Staying at Non-Disney World Hotels: Advantages and Disadvantages

If you are planning a trip to Disney World and you are trying to decide on where to stay; we have come up with a useful list of advantages and disadvantages of staying hotels not located on Disney World property.

Off-site Advantages:

• The hotels not located at Disney World generally offer more amenities and lower prices than on-site properties.
• The hotels off-site are typically much larger. This is a huge advantage especially if you are staying for more than 5 days.
• Off site hotels will allow you to put 5 people in a hotel room and at least 6 people in a suite. If you stay on-site the most you may fit in a hotel room is 4, regardless the ages of the guest.
• Most off site hotels offer free shuttle service to Disney World, and recently more hotels are starting to offer free shuttle service to Universal Studios and SeaWorld as well.
• Orlando has a lot more to offer than just Disney World and if you stay off-site it is easier to experience the many putt-putt golf courses, great family restaurants, huge shopping venues, and many of our smaller theme parks such as Gator Land or Fun Land.
• Most off-site hotels offer discounted tickets to Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld if you stay with them.
• Most off-site hotels offer Free breakfast
• Most off-site hotels offer Last Minute specials even during high season

Off-site Disadvantages:

• Hotel quality greatly varies
• Transportation to and from Disney World can be difficult especially during high seasons
• Off site guest are not offered the opportunity of having the Magical Hour, which allows Disney World guest to enter the theme parks 1 hour early
• Off-site hotel’s are staffed with personnel who are not as familiar with Disney World or Orlando in general
• Many off-site hotels are sharing shuttle services with other hotel properties. During high season this practice makes the buses very crowded and typically run off schedule.

If you were to ask me where you should stay when visiting Orlando, I always suggest to clients to stay at a hotels located off-site. Opinions on this subject vary depending on who you ask; however, the hotels which are non-Disney owned have to offer much better prices and many more amenities than Disney World hotels to get guest to stay with them.