If you’ve considered staying off-site at Disney World, we’re sharing why it can be a great value for your next vacation.

For years, I was firmly in the “you need to stay on property” camp when visiting Disney World. The convenience felt unbeatable, and the bubble felt magical. But on my most recent trip, I started looking at non-Disney hotels a little differently — and based on the cost, extra amenities, and proximity to the theme parks, off-site options suddenly looked much more appealing.

In my experience, staying at a non-Disney hotel just might be the smarter strategy for guests right now. If you haven’t reconsidered where you stay lately, you might be leaving value on the table.

Non-Disney Hotels Are Significantly Cheaper

Let’s be honest: While Disney offers more than 20 official Disney World Resort hotels, you’ll have far more options if you consider staying at a non-Disney property. There’s an absolute wealth of hotels surrounding Disney World, which means it’s easy to find one within your exact budget (or even one that works with your favorite hotel rewards program to rack up those points for a free future stay).

Photo Courtesy of Hilton

The sheer volume of options means there’s a wide variety beyond Disney World’s own Value, Moderate, and Resort hotels. You can choose cheap motels or top-tier luxury resorts. You can even find suites, villas, and other options for large families. And, when you’re looking at spending anywhere from $285 to $540 per night at a Moderate Resort on property, you can find great rooms for less.

Disney does mark up its hotels more than the non-Disney averages. And while you can argue there’s more “magic” included (perks like Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours are hard to beat, after all), it’s possible to find luxury rooms or resorts for half the price if you go off-site.

There Are More Kid-Friendly Amenities (and Parent-Friendly Ones, Too)

In addition to bigger rooms, which are pretty common if you stay off-site, I’ve found that there are also many value-enhancing extra amenities offered at nearby hotels and resorts. Sure, there’s a lot of magic to be discovered at Disney’s own hotels. But fun-filled pools, splash pads, and even playgrounds can all be found off-site, too.

Photo by Danny Shuster

Perhaps most importantly, amenities like in-room laundry units, sprawling patios, and a variety of onsite food options (or, if you happen to stay in a resort that offers villa- or suite-style accommodations, a full kitchen) add value for parents. You won’t need to worry about overpacking if you have the ability to do laundry (without paying extra for it), and it’s easy to save money on dining costs if you have cheaper restaurant choices conveniently located at your hotel. A kitchen can be an even bigger boon, saving you money on meals at the resort and allowing you to pack snacks and meals you can bring along with you.

And just like the room rates themselves, these extra perks tend to be cheaper at off-site hotels and resorts than at onsite ones.

You Can Stay Off-Property and Still Get to the Parks Fast

On my most recent trip, it never took us more than 10 minutes to get from our hotel room to one of Disney World’s theme parks. Frankly, on some days, we spent more time in the car waiting to park at Magic Kingdom than we did on the road getting to and from our resort. As someone who’s spent plenty of time waiting for the next bus to stop by my Disney World Resort hotel, I was impressed at how seamless it was to drive my family in and out daily.

Sure, the farther off-property you get, the longer your “commute” to the parks will be. But frankly, with the sheer number of super-close hotel and resort options that are technically off-property, you can choose high-end or budget-friendly places to stay that are a matter of minutes away from all the action – and you won’t have to listen to 20 minutes of “When is the bus coming? When will we go?” from your kids.

Photo Courtesy of CoCo Key Hotel & Water Park

Worried getting around Disney World as a whole will be harder if you stay off-property? I was, too. I fretted about stroller logistics, getting back to our car, and how many boats, buses, gondolas, and monorails we’d need to ride. But frankly, it was effortless. The Skyliner makes it seamless to resort-hop if you have dining reservations (or just need to let your toddler play bocce for an hour), and I found it never took us more than 15 minutes to get where we needed to go. 

Now, during the most crowded times of the year, transportation can get more complicated. But in my experience, the drive time to get from a non-Disney hotel to the theme parks or anywhere else on property can be pretty much nonexistent, if you choose your hotel wisely.