6 Important Reasons to Stay at Disney World Hotels

Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Orlando is a family friendly city, but when it comes to choosing a hotel, it can get overwhelming.  If you are planning to visit Walt Disney World, the big question is whether your family should stay at official Disney World hotels.  Here are several important reasons to stay at Disney World hotels on property!

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Several years ago, my family and I visited Walt Disney World for the day.  We stayed at a very nice hotel nearby that was not on property at Disney World.  It provided shuttle service to the main transportation center at Disney World, but from there, we had to either take the monorail, or another bus to the park we were visiting.  And that was just getting to the park!  Getting back to the main transportation center at the end of the day to meet the hotel shuttle was another story.  It became stressful trying to figure out where we needed to be and when we needed to be there.  When it came time to book our hotel for our another stay at Disney World, we did think about using our points to stay off property.  Ultimately, though, it wasn’t worth it.  We decided to save those points for another vacation.  It was the best decision we made.  Especially since my (at the time) 4 year old son was along for the ride.

6 Important Reasons to Stay at Disney World Hotels

1. Disney’s Magical Express
2. Hotels for Every Budget
3. Kid Friendly Pool Areas
4. MagicBands
5. Early Theme Park Entry
6. Convenience

1.  Disney’s Magical Express*

Disney’s goal is to make things as easy as possible for families, and that begins with the Magical Express.  The Magical Express is an exclusive motorcoach that transports Disney hotel guests from the Orlando airport to their respective hotel and vice versa.  Here’s what I love the most about it - it’s complimentary as long as you are staying on property at Disney World.  

*Please note that the Magical Express will be discontinued in 2022.

 2.  Hotels for Every Budget

There are resorts available for every budget:  value, moderate, and deluxe.  We recently stayed at the Disney’s Beach Club Resort, a deluxe resort, and I would definitely stay there again.  It’s in a great location - a short walk to Epcot, a boat ride to Hollywood Studios, and shuttles to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.  Plus, we were able to see fireworks from our room!  The Beach Club Resort shares a shuttle with neighboring Disney resorts like the Yacht Club and Boardwalk, but it didn’t impact our travel time.  After spending the day at one of the parks, there’s nothing like quickly getting back to the hotel with a young child who falls asleep.

Before my husband and I became parents, we stayed at a value resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort.  It has a very energetic vibe to it, devoted to pop culture.  There were several families staying there, and it also has shuttles to the various parks.

And then there are the moderate resorts on property at Disney World.  My friend Kathy from Penney Lane took the following picture of one of the pirate rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.  My son would have loved staying in this room.

3.  Kid Friendly Pool Areas

The parks are the reason for our visit, but it’s also nice to enjoy the amenities at the resort to unwind and take a break.  Many of the hotels on property at Disney World have kid friendly pool areas, including fun pool parties.  Disney’s Beach Club Resort has one of the best pool areas we’ve ever experienced, called Stormalong Bay.  It’s actually more of a waterpark than a pool.  Kids can play in the sand and build sandcastles, float down the lazy river,  and play in a pirate ship.  My son loved Stormalong Bay, especially the sandy area and the pirate ship.

4.  MagicBands

MagicBands are awesome.  While the MagicBands used to be complimentary for Disney hotel guests, there will now be a charge They act as a wristband and can be customized by using the My Disney Experience App.  Not only can it be personalized with your name, but you can also pick your own colors.  Everything can be linked to your MagicBand - it enables you to open your hotel room without a key and it can be used for your park tickets.  Initially, I was worried that my son (as well as my husband!) would lose their MagicBands.  I shouldn’t have worried, though.  My son loved his MagicBand and even learned how to scan it in the parks.  Another bonus?  The MagicBands are waterproof and for parents, it’s one less thing that we have to carry around since so many things are linked to it.

5.  Early Theme Park Entry

Guests who are staying on property at Disney World will be able to take advantage of early theme park entry later this year.  Basically, guests will be able to enter the parks 30 minutes prior to its open to the general public.  That means more time in the parks and for rides, and less waiting in line (which is great especially if you have children with you).  

6.  Convenience

One of the other reasons to stay at one of the official Disney World hotels is the convenience factor.  Not only do the resorts provide transportation to the parks, but souvenirs purchased in the parks can also be delivered to your hotel.  We try to avoid carrying as much as possible in the parks, especially now that we have a young child.

Is there anything you would add to the list?

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