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When heading to Walt Disney World, one of the most significant decisions guests must make is where to stay. Luckily, Walt Disney World Resort has numerous options for guests. In the past, staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel during a vacation was an easy choice. Now, guests are questioning–what are the perks, and is it worth the price?
Credit: Disney
Disney Resorts
Guests wanting to stay at a Walt Disney World hotel have numerous options. Disney offers three different categories that provide a range of pricing and amenities.
Related:Â These Disney Resorts Are Definitely Not Worth Staying At
The three categories are Disney Value Resorts, Disney Moderate Resorts, and Disney Deluxe Resorts. Depending on your budget and your needs, Disney will have a resort that fits your needs.
In the past, there were a lot of additional perks that came with staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. These perks made the typically higher price point slightly more straightforward to handle. You were getting more magic for the money you were paying.
Lately, though, as Walt Disney World Resort guests discover fewer perks when they stay, the question becomes, is staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel worth it? Let’s take a look at some of the perks that are missing.
Images Credit: DisneyDining (left) / @followyourdreams_travels (right)
Airline Transportation
Once upon a time, Walt Disney World provided free transportation to and from Orlando International Airport. Magical Express could be added to your Walt Disney World vacation package for free.
With this service, you were given free motor coach transportation to and from your Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Not only did you get free transportation, but you also had free luggage pickup. Disney would send guests’ luggage tags to their homes. When luggage arrived at MCO, it was picked up by magical employees and brought directions to guests’ hotel rooms.
For those traveling with a lot of luggage or little ones where your hands were always full, this luggage service was genuinely magical.
Guests now have to book their transportation from the airport to the Walt Disney World Resort. There are numerous options, but none are free, like Magical Express was previously.
Credit: Simply Flying
Luggage Check-In
When guests got ready to leave their Walt Disney World Resort, they could use the free airline check-in at their resort. Guests could get their boarding passes and check their luggage all while at their Disney resort hotel.
This was a fantastic service that made the end of a vacation a lot less stressful. By checking luggage and getting boarding passes at their hotel, guests could bypass that stress at the airport.
Airline check-in was a fantastic perk provided to Walt Disney World Resort guests.
Credit: Disney
Resort Delivery
Another major perk that still needs to be added revolves around package delivery. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort could once send their souvenir purchase back to their Disney resort.
This was a huge perk and highly convenient. Instead of carrying around the massive plush from ride to ride, guests could have it returned to their Walt Disney World Resort. Guests could then stop at their resort’s gift shop and pick it up later in the trip.
There was no additional charge to guests, and it was a handy and helpful option.
Credit: Disney
Evening Extra Magic Hours For All
Right now, Walt Disney World Resort guests can take advantage of early theme park entry. This allows them to enter any of the four Disney parks thirty minutes before opening.
This is a huge perk that allows those guests to get ahead of the crowd and enjoy lower wait times.
What hasn’t returned for all guests is evening Extra Magic Hours. Guests staying at a deluxe or villa resort can take advantage of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. This allows them to stay in a Disney park after it is closed to the public.
Although this is an excellent perk to those specific Walt Disney World Resort guests, it was a perk that used to be available to all guests.
Related:Â Disney After-Hours Events Return in 2024
There are still a lot of perks that go along with a stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Being in the Disney bubble throughout your stay is magical. That doesn’t mean we don’t wish some additional perks would show up during our stay moving forward.
What perk are you missing out on the most during your stay?
Related:Could an Adults-Only Disney Resort Replace the Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World?
Other perks: room service (food), free Magicbands, free luggage tags and free dining with free refillable cups.
You didn’t know that theme park purchases were delivered directly to your room. It then changed to hotel gift shop pickup. Another additional perk was that the resort buses would drop you off right in front of the main entrance.
I buy less not having items sent to resort gift shop now. In the past back to your room. I do like being able to take all purchases to resort gift shop , they pack and ship to your home. YES , you have to pay for it but worth it. I was at WDW in 2022 for 10 days in October, this year 2023 for Christmas, candle light processional etc. Plan ahead, meal reservation amust. Stay at port orleans riverside!! We are coming from California.