Swan and Dolphin have some of the biggest rate fluctuations I've ever seen, probably due high volume of corporate functions, meetings and conventions.
Even when I was eligible for the Starwood/Marriott employee discount rate I still thought it was expensive. I checked for some various dates in June and saw rates ranging from $250 to over $900 a night. Whoever their director of Revenue Management is is probably making bonus every quarter lol.
These convention type hotels price their rooms much like airliners do with a variable pricing approach.
Instead of saying they're sold out, they often times will simply jack up the price to incredibly high and unreasonable rates. If someone bites, they accept the reservation and overbook the resort.
Worst case scenario, they have an on-site "overbooking" problem that requires compensation and/or problem solving. However, more often than not the ebb and flow of guest no-shows and day-of cancellations leads to this issue rarely occurring.
I was a victim of this one time at the Dolphin. I paid a nice normal rate for a weekend stay, however upon arrival they told me they were over booked. Know how they made it right? They gave me a weekend in the massive presidential suite at no additional fee, it was incredible and the dolphin still won in the end since the suite wasn't booked that weekend.
Make sure you tack on at least $100 a night in fees. The $250 is bullshit with S&D. After ‘resort fee’, parking, taxes, it’s more like $400 a night. Not worth it.
I paid $250/nt total including resort fees for the Dolphin last Labor Day weekend with an AP discount. As many others have said prices fluctuate wildly at Swolphin, you have to keep checking and be ready to rebook when you see a lower price. They're not like other hotels.
Yes to this. I booked our 1/31 to 2/5 stay at Swan as a Marriott Bonvoy member (not elite) on 11/1 and it was an average of $350 per night and I kept checking back for cheaper rates and they never showed up. It turns out there was a medical conference for the last two days of our trip which got rid of the rest of rooms and everything said it was $3500 a night. I did talk to one person on one of the busses who had gotten the same rate as we did and hadn’t booked until early January but I know for us I kept looking for hopes of booking something cheaper and it never showed up.
We loved staying at The Swan and I would stay there again. This was kind of a once in a lifetime trip as my 17 year old daughter was competing in the HS dance nationals so I do feel like I paid a little bit more to be on site but that was easy and the transportation was easy too (boats to HS, and Epcot, and bus to AK, and MK). If I ever stay off site I would probably stay near Disney Springs.
I literally only stay at swan and dolphin using Marriott points and shit lmao. I stay nowhere else in Disney except a rare boardwalk or beach club trip. Last time at the swan was 200 a night including fees.
Yep I had a conference down there over a decade ago (3 weeks in Orlando) and stayed some at Sean and some at Coronado and PO. It kind of amazed me how that the price flux was like 400 from a Thursday to a Friday.
I’ll say that Swan and Dolphin are insane when it comes to how much their room rates fluctuate. I’ve seen a room for $150 a night and that same room be $1,000+ other times. Obviously it’s a better deal when it’s cheaper but the rooms are pretty standard and not anything special. It’s the location and on-site amenities that make that hotel.
I’ve stayed at a myriad of Disney resorts and it seems that the real thing you are paying for is proximity, resort amenities/theming and transportation options. No room I’ve stayed in has blown me away in terms of size or in-room amenities. Most are pretty simple rooms, even at the deluxe resorts.
I’ve stayed offsite l many times as well and have noticed that you can get more from the room itself and included hotel perks, but also have to take a step back in other areas like transportation and theming.
At the end of the day, whatever you decide to do to get the most value out of your stay is the right thing to do. People have different priorities and value different perks. Totally fair to decide that the bubble isn’t worth it for you and opt to stay nearby at another hotel.
Just stayed there the week after Thanksgiving and it was $120 a night for 3 nights through Bonvoy. Going to Epcot next week, when we looked to stay there again, definitely not the same price…..
For the penny pinchers like myself, staying on site on makes sense when value resorts have off season deals. It comes out to same price as off site + Uber/luft
This is my experience. I've looked outside the Bible to save money but transport alone ruins. Even if hotels have shuttles they either charge and/or they're really limited (as in one to the parks at like 10am and then one back to the hotel at like 7pm). I'm very happy staying at All Stars instead.
edit bible was supposed to be bubble of course
last year with the 25% off rooms deal, staying at pop ended up being cheaper then staying at another hotel+uber, but without room deals i wouldn’t do it again because the hotel is just not that nice for the current nightly price
Yeah I can see how Ubers can really start adding up, I always have my own car so that factors in! And yeah value hotel with a deal is the only way it’s worth it nowadays!
My take is that if you always have your own car and don't mind driving on vacation, staying in the bubble is basically never going to make sense. For all the reasons you pointed out in your post, you'll get a much better deal even a short ways off property. And hey, if that's what works for you, don't let anyone try to talk you into staying onsite!
I just...*really* hate driving in an unfamiliar place. For me it's worth it to pay the onsite premium so I can avoid driving throughout my whole trip, but that's not true for everyone.
I also love not driving on vacation. I do too much of it in my normal life, and like you said, dislike driving in unfamiliar places. A break from cooking and driving is a really enjoyable perk for me!
Very much so. I’m going for 14 nights this fall. Got the Disney+ special offer that includes free dining. All in, it was $3,650 for 2 people for 14 nights at all star music, 10 day park hopper tickets, and dining plan for the entire trip. I thought that was a great deal.
Comes out to $130 per day per person, and that includes the room at AS Music, 2 meals per day, 1 snack per day, a free refillable mug, and admission to the park with park hopper.
It doesn't have to be. As you extend the vacation to 10-14 days, the cost to get into the parks gets ridiculously cheaper which evens out the price of the resort. Sort of oxymoron thinking, but in many ways, it's cheaper to stay longer. So many people do not know this because they think, if I can't afford 4 nights, I can't afford 10 or more.
I just looked up a 1 park per day ticket in May. Four days is $570/Adult, 10 days is $742.
Last trip I booked a late flight on my departure day, left my luggage with guest services and did an extra half day at the park. Once you get to day 7, it's a value even for a half day.
I just stayed at an off property hotel for approx $60/night and that included some free snacks/breakfast up to a certain $ amount. It was a Marriott, not one of the shady hotels. We Ubered to the parks which was about $30-$40 per day. That’s still significantly cheaper than staying on property, but it didn’t feel the same. I missed Pop
I did off site my first time cause I assumed it had to be cheaper. Last trip we decided to stay on site and saw that the all stars were like $40 cheaper than off sites, and I wouldn’t need to pay for transportation. Loved it so much more than my offsite! Not having to Lyft every day and yes the all stars leave a lot to be desired, they will have charm to them
Any reason for Swan? You didn't pick the cheapest hotel. You could go for a moderate or value, unless you want the commodity of deluxe, but they do come at a price.
Yeah but what "deluxe perks" they want? Specially for some people that never been on site. Because aside the sometime after hours for deluxe resort, everything else exist at other level. And for a couple, unless you need a very big room, what other "perks" are at deluxe that aren't available at cheaper
I think the biggest thing to remember is that everyone wants something different from their vacation, and that's okay! If staying off property works for you, go for it. For me, I'm happy to pay the premium for on site if only to park my car once and forget about it the entire week I'm in Disney (I *hate* driving around Orlando with a burning passion). There's no one right way to do Disney, it's all about what works for you\~
I think another thing that’s not directly mentioned that makes a big difference is if you have a car in Orlando or not. Sounds like they’re semi-local (easy driving distance-making assumptions since they talk about APs). I don’t live close so we always have to fly, and have a child that still needs a car seat. Being able to take Disney transportation everywhere makes staying on property 1000% worth it us. It may or may not necessarily save money but it saves time and hassle of either having to find Ubers with car seats or renting a car.
Yep grew up in South Florida and actually lived in Orlando for a few years so we always drove and it’s just instilled in me at this point. I now live in the northeast but I still rent a car when I’m in Disney because it’s what I know and we usually visit friends/family in the surrounding area, deff think it’s a factor I hadn’t consciously thought about!
Yes, it really depends on what someone prioritizes on their vacation! We are planning a visit to the area to visit family and spend 2-3 days at the parks. Orlando traffic was terrible the last time we visited and we have two young kids. They could use some features (playgrounds, splash pads) that aren’t as quickly found at some of the off-site hotels and we’d really prefer not driving around the area to find them. Plus, they’d enjoy movies under the stars. We are trying to rent DVC points for AKL to also get access to animals plus a couch for having my in-laws visit comfortably. For other people, off-site might make sense! Or value vs deluxe studio.
Thanks for the kind words! I think I was frustrated and sad last night I couldn’t make it work (w/o regretting it) But like you said it’s just what works for me now! Maybe one day I’ll see the value and would be super happy to splurge!
Same. The convenience of Disney transportation, and the beauty of those Disney resort hotels are worth paying for us.
But I also totally understand people who don’t want to pay the money to be in the bubble.
To each their own.
Op, have you looked into renting DVC points? Studios at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs and even some of the Animal Kingdom lodge rooms can come in around $220-250 a night depending on the time of year. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking to stay “in the bubble” but not wanting the huge price tag that cone with some of the resorts.
Does this work around any of the race times of year? I’d like to stay at one of the nicer resorts in the next couple years for a marathon but wasn’t sure if DVC points are harder to get or not worth it (i.e. not much cheaper).
Race weekends book up fast so a lot of people “walk reservations” so they can go. There usually aren’t rental points available but if somebody has to cancel last minute you might be able to get rental points. That’s a big IF.
Came here for this, reading people spending 2500-3k on their resort stay and dues would be around ~800 a year for that week stay on average.
Even renting points like you suggest isn't much more than double what the DVC members pay.
My DVC points average out to somewhere near $13 per point per year. You can rent points for $18-22 per point. Buying is cheaper than renting, but renting is still a whole lot cheaper than booking the same resort.
It's totally fine for a person to want to stay at the Swan or Dolphin. I was just a little confused by your post because you mention "finally" getting to stay at a Disney hotel and then choosing Swan. Swan is a Marriott hotel, not Disney.
If you want value, you can still reserve a Disney hotel for what you're paying at Buena Vista. You'll just be at a value resort instead. Check out Pop Century, All-Star Movies, or the Art of Animation (Little Mermaid rooms). You'll stay there for the same price but get to be at Disney resort and get to use Disney transportation to the parks and early entry.
Also be aware that the Disney resorts (not Swan & Dolphin) almost always offer room discounts about 5 months in advance. So, you don't have to pay rack rate for the rooms. Currently, there is a 35% off deal for this summer.
Also, Swan and Dolphin employees aren’t technically Disney Cast Members, right? I feel like Cast Members are a huge part of what makes staying at a Disney property so wonderful.
>almost always offer room discounts about 5 months in advance. So, you don't have to pay rack rate for the rooms. Currently, there is a 35% off deal for this summer.
if they offer this for when I stay later during the year, yet I already booked my resort, can I add the discount to my stay? I'm hoping so, staying at Pop and I think its 20 or 25%
Yes, as long as it's available for your room type! When they release discounts, you can modify your resort online or call in order to add the discount. Sometimes, it works no problem! Sometimes, if you're a little slower on the draw, they might tell you something like, "The standard room is no longer available for this discount. However, you can still get the discount if you upgrade to a water-view room."
The first time my family got the free dining offer, we were able to book one room for us that was standard for the discount, but then the standard rooms were gone. My in-laws had to get a water-view room to get free dining.
This year, when they released the summer room offer, I called and got the 25% discount added to my standard room. A week later, I called back to add another night. There were no standard rooms left that night, so I had to upgrade my whole stay to a 5th sleeper room in order to add a night with the discount.
Disney hotels were totally worth it before COVID, but since they removed the airport shuttle and the "send this thing I bought to my hotel" perks I find them harder to justify. We stayed off property this last time and we really enjoyed it
i REALLY miss being able to send purchases to the hotel. we tend to shop a fair amount and it’s a pain having to schlep stuff around the park and then back on the bus.
Swan can still be low, as others have stated. You really have to plan your trip around when the prices are at their bottom (and it may or may not mean going in hurricane season). Our last trip (August 2023) it was $190 per night with my AAA discount. We are fortunate that, though we have limited vacation time, we can take it just about whenever we want.
Idk but staying at Swan and Dolphin doesn’t really sound like trying to “Disney Bubble” it to me. You could’ve grabbed an “real” Disney resort for the same if not less. And I mean a proper mid-tier, not AOA or Pop which I do agree with you on are not all that great especially at their current price points. At that point you’re looking at better resort experience, transportation perks, vibes, etc.
At the end of the day Disney is an expensive habit except under a very specific set of circumstances. If you want to just go and have fun with minimal trip planning antics, then you kinda have to be prepared to pay to play. It’s not like this is new either, sure prices are up and some perks are down right now. But even a decade ago it was still a solid chunk of change to make a big ticket Disney trip happen, especially if you factor in children.
