Staying at a Disney World resort offers several conveniences in getting you to the theme parks:
- from some Disney World resorts, you can reach the Magic Kingdom by monorail or boat: fun, convenient, and a time-saver.
- the excellent Disney buses run continuously from your resort to the theme parks and waterparks, and they're blissfully cool on a hot day. The buses also shuttle from one park to another. (The Disney buses, by the way, are meant to be used by Disney Resort guests or by park guests who have a Park Hopper pass; but in practice people freely board the buses without being checked.*)
If you have your own car, you might be able to do the morning dash to a theme park just as fast from a non- Disney World property. The end of the day may be more complicated: if you've park-hopped by using the buses or monorail, you'll have to get back to your parking lot. Disney Resort guests, meanwhile, just board one bus for "home". (For info on parking, see Allears.net.)
If you don't have a car, staying off-property can be inconvenient. Yes, most hotels have free shuttle buses, but the shuttle schedule may be limited. For example, you probably won't be able to return to your hotel mid-day to give little kids some nap-time or a pool break, which is a very good strategy when visiting a theme park on a hot day.
- continue to More Perks of Staying at a Disney World Resort
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Photo (c) Teresa Plowright
