Planning a trip to Disney World is stressful. There are a lot of variables to consider, like how many days to go to the parks, what experiences and add-ons you want to do, and where you’re going to stay. It’s a lot, which is why there are probably so many great Disney Planners that can help.
My husband and I took our girls for a short trip to Disney World last year. When we were planning, it felt like everyone who’d ever been before had an opinion on how to have the “best’ trip. One of the common themes we heard repeatedly was that we should absolutely stay on Disney property.
So when I said we were staying off property, I had more than one person tell me I’d regret the decision. There are pros and cons to every decision, but I’m happy that we stayed off property at a Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel. It was a great experience and worked well for our family. No regrets here. Read on to hear how it went and how to decide if doing the same might be a good fit for your family.
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What is a Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel?
Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels are designated properties that are close to the parks. They have to meet quality and service standards, provide transportation to the parks each day (sometimes this is an additional fee), and sell Disney World tickets on-site.
There is a range of options to choose from, from standard hotel rooms to suites and villas, and different price points. There are currently 45 different hotels in the Orlando area that have this designation, which means the program is pretty selective. It’s comforting to know that there are so few hotels that have earned this distinction.
We stayed at The Grove Resort & Water Park in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo-feeling space. There was a full kitchen, washer, and dryer in our unit and a separate living area. Like many of the Disney resorts, there were several dining options on site and an amazing pool. The property is six miles from the parks, which translates into about a 20-minute drive to the Magic Kingdom parking lot door-to-door.
Benefits of staying at a Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel
Each Good Neighbor Hotel has the above-mentioned perks, but what each individual property offers beyond that varies. We experienced several significant benefits from staying at our off-property hotel during our Disney trip.
Less expensive accommodations
Everything at Disney is pay-to-play. If you want to be closer to the parks and have more space, you’ll pay more. Some of the nicest Disney resorts, closest to the parks like the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Beach Club, top $1,000 per night for certain times of the year and room options. The more bedrooms you want, the more you’ll pay as well.
For a two-bedroom room at The Grove, you’ll pay somewhere around $250-$300. Yes, some hotels fit this budget on property at Disney, but none with the same amount of roominess.
Since the main attraction of Disney is being at the parks, it didn’t feel like spending so much on a hotel room made sense. Instead, staying off the property means you can save money. You can also use what you would have spent on a more expensive hotel on things like Lightning Lane passes, character meals, or more souvenirs.
More space
One of the biggest benefits of staying off property at a Good Neighbor hotel is the amount of space you can get for the money. Having separate bedrooms and a living area meant my husband and I could put our daughters to bed and still hang out. We didn’t have to hide out in the bathroom or go to bed when they did because we weren’t all in the same room.
You’re together a lot during a trip to Disney World. Emotions can run high from being tired, overstimulated, and hot. Being able to retreat to our own room to get a breather was really helpful for every member of our family.
Helpful in-room amenities like laundry and a kitchen
We also loved having a washer and dryer in our unit. Not every Good Neighbor hotel will have this, but The Grove has one in every room. They also provide a couple of laundry detergent tablets. My family went to Disney in the summer. Our clothes were so sweaty and gross, and it was nice to be able to wash them, just like it was nice to dry our bathing suits before packing them when it was time to leave. When my sister stayed on property at Disney, she said there was a washer-dryer on her hotel floor that she could use. However, she had to leave her room to use it, and there was a wait at times.
Having a kitchen is also a great way to save money. We flew to Orlando, and I did a quick Instacart order so that we’d have breakfast and snack options in our room. That saved us a bit of money, but several families looked like they were bringing enough groceries to cook every meal in their room, which would have been even more significant cost savings. Some on-property Disney resorts do have in-room laundry and kitchens, as well, but you’ll pay a premium for those accommodations.
Considerations when staying at a Good Neighbor Hotel at Disney
There are obvious perks to staying on property at Disney, like having early access to the parks. Here are a few things that you should consider if you want to stay off-property and how my family approached them.
Shuttles to the park may not be as regular
Each of the Good Neighbor Hotels has to provide shuttles to the Disney parks as part of the program. The shuttles don’t have to be complimentary, so you’ll want to check with your hotel.
Transportation within the parks is ongoing. Buses run every 20 minutes or so within the parks. The monorail runs every 5 to 10 minutes, and there are also options like ferryboats and the Skyliner. You’ll have more flexibility getting to each park with all of the options, and be able to catch a ride more quickly.
The Grove’s shuttle service had two pick-up and two drop-off times for Magic Kingdom each day. With two unpredictable young children, the limited options made me nervous, so we opted to rent a car.
This added cost to the trip, but it gave us the freedom to come and go as we pleased. We opted to pay for premium parking at Magic Kingdom, which ranges from $50-$60 a day. It allowed us to park as close to the transportation center as possible.
Research shuttle times that your Good Neighbor Hotel offers to make sure they work with any planned activities you have. Understand what adding a car will do to your budget, as you may have to pay for parking at the hotel in addition to the park. For us, the flexibility outweighed the cost, especially since the room was less expensive.
It’s harder to leave and come back
One of the biggest things friends told me is that I’d want to take my girls back to the hotel room for a nap. A few told me they’d rest, hydrate, and change clothes during the hottest part of the day. Then they’d go back to the parks for round two.
This is probably the biggest thing you want to consider when deciding whether to stay on or off property. You can leave the parks and come back, and your parking pass is valid for the day, but it does take more time to go back and forth than if you stay on the property.
My girls were 4.5 and 2.5 years old when we went. My husband and I decided we’d just leave when they got to their breaking point. We knew this would mean forfeiting park time, but we agreed it would probably be too much effort to go and come back at their age.
The girls surprised us, though, and we ended up at Magic Kingdom until seven pm. My youngest took a nap in the stroller while the oldest was too excited to ever stop.
It was sweltering, so it would have been nice to be able to change clothes and get out of the sun. I packed extra outfits for everyone, so we did have the option of changing, but we never did. We watched one of the shows (my girls loved the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor!) during the hottest part of the day to get a bit of rest.
We did miss the evening fireworks and light show, which was a big highlight for lots of my friends. But I didn’t want them to stay up that late at their age, so it wasn’t something we would have done if we stayed on property, either.
You know your kids best, and should consider whether they could nap in a stroller if needed. You should also think through how important things like the fireworks show are to your family, and whether you’d be ok with a longer travel time if you wanted to leave and come back.
No rope drop
Early park access is only for Disney resort guests. I’d heard a lot about “rope-dropping” and its advantages. When you can get to the park early, you can be the first in line for popular rides. It’s a strategy many families will use to cut down on wait time. I’ve even heard of people being able to enjoy a couple of attractions before the park even opens.
Without this perk, you’ll want to think about whether you want to opt for Lightning Lane passes to cut down on wait time. With small children, paying for the passes is almost a must-do. Plus, the cost is more budget-friendly when you stay off property.
Word of advice? Consider the tips your friends tell you about planning a Disney trip, but know you’ll still have a great trip even if you don’t take all of them. Staying off property at a Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel was great for our family. The savings, extra space, and additional in-room amenities were incredible. We even had extra room in the budget for Lightning Lane passes and breakfast at Cinderella’s castle. It’s worth considering for your next trip!
Elliott Harrell, Contributing Writer
Elliott is a mom of two little girls and is based in Raleigh, NC. She spends her days running a sales team and doing laundry and her nights writing about the things that she loves. She’s passionate about all things motherhood and women’s health. When she’s not working, writing or parenting you can find her trying a new restaurant in town or working on her latest needlepoint project.