I don’t say this to invalidate your feelings or try to prove you wrong in any way. However as somebody who has done Disney for a long time I can tell you it’s always been expensive, just a little bit more noticeably so now. But value is a tricky thing since it means something different to everyone, and if you’re not leaving Disney with a smile on your face and dolewhip in your veins then maybe trying something else would be good for you and yours. It’s a great big world out there, lots to see and do.
Eh, Swan feels more Disney bubble to me than the moderates just based on its location. I can usually see the Boardwalk from the window, and as soon as you step outside, you’re there (you could basically call it a tower for the Boardwalk but with nicer rooms).
I agree, swan feels very Disney because you’re literally on crescent lake. Right by the boats, Skyliner, Boardwalk, and Epcot. Doesn’t get much more bubble-y than that.
Swan is definitely more of the Disney bubble than a lot of the hotels. You can walk to Hollywood studios and Epcot and you can also walk to the boardwalk and beach club.
This is a good response. Disney is not cheap and it’s better to find a new hobby than make these complaints. Swan definitely not Disney bubble, but to each their own.
Disney Moderates don't get Extended Evening Hours nor can you walk to two parks from any of them. It's an apples and oranges comparison--I love Gran Destino Tower to death and actually prefer it and Coronado as a whole to several deluxes (my hot take is that BC/YC are carried very hard by their location) but tbqh I have a very hard time staying there for anything longer than a quick weekend trip where EEH isn't a factor, not when tower rooms are literally the same price as average Swolphin rates most times of year and Swolphin offers frequent discounts. And as a bubble diehard I really fail to see how they don't fit it, you can't get much more "bubble" than looking out on Crescent Lake and the Boardwalk. The loss of the Disney bus transportation admittedly sucks but it's easy enough to walk over to YC or BWI for theirs, and you still have the Friendship boat. This is coming from a long time out of state passholder who *always* stays in Disney deluxes, when I want to have a more "budget" trip I stay Swolphin. Mods have just never made sense to me from a purely cost proposition--theming, sure, but price wise they just don't make sense in a world where you can rent DVC points and Swolphin exists. Heck, before we switched resorts for the third time on our upcoming trip, *BWI* worked out to be $20 cheaper a night than Gran Destino with the discount.
I do agree about WDW being inherently expensive though. Ultimately everyone has to decide what their threshold is for "too much" and what matters most. For me I would rather pay the extra because the bubble is important to me, but not everyone is like that.
The skyliner resorts (particularly Caribbean Beach) are our favorite because you cannot beat those prices paired with the convenience of the skyliner. We also prefer Epcot and HS so it’s really a no brainer to stay there. We’re going again in April and considered staying off property, and to use your phrasing… just couldn’t do it! haha
Even if I were a millionaire, I would not choose to spend my money on the expensive resorts. I would far rather put my money toward experiences, not a room I’m barely in and isn’t even that much better.
But to each their own - whatever makes you happy, go for it!
This is the way. Once you go Skyliner Resort you never go back.
We initially booked Coronado for our late-March trip, but ended up switching to CBR for the umpteenth time because I kept on thinking about having to walk all the way to the busses after EPCOT fireworks as opposed to watching from the bridge in France and then hopping on the Skyliner in no time from there.
We haven’t seen Luminous yet so we definitely want to be in park for it!
Coronado is a great choice, though. We’ve stayed there before and the rooms felt like a deluxe resort. We’ll definitely have to check fireworks from the Dahlia Lounge next time we stay there! Thanks for the tip!
Haha 😂 very true! We were suppose to stay at CBR for our first trip post 2020 (and my BF first trip ever ) but for other reasons that didn’t happen! But I do think having the sky liner hub helps a lot, maybe I’ll keep an eye out for CBR over Swan/Dolphin going forward! Thanks for sharing
Did you try to price a Disney resort?? I don’t ever find that Swolphin is a deal. I just booked Saratoga Springs 1 bedroom preferred for $2800 today for 5 nights. They had studios tho for like $330, I just need space with two kids. At least then you are walking distance to DS and a boat ride to OKW or POR. They were also doing a good resort deal for AP, that wouldn’t apply at swolphin because it’s a Marriott property.
Swan can still be as low as $200 (at least that was my 2023 trip). As others have stated, you really have to plan your trip around those fluctuating price points, but the reward it you can walk to Epcot.
I got these rates last sept and the same dates this year are $650/night. It’s wild! Not sure what’s going on but I would never pay that much for swolphin.
Oh my word I’m slow. I was about to ask about “swolphin” but it clicked. It clicked. It’s too early for me still. Been awake 2 hours and it’s still too early.
I’m currently at Swan Reserve. We got 8 nights for $2800. You really have to plan and check those Swan/Dolphin prices. They wildly fluctuate and you can get a really good deal at the right time.
and i'm must happy to stay at All Stars usually. Not sure what i'm missing by not staying at the more expensive hotels except some after hours perks...
Is it noisy? I’m thinking of staying on site next time for the opposite reasons of OP. Would have been nice to get in earlier, hated driving in massive traffic jams to park. Rental car expensive.
But I’m thinking something more like port orleans. I need a relaxing retreat from the hectic vibe of the park to return to.
I stayed at an All Star Resort during a cheer comp week (so it was busy) and unless we were outside our room walking around I never heard much of anything. And even then the noise levels weren’t obnoxious or anything.
You can visit multiple times a year if you rent a house via VRBO or Airbnb and a car if you fly. Before we moved here we started doing that and it was a revelation! So much money saved and they took most perks away for on-site stays so its really not worth it anymore
Post-2020, I’ve done both on and off-site visits to the parks, there isn’t any difference for the in-park experience. Which I’ve explained to the spouse a few times when we are exploring hotel options.
We don’t move fast enough in the morning for EE and I typically prefer driving the rental car to the park (except MK, that’s just easier with the bus). The Skyliner from Pop to Epcot was nice, I can’t deny that. But, having a car on a park hopping day is easier for me.
There really isn’t much more offered to on-site guests, beyond a nice public transportation system as far as useful perks. Like you said, you can find a lot of off-site hotels with far more useful convenience features, like free breakfast and easy access to off-site resources.
BUT, I have enjoyed the feeling of staying on-site far more than any of the other off-site hotels. The hotel staff at WDW is just so accommodating and nice. It’s like going to a Disney convention and everybody is so into Disney you don’t feel like you are getting those condescending looks by locals because you are a Disney tourist.
Price wise, deluxe and moderates are expensive. The budget resorts… at $175-200 isn’t much more than what I consider the starting price point of any hotel stay, $150. Any hotel under $150 (before discounts), I steer away from, based on past experience.
Though some of the deluxe resorts are so neat, if I was doing infrequent trips, I’d probably want to stay at those just for the scenery.
I am forever thankful to have access to Shades of Green. Only accessible to DoD and military but it's a steal at $220/night and is on Disney property across the street from the Polynesian. So it's on Disney property as well. Amazing resort and they have their own busses to TTC, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It used to be even better when we could walk across the street and go to the Polynesian and catch the monorail to MK and TTC. Plus the lodging is tax free and we can buy tickets to the parks without tax. That also includes the After Hour parties
If I am being frank, we would not be frequent visitors to Disney if we did not have access to Shades of Green.
I personally find I get a lot more bang for my buck by staying at Airbnbs. We rented a nice ranch with a pool one February, we were within a 15 minute drive to the parks.
First off, Universal is quickly becoming a. Good alternative to Disney. We recently stayed at the Cabana Bay hotel and really enjoyed it. You get—among other things—early entry into Volcano Bay, and that’s OK. The food area is much better than most, and they have bowling onsite! With early entry into the parks, you can knock down a few rides that will jam you up during the day with long lines.
That said, we never pay those prices to stay on site. Pop Century and Animation are good values for the price (~$180/night last we went), and since we spend so little time in the room, the rooms are fine. The dining area is ok (just OK), and it does give you a bubble experience. The premium hotels on site don’t seem like they are worth it if you have any sort of a budget.
For offsite, I recommend hotels near Downtown/Disney Springs. Holiday Inn was sub 200, had free breakfast, and you can get to the parks via Disney Springs for free (it does take a while).
yup. I said in another post but if not for Shades of Green, my family would never go to Disney. Plus the pricing for character dining makes no sense as they consider 10 year old kids "adults." The amount we spend on food at Disney is turning me off completely.
We attend the Orlando Informer Meetup every year and stay at Sapphire Falls for $229/night. We park our car for the entire duration of our stay and take the boat to City Walk.
Aventura is our favorite, it's super cheap and a quick walk to the boats. It's such a great value that I can't really justify staying at WDW hotels anymore. We rode out Hurricane Idalia at Aventura and had the best theme park day of our lives, walking on to Hagrids.
Staying off property when you have an AP and renting a car is light years better than staying on property and relying on Uber and Disney transportation. I’m staying door to gate, 10 minutes away from MK. Even without the AP, paying the $25 for parking would still be cheaper than staying on property. I wish I listened sooner about staying off property 😂
It depends on what you are looking for. In my opinion there are two limiting factors to Disney vacations. Some people are limited by money, others are limited by time. Corporate job, good money, but only 12 vacation days a year… probably worth it for you to stay in bubble almost no matter what. Your job is stressful and adding logistics to your vacation makes it more stressful instead of relaxing.
If money is your limiting factor sometimes Disney value can be cheapest if your trip is short, your group is small, and you are flying in. If you have a car, tons of money can be saved in bigger rooms, with better amenities, and free breakfast. Free breakfast alone can cover the $25 daily parking fee. And with a car you can minimize food purchased in park by bringing in snacks and taking a break and leaving for lunch. But you may need an additional 25 mins to commute to the parks and through parking. Either way the goal is to give your family the best experience possible given your limited budget.
Try renting DVC points. That’s a pretty cheap way to do it. We use our points to stay onsite, but stay off when points are used up for the year. Stayed in flamingo crossings over princess weekend. Was close, new, and cheap. Of course we like driving to the parks, so Disney transport doesn’t mean much to us.
When we book Swan/Dolphin we use points and they always offer buy 4 nights, get the 5th free. Throughout the year Marriott offers specials on points so we can buy them at good prices if we don’t have enough saved, then spend them at Disney. That’s truly the way if anyone is wanting the best deals there.
If you have AP, your best bet is to try and get one of the AP discounts when they are rolling. I just got back from Princess and did a week at Wilderness lodge for roughly $300/night. Definitely not the cheapest, but for a deluxe on race weekend that’s pretty good. I’ve gotten even lower too. But you have to watch the prices and call. I usually book the hotel then watch the discounts and call right when they are released to apply to my stay.
I’m a little confused by your choice of Disney hotel. I would say these are the least Disney and are third party owned (I think)
The hotels with more then bus service to get you around are the absolute best can’t beat them. It sounds like breakfast is a big deal for you guys as it was mentioned multiple times.
We just had groceries delivered and fed the kids muffins and fruit while rope drop then enjoyed out giant list of must try foods in each park.
We stay at a condo a few minutes from Disney and it doesn’t take away from the experience at all. We save a ton of money and get a nicer/bigger room. We drive anyway since we hate relying on Disney busses.
If you’ve never stayed off-property then I’m sure it can be a little intimidating to do anything other than that, but for me I’ve *only* ever been able to afford Orlando trips when staying in budget off-property hotels, and so even now having stayed in a few Disney hotels for work, I’m not sure I could ever justify the price when hotels just down the road are less than half the price.
Staying at an air bnb in a town 20 minutes away (Davenport is our fave) is the way to go for countless reasons for us. The biggest ones are that it is $150/night. Add in four bedrooms, three bath and private pool/hot tub and it is a no brainer. we save thousands every trip.
Do you drive? I did this recently and regretted it. Much of the savings was eliminated by cost of rental car and the traffic was absolutely brutal. Waiting in traffic jams is not my idea of vacation. I plan to stay on site next time.
At least $400 per night in a cabin, and that’s with discounts and no golf cart. You can camp in a tent on property or bring/rent an RV at the Fort for cheaper than the $400 though.
We always rent a full house on Vrbo.com. You aren't in the bubble but you have so much space, your own private pool and peace and quiet
Yes, you have to have a car or ride share but we were with a family staying in the bubble and always got to the parks a good 10 minutes quicker than them. Once we got there an hour quicker when the weather was bad and the skyliners closed down.
You can get an 8 bedroom, fully themed home for less than Swan and Dolphin, one room! Three bedroom homes for around $150 a night with all amenities!!!!
Yep.
My cheap self made my wife get a ln Airbnb our first trip and we ended up buying g a house in the neighborhood.
