Hi fellow travelers! I hope you all are exploring! As families start their summer vacations, I know many who are visiting Disneyland and Disney World theme parks, not to mention those who are taking Disney Cruises. Summer in Disney is absolutely a summer vacation dream, but you are going to be paying a pretty penny for it. With the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge parks opening and families flocking to feel that magical moment, prices are going to be out of this world. If you have read any of my past posts about Disney you know that I have learned a thing or two about saving money when planning my Disney dream vacation. One of the ways you can keep most of your cash in your pocket is by staying at a hotel off Disney property. But, even if you save some cash, do you save on convenience? experience? magic? Hmmmm, it may be more difficult than you think to make this decision.

I am a huge advocate of staying on Disney property, it’s not a Disney vacation for me if I don’t sleep in a Disney themed hotel. I love the decor, the staff, the experience and the proximity to the parks. My husband doesn’t care as long as it is not costing him 6 months worth of pay. But, in all reality it may just cost you close to 3 months worth of pay. Anaheim, CA is where this question hits you the hardest. I do not understand why this park only has 3 hotels that are considered on property, but that is what we are stuck with, so we are going to be paying a fortune for a room. I look at the Disneyland hotel rates constantly, even during different times of the year and they are very expensive.

I am dying to stay at the Grand Californian Hotel, but even at the least busiest times of the year, like late January through February and September the prices are still around $500/night. I just can’t justify this, I mean I would be wallowing in “Disney Broke” tears my entire trip, just thinking about how expensive my bed is. But this hotel is right next to the California Adventure park and is absolutely beautiful inside and out. Even the Disneyland Hotel, which sits right at the entrance of the Downtown Disney District, starts at around $400/night. If you are staying at the parks for at least 4 days then you are paying $1600 in just hotel fees. I think that is outrageous. My go to hotel, Paradise Pier is the cheapest at around $300/night, but it is farther from the parks and it still is on the high end. I think the cheapest rate I paid here was $250/night in late February and I still cringed a little.

I know I am not making much of an argument for these magical masterpieces, but when you have a large family and need to buy park tickets and food and souvenirs and airline tickets and anything else you may possibly need, this trip could cost upwards of $5000, that is a lot of money for one week. It’s seriously something to consider right? But, money woes aside for a minute, if you can afford it and want to experience the whimsy of these hotels, then here is exactly what you are going to get for your mountains of money.

At Disneyland you will enjoy their early morning magic hours and obviously easy park access, you can literally walk to the entire park from all three hotels and it’s only like a 5 minute walk. The kids will love getting early wake up calls from their fave characters and won’t mind that they were still floating through their own Disney dreamland. The Paradise Pier hotel has a fabulous character breakfast, which I explain in more detail in my “Disney Biz” article. This option allows you to actually have time with the characters when they are at the hotels, instead of inside the crowded parks. If you have shopped until you dropped, then have Disney deliver your packages to your room, this way you can still enjoy the rides without 10 pounds of goodies at your side. Disney also offers you the opportunity to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions in your room, by providing packages that include toys and cakes, you can have delivered to your room prior to arriving. https://disneyland.disney.go.com

These perks are pretty nice when you think about how much time you want to spend enjoying the parks and rides. The magic hours are literally my reason for staying on property, it’s such a benefit.

Disney World is like it’s own little continent, it’s so big and has so many parks and options when it comes to hotels on property, that it is actually more pocket friendly. Living in Colorado makes it hard to get to Disney World more often, it’s far and tickets to Orlando, FL are more expensive. But, you can actually experience the magic of their Disney hotels for far less. I stayed at the Yacht Club Hotel when I visited in my youth with my parents, it’s my favorite hotel. When my parents took my brother and I to Disney in the late 80’s early 90’s, I am sure it didn’t quite cost what it does now. Disney World has some beautiful hotels near the parks, with access by ferry, monorail or shuttle. These hotels are the cream of the crop of hotels. At the deluxe hotels, during less busy times of the year, you can find rates at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Art of Animation Resort for around $160-$230/night, that’s fantastic! If you want to splurge and stay at a premium resort like the Yacht Club, Contemporary Resort and the Grand Floridian then you are going to be spending around $400/night or more. These hotels are closer to the parks and have luxury amenities. The great thing is that you can choose much cheaper hotels at Disney World and still get the Disney magic because they are considered on property. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com

Disney World has endless perks if you stay at one of their properties, they provide free airport transportation, resort transportation, if they are a Disney affiliated hotel. They even give their resort guests complimentary parking at the parks, which is nice since Disney fees can rack up quickly. They of course offer the extra magic hours and their famous dining plan which is only available in Disney World. If you get a room for cheap and get all these extra perks, you have hit the jackpot!

Disney vacations can get very expensive and it makes it hard to see where the value really lies, I mean they are just amusement parks after all right? Wrong! When people ask me why I spend my money on Disney, I tell them it’s because no other experience is like it. The food, the characters, the design, the hotels and the rides are so authentic you feel like you have been transported to another world. While I believe in looking for a deal when traveling to Disney, because I can spend too much money on basically everything, I also believe in the experience and the hotel is a major part of that. So, if you can find a good rate then by all means STAY at a Disney hotel!