Pricing comparison
Image: DisneyThe tidy aspect of Tripadvisor’s rankings is that one to one comparisons between the various tiers are possible. At $135 per night, Hampton Inn has a similar cost to the Value Resort hotels Disney has onsite. It is slightly higher, and that’s important since Disney offers special benefits to guests who stay at one of their hotels. From my perspective, any hotel charging more than a person can get for a Disney room is asking for trouble. It’s a disadvantageous starting position.
Disney hotels also have a con. The company has moved toward tiered pricing, a model that fluctuates depending on the time of the year when a person visits. A quick glance at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort shows that a nightly rental can cost as little as $106, but it can also be more than $200 on Easter and Christmas week. While I’m sure Hampton Inn increases its prices as well, Disney is openly mercenary with their room rates. When they charge more, a better reviewed hotel room offers more value.
Image: DisneyThese complexities exist across the tiers. Disney’s prices are almost universally higher relative to offsite options, as you would expect. The trick is that the company frequently runs discounts where a guest can save 20 percent off the cost of Value and Moderate Resort properties and 30 percent off of Deluxe Resort hotels. That means their rack rate isn’t really their nightly rate, at least not for savvy consumers who shop for deals.
I’ve adjusted my calculations to reflect these discrepancies, but the reality is that offsite hotels are almost always at least slightly cheaper. That’s by design. Hotels want to remain competitive with Disney. They know that the only way to do so is by having lower nightly rates. The lone exception on the list is the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, where the price is the price and if you can’t pay it, you’re a lowly serf anyway.
Amenities comparison
Image: DisneySince Disney isn’t winning either reviews or pricing, this subject is the crux of the discussion. Theme park tourists who don’t care about amenities have already made up their minds. Staying offsite will save these travelers money while offering high-quality lodgings, and that’s enough for many during a Disney trip. Mouse magic will take care of the rest.
The Disney Dining Plan
Image: DisneyGuests who are still on the fence on the subject have a more difficult evaluation ahead. The advantages of an onsite stay at Disney are a bit more subtle. Also, some of them aren’t ones that a person has to use. For example, all guests at Disney resorts have the opportunity to purchase the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), and that’s one of the most divisive topics among theme park tourists.
I’m a staunch supporter of the program and have used the Deluxe Dining Plan during my most recent visits. Others have differing opinions of the DDP. So, if you’re someone who doesn’t use it, the DDP clearly wouldn’t influence your resort decision any. If you’re a fan like me, the ability to add one of the plans or stay with a free dining plan package, something Disney offers a few times each year, is a huge asset.
The DDP is something you can’t get while staying offsite. Disney makes the program exclusive to their hotel guests. Its actual value as a tangible benefit depends on your evaluation of it. When planned well, the DDP on its own will save a traveler enough money to compensate for the additional cost of staying onsite.
Comments
You didn't mention the benefit of free parking at the theme parks. If you drive to the parks from off-site, that is another expense to factor in.
It's no comparison in my book. I've rented 3BR/2BA/2car garage homes with it's own private swimming pool less than a 10 min drive from Disney for $89 a night through VRBO. I've also stayed once at one of the Disney Value resorts. The room itself that you get is no different that any other hotel that you can find for way less than the $100-143 that Disney charges, so those supposed 'free benefits' of staying onsite are not free, they are built in to the price. I'll pass.
As an advocate of staying on property, I wanted to add a few other "perks" worth mentioning:
Disney's Magical Express - Not having to worry about luggage while traveling, especially with a larger party, is wonderful.
Theming - No one does theming better than Disney, and staying on property complete immerses you into the fantasy of the vacation, especially with children. While even the luxury hotels off property are nice, they aren't Disney, and they don't give you that immersed feeling of being somewhere completely magical.
Magic Bands & Fast Passes - Even though you can buy magic bands if you are staying off property, you still have to link everything to your MDE and the band. When you're on property, your band is included, and already linked to your reservation. Staying onsite also gives you the opportunity to booked your fast passes 30 days prior to those not staying on site. For must do rides like Frozen, Seven Dwarfs and Toy Story Mania, this can be the difference between a 15 minute and 120+ minute wait time, especially during peak season.
The only time I've stayed off property (as an adult) was the one vacation we did to Universal. Even though the hotel offered transportation, it was spotty at best. We ended up using taxis much more frequently, which really added up $$ wise. Plus, there was a daily "resort fee" that isn't charged until you get there, for the extras that are included already on Disney property (IE - use of pool/water areas/entertainment areas) which we had to pay, but never used anyway. And the room was just dingy in comparison to Disney.
I'd personally rather pay the extra money for all the perks, but mostly for the immersion experience of truly being in the most magical place on earth. And an extra $25-30 a night is completely worth that for our family.
For my family, the buses are the deal breaker. We stayed on property this past fall and I have been looking at offsite hotels for a future stay to save money. In the mornings on our last trip, we would drive to the parks with a two year old and a stroller. My husband and son would take the bus back to the resort for a nap, while I would enjoy the park. Then after we spent the evening together, I would drive my son back to put him to bed and my husband would take the bus back whenever he wanted. It was very convenient. From what I could find when looking at offsite hotels, many of the buses have to be scheduled, run infrequently, only allow umbrella strollers and may only go to certain parks. If you want to drive, you have to deal with off property traffic and have to pay a parking fee at Disney every day (plus any parking fees at your hotel). If I had teenagers and knew we would be at the parks open to close, transportation wouldn't be so important. But with a little kid that naps and goes to bed early, the convenience makes up for the extra expense.