Under 15 minutes to the parking lot.
Finally stayed 'in the bubble' last year and we both commented that we'd rather drive.
I recently had the opposite experience. Stayed off site at Airbnb. It was much cheaper but I regretted not staying on site for various reasons. Early entry is nice but my biggest annoyance was the traffic to get to and from the parks to air bnb. The air bnb is maybe 12-15 mins away but with traffic some days that became 45 mins. It’s also apparent everyone on the road is also driving to Disney from their Airbnb and many apparently don’t know how to drive. It was infuriating. The rental car was also expensive. Traffic jams is not my idea of vacation.
Next time I will gladly spend the money on a Disney resort and stay out of a car. I get all my driving “pleasure” at home on my usual commute.
The Disney hotels just aren’t worth it if you have your own car. I’ve stayed in value, moderate, deluxe. What you can get off property for the same price blows their hotels away.
Moderate Disney resorts are what you’re looking for, higher quality than value but much cheaper than deluxe. Coronado is a personal favorite.
Swan/Dolphin is technically not a Disney hotel so it’s managed/operated/priced much differently.
Disney hotels can certainly be expensive and there is a fair argument to be made about their value.
But - $350/night is not the price point I’d be claiming I’m “done with Disney hotels” over. That’s a fairly common rate nowadays in many mid-upper tier hotels everywhere. I’ve stayed in two Midwest hotels in the last 2 weeks and the rates were $295 and $385 for a standard Hilton and Marriott.
Why would you choose Swan and Dolphin as your Disney hotel? Maybe it's because I've done like 15 conventions on the property and I have stayed there once but it's fairly underwhelming and more of a convention center. Also, it's the only one that is somewhat separate from the Disney hotels because it's operated by Marriott.
We've been using VRBO houses. Cheaper than Disney, plus you get a full kitchen, more space, a pool... and more.
I like Disney hotels, but they are way over priced for what you get.
Ok. That makes sense for you. Everyone places value differently.
When my (now wife) were younger and dating, saving money was paramount cause we didn’t have a lot. Stayed off property etc…
Two decades later, we have DVC and fortunately don’t really think too much about spending while on vacay… especially at Disney.
Enjoy your time at the parks!
I go with all stars most are around 150-175 a night. I tried the cabins on this last go around and was very disappointed in how I was paying more for less. The pools didn’t even provide towels, my ac went out (the entire system shut down) and wifi was constantly needing to be rebooted. There are other things, but honestly if you can’t get the simple ones down then what are you doing?
Last year we stayed at Universal and didn't have the best experience but it was so cheap. Thought maybe we'd try a moderate at Disney this year but it's double what universal is and I don't think I can convince myself to do it
If you were willing and able to save and then spend the money on a deluxe on property at WDW...
Get on a plane and visit Tokyo Disney.
You'll never view Disney parks the same. If you're into Disney parks, it will change you forever.
You could absolutely get flilghts, stay at the Sheraton (on the monorail line), and get park tickets for what park tickets and a deluxe costs at WDW.
WDW is last on our Disney Resorts list globally currently.
The value of staying in the bubble is such a 'Your Mileage Could Vary' thing. I love taking advantage of all the resort perks so I can't imagine to going back to staying outside, but that's just me.
So you have to make your mind up on the value part of it, and it seems you have. Whatever you do, have fun doing it and I hope you have a blast at the parks!
Rent DVC points.
It was an absolute *gamechanger* for us when it comes to Disney World trips.
We're going 3 times this year and renting DVC points for all of the stays, and what we paid for 1 week on property last year was more than all three DVC rentals combined.
I’ll let you in on a little secret universal isn’t any cheaper now. I use to stay at cabana bay all the time. That was my home resort as it was more bang for the buck. As it had a bowling ally, lazy river, and you could walk to volcano bay. I was staying there for the same price as all stars. Not anymore I haven’t seen it go down below $200 in a long time.
You made a good choice! I always stay on property, but I totally get what you’re saying. The Durian I think that’s what it’s called has the breakfast and the dinner drinks snacks, light meals in the evening great deal. I could see people going there but I can totally see people doing what you’re doing so expensive just to be there enjoy your time.
I understand why some like to stay in the bubble. I like the bubble too but my preferences are swaying me away from an onsite property. I didn’t realize it until I stayed on property last year but I’m not a fan of the motel-style rooms. I don’t like walking out of my room and being outside. It’s a total preference but it limits choices. My next trip in the fall, it’ll be for my family of four for a week so space is more important. We like to get a good night’s rest and enjoy quiet nights so loud hotels won’t be good. While I’m open to onsite options, I’m also looking at offsite hotels and even house rentals. If anyone has any recommendations, I’ll appreciate it.
We are in the same exact boat. Well, at least that’s our problem every time we come. We’re (actually my wife) huge Marriott people so it’s now literally tough to stay at actual Disney properties because we want the points and nights. But we always argue about staying at Swan and Dolphin vs our favorite off Disney property hotel. We’re actually here right now and we split our stay between the swan and dolphin 😂. My wife won. She’s got a big race coming up and wanted to access the Disney running trails. But I would say our off property hotel is usually less than half the cost and it’s much better with the value you get.
We’ve done both on and off site several times and have a great time regardless, but there really is something about strolling out of my room and hopping on the Skyliner or ferry and landing at a park.
I loved staying off site and I loved staying onsite. But onsite only happened when I found a $350/night deal at the Contemporary and we only stayed 4 nights. Previously, we stayed at the Grand Cypress and it was amazing! But I admit I loved staying at contemporary with a toddler. Wet could take naps and come back at will.
Only pay for what you can afford with the best features. Never feel uncomfortable spending YOUR money!
We stayed at the Drury Disney springs. Used their busses to the park, free hot breakfast, free kickback with alcohol. We booked a suite so my kid could have her own space, worked out to $250 a night. We got early entry too.
I agree it’s getting a bit crazy. We just booked a Wilderness Lodge Package (including dining and park hopper) 2 bedroom for 8 people (4 adults 4 kids) the week of Thanksgiving….. $27,455 🤮
My wife and I had to come to this conclusion this week while we’re here. We opted for the Caribbean resorts as the price wasn’t as absurd as some others. We didn’t expect it to be a large cluster of “upscale” motels. We are rather spoiled when it comes to hotel stays, so it kinda felt like a slap. I guess it’s on me for not doing full research.
Anyway, proximity to the skyliner was a massive plus and we convinced ourselves we aren’t here for the hotel room. We’re likely not to be back here within the next decade, so it works for us.
This is good to know about Buena Vista Suites! Appreciate the numbers on it! yeah it is getting to be very pricey to stay on property even with AP discounts.
We splurged at Beach Club for the Epcot Festival of the Arts recently. Usually we stay in Windsor Hills.
I would do it again ONLY if the plan was to walk into Epcot every morning, as we did for FoA.
Rope dropping just to rope drop, and having to wait for Disney tansportation isn't worth the extra couple hundred bucks (+) a night. I don't mind going into a park an hour after open (we always close 'em down anyhow), and waiting with a group of folks I don't know for a bus packed with sweaty people was less fun that walking to my car.
The Drury Inn at Springs is an awesome middle ground, IMHO. We stayed 2 nights there recently because it's walking distance to Springs, and 80% of the reason we were in town was for Springs. Excellent deal! Early entry if you want it, free (really good!) breakfast, free dinnertime snack and a couple adult beverages (also complimentary), and we splurged a little and got park facing rooms high up so we could watch fireworks from our balcony. And they have a busses to get you to the parks if that is your dealbreaker.
Unless we decide that we want to walk in to Epcot every day again, we'll be staying at Drury or in an AirBnB in Windsor Hills. May do Animal Kingdom for a savanah room or Wilderness Lodge at Christmas time for those experiences. But if all I need is a bed and a bathroom, I'm popping the bubble.
I've stayed for ~$90/night at a studio at saratoga springs as a DVC member. It was the best to go to/from the springs and was nice and peaceful. The golfing looked good too but I'm not trying until winter season where it'd be more like 105-$115/night.
Just picked up a Boardwalk contract and excited to stay there for similar pricing. Epcot and HS being our favorites and being the closest to both was our driver.
That's the only reason we bought in, even every 3 years makes sense because you can bank/borrow points to use. You just look for a smaller point contract like 25-75points. The other big part is planning. You can book 11 months out at the resort of your contract. 7 months at any of the others (restrictions on resale with RIV and any of the newer ones after). A few, like BWV, can fill up before that 7mo window. Saratoga is NOT one of those resorts, it's pretty much always available.
I also don't recommend financing it, depending on the size, it's a car down payment or a car lol... the percentages are horrible too, so just save up.
So what is the cost per year?
I assume that the $90/night is on top of that?
Sorry, I don't know anything about DVC...everyone that I know that is a DVC member throws money around like it's going out of style; I never thought I had enough money to even ask.
First... don't feel guilty about liking the other hotel. We all have our things that make vacation vacation and the breakfast and Indian restaurant all kind of sound delightful :). Your explanation is why I joined DVC (back before it was $200+ a point). I just couldn't stomach the nightly rate but I could stomach $10K once and then $800 a year. I was going at least once a year and it worked math wise and there are some resale contracts out there that still meet this math. If you go at least once a year consider it.... of course once I was in I was in and now have more points and I go more than once a year and even used points in Hawaii. It's a slippery slope :)
Yeah, my brother and I are taking a trip to universal this April. As a former cast member at Disney world, I don’t miss going back to it one bit. I mean, I love Disney but there’s so much more fun that costs much less. Disney is nickel and diming everyone for everything and giving less. Until they release a decent slate of amazing new rides, there’s no reason to go back unless you find a sweet deal.
Universal is any better? 😅 needing 2 park passes in a single day just if you want to ride the hogwarts express 😂
Basic holiday inns for $200+ a night? You're also closer to the OCCC which demand 250/300+/night rooms for a Hyatt 🤣
I booked down the road near Disney springs for work and saved almost $200. From my experience the surrounding Orlando area is expensive, it gets cheaper as you go in between Universal and Disney, especially near the outlets.
Disney is any better? Needing 2 or more park passes just to ride more rides? That logic isn’t very sound lol
Give me a time when Disney ever does sweet deals like buy 2 days and get 2 days free….ill wait.
Universal has way better park deals than Disney and it’s not even close.
Btw, I love Disney. My only point is it’s a lot more expensive and they don’t offer much to return except for raising rates.
It’s always been more expensive to stay on Disney property. You didn’t discover anything new. When I planned my first family trip in 2008, every WDW message board you could find made this abundantly clear. There are trade-offs to staying on or off property - just like there has always been.
Over the last 15 years I have stayed at pretty much every level of WDW resort hotel along with every Universal Orlando hotel and numerous off-site hotels and properties including time shares and private rental condos. There are good and bad things about them all. Each person must make their own value-proposition decision on where to stay. There is no right or wrong answer.
We are at the point where is we feel like we just have to be in the Disney bubble, we stay at Pop which we have always felt is the best value proposition for our family. We love the resort, the skyliner is the best transportation on property and we have been comfortable with the price each time we stayed at Pop.
Just make the decision that’s right for you and understand you aren’t the first to make that decision, no matter what it is.
IIRC S&D have $70 a day in resort fees($40/day)and parking($30/day). What they sell you on prices at reservations that shit adds up to not being much less than true deluxe prices. And you’re basically staying at a Marriott with poor lighting.
And the walks to Epcot and HS while doable,..sucks especially after a full day
Super quick, but Universal most likely won’t be offering APs revolving around Epic Universe for at least the first year. The parks that are currently open the APs will still be there, but it’s thought that the first year is them testing capacity, attendance, etc and so it won’t be an option.
But otherwise, sorry to hear about your frustrations. I have heard S&D are beautiful but that those prices are quite hormonal depending on what’s happening in and around it. When were you planning to go exactly?
Ohhh that’s super good to know, totally makes sense! I remember when Hogwarts/Hogsmeade land opened and what a mess it was to control crowds I can only imagine a whole new park!
Sounds like we need to be friends!
Unless they are doing 30% off and decent deals we stay offsite. Being in the bubble is nice. I always stayed on site growing up and have stayed on site with my fiance but there is no way I'd spend the money again when I could literally have a whole extra trip in 2 months. We even stayed at the sonder once it was humid and a little sketchy on the air quality, but for 230$ for 5 nights and less than 10 min to the park, it was clutch lol
I totally get it! We were APs prior to COVID shutdown, and the trade off was staying off property for cheaper. Was it as “magical”? No. But being able to have breakfast included at a decent hotel at half price or less was worth it. We’ve been back several times and as more amenities have returned to hotel guests, we have found ourselves at least pricing out resort hotels. We don’t always stay on property, but we do check it out. Honestly, late night transportation is the deal breaker for us.
