These Perks Might Convince You to AVOID Disney World Hotels on Your Next Trip

This may come off as blasphemous…but…maybe it’s a good idea to skip a stay at a Disney World hotel during your next vacation!

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin

Before you blow up at me, hear me out. Staying at a Disney World hotel has always felt like the default choice, right? Great perks, themed lodging, and the safety of knowing you’re always in the Disney bubble — these benefits keep guests coming back to Disney World hotels time and time again. With that said, if your eyes started watering when you saw the hotel price points and you started thinking about looking for hotels elsewhere…well, I’m here to tell you that you might be making the right call.

Good Neighbor Hotels are local hotels in the Disney World area that aren’t owned by Disney, but partner with the company to provide excellent experiences for Disney World guests looking to take advantage of some Disney World hotel perks while providing lower nightly rates. For many travelers, skipping a Disney hotel in favor of a Good Neighbor one might make a whole lot of sense. Let’s talk about the perks that are quietly convincing folks to do just that.

©Embassy Suites

Most people force themselves to pony up and stay at a Disney hotel for perks like Early Theme Park Entry. However, many don’t know that lots of Good Neighbor Hotels offer this perk!

Select Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels qualify for Early Theme Park Entry — which lets guests into the Parks 30 minutes before the official opening time. This perk is a major draw for the Disney hotels, but knowing you can get this at many of the Good Neighbor Hotels for a cheaper nightly rate makes a world of difference.

Early entry sign!

That early half hour can be huge. It may mean the difference between riding a major attraction like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Flight of Passage versus waiting hours in a regular standby line or missing it altogether. Not all Good Neighbor Hotels offer this perk, however, so you’ll want to double-check before you book.

Early Entry at EPCOT

Another perk is one you won’t find at Disney hotels: COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST. Good Neighbor Hotels are often chains, and a lot of these chains — like Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton — offer free breakfast with a stay. In the long run, that can mean less money spent before you even hit the Parks, one less meal to plan, and fewer hangry people in your party.

For large families, we’re talking savings that can range up to hundreds of dollars over the course of a trip. As much as I love a good character meal breakfast buffet, I think I’d rather keep my wallet AND belly full.

Yum!

Another perk is that you can use your loyalty rewards. Disney hotels don’t earn you Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, or World of Hyatt points. Good Neighbor Hotels, on the other hand? Absolutely. That can equate to free nights, elite status perks, room upgrades, and late checkout.

Your stay anywhere in the world comes back to reward you during a Disney World vacation. While there certainly are special deals and perks offered seasonally at Disney hotels, they are limited to Disney World. Essentially, that limitation is restricted when you stay at one of those major chains instead. If you travel even semi-regularly, those points can stack up fast, and suddenly your Disney trip is helping pay for your next vacation.

Alright, so you might be saying at this point, “David, you are making a good case, but you’re forgetting about one major thing…TRANSPORTATION!” It’s true — between the Disney Skyliner, water taxi service, bus routes, and Disney Monorail, Disney World’s complimentary transportation is elite and better than what’s offered at Good Neighbor Hotels.

With that said, many Good Neighbor Hotels do offer complimentary shuttles to the Disney parks. Are they as frequent as Disney buses? No, and they often come with limitations like they’ll only take you to specific parks, they might not pick you up from certain places, and they might not drop you off or pick you up at an ideal time. But they are usable.

All-Star Movies Resort Bus Stop

But the biggest perk here is that — generally speaking — