Is it still worth it?
With all the changes we have been seeing at the Walt Disney World Resort since the pandemic, it’s been no surprise that some things have been put on pause for a time being to more efficiently run the resort with the lower capacity thresholds. Because of these changes, the question has come up in several instances……are there still advantages to staying on Walt Disney World Property with some of these on-site perks being “on pause”? For this reason, I would like to point out the reasons that I still find it “worth it” to stay on Disney property when visiting!
In these ever-changing times and with the implementation of the new Park Pass Reservation system, staying on-site has become even more vital! With this new system, resort guests do see more availability of these precious park reservations. Due to the lower capacity, you not only have to have valid park admission, but also these sometimes scarce park pass reservations. Having a resort reservation, upon booking, you can immediately secure those park pass reservations, also meaning the earlier you book, the earlier you have access to these!
This past year we have also seen the disappearance of Extra Magic Hours, however now, in their place, we will see the introduction this year of a 30-minute early park entry for all parks for resort guests! 30 minutes is a gold mine of time when waning to head straight to a favorite attraction or snag those amazing nearly empty Main Street photos! Being on-site gets you to the magic much faster than those who are still trying to get on to the property! Early entry is always such a nice gesture to prioritize those staying on-site!
Let’s not forget continuously running on-site transportation! This is one of the most amazing reasons to stay on property! Most often when staying off-site, your shuttle to the Disney parks is on a very restrictive schedule. This can limit the freedom of your time to move freely about the property and make the most of your time. While on-site, buses, Skyliner, ferry boats, all move about every few minutes back and for between all parks and resorts for a seamless flow back and forth. This is oh so important for those mid-day naps or afternoon swims, the easily jaunting back t the parks in the evening to enjoy a nice dinner in the cool evening! The convenience of on-site transportation to and from your resort is much more stress-free when you don’t have to venture outside the familiarity of those wonderful purple road signs!
While we are super sad to see complimentary magic bands make their exit, that doesn’t mean that you cannot still sport your favorite character decorated wristwear or add a solid band to your reservation for a small fee! And, by being on-site, you can charge back to your resort room account with your band! Being able to use your secure magic band for charging food, souvenirs, etc is a safe way to keep cards and cash stored away and not worry about losing them in the park, plus, when using the charging to your room feature, you can see all your charging in an itemized list conveniently on your My Disney Experience!
It’s no secret that Disney does things above the bar and their attention to cleanliness is one of the top reasons many of us have the utmost trust in the Disney brand. I always have confidence in the high standards that Disney holds when it comes to maintaining one of the tidiest and pristinely clean destinations ever. I have never doubted that I would always feel impressed with how clean everything is upon arrival and throughout each one of my hundreds of visits and during this pandemic and the reopening of Disney World, I have no less confidence! Their attention to safety and cleanliness protocols and their constant striving to maintain and evolve these protocols have been nothing short of impressive! I, for one, felt the utmost safety traveling hereafter the reopening and no even more so than ever. That confidence in Disney is incomparable.
Overall, even though we are seeing some “pause” in a few of the on site Disney perks, the advantages of being on property far outweigh staying off site. Disney’s security, their attention to cleanliness, secure charging privileges, early entry, great value of time saving in transportation and many more things are still undeniable reasons to immerse yourself in the full Disney experience and stay on site. Not to mention all the amazing offers that are great savings to us all! Although things have changed a bit in the past months, there is still a great advantage to staying at our beloved Walt Disney Resort!