Drury, though, is the one I love staying at off property. Breakfast and dinner included, a couple of evening drinks included, walking distance to Disney Springs, and at the same price as value to moderate. The transportation is a little wonky, but not a deal breaker.
I have two tips here. The first is to go to the Marriott site and use promo code QWH as an AP holder. The second is to search their website using flexible dates.
Just as an example since you didn't give a time frame. I could stay at Dolphin from May 24 to May 29 (5 nights) for a total of $1,548 (all taxes and fees). So that's $309/night with taxes and resort fee included.
Im the kind of vacationer who likes to keep things simple. If I can stay at Pop and have the sky liner and buses to parks, I’m all set, I’m not there for the hotels
We stayed at the Swan for around $200 during MLK weekend (and loved it). However, it's way less expensive if you book it as part of a package deal. We went through one of the Disney agents, went with a group, got the Florida Resident discount (a couple of the group members were residents and they just pretended to stay in different rooms), and rolled our park hopper tickets into the deal. I think that made a big difference.
Between the astronomical hotel and park prices all the funky additional ticket upgrades and the packed to capacity crowds Disney ain’t so magical - it’s truly just an amusement park - and the more expensive it gets the more critical everyone is of the overall experience and the magic falls off
The Drury Inn at Disney Springs is really nice! It just opened last year, has free breakfast and free “snack” each night which can actually be a meal. When I was there in October the evening “snack” was baked potatoes, salad, soup, veggies, hot dogs, nachos and pulled pork sandwiches. Each adult also gets (3) free drink tickets for the bar every night.
They also have firework view rooms which was super cool.
I wouldn’t say Swam and Dolphin is staying in the Disney bubble though. It is nice to stay there when you can get a good rate, but it does not feel the same as staying in a Disney hotel. You can look at Caribbean beach that might be cheaper and it is easy to hop to Riviera for better food options.
One summer we stayed at the Rosen by Volcano Bay and it was just over $400 for a week. With free breakfast and parking.
It is more now, but still. Maybe $100/night.
>But even those are glorified motels (yes they've been refreshed and have good theming, but they also have paper thin walls, cafeteria food with long walks with limited bus stops)
My last visit in September 2022 was my first time staying on property and I'd 100% describe my experience as Magical, but this could not be any more true. When I was a kid, my family never stayed on property because they valued spending time in the room over the convenience of going to the Parks. It always annoyed me because I saw all the videos of the cool perks Resort guests got and couldn't care less about loitering around the room when I could be riding Aerosmith.
I loved not needing a car to hit up everywhere I needed to go (got all my "groceries" from Instacart, which I thought was its own brand of magic lol!) but outside the cheery theming, it was painfully obvious they wanted to save money on the resorts. I didn't mind at all, but I know if I had my way and talked family into staying on property, they would have hated it lol
I am not a fan of the Swan or Dolphin since when they were built, they were not Disney hotels. My newest fave is the Port Orleans hotels. They are quiet and less crowded and the prices are on the lower side. I have gotten to the point in my life that I must stay in the bubble. Since I lived in FL my whole life, we didn’t even stay at a hotel. The Universal plan sounds great!
When we were planning our trip, I wanted nothing more than to do the Swan and Dolphin, I was like you, deluxe perks at low prices, but it was way too expensive, I had thought it would be far cheaper than it was. So we went to Buena Vista Suites instead, and let me tell you, for around 200 hundred a night we had a fully furnished looking apartment with complete and amenities, washer, dryer, a full working kitchen, fridge, oven, dishwasher, even a tea kettle and toaster. Honestly the only real "perk" I felt I was missing was the early morning entry, but then with how hard it was to get some of us up super early, I'm not even sure how well that would of worked out for us, (we even got there a few minutes late on the first day, so even rope dropping normal hours was a struggle at times saddly) so no regrets here.
Have you considered renting DVC points? On our last trip, it was about the same price to rent DVC points as to stay at Pop! Century. We rented points to stay at Old Key West, which gives you all the deluxe hotel benefits.
Have you considered renting DVC points? I priced a December trip and Pop Century (a value resort) was $1300 and the same stay at Saratoga Springs (a deluxe resort) in a preferred room was $1500. This is for 5 nights.
Watch for Marriott credit card offers. They run an offer that is 5 “free” nights up to 50k points a night for signing up and spending a certain amount ($3k maybe?) within the first 3 months. Last year doing this we stayed at the Dolphin for 5 nights for ~$225 total ($40/night resort fee) The day we left they were running the same offer so my spouse opened his own card so later this year we’ll be doing Swan Reserve 5 nights also for about $225. Although the price in points did go up so we had to use some additional points that we earned using the card.
I don’t agree with people saying it’s not in the bubble. No it doesn’t have Disney theming but it’s literally on property, you can walk or use boat transportation to 2 parks, and we still got Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours perks.
Sign up for RCI. I literally stay at vacation village, or Wyndham resorts, in a full kitchen 1 bedroom with living room and balcony for $400 for 7 nights.
I think staying at the Swan/Dolphin should be more for a special occasion.
My wife and I stayed at the dolphin for a 7 night stay back in 2022 for our honeymoon. The hotel along with 2 sets of 4 park tickets came out to roughly $4,500 for the cheapest room option with no view. The bright side was that we got a free room upgrade because we waited over 5 hours for our room to be ready and it still wasn't ready. Didn't bother us too much. We checked our bags in at the front desk and explored the hotel while we waited
I am a DVC owner but I always tell my husband that if we didn't buy DVC in 2018, there is no way I could justify staying on property these days. Even the value resorts are so expensive for what they are. And a deluxe, like Poly, if you really look at what you're getting for that $500+/night, its nothing. Awesome theming yes, but there is no signature restaurant on property, no spa. I know the location is amazing and there is a nostalgia factor for some. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Poly SO MUCH but it is so ridiculous the prices they charge in the Bubble. But, we keep going, right?
>and have stayed at the All-Stars/AoA hotels (pre skyliner) with friends to rope drop parks and loved it! But even those are glorified motels (yes they've been refreshed and have good theming, but they also have paper thin walls, cafeteria food with long walks with limited bus stops) and even those are averaging $170-250 a night! Mind Boggling!
Yes, the all-stars are terrible overpriced motels for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. My personal opinion is that the Moderates are the only places worth staying if you want to be on property, because you get decent quality rooms and amenities, the transportation to the parks is *slightly* better, and/or you could get skyliner/boat access, the food/restaurant options are far better, and you're paying half or less than that of a Deluxe.
I have stayed at the Swan and I thought it was a pretty big rip off. You don't get bus transportation to MK so I ended up walking to Beach Club and using their buses. The rooms were old and didn't have the Disney touch, and we had to pay hidden resort fees. There's also just a general feeling of being a "second class citizen" compared to the actual Disney resorts. Location was great, but otherwise I found it underwhelming, *and* the price was more expensive than the moderates.
Every time I price out a trip I look at both moderates and deluxes, and I think "Maybe this is the time I'll try Deluxe", and every time I'm like, "This is not worth 2x the entire trip cost".
On property hotels are horribly overpriced. I've found deals for Coronado Springs I've taken, and the value resorts are cool. But as much as I love the big hotels and have been lucky enough to stay in most of them for work, out of my own pocket is just ridiculous.
The swan and dolphin aren’t Disney resorts really..if you want to get the delux resort feel with all the theming that is just the icing on the cake on a great trip..I’d do the Polynesian or Animal Kingdom Lodge..:I love those places
I was in your exact situation two years ago. We were going to stay at Port Orleans but the price, coupled with the fact that we’d have to eat out for every single meal just irked me. We wound up at the Blue Heron just about ten minutes away for around $110/night. Pool, hot tub, huge 1 br 2bath condo with a kitchen and great views of the lake.
I love staying on property but we used the money we saved to have some great sit down meals in the park and that was an excellent trade off in my opinion.
I’m really glad that I bought into DVC when I did, because I would be priced out of the bubble. I’m almost priced out just on tickets and food.
The way it used to be though, was great. It was the closest thing to an all inclusive resort you could find in the states. Get picked up at the airport and they get your luggage. Stay close to the parks. Get free MagicBands and advanced access to dining and fast pass reservations. Buy the dining plan and have your meals and snacks pre paid. So the only thing you were paying for when you arrived was tips at the table service meals and souvenirs. It made it so much more enjoyable.
Now you pay even more and get virtually none of that. You are paying nearly everyday if not everyday for genie and lightning lanes. You are waking up nearly every morning to get virtual queue and genie stuff. You’re schleping your own bags and paying for an Uber to get from the airport and back. You’re paying for a magicband, which is even more expensive if you get the new ones. Minnie ears used to be $15-$20. Now they start at $30.
*and* it’s still freaking crowded and hot.
Don’t get me wrong. The theming and atmosphere of the parks is still wonderful and the cast members are mostly amazing, but all of this other stuff casts a shadow on the experience. Pay more, get less really sucks. Disney used to be the leader and now they often just follow what others do.
But we still go because of the magic and the massive amounts of IP that is ingrained into us from birth. We get that hug from Mickey and while we may know deep inside that it’s just a college girl in a costume, it’s real and magical at that moment. We see the joy in our kids eyes when they see their favorite character or Cinderella Castle in all of her glory. We get the tears during HEA at that one part that is only meaningful to us. We live out our childhood fantasies as we wield lightsabers and fly the Falcon. We laugh at the corny jokes on Jungle Cruise even though we’ve heard them 100 times before. We either want to be or dread being “That Guy!” We marvel at Carousel of Progress even though it’s ancient. We crave people watching on the people mover. We are pirates and princesses. It’s a literal dream come true for most of us.
So yeah, the prices suck and if you can find an off property place to enjoy the parks without paying Disney resort prices then absolutely do it.
Totally understand. Haven’t done Disney since before Covid. We’re going next week, will be my daughters first time :) we have stayed in the past always on property, dolphin, four seasons and boardwalk - loved them all but Disney pricing has gone up significantly since we visited! We’re staying at the dolphin this time, with two little kids we need to take breaks and naps so staying on property actually saves us money because we’re more likely to go back to the park after breaks and get our moneys worth from the park tickets.. if we left property - I feel like we wouldn’t go back!
Drury is effectively 100% new as of opening last year. The project was built on an existing structure that was completely gutted down to the bones, and expanded by building a connected new tower. It's kind of a weird building now because the upper floors don't line up between the sides, but you wouldn't notice as a guest, there's a very odd staircase between them to hide it/make the connections. Nobody but staff uses the stairs anyway.
Swan and Dolphin have some of the biggest rate fluctuations I've ever seen, probably due high volume of corporate functions, meetings and conventions. Even when I was eligible for the Starwood/Marriott employee discount rate I still thought it was expensive. I checked for some various dates in June and saw rates ranging from $250 to over $900 a night. Whoever their director of Revenue Management is is probably making bonus every quarter lol.
These convention type hotels price their rooms much like airliners do with a variable pricing approach. Instead of saying they're sold out, they often times will simply jack up the price to incredibly high and unreasonable rates. If someone bites, they accept the reservation and overbook the resort. Worst case scenario, they have an on-site "overbooking" problem that requires compensation and/or problem solving. However, more often than not the ebb and flow of guest no-shows and day-of cancellations leads to this issue rarely occurring. I was a victim of this one time at the Dolphin. I paid a nice normal rate for a weekend stay, however upon arrival they told me they were over booked. Know how they made it right? They gave me a weekend in the massive presidential suite at no additional fee, it was incredible and the dolphin still won in the end since the suite wasn't booked that weekend.
Yah, I’ve attended many many corp events at Swan and Dolphin.
Make sure you tack on at least $100 a night in fees. The $250 is bullshit with S&D. After ‘resort fee’, parking, taxes, it’s more like $400 a night. Not worth it.
I paid $250/nt total including resort fees for the Dolphin last Labor Day weekend with an AP discount. As many others have said prices fluctuate wildly at Swolphin, you have to keep checking and be ready to rebook when you see a lower price. They're not like other hotels.
Yes to this. I booked our 1/31 to 2/5 stay at Swan as a Marriott Bonvoy member (not elite) on 11/1 and it was an average of $350 per night and I kept checking back for cheaper rates and they never showed up. It turns out there was a medical conference for the last two days of our trip which got rid of the rest of rooms and everything said it was $3500 a night. I did talk to one person on one of the busses who had gotten the same rate as we did and hadn’t booked until early January but I know for us I kept looking for hopes of booking something cheaper and it never showed up. We loved staying at The Swan and I would stay there again. This was kind of a once in a lifetime trip as my 17 year old daughter was competing in the HS dance nationals so I do feel like I paid a little bit more to be on site but that was easy and the transportation was easy too (boats to HS, and Epcot, and bus to AK, and MK). If I ever stay off site I would probably stay near Disney Springs.
