Wondering what is so special about staying at a Disney World Resort?  I wrote an entire post breaking down the different levels of resorts on Disney property, but why would you want to stay at one.  Just keep reading and I will give you all the magical reasons to stay at a Disney World Hotel.

When you stay on property at Disney World, you are granted access to the parks one hour before the general public.  This is limited to one park per day and the morning access rotates between the parks.  This means that the only people that will be in the park are Disney World Resort guests!  Let me tell you, this makes a huge difference in crowds.  Sometimes it feels like a ghost town.  We have literally ridden rides on loop during this one hour.  An example was our magic hour in Magic Kingdom our last trip, we rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan, Space Mountain, all within that first hour.  That means we checked some long line rides off the list right away without even having to use a Fastpass.  We then had Fastpasses for all of those rides later!  Riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train twice in one day is epic!  This morning hour can be a game changer if you don't like crowds or lines.  Not to mention you can get pictures like this with hardly anyone in the park to clog up your shot.

These resorts are all close to the parks.  The more you pay, the closer to the park you get.  Some of the hotels have walking access directly into the park, like The Boardwalk that has a path right to World Showcase in Epcot.  Some have boats that take you, like The Grand Floridian that takes you right to the gate of Magic Kingdom.  You can literally see the fireworks from these resorts.  This means you spend less time driving to and from your hotel and more time in the parks and enjoying yourself.  I know for our family, proximity is important.  We don't want to have to go far to get to and from places.

Staying at a Disney world Resort Hotel you get complete in the immersion of the Disney magic.  Some of the hotels are themed like certain movies, like the Art of Animation which has a strong Little Mermaid, Lion King and Cars theme.  You can rent rooms completely themed like these movies.  Others have subtle magic touches like the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside which have a strong Princess and the Frog theme.  There are hidden Mickeys all over these properties, in the carpets, in the molding, in the couches and lighting... everywhere.  Disney music pipes through the speakers.  Mickey waffles are served at all of the breakfast spots.   You never have to face a bit of the real world while on your Disney stay.

This goes along with the magic.  Disney is known worldwide for the hospitality they provide, you don’t have to leave that wonderful hospitality during your entire trip.   You are catered to and provided that special Disney service.  It has been said that Disney world cast members love to answer questions and make your stay extra special and I truly feel this way while on property.  They want to make your stay extra special if they can.  They have the ability to give you what some Disney lovers call "pixie dust" which could mean buttons, pins, extra Fastpasses, vouchers for ice cream or dole whip.  They want to make your day great and you never have to leave that level of service.  Its those little extra touches that every Disney Resort cast member puts into their job that can take your vacation from great to fantastic.

When we are on vacation at Disney, we just want to have fun.  We don't want to have any responsibilities or cares.  We work hard and when we vacation we want to feel free.  Disney world Hotels make this more possible.  We don't have to worry about  how traffic will be at the end of the day, or getting our car out of parking.  We can have a couple cocktails with our dinner and know that the trip to our room is handled by Disney.  Plus, its not far at all to get to our nice cozy bed after a long day in the parks.

If you purchase anything in the parks, you can send it directly from the shop right back to your hotel room.  This does take about 24 hours so don't try to do it on your last day in the parks, but this perk is wonderful.  My son really wanted one of the Banshees from Pandora.  If you have seen these you know they are not small.  We didn't want to lug a huge box around all day and evening.  They were happy to send it to our hotel and we simply had to stop by the gift shop the next day and collect it!

This isn’t available for off property guests.  If you wish to have a Disney Dining plan you have to stay on property. I can do an entire post about Dining Plan options and why we make the decision about it we do!

Get those hard to get fast passes.  This is the biggest perk you receive by staying on Disney property.  I will just say right now, you WILL NOT, get a Fastpass to Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom, or Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios without staying on property.  Forget about Galaxies Edge.  It isn't going to happen.  If those hard to get Fastpasses aren't important to you, you may not need to stay on property.  Our family wants to ride the newest and greatest rides if we can.  We have had great luck getting Fastpasses for these rides because we stay on property at Disney and can book them 60 days before your trip begins.  

Similar to the Fastpasses you get priority over other guests for those restaurants.  You can make any dining reservations you want 180 days out from your trip.  Some of these reservations  are super hard to get.  If you want to eat at California Grill at fireworks time, you need to get on that reservation right at 180 days.  Same for Be Our Guest and some of the other character meals.  

Your magic band is a bracelet that you wear on your wrist during your stay that is your entrance to the park, your room key, your Fastpass and your credit card all in one.  You do not need one to go to Disney world but they are super convenient because you don't have to pull our your park tickets every time you want to scan a Fastpass.  I definitely recommend them! These run anywhere from $12-$30 a piece so the fact that Disney sends all Disney world Resort Hotel guests free Magic Bands is a huge perk! 

When we stayed last time on property, we were able to take advantage of Disney Springs because of its proximity to our hotel which was Port Orleans French Quarter.  Some of the other special spots that you may not take advantage of while staying off property are the fireworks spots like the beach near Polynesian, The Boardwalk and all of the fun offered there.  When you stay off property it seems a hassle to go resort hop and repark everytime.  On property, its super easy and such a fun way to see some more Disney magic.

Walk back to your hotel, take a break to sit by the pool with a cocktail or take a nap and then go back when the park slows down.  Especially when you are taking advantage of that early morning hour when the rides are walk on it may be important to give yourself a break in the middle of the day.  We have been known to do this from time to time when the crowds start to get to us.  The resorts are quiet and have plenty of things to enjoy away from the crowds.

We love the Disney Resort Hotels for so many reasons.  This is just a list of the basics.  I could go on about each and every one of them and why you should consider staying there.  These resorts are truly special and each one tells a story.  If you are considering staying on property at Walt Disney World, feel free to contact me to answer any questions you may have about these hotels.