Ever considered going to Walt Disney World but the resort prices are steep, and then having to pile on park tickets, transportation and more to the cost and you’ve more than blown your budget? Phew. I get it. Disney World is super pricey, and it seems like it is only gets more expensive. However, I have stayed at all levels of Walt Disney World Resorts, and I can tell you value doesn’t exactly mean low budget. Here are my five reasons to stay at a Walt Disney World Value Resort.
Convenience and Transportation
Can I just start with the overall convenience of staying on property? Quite frankly, convenience is my number one reason to stay on property in general. I feel like every Disney blogger out there will tell you staying on property is easier and more convenient. That’s because it is. This is no diss to people that stay off property, but honestly, if you’re on a budget eliminate the cost of transportation. Once you’re on property, you have all the Disney transportation to get you around. Staying at a value resort gets you access to the Disney buses. Your chariots to the parks, Disney Springs and other resorts where you may have made dining reservations. Depending on where you are staying, you may have access to the Skyliner. Art of Animation and Pop Century are also value resorts and have both the bus and skyliner as transportation options. All Star resorts (Sports, Music and Movies) only offer the bus.
After your Uber from the airport to your resort (roughly $40 depending on time of day) you are golden. No more transportation costs. More money for you to spend on Genie+ and all the magical extras.
All the Park Perks
The second reason to stay at a value resort is you still get all the same park perks. Early entry and extended hours are still available to you. Don’t feel like rope dropping but want to stay Magic Kingdom or Epcot until midnight – you can do that. Do you rather beat the crowd and rope drop to get everything done before noon – you can do that. At the end of the day, value resorts doesn’t mean you miss out on the extras. You still get it all.
Kid Friendly
My value resort experience is All Star Sports. I stayed in the Touchdown section, and it did not disappoint. Outside my building was a full turf football field anchored by gigantic helmets where kids can run around and play. While I don’t have kids of my own, I did observe parents a peeking over their railing to check for their kids who were out playing. There’s also ping pong tables near the pool for additional rec time. If you want to, saddle up to the bar that’s right outside the pool. Now I know what you’re thinking – this sounds like a loud hotel. It isn’t. The way my room faced; it was very quiet every night.
Just What You Need
Value resorts are sometimes shaded on the room size, but quite frankly, the rooms are the perfect size. You have a refrigerator. You have a tv. Perfect place to rest your head after a long park day. The rooms are quiet and comfortable. There’s a food court that has a variety of eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Basically if you want to take a break from the parks, you don’t even have to leave your hotel. Enjoy the pools and amenities that it has to offer.
Bell Services to the Rescue
If you are a family of four or less or more and are doing Disney on a budget here is a trick that I quickly started utilizing to save money. Order groceries from Amazon Fresh, Instacart, whatever you choose and have it delivered to your resort. Not only will you save on park food (you can bring your own food into the parks), but you can have your own snacks and water to keep in your room. I bought a case of water (38 bottles) on Amazon Fresh to keep in the room for eight bucks! Consider how much you would spend buying water at the parks and in the hotel. I just checked My Disney Experience. If I order a bottle of Dasani via mobile order, that’s $3.75. For a single bottle. Save your money. I can’t stress this trick enough. For example, my last trip I had water and bananas sent to All Star Sports so I had some nutrition before I would leave for races. I placed my order when we landed, and it was waiting for me at Bell Services when I came in for the night. This tip can be used at any level of resort, and you won’t regret it. You just eliminated extra cost.
I know this is a lot to noodle over but if you are still interested in booking your trip to Walt Disney World, I must recommend my personal Disney travel agent, Natalie from Castle Coaches Travel. She will work with your budget, find the hotel that is best for you and book everything for you including wake up super early to book your dining reservations. All it takes is a $200 deposit. And yes, you can make payments on your trip whenever you want! Oh, and did I mention all her services are free? Check out Natalie here!