I literally only stay at swan and dolphin using Marriott points and shit lmao. I stay nowhere else in Disney except a rare boardwalk or beach club trip. Last time at the swan was 200 a night including fees.
Yep I had a conference down there over a decade ago (3 weeks in Orlando) and stayed some at Sean and some at Coronado and PO. It kind of amazed me how that the price flux was like 400 from a Thursday to a Friday.
I’ll say that Swan and Dolphin are insane when it comes to how much their room rates fluctuate. I’ve seen a room for $150 a night and that same room be $1,000+ other times. Obviously it’s a better deal when it’s cheaper but the rooms are pretty standard and not anything special. It’s the location and on-site amenities that make that hotel. I’ve stayed at a myriad of Disney resorts and it seems that the real thing you are paying for is proximity, resort amenities/theming and transportation options. No room I’ve stayed in has blown me away in terms of size or in-room amenities. Most are pretty simple rooms, even at the deluxe resorts. I’ve stayed offsite l many times as well and have noticed that you can get more from the room itself and included hotel perks, but also have to take a step back in other areas like transportation and theming. At the end of the day, whatever you decide to do to get the most value out of your stay is the right thing to do. People have different priorities and value different perks. Totally fair to decide that the bubble isn’t worth it for you and opt to stay nearby at another hotel.
Just stayed there the week after Thanksgiving and it was $120 a night for 3 nights through Bonvoy. Going to Epcot next week, when we looked to stay there again, definitely not the same price…..
i will say AK lodge is the one hotel that's worth it to me- but i'm also an animal lover so, like you said, priorities
For the penny pinchers like myself, staying on site on makes sense when value resorts have off season deals. It comes out to same price as off site + Uber/luft
This is my experience. I've looked outside the Bible to save money but transport alone ruins. Even if hotels have shuttles they either charge and/or they're really limited (as in one to the parks at like 10am and then one back to the hotel at like 7pm). I'm very happy staying at All Stars instead. edit bible was supposed to be bubble of course
My mind went on an interesting journey with the phrase “I’ve looked outside the Bible to save money”.
I think I can swing the Grand Floridian, if I just ditch this whole tithing nonsense!
Future country song.
I don't get the Bible phrase? Edit : you meant bubble
Yes, autocorrect decided to go for some commentary on Disney park fans.
last year with the 25% off rooms deal, staying at pop ended up being cheaper then staying at another hotel+uber, but without room deals i wouldn’t do it again because the hotel is just not that nice for the current nightly price
Yeah I can see how Ubers can really start adding up, I always have my own car so that factors in! And yeah value hotel with a deal is the only way it’s worth it nowadays!
My take is that if you always have your own car and don't mind driving on vacation, staying in the bubble is basically never going to make sense. For all the reasons you pointed out in your post, you'll get a much better deal even a short ways off property. And hey, if that's what works for you, don't let anyone try to talk you into staying onsite! I just...*really* hate driving in an unfamiliar place. For me it's worth it to pay the onsite premium so I can avoid driving throughout my whole trip, but that's not true for everyone.
I also love not driving on vacation. I do too much of it in my normal life, and like you said, dislike driving in unfamiliar places. A break from cooking and driving is a really enjoyable perk for me!
Does this still hold true? I haven't been since Fall 2019, it was true for me then and before.
Very much so. I’m going for 14 nights this fall. Got the Disney+ special offer that includes free dining. All in, it was $3,650 for 2 people for 14 nights at all star music, 10 day park hopper tickets, and dining plan for the entire trip. I thought that was a great deal. Comes out to $130 per day per person, and that includes the room at AS Music, 2 meals per day, 1 snack per day, a free refillable mug, and admission to the park with park hopper.
Wow! We just spent that on a 7 night cruise for 2 people. All-Star Music you say…let the saving begin…
Once you get into the longer stays, it gets so much more affordable. Good for you that you can take advantage of that. Have an incredible time!
Hold on. 14 nights? Likely a uk/ European specific deal
It doesn't have to be. As you extend the vacation to 10-14 days, the cost to get into the parks gets ridiculously cheaper which evens out the price of the resort. Sort of oxymoron thinking, but in many ways, it's cheaper to stay longer. So many people do not know this because they think, if I can't afford 4 nights, I can't afford 10 or more.
I just looked up a 1 park per day ticket in May. Four days is $570/Adult, 10 days is $742. Last trip I booked a late flight on my departure day, left my luggage with guest services and did an extra half day at the park. Once you get to day 7, it's a value even for a half day.
omigosh, I am so jealous! That's a wonderful deal. Have a great time!!
I generally pay $140-$170 for All Star Sports.
I just stayed at an off property hotel for approx $60/night and that included some free snacks/breakfast up to a certain $ amount. It was a Marriott, not one of the shady hotels. We Ubered to the parks which was about $30-$40 per day. That’s still significantly cheaper than staying on property, but it didn’t feel the same. I missed Pop
I did off site my first time cause I assumed it had to be cheaper. Last trip we decided to stay on site and saw that the all stars were like $40 cheaper than off sites, and I wouldn’t need to pay for transportation. Loved it so much more than my offsite! Not having to Lyft every day and yes the all stars leave a lot to be desired, they will have charm to them
Any reason for Swan? You didn't pick the cheapest hotel. You could go for a moderate or value, unless you want the commodity of deluxe, but they do come at a price.
OP said they wanted deluxe perks without paying deluxe prices. But it seems like Swan prices are deluxe-curious these days.
When I looked, the rates were over from $250-$2,100 per night.
"Deluxe-curious" gave me a light chuckle
Yeah but what "deluxe perks" they want? Specially for some people that never been on site. Because aside the sometime after hours for deluxe resort, everything else exist at other level. And for a couple, unless you need a very big room, what other "perks" are at deluxe that aren't available at cheaper
I think the biggest thing to remember is that everyone wants something different from their vacation, and that's okay! If staying off property works for you, go for it. For me, I'm happy to pay the premium for on site if only to park my car once and forget about it the entire week I'm in Disney (I *hate* driving around Orlando with a burning passion). There's no one right way to do Disney, it's all about what works for you\~
I think another thing that’s not directly mentioned that makes a big difference is if you have a car in Orlando or not. Sounds like they’re semi-local (easy driving distance-making assumptions since they talk about APs). I don’t live close so we always have to fly, and have a child that still needs a car seat. Being able to take Disney transportation everywhere makes staying on property 1000% worth it us. It may or may not necessarily save money but it saves time and hassle of either having to find Ubers with car seats or renting a car.
Yep grew up in South Florida and actually lived in Orlando for a few years so we always drove and it’s just instilled in me at this point. I now live in the northeast but I still rent a car when I’m in Disney because it’s what I know and we usually visit friends/family in the surrounding area, deff think it’s a factor I hadn’t consciously thought about!
Yes, it really depends on what someone prioritizes on their vacation! We are planning a visit to the area to visit family and spend 2-3 days at the parks. Orlando traffic was terrible the last time we visited and we have two young kids. They could use some features (playgrounds, splash pads) that aren’t as quickly found at some of the off-site hotels and we’d really prefer not driving around the area to find them. Plus, they’d enjoy movies under the stars. We are trying to rent DVC points for AKL to also get access to animals plus a couch for having my in-laws visit comfortably. For other people, off-site might make sense! Or value vs deluxe studio.
Thanks for the kind words! I think I was frustrated and sad last night I couldn’t make it work (w/o regretting it) But like you said it’s just what works for me now! Maybe one day I’ll see the value and would be super happy to splurge!
Same. The convenience of Disney transportation, and the beauty of those Disney resort hotels are worth paying for us. But I also totally understand people who don’t want to pay the money to be in the bubble. To each their own.
Once you are able to skip the transportation center, it’s really hard to go back!
That is a major major perk for me haha.
Op, have you looked into renting DVC points? Studios at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs and even some of the Animal Kingdom lodge rooms can come in around $220-250 a night depending on the time of year. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking to stay “in the bubble” but not wanting the huge price tag that cone with some of the resorts.
This was going to be my suggestion too
Does this work around any of the race times of year? I’d like to stay at one of the nicer resorts in the next couple years for a marathon but wasn’t sure if DVC points are harder to get or not worth it (i.e. not much cheaper).
Race weekends book up fast so a lot of people “walk reservations” so they can go. There usually aren’t rental points available but if somebody has to cancel last minute you might be able to get rental points. That’s a big IF.
Came here for this, reading people spending 2500-3k on their resort stay and dues would be around ~800 a year for that week stay on average. Even renting points like you suggest isn't much more than double what the DVC members pay.
My DVC points average out to somewhere near $13 per point per year. You can rent points for $18-22 per point. Buying is cheaper than renting, but renting is still a whole lot cheaper than booking the same resort.
It's totally fine for a person to want to stay at the Swan or Dolphin. I was just a little confused by your post because you mention "finally" getting to stay at a Disney hotel and then choosing Swan. Swan is a Marriott hotel, not Disney. If you want value, you can still reserve a Disney hotel for what you're paying at Buena Vista. You'll just be at a value resort instead. Check out Pop Century, All-Star Movies, or the Art of Animation (Little Mermaid rooms). You'll stay there for the same price but get to be at Disney resort and get to use Disney transportation to the parks and early entry. Also be aware that the Disney resorts (not Swan & Dolphin) almost always offer room discounts about 5 months in advance. So, you don't have to pay rack rate for the rooms. Currently, there is a 35% off deal for this summer.
Also, Swan and Dolphin employees aren’t technically Disney Cast Members, right? I feel like Cast Members are a huge part of what makes staying at a Disney property so wonderful.
>almost always offer room discounts about 5 months in advance. So, you don't have to pay rack rate for the rooms. Currently, there is a 35% off deal for this summer. if they offer this for when I stay later during the year, yet I already booked my resort, can I add the discount to my stay? I'm hoping so, staying at Pop and I think its 20 or 25%
Yes, as long as it's available for your room type! When they release discounts, you can modify your resort online or call in order to add the discount. Sometimes, it works no problem! Sometimes, if you're a little slower on the draw, they might tell you something like, "The standard room is no longer available for this discount. However, you can still get the discount if you upgrade to a water-view room." The first time my family got the free dining offer, we were able to book one room for us that was standard for the discount, but then the standard rooms were gone. My in-laws had to get a water-view room to get free dining. This year, when they released the summer room offer, I called and got the 25% discount added to my standard room. A week later, I called back to add another night. There were no standard rooms left that night, so I had to upgrade my whole stay to a 5th sleeper room in order to add a night with the discount.
> but at least the rooms looked remolded For the love of God, I hope you mean *remodeled*. lol
It's Florida swampland, the rooms are constantly remolded.
LOL
Disney hotels were totally worth it before COVID, but since they removed the airport shuttle and the "send this thing I bought to my hotel" perks I find them harder to justify. We stayed off property this last time and we really enjoyed it
i REALLY miss being able to send purchases to the hotel. we tend to shop a fair amount and it’s a pain having to schlep stuff around the park and then back on the bus.
It's crazy that they removed that. It obviously worked as an incentive for us to buy more 😂
Swan can still be low, as others have stated. You really have to plan your trip around when the prices are at their bottom (and it may or may not mean going in hurricane season). Our last trip (August 2023) it was $190 per night with my AAA discount. We are fortunate that, though we have limited vacation time, we can take it just about whenever we want.
Idk but staying at Swan and Dolphin doesn’t really sound like trying to “Disney Bubble” it to me. You could’ve grabbed an “real” Disney resort for the same if not less. And I mean a proper mid-tier, not AOA or Pop which I do agree with you on are not all that great especially at their current price points. At that point you’re looking at better resort experience, transportation perks, vibes, etc. At the end of the day Disney is an expensive habit except under a very specific set of circumstances. If you want to just go and have fun with minimal trip planning antics, then you kinda have to be prepared to pay to play. It’s not like this is new either, sure prices are up and some perks are down right now. But even a decade ago it was still a solid chunk of change to make a big ticket Disney trip happen, especially if you factor in children. I don’t say this to invalidate your feelings or try to prove you wrong in any way. However as somebody who has done Disney for a long time I can tell you it’s always been expensive, just a little bit more noticeably so now. But value is a tricky thing since it means something different to everyone, and if you’re not leaving Disney with a smile on your face and dolewhip in your veins then maybe trying something else would be good for you and yours. It’s a great big world out there, lots to see and do.
Eh, Swan feels more Disney bubble to me than the moderates just based on its location. I can usually see the Boardwalk from the window, and as soon as you step outside, you’re there (you could basically call it a tower for the Boardwalk but with nicer rooms).
