Staying On-property vs. Off-property at Walt Disney World® Resort

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

One of the first choices you need to make when planning a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation: where to stay. The number of choices can be overwhelming, which is why enlisting the help of a Disney travel specialist can save lots of time and frustration spent researching. 

With over 25 on-property resorts, there’s almost bound to be an on-property option that’s right for most groups— but, occasionally, there are times when staying off-property can be a better choice. While these lists are by no means exhaustive, here are just a few of the more valuable pros for staying on-property vs. off-property:


Pros of staying on-property

• Unparalleled Disney service: Disney is world-famous for its customer service, and for good reason— from the moment you step on to the Disney Magical Express at the beginning of your trip to the time you step off of it at the end, Disney cast members do their best to make your stay magical. Speaking of Magical Express…

• Disney Magical Express: Free transportation to and from the airport to your Disney resort. In most cases (unless you’re arriving super-late at night), they even handle your bags for you. You don’t even need to visit baggage claim! 

• Free parking: If you have your own car, or a rental, at Walt Disney World Resort, staying on-property means you get free parking at all of the theme parks. At $20/day, those parking fees can add up quickly. 

• 60-day FastPass+ Reservations: When staying on-property, your window for  booking FastPass+ reservations opens at sixty days before your trip (off-property guests can book at 30 days out). This gives you a MUCH greater chance of snagging those super popular FastPass+ reservations like Frozen Ever After and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

• Dining Plan: Only on-property guests can add a Disney Dining Plan to their package. The convenience of having all of your meals prepaid is a nice plus and gives you one less thing to worry about on vacation. It makes your Walt Disney World Resort package one step closer to 'all-inclusive.'

Pros of staying off-property

• Cheaper for larger groups: If you have a particularly large group traveling to Walt Disney World Resort, staying off-property gives you access to options not available on-property, like condos and even entire vacation houses.  

• More for your money: When staying off-property, you can often find resort options equivalent to a Walt Disney World Deluxe resort, but at a Moderate Resort price. If you’re willing to forego the on-property pros listed above, you can often get ‘more for your money’ amenity-wise by staying off-property.

• Many more options: While there are over 25 on-property Disney resorts, there are literally hundreds of off-property options, ranging from ‘bed and a shower’ type hotels like Days Inn to super-deluxe properties like the Waldorf Astoria.