What keeps you at a Disney Resort?

[MOJoe]

After reading another post about an off property stay, i began to ask myself. Why do i stay at a Disney resort?

Of course there are several things that factor in, but the first thing that come to mind is location. I love being close to the parks. My favorite resorts are those right at Epcot's back door. But i don't always stay there, so then what.

Transportation is the next key factor. I might get ridiculed, but i enjoy Disney transportation. I love being able to hop on a bus or in a boat and let disney do the driving. Any time i have actually driven my car, it stays parked the entire time. Part of my vacation is not having the responsibility of driving. But there is always the option of taking a cab.

EMH is also a nice perk. I especially love staying out late at the parks. And getting a jump on the morning crowd is great fun. But what if this perk is phased out? What would keep me coming back to a Disney resort? Umm, i'm not sure.

So i ask. What keeps you coming back? And if EMH is phased out, would that be reason enough to book elsewhere?

[barnaby]

EMHs are one nice perk.
Free dining offers are another big one for us.
The biggest is that feeling of being in a magical place 24/7. It's like the outside real world takes a hiatus from the time you arrive on property to the unfortunate time when you depart.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We like not having to drive! We enjoy just being there, on property, and not having to leave. We also really love some of the resorts and would stay at many of them even if they weren't in WDW. WL, BC, and YC come to mind.

Even without EMH we will continue staying onsite for our Disney trips. We rarely even use EMH anymore.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Of course there are several things that factor in, but the first thing that come to mind is location. I love being close to the parks. My favorite resorts are those right at Epcot's back door. But i don't always stay there, so then what.

Transportation is the next key factor. I might get ridiculed, but i enjoy Disney transportation. I love being able to hop on a bus or in a boat and let disney do the driving. Any time i have actually driven my car, it stays parked the entire time. Part of my vacation is not having the responsibility of driving. But there is always the option of taking a cab.

Yes, these reasons.
DW and I always state how nice it is to NOT drive while on vacation. One of the best perks. And evenings strolling Epcot usually ends a very fun and packed day!

[debbymc4]

I never used to stay on property because you can get so much more for your money off-site, but now I'm hooked. Like Barnaby said, I like being at Disney for the whole time. I often do drive my car to the park because I don't like the buses, but having to go to a hotel off-site just kind of ruins things for me now.

[mgmnut]

EMH
WDW Transportation
Resort Accomodations / Ammenities
Being surrounded by so much to see and do

[SBETigg]

I just got back from six nights at the Dolphin and one at the Marriott World. I really missed being in the middle of the magic once we moved. That's what I love about being at a Disney resort-- feeling enveloped in the Disney magic and away from the real world. Staying off property definitely doesn't deliver that magic feeling. I realize that the Dolphin isn't really a Disney resort, but great location. Location is key for me, also easy transportation. And then maybe theming. Even the Dolphin in a prime location doesn't completely deliver on the Disney feeling. My preference is for the Grand Floridian or Polynesian.

[Jodi]

I agree, staying on property makes us feel like we are in a magical place 24/7. We do love the free dining and EMH. Funny I too feel that the buses are all part of the Disney experience. Staying off property would not be as fairy tale ish...We are headed to CBR in August, cannot wait!

[brownie]

You can stay offsite?

We like the theming, included parking, being close to the parks, and staying in the "magic" for the duration of our stay.

[steph436]

Why stay on-site? Cool resorts with different themes, transportation, dining plan, 24/7 magic!

[Capt_redshirt]

My biggest reason why i will always stay onsite is the dishonesty the offsites use to get you to stay... "you can see the castle from you room" really? maybe with a telescope...

[disneydeb]

I like being able to buy things I find in the park and have them shipped home or back to my resort for me to pick up before I leave the world.. not having to lug them with me all day!

[MrPeetrie]

Staying in a Disney resort keeps me inside "the Disney bubble."

I feel completely immersed in my vacation. Some resorts offer Disney movies at nights by campfire. All have the "Stacy Must-Dos" loop playing all throughout the day on the tv. I'm constantly reminded I'm on a Disney vacation.

Also, none of the getting around from location to location feels like work. When we stayed at an off-site location, getting onto Disney property and into a park felt labored -- it was something I dreaded each morning.

When we're on property, I enjoy the entire process of going to a park or resort. I love seeing other families, getting excited as they await the white Disney bus to arrive. I enjoy the bus ride, listening other guests talk about their previous night's experience and how great Fantasmic was or hear them talk about how they can't wait to ride Expedition: Everest. I love hearing the new PA system on the bus ride as it describes what awaits us at the park.

I love seeing our resort name light up on the bus' marquee as we finish closing Epcot at night and just want to get back to the room. I love hearing the PA system say "Welcome Home" as we arrive at our resort.

I love how excited my DD9 gets as she explores our resort. I love how the pool games are Disney inspired.

I love, LOVE, LOVE having breakfast at our food court and seeing other families as excited as ours prepare for another great Disney Day!

I love being able to get into a park before it officially opens to the general public and walk around, take pictures, and feel special that I'm allowed access before all others.

I love the music that plays at all the resorts. Each has its own and I love them all! (I wish I could find them on CD.)

I love being there and I wish I was there right now!

