless. 

Yet there are more benefits to staying at a Disney World Hotel than close proximity to the theme parks:

• Disney’s Magical Express Service provides free transportation to and from Orlando International Airport, saving quite a bit on taxi fare alone
• Extended Theme Park Hours, also known as Extra Magic Hours, allows guests to spend a little extra time in the theme parks beyond normal park hours
• Complimentary Resort Transportation for guests via bus, boat and monorail throughout the Disney Resort – the two transportation benefits combined eliminate the need for a rental car
• As part of the Magic Your Way Package guests can purchase the Disney Dining Plan and save up to 30% per adult on meals from over 100 Walt Disney World Resort restaurants
• The Key to the World Card guests receive at check-in, acts as a room key and Extra Magic Hours ticket (no more wristbands) allows you to charge gifts and souvenirs to your room, even pays for your Dining Plan dinner

Guests staying at Disneyland Resort Hotels can enjoy :

• Magical Mornings allowing extra time in the theme parks on select mornings
• Exclusive Character Meet ‘n Greet at the Disneyland Hotel
• Key to the Magic Card with all the same benefits of the Key to the World Card mentioned above

Considering the amount of information contained in this section, we will pause here before continuing with the categories of Disney Properties in Where to Stay, II.

Photo Selection: WDW News