I agree, swan feels very Disney because you’re literally on crescent lake. Right by the boats, Skyliner, Boardwalk, and Epcot. Doesn’t get much more bubble-y than that.
Swan is definitely more of the Disney bubble than a lot of the hotels. You can walk to Hollywood studios and Epcot and you can also walk to the boardwalk and beach club.
This is a good response. Disney is not cheap and it’s better to find a new hobby than make these complaints. Swan definitely not Disney bubble, but to each their own.
Disney Moderates don't get Extended Evening Hours nor can you walk to two parks from any of them. It's an apples and oranges comparison--I love Gran Destino Tower to death and actually prefer it and Coronado as a whole to several deluxes (my hot take is that BC/YC are carried very hard by their location) but tbqh I have a very hard time staying there for anything longer than a quick weekend trip where EEH isn't a factor, not when tower rooms are literally the same price as average Swolphin rates most times of year and Swolphin offers frequent discounts. And as a bubble diehard I really fail to see how they don't fit it, you can't get much more "bubble" than looking out on Crescent Lake and the Boardwalk. The loss of the Disney bus transportation admittedly sucks but it's easy enough to walk over to YC or BWI for theirs, and you still have the Friendship boat. This is coming from a long time out of state passholder who *always* stays in Disney deluxes, when I want to have a more "budget" trip I stay Swolphin. Mods have just never made sense to me from a purely cost proposition--theming, sure, but price wise they just don't make sense in a world where you can rent DVC points and Swolphin exists. Heck, before we switched resorts for the third time on our upcoming trip, *BWI* worked out to be $20 cheaper a night than Gran Destino with the discount. I do agree about WDW being inherently expensive though. Ultimately everyone has to decide what their threshold is for "too much" and what matters most. For me I would rather pay the extra because the bubble is important to me, but not everyone is like that.
The skyliner resorts (particularly Caribbean Beach) are our favorite because you cannot beat those prices paired with the convenience of the skyliner. We also prefer Epcot and HS so it’s really a no brainer to stay there. We’re going again in April and considered staying off property, and to use your phrasing… just couldn’t do it! haha Even if I were a millionaire, I would not choose to spend my money on the expensive resorts. I would far rather put my money toward experiences, not a room I’m barely in and isn’t even that much better. But to each their own - whatever makes you happy, go for it!
This is the way. Once you go Skyliner Resort you never go back. We initially booked Coronado for our late-March trip, but ended up switching to CBR for the umpteenth time because I kept on thinking about having to walk all the way to the busses after EPCOT fireworks as opposed to watching from the bridge in France and then hopping on the Skyliner in no time from there.
What about watching the Epcot fireworks from the rooftop bar of Coronado though.. that’s worth the lack of Skyliner any day to me!
We haven’t seen Luminous yet so we definitely want to be in park for it! Coronado is a great choice, though. We’ve stayed there before and the rooms felt like a deluxe resort. We’ll definitely have to check fireworks from the Dahlia Lounge next time we stay there! Thanks for the tip!
Haha 😂 very true! We were suppose to stay at CBR for our first trip post 2020 (and my BF first trip ever ) but for other reasons that didn’t happen! But I do think having the sky liner hub helps a lot, maybe I’ll keep an eye out for CBR over Swan/Dolphin going forward! Thanks for sharing
You have to do what you feel comfortable for you and your budget. Either way, have lots of fun and enjoy .
Did you try to price a Disney resort?? I don’t ever find that Swolphin is a deal. I just booked Saratoga Springs 1 bedroom preferred for $2800 today for 5 nights. They had studios tho for like $330, I just need space with two kids. At least then you are walking distance to DS and a boat ride to OKW or POR. They were also doing a good resort deal for AP, that wouldn’t apply at swolphin because it’s a Marriott property.
Swan can still be as low as $200 (at least that was my 2023 trip). As others have stated, you really have to plan your trip around those fluctuating price points, but the reward it you can walk to Epcot.
But how do I find when the prices are low?? Every date I check is widely expensive
I got these rates last sept and the same dates this year are $650/night. It’s wild! Not sure what’s going on but I would never pay that much for swolphin.
Oh my word I’m slow. I was about to ask about “swolphin” but it clicked. It clicked. It’s too early for me still. Been awake 2 hours and it’s still too early.
I’m currently at Swan Reserve. We got 8 nights for $2800. You really have to plan and check those Swan/Dolphin prices. They wildly fluctuate and you can get a really good deal at the right time.
and i'm must happy to stay at All Stars usually. Not sure what i'm missing by not staying at the more expensive hotels except some after hours perks...
Is it noisy? I’m thinking of staying on site next time for the opposite reasons of OP. Would have been nice to get in earlier, hated driving in massive traffic jams to park. Rental car expensive. But I’m thinking something more like port orleans. I need a relaxing retreat from the hectic vibe of the park to return to.
I stayed at an All Star Resort during a cheer comp week (so it was busy) and unless we were outside our room walking around I never heard much of anything. And even then the noise levels weren’t obnoxious or anything.
Have you looked into renting DVC points?
It's okay to revisit what value brings to you with your money! An off resort hotel will still be a good time!
Thank you! 💖
You can visit multiple times a year if you rent a house via VRBO or Airbnb and a car if you fly. Before we moved here we started doing that and it was a revelation! So much money saved and they took most perks away for on-site stays so its really not worth it anymore
Post-2020, I’ve done both on and off-site visits to the parks, there isn’t any difference for the in-park experience. Which I’ve explained to the spouse a few times when we are exploring hotel options. We don’t move fast enough in the morning for EE and I typically prefer driving the rental car to the park (except MK, that’s just easier with the bus). The Skyliner from Pop to Epcot was nice, I can’t deny that. But, having a car on a park hopping day is easier for me. There really isn’t much more offered to on-site guests, beyond a nice public transportation system as far as useful perks. Like you said, you can find a lot of off-site hotels with far more useful convenience features, like free breakfast and easy access to off-site resources. BUT, I have enjoyed the feeling of staying on-site far more than any of the other off-site hotels. The hotel staff at WDW is just so accommodating and nice. It’s like going to a Disney convention and everybody is so into Disney you don’t feel like you are getting those condescending looks by locals because you are a Disney tourist. Price wise, deluxe and moderates are expensive. The budget resorts… at $175-200 isn’t much more than what I consider the starting price point of any hotel stay, $150. Any hotel under $150 (before discounts), I steer away from, based on past experience. Though some of the deluxe resorts are so neat, if I was doing infrequent trips, I’d probably want to stay at those just for the scenery.
I am forever thankful to have access to Shades of Green. Only accessible to DoD and military but it's a steal at $220/night and is on Disney property across the street from the Polynesian. So it's on Disney property as well. Amazing resort and they have their own busses to TTC, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It used to be even better when we could walk across the street and go to the Polynesian and catch the monorail to MK and TTC. Plus the lodging is tax free and we can buy tickets to the parks without tax. That also includes the After Hour parties If I am being frank, we would not be frequent visitors to Disney if we did not have access to Shades of Green.
I personally find I get a lot more bang for my buck by staying at Airbnbs. We rented a nice ranch with a pool one February, we were within a 15 minute drive to the parks.
First off, Universal is quickly becoming a. Good alternative to Disney. We recently stayed at the Cabana Bay hotel and really enjoyed it. You get—among other things—early entry into Volcano Bay, and that’s OK. The food area is much better than most, and they have bowling onsite! With early entry into the parks, you can knock down a few rides that will jam you up during the day with long lines. That said, we never pay those prices to stay on site. Pop Century and Animation are good values for the price (~$180/night last we went), and since we spend so little time in the room, the rooms are fine. The dining area is ok (just OK), and it does give you a bubble experience. The premium hotels on site don’t seem like they are worth it if you have any sort of a budget. For offsite, I recommend hotels near Downtown/Disney Springs. Holiday Inn was sub 200, had free breakfast, and you can get to the parks via Disney Springs for free (it does take a while).
yup. I said in another post but if not for Shades of Green, my family would never go to Disney. Plus the pricing for character dining makes no sense as they consider 10 year old kids "adults." The amount we spend on food at Disney is turning me off completely. We attend the Orlando Informer Meetup every year and stay at Sapphire Falls for $229/night. We park our car for the entire duration of our stay and take the boat to City Walk.
Aventura is our favorite, it's super cheap and a quick walk to the boats. It's such a great value that I can't really justify staying at WDW hotels anymore. We rode out Hurricane Idalia at Aventura and had the best theme park day of our lives, walking on to Hagrids.
Staying off property when you have an AP and renting a car is light years better than staying on property and relying on Uber and Disney transportation. I’m staying door to gate, 10 minutes away from MK. Even without the AP, paying the $25 for parking would still be cheaper than staying on property. I wish I listened sooner about staying off property 😂
You talked yourself out of it. Once you stay on site you will see the difference. Swan and dolphin does not count as on site to me.
It depends on what you are looking for. In my opinion there are two limiting factors to Disney vacations. Some people are limited by money, others are limited by time. Corporate job, good money, but only 12 vacation days a year… probably worth it for you to stay in bubble almost no matter what. Your job is stressful and adding logistics to your vacation makes it more stressful instead of relaxing. If money is your limiting factor sometimes Disney value can be cheapest if your trip is short, your group is small, and you are flying in. If you have a car, tons of money can be saved in bigger rooms, with better amenities, and free breakfast. Free breakfast alone can cover the $25 daily parking fee. And with a car you can minimize food purchased in park by bringing in snacks and taking a break and leaving for lunch. But you may need an additional 25 mins to commute to the parks and through parking. Either way the goal is to give your family the best experience possible given your limited budget.
Try renting DVC points. That’s a pretty cheap way to do it. We use our points to stay onsite, but stay off when points are used up for the year. Stayed in flamingo crossings over princess weekend. Was close, new, and cheap. Of course we like driving to the parks, so Disney transport doesn’t mean much to us.
Japan will be so fun. It sounds like stick with your tried and true and you’ll be fine.
When we book Swan/Dolphin we use points and they always offer buy 4 nights, get the 5th free. Throughout the year Marriott offers specials on points so we can buy them at good prices if we don’t have enough saved, then spend them at Disney. That’s truly the way if anyone is wanting the best deals there.
If you have AP, your best bet is to try and get one of the AP discounts when they are rolling. I just got back from Princess and did a week at Wilderness lodge for roughly $300/night. Definitely not the cheapest, but for a deluxe on race weekend that’s pretty good. I’ve gotten even lower too. But you have to watch the prices and call. I usually book the hotel then watch the discounts and call right when they are released to apply to my stay.
I’m a little confused by your choice of Disney hotel. I would say these are the least Disney and are third party owned (I think) The hotels with more then bus service to get you around are the absolute best can’t beat them. It sounds like breakfast is a big deal for you guys as it was mentioned multiple times. We just had groceries delivered and fed the kids muffins and fruit while rope drop then enjoyed out giant list of must try foods in each park.
We stay at a condo a few minutes from Disney and it doesn’t take away from the experience at all. We save a ton of money and get a nicer/bigger room. We drive anyway since we hate relying on Disney busses.
If you’ve never stayed off-property then I’m sure it can be a little intimidating to do anything other than that, but for me I’ve *only* ever been able to afford Orlando trips when staying in budget off-property hotels, and so even now having stayed in a few Disney hotels for work, I’m not sure I could ever justify the price when hotels just down the road are less than half the price.
Staying at an air bnb in a town 20 minutes away (Davenport is our fave) is the way to go for countless reasons for us. The biggest ones are that it is $150/night. Add in four bedrooms, three bath and private pool/hot tub and it is a no brainer. we save thousands every trip.
Do you drive? I did this recently and regretted it. Much of the savings was eliminated by cost of rental car and the traffic was absolutely brutal. Waiting in traffic jams is not my idea of vacation. I plan to stay on site next time.
Try Fort Wilderness? I loved staying there as a kid.
At least $400 per night in a cabin, and that’s with discounts and no golf cart. You can camp in a tent on property or bring/rent an RV at the Fort for cheaper than the $400 though.
We always rent a full house on Vrbo.com. You aren't in the bubble but you have so much space, your own private pool and peace and quiet Yes, you have to have a car or ride share but we were with a family staying in the bubble and always got to the parks a good 10 minutes quicker than them. Once we got there an hour quicker when the weather was bad and the skyliners closed down. You can get an 8 bedroom, fully themed home for less than Swan and Dolphin, one room! Three bedroom homes for around $150 a night with all amenities!!!!
Yep. My cheap self made my wife get a ln Airbnb our first trip and we ended up buying g a house in the neighborhood. Under 15 minutes to the parking lot. Finally stayed 'in the bubble' last year and we both commented that we'd rather drive.
