Hiya! There are about a bajillion things to consider when planning a trip to Disney World. It can become a full-time job (cue bleary-eyed mama pounding coffee doing google research at 2am). When do you go? How much will it cost? Is the Dining Plan worth it? What is Photo Pass? Should we stay at a disney resort? Is your head spinning yet? Fear not, fellow mama…Disney is awesome no matter what your age. It can be streamlined, not overwhelming and enjoyable for all of you and I want to teach you how to keep it simple and make awesome memories. I literally grew up on Disney and it’s a huge part of our lives. We don’t live in Florida but there hasn’t been a year in my thirty-something years that I haven’t visited. I even took my then-boyfriend, now-husband to Disney as a relationship test. Lol. Not kidding. There are a few key elements to a successful Disney World Trip but today, I want to share three awesome reasons to stay at a Disney Resort. Convenience. Magic. Priority.

Convenience

If you have children of any age, you probably “ain’t got time for” complicated. ‘Simple’ is the name of the game for mamas (and papas for that matter) and the easier it is, the better. Most of us are even willing to shell out some dolla’ bills in the name of convenience. Convenience is one the biggest reasons to stay at a Disney resort in my opinion. Traveling anywhere with kids takes calculating and multi-tasking but taking your little humans to the Happiest Place on Earth kicks this into hyper-drive. The equation is this: All the things involved in the trip – # of things Disney takes care of for you = more time left for mama and papa to have fun and be present with the fam. It’s simple math. Delegation really.

So, what is so convenient about staying at a Disney resort? Let’s take a look:

Magical Express and Complimentary Transport

When you stay at a Disney resort, Disney takes care of getting you to/from the airport and to/from your resort to the parks. And in true Disney fashion, they do this seamlessly. You get off of the plane in Orlando, do not pass go, do not pick up your bags at the carousel and get on the Disney Magical Express bus. Then get off at your resort. Your bags will be delivered to your room from the airport. This means you don’t need to rent a car, navigate the Orlando area or ever-expanding Walt Disney World Resort property. It also means you don’t need to bring carseats on your trip or lug your stuff through the airport and resort. Fewer things to bring + No driving on vacation = Convenience at it’s finest.

Magic Bands

When you stay at a Disney resort, your Magic Bands are included in your package. Disney mails them right to your house prior to your trip but not so far in advance that you lose them….because mom brain is a real thing. If you’re not familiar with Magic Bands, they have a great description of benefits on their website but essentially your Magic Band will do everything for you. It’s your wallet, room key, park ticket, Fast Pass + reservation, and Photo Pass.  You can even bypass the Check-in desk at the resort and go straight to your room with your Magic Band (they’ll text you when your room is ready). It’s pretty incredible. Oh yea, some of the rides even automatically upload your ride photos right to the My Disney Experience App when the ride detects your Magic Band. Pay special attention for your family’s name at the end of “It’s a Small World”. So much fun! No need for a wallet or keys = fewer things to lug around and keep track of. Simple and streamlined.

Resort Package Delivery

If you buy something in one of the parks, they’ll deliver it to your resort for you. Mind. Blown. No carrying it around or shoving your packages under the stroller in hopes that nothing spills on them. Just another way Disney makes it easy for parents to enjoy their time and be present with their family.

Resort Airline Check-in

There are a whole bunch of airlines that participate in this program but you literally just pack up your stuff and bring all of your checked luggage to the Resort Airline Check-in area at your resort. They tag it with your destination and bring it to the airport for you. All you need to do is pick up your bags when you land back at home. No need to drag your luggage through the airport while consoling your depressed children when it’s time to head back to reality. Disney cares about your back and your sanity. You can find the list of participating airlines here.

Magic

Disney didn’t earn it’s reputation as the “Happiest Place on Earth” by being boring. The Disney magic is everywhere.

Customer Service

Cast Members are rockstars and typically go out of their way to make your trip carefree and extra special. When you stay at a Disney resort the magic continues 24/7. Resort hotel staff are happy to help with pretty much anything you need and love to make their guests smile. They have a knack for coming through with stickers when they sense a kiddo on the verge of meltdown and can take the guesswork out of changing dinner reservations or the best way to get to a park from your location. The Mousekeeping staff (Disney’s version of housekeeping…see the magic and theming are everywhere) continue the magic with Mickey towel sculptures and more.

Theming

Disney wrote the book on incredible theming. The ride queues are the quintessential example of no detail being too small to fit the overall Disney theme. The resorts are no exception. Each resort, from the value resorts through the Deluxe Villas, are unique in their theming. You can stay in the middle of the African savanna, at a wild west lodge or be immersed in animation and pretty much everything in between. There is a great resort option for every family size and budget and you won’t be disappointed with the Disney touch at any of them.

Priority

Disney gives priority perks to their guests staying at a Disney resort.

Extra Magic Hours

When you stay on property your get access to Extra Magic Hours. Each day a different park stays open late or opens early just for Disney resort guests. So theoretically you get to be in the park with fewer people. Score!

Early FastPass+ Reservation Access

Anyone with a park ticket can make up to three FastPass+ reservations per day 30 days in advance. Disney does one better for those guests staying at a Disney resort. Resort guests get to make up to three FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance of the first day of their trip and for 10 days after the first day of their trip. Certain rides (I’m looking at your Elsa) are super popular and FastPass+ reservations go quickly so the ability to hop online at 60 days out to make your FastPass+ choices is an awesome perk because there is no fresh hell quite like a tired, hungry preschooler in a 2 hour ride line.

Dining Reservations at 180 days + 10

This is similar to the FastPass+ perks. Anyone is able to make their Disney Dining Reservations 180 days in advance. You definitely want to do this, especially for the most popular restaurants. You can always change your mind later and cancel or edit but locking in your place at “Be Our Guest” 6 months in advance is killer. We modified our dining reservations lots of times during our last trip, depending on how our plans changed each day and let me just say the people who designed the Disney Dining algorithm are superheroes in my book. Phew! The benefit to staying at a Disney resort here is that rather than being able to book dining reservations 180 days before each day of your trip, resort guests can get online 180 days before check in and make all of their reservations for up to 10 days after that.

There you have it. Three awesome reasons (and all the specifics in between) to stay at a Disney resort for your next trip. You won’t regret it. Have you stayed on Disney property? Comment below with your favorite Disney resort and why your love it! I would love to hear about your experience! And as always, do you have a friend who could benefit from this info? Sharing is caring and our blog’s mission is teach families how to make travel a part of their lives and not a stressful extra. Cheers!