Of course, many theme park fans don't care about getting on-site hotel rooms and selective dinner reservations. That's part of the appeal of theme parks — the offer so many options for so many people. So where do you stand? How often do you stay on-site when visiting a theme park? Not every park offers an official on-site hotel, so it's not always possible to stay on-site. But when those rooms are available, do you take advantage?
We will make this our Vote of the Week. But first, let's crowdsource lists of the pros and cons of staying on-site at top theme park resorts. I'll get the lists started, then invite you to add to or correct them in the comments. I'll update the post as comments come in. We can add other resorts, too, if they have on-site hotels and you'd like to start a list for them.
In each case, let's note that part of the appeal of staying on-site is a more immersive vacation experience where you, essentially, stay with the park 24 hours a day. So we will accept that as a given for all the resorts listed below, and instead focus on more specific and unique pros and cons for each resort.
Walt Disney World Resort
Pros:
- Disney's Magical Express: Free bus transport to and from Orlando International Airport, including baggage transfer
- Free parking at Disney hotels, if you do bring or rent a car
- Fastpass+ attraction reservations open 30 days earlier than for the general public.
- Extra Magic Hours: Extended park hours for hotel guests in at least one park per day
- You can charge purchases to your room, and have packages delivered there.
- Location: Some hotels put you with walking distance of a theme park, or a short monorail or boat ride from them.
Cons:
- Using Disney Magical Express leaves you dependent upon Disney transportation, which is often slower than driving your own car and leaves you no way to go off-site.
- Expense: You often can get a similar quality hotel room off property for $50-$250 a night less than you will pay to stay on-site.
- Location: Some hotels are located far from certain theme parks, with only a long bus trip available for visitors without a car.
Universal Orlando Resort
Pros:
- Location: Three of the four on-site hotels are located within walking distance or a short boat ride of the theme parks. The fourth, the new Cabana Bay Beach Resort, is located a short bus ride (or long walk) away. You don't need, and can't really use, a car to get around the Universal Orlando Resort.
- Front of line access: The three closest hotels offer Universal Express Unlimited front-of-line access to almost all park attractions.
- One hour of early admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter each morning
- You can charge purchases to your room, and have packages delivered there.
Cons:
- Parking: You must pay a daily fee to park your car at the hotels, and there's no free transportation to and from the airport, as with Disney.
- Expense: You can find a similar quality hotel room off site for less per night, though the markup isn't as high as at Disney's.
Disneyland Resort
Pros:
- Extra Magic Hour: One hour of early admission for hotel guests in one park per day
- You can charge purchases to your room, and have packages delivered there.
- Location: The Grand Californian offers a private entrance to California Adventure and is located closer to the Disneyland entrance than any other hotel in the area.
Cons:
- Expense: You'll pay way more to stay on-site than you would for a similar quality room off-site, around $75-100 a night.
- Location: While the Grand Californian is located right on top of the action, there's a shorter walk to the Disneyland entrance from some off-site hotels than from the Disneyland or Paradise Pier hotels.
Cedar Point
Pros:
- Location: You're on the peninsula, sometimes within walking distance of the park.
- One hour of early admission on selected coasters for hotel guests
Cons:
- Expense: Cedar Point's hotels are wildly expensive compared with similar quality rooms in the area.
- Cedar Point is refurbishing many of its hotel rooms as amenities and conditions have fallen far below hotel industry standards in recent years.
Let's talk more in the comments about the pros and cons of staying on-site at theme park resorts. And thank you, as always, for being part of our Theme Park Insider community!
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