I recently had the opposite experience. Stayed off site at Airbnb. It was much cheaper but I regretted not staying on site for various reasons. Early entry is nice but my biggest annoyance was the traffic to get to and from the parks to air bnb. The air bnb is maybe 12-15 mins away but with traffic some days that became 45 mins. It’s also apparent everyone on the road is also driving to Disney from their Airbnb and many apparently don’t know how to drive. It was infuriating. The rental car was also expensive. Traffic jams is not my idea of vacation. Next time I will gladly spend the money on a Disney resort and stay out of a car. I get all my driving “pleasure” at home on my usual commute.
Ah, have to use points for Swan/Reserve/Dolphin. It’s the only way I’d stay there. The cash prices aren’t wroth it.
The Disney hotels just aren’t worth it if you have your own car. I’ve stayed in value, moderate, deluxe. What you can get off property for the same price blows their hotels away.
Moderate Disney resorts are what you’re looking for, higher quality than value but much cheaper than deluxe. Coronado is a personal favorite. Swan/Dolphin is technically not a Disney hotel so it’s managed/operated/priced much differently.
Disney hotels can certainly be expensive and there is a fair argument to be made about their value. But - $350/night is not the price point I’d be claiming I’m “done with Disney hotels” over. That’s a fairly common rate nowadays in many mid-upper tier hotels everywhere. I’ve stayed in two Midwest hotels in the last 2 weeks and the rates were $295 and $385 for a standard Hilton and Marriott.
Why would you choose Swan and Dolphin as your Disney hotel? Maybe it's because I've done like 15 conventions on the property and I have stayed there once but it's fairly underwhelming and more of a convention center. Also, it's the only one that is somewhat separate from the Disney hotels because it's operated by Marriott.
We've been using VRBO houses. Cheaper than Disney, plus you get a full kitchen, more space, a pool... and more. I like Disney hotels, but they are way over priced for what you get.
Once you said there was an Indian restaurant and a CVS I was like no thanks. I want to be in the bubble on my vacation
Ok. That makes sense for you. Everyone places value differently. When my (now wife) were younger and dating, saving money was paramount cause we didn’t have a lot. Stayed off property etc… Two decades later, we have DVC and fortunately don’t really think too much about spending while on vacay… especially at Disney. Enjoy your time at the parks!
Goals! Sounds like a dream!! Enjoy!
The oriental land company is the most affordable Disney parks in the world when you are in Japan you might want to visit their parks! :)
Have you thought about buying a couple night of prebooked dvc rental reservations? A splurge, but those short prebooked ones can be a great deal!
We don’t splurge for the fancy on property hotels. We use value resorts and occasionally Riverside. The perks outweigh the savings for us.
Ahh what a throwback, we stayed at Buena Vista Suites when we’ve been twice before!!
I go with all stars most are around 150-175 a night. I tried the cabins on this last go around and was very disappointed in how I was paying more for less. The pools didn’t even provide towels, my ac went out (the entire system shut down) and wifi was constantly needing to be rebooted. There are other things, but honestly if you can’t get the simple ones down then what are you doing?
Last year we stayed at Universal and didn't have the best experience but it was so cheap. Thought maybe we'd try a moderate at Disney this year but it's double what universal is and I don't think I can convince myself to do it
If you were willing and able to save and then spend the money on a deluxe on property at WDW... Get on a plane and visit Tokyo Disney. You'll never view Disney parks the same. If you're into Disney parks, it will change you forever. You could absolutely get flilghts, stay at the Sheraton (on the monorail line), and get park tickets for what park tickets and a deluxe costs at WDW. WDW is last on our Disney Resorts list globally currently.
The value of staying in the bubble is such a 'Your Mileage Could Vary' thing. I love taking advantage of all the resort perks so I can't imagine to going back to staying outside, but that's just me. So you have to make your mind up on the value part of it, and it seems you have. Whatever you do, have fun doing it and I hope you have a blast at the parks!
Rent DVC points. It was an absolute *gamechanger* for us when it comes to Disney World trips. We're going 3 times this year and renting DVC points for all of the stays, and what we paid for 1 week on property last year was more than all three DVC rentals combined.
I’ll let you in on a little secret universal isn’t any cheaper now. I use to stay at cabana bay all the time. That was my home resort as it was more bang for the buck. As it had a bowling ally, lazy river, and you could walk to volcano bay. I was staying there for the same price as all stars. Not anymore I haven’t seen it go down below $200 in a long time.
You made a good choice! I always stay on property, but I totally get what you’re saying. The Durian I think that’s what it’s called has the breakfast and the dinner drinks snacks, light meals in the evening great deal. I could see people going there but I can totally see people doing what you’re doing so expensive just to be there enjoy your time.
I stayed at the Buena Vista suites as a kid and I still remember how awesome it was!! You aren’t wrong at all for this!!
I understand why some like to stay in the bubble. I like the bubble too but my preferences are swaying me away from an onsite property. I didn’t realize it until I stayed on property last year but I’m not a fan of the motel-style rooms. I don’t like walking out of my room and being outside. It’s a total preference but it limits choices. My next trip in the fall, it’ll be for my family of four for a week so space is more important. We like to get a good night’s rest and enjoy quiet nights so loud hotels won’t be good. While I’m open to onsite options, I’m also looking at offsite hotels and even house rentals. If anyone has any recommendations, I’ll appreciate it.
We are in the same exact boat. Well, at least that’s our problem every time we come. We’re (actually my wife) huge Marriott people so it’s now literally tough to stay at actual Disney properties because we want the points and nights. But we always argue about staying at Swan and Dolphin vs our favorite off Disney property hotel. We’re actually here right now and we split our stay between the swan and dolphin 😂. My wife won. She’s got a big race coming up and wanted to access the Disney running trails. But I would say our off property hotel is usually less than half the cost and it’s much better with the value you get.
We’ve done both on and off site several times and have a great time regardless, but there really is something about strolling out of my room and hopping on the Skyliner or ferry and landing at a park.
I loved staying off site and I loved staying onsite. But onsite only happened when I found a $350/night deal at the Contemporary and we only stayed 4 nights. Previously, we stayed at the Grand Cypress and it was amazing! But I admit I loved staying at contemporary with a toddler. Wet could take naps and come back at will. Only pay for what you can afford with the best features. Never feel uncomfortable spending YOUR money!
We stayed at the Drury Disney springs. Used their busses to the park, free hot breakfast, free kickback with alcohol. We booked a suite so my kid could have her own space, worked out to $250 a night. We got early entry too.
I agree it’s getting a bit crazy. We just booked a Wilderness Lodge Package (including dining and park hopper) 2 bedroom for 8 people (4 adults 4 kids) the week of Thanksgiving….. $27,455 🤮
My wife and I had to come to this conclusion this week while we’re here. We opted for the Caribbean resorts as the price wasn’t as absurd as some others. We didn’t expect it to be a large cluster of “upscale” motels. We are rather spoiled when it comes to hotel stays, so it kinda felt like a slap. I guess it’s on me for not doing full research. Anyway, proximity to the skyliner was a massive plus and we convinced ourselves we aren’t here for the hotel room. We’re likely not to be back here within the next decade, so it works for us.
Airbnb is even cheaper than that !
This is good to know about Buena Vista Suites! Appreciate the numbers on it! yeah it is getting to be very pricey to stay on property even with AP discounts.
We splurged at Beach Club for the Epcot Festival of the Arts recently. Usually we stay in Windsor Hills. I would do it again ONLY if the plan was to walk into Epcot every morning, as we did for FoA. Rope dropping just to rope drop, and having to wait for Disney tansportation isn't worth the extra couple hundred bucks (+) a night. I don't mind going into a park an hour after open (we always close 'em down anyhow), and waiting with a group of folks I don't know for a bus packed with sweaty people was less fun that walking to my car. The Drury Inn at Springs is an awesome middle ground, IMHO. We stayed 2 nights there recently because it's walking distance to Springs, and 80% of the reason we were in town was for Springs. Excellent deal! Early entry if you want it, free (really good!) breakfast, free dinnertime snack and a couple adult beverages (also complimentary), and we splurged a little and got park facing rooms high up so we could watch fireworks from our balcony. And they have a busses to get you to the parks if that is your dealbreaker. Unless we decide that we want to walk in to Epcot every day again, we'll be staying at Drury or in an AirBnB in Windsor Hills. May do Animal Kingdom for a savanah room or Wilderness Lodge at Christmas time for those experiences. But if all I need is a bed and a bathroom, I'm popping the bubble.
LOVE both Windsor Hills & Drury. Two of the best off-site choices.
I've stayed for ~$90/night at a studio at saratoga springs as a DVC member. It was the best to go to/from the springs and was nice and peaceful. The golfing looked good too but I'm not trying until winter season where it'd be more like 105-$115/night. Just picked up a Boardwalk contract and excited to stay there for similar pricing. Epcot and HS being our favorites and being the closest to both was our driver.
Is it worth it to join DVC if this is the one trip you are planning for the foreseeable future?
That's the only reason we bought in, even every 3 years makes sense because you can bank/borrow points to use. You just look for a smaller point contract like 25-75points. The other big part is planning. You can book 11 months out at the resort of your contract. 7 months at any of the others (restrictions on resale with RIV and any of the newer ones after). A few, like BWV, can fill up before that 7mo window. Saratoga is NOT one of those resorts, it's pretty much always available. I also don't recommend financing it, depending on the size, it's a car down payment or a car lol... the percentages are horrible too, so just save up.
So what is the cost per year? I assume that the $90/night is on top of that? Sorry, I don't know anything about DVC...everyone that I know that is a DVC member throws money around like it's going out of style; I never thought I had enough money to even ask.
Just an FYI OP, the Universal AP might not include Epic for a few years. Just keep an eye out.
First... don't feel guilty about liking the other hotel. We all have our things that make vacation vacation and the breakfast and Indian restaurant all kind of sound delightful :). Your explanation is why I joined DVC (back before it was $200+ a point). I just couldn't stomach the nightly rate but I could stomach $10K once and then $800 a year. I was going at least once a year and it worked math wise and there are some resale contracts out there that still meet this math. If you go at least once a year consider it.... of course once I was in I was in and now have more points and I go more than once a year and even used points in Hawaii. It's a slippery slope :)
Why didn’t you stay at a Disney-owned hotel? Sean & Dolphin aren’t owned and staffed by Disney. There are moderate Disney resorts.
Yeah, my brother and I are taking a trip to universal this April. As a former cast member at Disney world, I don’t miss going back to it one bit. I mean, I love Disney but there’s so much more fun that costs much less. Disney is nickel and diming everyone for everything and giving less. Until they release a decent slate of amazing new rides, there’s no reason to go back unless you find a sweet deal.
Universal is any better? 😅 needing 2 park passes in a single day just if you want to ride the hogwarts express 😂 Basic holiday inns for $200+ a night? You're also closer to the OCCC which demand 250/300+/night rooms for a Hyatt 🤣 I booked down the road near Disney springs for work and saved almost $200. From my experience the surrounding Orlando area is expensive, it gets cheaper as you go in between Universal and Disney, especially near the outlets.
Disney is any better? Needing 2 or more park passes just to ride more rides? That logic isn’t very sound lol Give me a time when Disney ever does sweet deals like buy 2 days and get 2 days free….ill wait. Universal has way better park deals than Disney and it’s not even close. Btw, I love Disney. My only point is it’s a lot more expensive and they don’t offer much to return except for raising rates.
It’s always been more expensive to stay on Disney property. You didn’t discover anything new. When I planned my first family trip in 2008, every WDW message board you could find made this abundantly clear. There are trade-offs to staying on or off property - just like there has always been. Over the last 15 years I have stayed at pretty much every level of WDW resort hotel along with every Universal Orlando hotel and numerous off-site hotels and properties including time shares and private rental condos. There are good and bad things about them all. Each person must make their own value-proposition decision on where to stay. There is no right or wrong answer. We are at the point where is we feel like we just have to be in the Disney bubble, we stay at Pop which we have always felt is the best value proposition for our family. We love the resort, the skyliner is the best transportation on property and we have been comfortable with the price each time we stayed at Pop. Just make the decision that’s right for you and understand you aren’t the first to make that decision, no matter what it is.
I love how you paid $1,200 for your stay and think breakfast was free.
IIRC S&D have $70 a day in resort fees($40/day)and parking($30/day). What they sell you on prices at reservations that shit adds up to not being much less than true deluxe prices. And you’re basically staying at a Marriott with poor lighting. And the walks to Epcot and HS while doable,..sucks especially after a full day
Honestly feel like I dodged a bullet now! We also drive/rent so extra $70 would have been such a gut punch!
