If you aren’t staying at a Disney Resort, you are considered an off site guest. Here are mistakes off site guests make at Walt Disney World:
1. Not checking Early Magic Hours – One of the perks of staying on property is getting to visit a park for one hour before it opens or two hours after it closes. If you are staying off site, they will not allow you into the park until listed opening time. This is especially frustrating at the Magic Kingdom. They will coral you at the TTC until 8:40 AM when they will allow you onto the ferry or Monorail.
2. Not allowing enough time to get to the Magic Kingdom – We’ve timed it and discovered that it takes approximately 30 minutes to get from our car to the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Make sure you factor this time suck into your touring plan!
3. Thinking leaving the park is simple – If you want to save money by eating off site or you want to take a break during the day, leaving the park is not as simple as you think. It will take you at least 10 minutes to get from the entrance to your car. Then you have to navigate the traffic to your destination and back (and there is a lot of traffic around Walt Disney World). Then you have to travel back to the park and get back to the entrance. Plus keep in mind that even if your hotel is near the gates of Walt Disney World, it doesn’t mean that it is near every one of the theme parks. Walt Disney World is a big place!
4. Using your resort’s complimentary shuttle service – While it is a nice benefit of off site resorts to offer, it does force you to be restricted by their arrival and departure times.
5. Not budgeting for parking – It costs $20 per day to park at Walt Disney World. If that hotel you found is $20-$35 less than one of Disney’s Value Resorts, you might not be saving as much money as you think!
What mistakes have you made when you stayed off site?
Learn more tips and tricks for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Destinations in Florida can also help you add tips and tricks to your next vacation.
Michelle says
I also look at what park is having early magic Hours on what days and don’t go on that day. So if MK has early hours on a Monday, i will go to Animal Kingdom…etc. it is just planning. I also learned this year that leaving the park at 9:45pm is not enough time to make a 10:30 pm shuttle! I thought, 45 mins, surely enough time. NOPE. Bottle neck to get on the ferry, mono rail so busy they were no longer allowing people to wait for it. Thankfully, i had an 11:30pm shuttle. So off site is important to know your shuttle times, and either leave BEFORE fireworks, or wait til after 10pm. Knowing I had a late shuttle, I did my shopping from 10:00-10:30pm. :)
Michelle says
I would love to stay on site, but I travel alone and it is just not affordable for one person. When I look at off site hotels, I always find out what time their shuttles go TO and FROM Disney, and also what park they go to. I prefer my drop off/pick up place to be Magic Kingdom, and I make sure their last shuttle is later than 10pm. If I need to get to MK before their shuttle can get me there, I call Uber. I had a breakfast at 8am at Crystal palace, and Uber from Melia Orlando took only 20 mins and cost 10.00. Melia was great shuttle wise, with last shuttle leaving MK at 11:30pm.
Lori says
These are all great tips, but sound so negative! I’m sure I could come up with a handful of dire conditions in regard to staying on-site as well. “Avoid going for Rope Drop and leave before fireworks show, or you will be waiting an hour to squeeze in a standing room only bus!” “Avoid Value Resorts, or you could besieged by throngs of noisy cheerleaders.”
Angie says
Yes, they are negative because the article is about mistakes people make by not taking these factors into account when staying off-property. But I’ve also seen articles on this blog that pertain to the positives that some people enjoy about staying off-property, but that’s a different article. There are good and bad points to both staying on-property and staying off-property and by this blog sharing this knowledge, it can help make that decision for people who haven’t experienced both first-hand (Our family is of the opinion that, hands-down, ON-PROPERTY beats off-property by a landslide!…but I realize that not everyone agrees!)
Becky says
I’ve done both… I would have to disagree. Definitely not by a landslide. And this article is negative and not helpful….Staying off Disney is usually more comfortable (way better beds) more room and is usually way less then 10-15$ less. This time we are renting a 4 bedroom house 3 miles from Disney with our own private pool for $120 a night. Also, what people don’t take into consideration is that the days that have early morning magic hours are always the most busy… rhe extra hour isn’t worth it. As far as making reservations you could go on right now and find one as people are always hysterically making them far in advance and then canceling. also, i plan to call Lyft or uber for rides so no wait and will arrive right at the door.