[eandrsmom]

I used to feel the exact same way, there are many valid reasons to stay onsite. For us, transportation isn't one of them. Even when we stay onsite, we drive to the parks. We hate waiting for the bus, and dealing with the crowded bus ride when the parks close. When we stay offsite, I make sure that the resort is very close to Disney. I do a search on mapquest just to make sure that the description is accurate. Wyndham Bonnet Creek is actually within the purple gates of Disney, right next door to CBR. I have seen Epcot fireworks from our balcony. I can't argue with the decor and themes of most Disney resorts, they are beautiful. However, unless you're willing to spend a significant amount of money on a villa, staying onsite isn't really an option for us. (We are a family of six.) We have tried the FW cabins, which were nice, but had only one bathroom and no washer and dryer. DH doesn't want to stay at the Value resorts, so it really doesn't leave us many options except for a villa or two connecting rooms. Now that I have older children, we've begun visiting Universal, and are considering SeaWorld for our trip this summer. Because of the reduced cost of our lodging, we are able to spend 10 nights in Orlando instead of seven each trip. I think it has to do with what works for each family. If I still had very young children, we would probably stay onsite. As our family gets older, we need more space and want to do more things.

[AmandaChan]

I would not feel 'at home' if I stayed off property! I would feel left out and like I was missing something, lol. Of the 6 times we've been we have only rented a car one time. I am kind of lazy and not having to rent a car, worry about getting to the rental place from the airport, get to the resort, get to the parks on my own, get back to the rental place to the airport etc etc. Disney definitely makes it easier for you.

HOWEVER, that one time we rented a car we ate at some amazing places off property (Giordanos in Kissimmee!), was one of our favorite places to eat. Next time we might actually rent a car but we're are still staying on property. We want to go to a beach or something. Maybe Universaral for once, but probably not :p

Also you can't beat free parking in the parks.

[BrerGnat]

I like the themes of the resorts. I can stay in a "hotel" anywhere.

I like the WDW transportation. I have had a car a couple times, and while it is handy, I actually found it quite a pain to drive to the parks and park, then walk or take the shuttle. Seems like it took just as long as the bus. I only saw having the car as a benefit when driving to Downtown Disney. I also found the process of obtaining a rental car and driving to the resort took longer than DME, in my experience.

I like EMH, but I rarely take advantage of it these days. Still, I think it's a nice perk.

I just really like seeing those oval name tags all week, everywhere we are.

I like KTTW charging. And Package Delivery. I like that I can keep track of all my charges in one place, and get a printout when I need, rather than having to be on my bank app all week reconciling charges.

I like that my kids can decide they want Mickey waffles one morning for breakfast, and it's just downstairs.

I like the pools and the attention to safety they employ there (unlike at the Swan/Dolphin pool last summer when they kept us swimming RIGHT up to the point where lightning struck practically right behind the hotel and then frantically tried in vain to get people to get out of the pool...scary!).

I like the onsite child care centers and the arts and crafts they offer in the afternoons. Great for rainy days!

There's a lot I like about staying onsite. So much so that even though I can stay at Shades of Green for bottom dollar prices, I just don't really want to. Neither does DH. If we're going to go to WDW, we want to be fully immersed, and it's not just about location for us. Our stay at the Swan last year left us wishing we were over at the Beach Club. :/

[LVT]

Fun resorts and WDW transportation.
We used to pay for the EMH at least once per trip. We were Spring Breakers and it was lovely to ride without massive lines.

[Melanie]

I just got back from six nights at the Dolphin and one at the Marriott World. I really missed being in the middle of the magic once we moved. That's what I love about being at a Disney resort-- feeling enveloped in the Disney magic and away from the real world. Staying off property definitely doesn't deliver that magic feeling. I realize that the Dolphin isn't really a Disney resort, but great location. Location is key for me, also easy transportation. And then maybe theming. Even the Dolphin in a prime location doesn't completely deliver on the Disney feeling. My preference is for the Grand Floridian or Polynesian.

Location is key for us too, whether it be a Disney resort, the Swan/Dolphin or Shades of Green. We just like being in the middle of the magic where getting around is easy.

EMH is nice, but not something that will make or break whether we stay onsite or not. Disney transport is nice when enjoying an adult beverage or two , but that's also not a deal breaker. In fact, we'd much prefer to have our car and drive to the parks, DTD and WWoS (with the exception of Magic Kingdom).

So yeah, it's all about location for us.

[Mitzie]

Transportation is the next key factor. I might get ridiculed, but i enjoy Disney transportation. I love being able to hop on a bus or in a boat and let disney do the driving. Any time i have actually driven my car, it stays parked the entire time. Part of my vacation is not having the responsibility of driving. But there is always the option of taking a cab.

We are 100% with you on this. In fact one of those things that tells me I am at WDW is the guys voice on the bus..."Please take small children by the hand..." Makes me smile knowing I will be hearing that in 5 days!!

[MrPeetrie]

I like the themes of the resorts. I can stay in a "hotel" anywhere...

I like KTTW charging. And Package Delivery. I like that I can keep track of all my charges in one place, and get a printout when I need, rather than having to be on my bank app all week reconciling charges.

BrerGnat, I forgot about that, but that is a great perk. Usually, on arrival day, we go to Downtown Disney in the evening and shop and have things sent back to the room. Nice!

Another thing I love about being on property is purchasing my refillable mug. On the ensuing mornings, I wake up early (I'm an early riser), shower, dress, and head out to grab a coffee while my DW and kids (DD9, DS2) slowly get up. I can make coffee in the room, but I prefer the walk to the courtyard. I LOVE being on Disney property EARLY IN THE MORNING, walking to the courtyard, for my morning coffee. It's not the coffee I want. It's the walk. It's the feeling. It's the being-immersed-in-Diseny sensation I am craving. I can't describe the feeling, but I take my morning coffee walk every single day we're there. I wave or say "Hello" to everyone I encounter and they all return the gestures. It's like a kinship we share. We all "get it." I wouldn't do that at an off-site location.