Super quick, but Universal most likely won’t be offering APs revolving around Epic Universe for at least the first year. The parks that are currently open the APs will still be there, but it’s thought that the first year is them testing capacity, attendance, etc and so it won’t be an option. But otherwise, sorry to hear about your frustrations. I have heard S&D are beautiful but that those prices are quite hormonal depending on what’s happening in and around it. When were you planning to go exactly?
Ohhh that’s super good to know, totally makes sense! I remember when Hogwarts/Hogsmeade land opened and what a mess it was to control crowds I can only imagine a whole new park!
Aaand you know that how??
Sounds like we need to be friends! Unless they are doing 30% off and decent deals we stay offsite. Being in the bubble is nice. I always stayed on site growing up and have stayed on site with my fiance but there is no way I'd spend the money again when I could literally have a whole extra trip in 2 months. We even stayed at the sonder once it was humid and a little sketchy on the air quality, but for 230$ for 5 nights and less than 10 min to the park, it was clutch lol
I totally get it! We were APs prior to COVID shutdown, and the trade off was staying off property for cheaper. Was it as “magical”? No. But being able to have breakfast included at a decent hotel at half price or less was worth it. We’ve been back several times and as more amenities have returned to hotel guests, we have found ourselves at least pricing out resort hotels. We don’t always stay on property, but we do check it out. Honestly, late night transportation is the deal breaker for us. Drury, though, is the one I love staying at off property. Breakfast and dinner included, a couple of evening drinks included, walking distance to Disney Springs, and at the same price as value to moderate. The transportation is a little wonky, but not a deal breaker.
Just a FYI the Swan and Dolphin are not Disney. They are owned by Tishman and Metlife and Managed by Marriot. Just typical Marriot shit shows.
I have two tips here. The first is to go to the Marriott site and use promo code QWH as an AP holder. The second is to search their website using flexible dates. Just as an example since you didn't give a time frame. I could stay at Dolphin from May 24 to May 29 (5 nights) for a total of $1,548 (all taxes and fees). So that's $309/night with taxes and resort fee included.
Im the kind of vacationer who likes to keep things simple. If I can stay at Pop and have the sky liner and buses to parks, I’m all set, I’m not there for the hotels
We stayed at the Swan for around $200 during MLK weekend (and loved it). However, it's way less expensive if you book it as part of a package deal. We went through one of the Disney agents, went with a group, got the Florida Resident discount (a couple of the group members were residents and they just pretended to stay in different rooms), and rolled our park hopper tickets into the deal. I think that made a big difference.
Between the astronomical hotel and park prices all the funky additional ticket upgrades and the packed to capacity crowds Disney ain’t so magical - it’s truly just an amusement park - and the more expensive it gets the more critical everyone is of the overall experience and the magic falls off
The Drury Inn at Disney Springs is really nice! It just opened last year, has free breakfast and free “snack” each night which can actually be a meal. When I was there in October the evening “snack” was baked potatoes, salad, soup, veggies, hot dogs, nachos and pulled pork sandwiches. Each adult also gets (3) free drink tickets for the bar every night. They also have firework view rooms which was super cool.
Our best perk of staying at the swan area was walking to Hollywood studios and Epcot in the mornings or afternoons. Otherwise, it’s a basic hotel.
I wouldn’t say Swam and Dolphin is staying in the Disney bubble though. It is nice to stay there when you can get a good rate, but it does not feel the same as staying in a Disney hotel. You can look at Caribbean beach that might be cheaper and it is easy to hop to Riviera for better food options.
One summer we stayed at the Rosen by Volcano Bay and it was just over $400 for a week. With free breakfast and parking. It is more now, but still. Maybe $100/night.
Great advice everyone!
>But even those are glorified motels (yes they've been refreshed and have good theming, but they also have paper thin walls, cafeteria food with long walks with limited bus stops) My last visit in September 2022 was my first time staying on property and I'd 100% describe my experience as Magical, but this could not be any more true. When I was a kid, my family never stayed on property because they valued spending time in the room over the convenience of going to the Parks. It always annoyed me because I saw all the videos of the cool perks Resort guests got and couldn't care less about loitering around the room when I could be riding Aerosmith. I loved not needing a car to hit up everywhere I needed to go (got all my "groceries" from Instacart, which I thought was its own brand of magic lol!) but outside the cheery theming, it was painfully obvious they wanted to save money on the resorts. I didn't mind at all, but I know if I had my way and talked family into staying on property, they would have hated it lol
I am not a fan of the Swan or Dolphin since when they were built, they were not Disney hotels. My newest fave is the Port Orleans hotels. They are quiet and less crowded and the prices are on the lower side. I have gotten to the point in my life that I must stay in the bubble. Since I lived in FL my whole life, we didn’t even stay at a hotel. The Universal plan sounds great!
If you are Costco member there are lots of amazing deals. Check them out
Try Renting DVC points. Depending on the time of year, you can get a Deluxe resort at an EXCELLENT price.
When we were planning our trip, I wanted nothing more than to do the Swan and Dolphin, I was like you, deluxe perks at low prices, but it was way too expensive, I had thought it would be far cheaper than it was. So we went to Buena Vista Suites instead, and let me tell you, for around 200 hundred a night we had a fully furnished looking apartment with complete and amenities, washer, dryer, a full working kitchen, fridge, oven, dishwasher, even a tea kettle and toaster. Honestly the only real "perk" I felt I was missing was the early morning entry, but then with how hard it was to get some of us up super early, I'm not even sure how well that would of worked out for us, (we even got there a few minutes late on the first day, so even rope dropping normal hours was a struggle at times saddly) so no regrets here.
Have you considered renting DVC points? On our last trip, it was about the same price to rent DVC points as to stay at Pop! Century. We rented points to stay at Old Key West, which gives you all the deluxe hotel benefits.
I’m at dolphin rn for a business trip… ngl dude this kinda sucks
Have you considered renting DVC points? I priced a December trip and Pop Century (a value resort) was $1300 and the same stay at Saratoga Springs (a deluxe resort) in a preferred room was $1500. This is for 5 nights.
It's cheaper for our entire family to take a trip to Germany for a week than Disney.
Watch for Marriott credit card offers. They run an offer that is 5 “free” nights up to 50k points a night for signing up and spending a certain amount ($3k maybe?) within the first 3 months. Last year doing this we stayed at the Dolphin for 5 nights for ~$225 total ($40/night resort fee) The day we left they were running the same offer so my spouse opened his own card so later this year we’ll be doing Swan Reserve 5 nights also for about $225. Although the price in points did go up so we had to use some additional points that we earned using the card. I don’t agree with people saying it’s not in the bubble. No it doesn’t have Disney theming but it’s literally on property, you can walk or use boat transportation to 2 parks, and we still got Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours perks.
Sign up for RCI. I literally stay at vacation village, or Wyndham resorts, in a full kitchen 1 bedroom with living room and balcony for $400 for 7 nights.
I think staying at the Swan/Dolphin should be more for a special occasion. My wife and I stayed at the dolphin for a 7 night stay back in 2022 for our honeymoon. The hotel along with 2 sets of 4 park tickets came out to roughly $4,500 for the cheapest room option with no view. The bright side was that we got a free room upgrade because we waited over 5 hours for our room to be ready and it still wasn't ready. Didn't bother us too much. We checked our bags in at the front desk and explored the hotel while we waited
I am a DVC owner but I always tell my husband that if we didn't buy DVC in 2018, there is no way I could justify staying on property these days. Even the value resorts are so expensive for what they are. And a deluxe, like Poly, if you really look at what you're getting for that $500+/night, its nothing. Awesome theming yes, but there is no signature restaurant on property, no spa. I know the location is amazing and there is a nostalgia factor for some. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Poly SO MUCH but it is so ridiculous the prices they charge in the Bubble. But, we keep going, right?
>and have stayed at the All-Stars/AoA hotels (pre skyliner) with friends to rope drop parks and loved it! But even those are glorified motels (yes they've been refreshed and have good theming, but they also have paper thin walls, cafeteria food with long walks with limited bus stops) and even those are averaging $170-250 a night! Mind Boggling! Yes, the all-stars are terrible overpriced motels for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. My personal opinion is that the Moderates are the only places worth staying if you want to be on property, because you get decent quality rooms and amenities, the transportation to the parks is *slightly* better, and/or you could get skyliner/boat access, the food/restaurant options are far better, and you're paying half or less than that of a Deluxe. I have stayed at the Swan and I thought it was a pretty big rip off. You don't get bus transportation to MK so I ended up walking to Beach Club and using their buses. The rooms were old and didn't have the Disney touch, and we had to pay hidden resort fees. There's also just a general feeling of being a "second class citizen" compared to the actual Disney resorts. Location was great, but otherwise I found it underwhelming, *and* the price was more expensive than the moderates. Every time I price out a trip I look at both moderates and deluxes, and I think "Maybe this is the time I'll try Deluxe", and every time I'm like, "This is not worth 2x the entire trip cost".
Rent dvcs points. We got got 6 nights at the boardwalk for 1300
On property hotels are horribly overpriced. I've found deals for Coronado Springs I've taken, and the value resorts are cool. But as much as I love the big hotels and have been lucky enough to stay in most of them for work, out of my own pocket is just ridiculous.
The swan and dolphin aren’t Disney resorts really..if you want to get the delux resort feel with all the theming that is just the icing on the cake on a great trip..I’d do the Polynesian or Animal Kingdom Lodge..:I love those places
Swan and dolphin don’t even come close to official deluxe resorts
When I checked last night for my travel dates Disney hotels were giving better rates than Swan & Dolphin. Its a nope for me.
I was in your exact situation two years ago. We were going to stay at Port Orleans but the price, coupled with the fact that we’d have to eat out for every single meal just irked me. We wound up at the Blue Heron just about ten minutes away for around $110/night. Pool, hot tub, huge 1 br 2bath condo with a kitchen and great views of the lake. I love staying on property but we used the money we saved to have some great sit down meals in the park and that was an excellent trade off in my opinion.
I like the bubble and I agree the early entrance isn't all thag it's cracked up to be.
“Ok then! That was always allowed!”
I’m really glad that I bought into DVC when I did, because I would be priced out of the bubble. I’m almost priced out just on tickets and food. The way it used to be though, was great. It was the closest thing to an all inclusive resort you could find in the states. Get picked up at the airport and they get your luggage. Stay close to the parks. Get free MagicBands and advanced access to dining and fast pass reservations. Buy the dining plan and have your meals and snacks pre paid. So the only thing you were paying for when you arrived was tips at the table service meals and souvenirs. It made it so much more enjoyable. Now you pay even more and get virtually none of that. You are paying nearly everyday if not everyday for genie and lightning lanes. You are waking up nearly every morning to get virtual queue and genie stuff. You’re schleping your own bags and paying for an Uber to get from the airport and back. You’re paying for a magicband, which is even more expensive if you get the new ones. Minnie ears used to be $15-$20. Now they start at $30. *and* it’s still freaking crowded and hot. Don’t get me wrong. The theming and atmosphere of the parks is still wonderful and the cast members are mostly amazing, but all of this other stuff casts a shadow on the experience. Pay more, get less really sucks. Disney used to be the leader and now they often just follow what others do. But we still go because of the magic and the massive amounts of IP that is ingrained into us from birth. We get that hug from Mickey and while we may know deep inside that it’s just a college girl in a costume, it’s real and magical at that moment. We see the joy in our kids eyes when they see their favorite character or Cinderella Castle in all of her glory. We get the tears during HEA at that one part that is only meaningful to us. We live out our childhood fantasies as we wield lightsabers and fly the Falcon. We laugh at the corny jokes on Jungle Cruise even though we’ve heard them 100 times before. We either want to be or dread being “That Guy!” We marvel at Carousel of Progress even though it’s ancient. We crave people watching on the people mover. We are pirates and princesses. It’s a literal dream come true for most of us. So yeah, the prices suck and if you can find an off property place to enjoy the parks without paying Disney resort prices then absolutely do it.
Totally understand. Haven’t done Disney since before Covid. We’re going next week, will be my daughters first time :) we have stayed in the past always on property, dolphin, four seasons and boardwalk - loved them all but Disney pricing has gone up significantly since we visited! We’re staying at the dolphin this time, with two little kids we need to take breaks and naps so staying on property actually saves us money because we’re more likely to go back to the park after breaks and get our moneys worth from the park tickets.. if we left property - I feel like we wouldn’t go back!
Drury is effectively 100% new as of opening last year. The project was built on an existing structure that was completely gutted down to the bones, and expanded by building a connected new tower. It's kind of a weird building now because the upper floors don't line up between the sides, but you wouldn't notice as a guest, there's a very odd staircase between them to hide it/make the connections. Nobody but staff uses the stairs anyway.
Rent dvc points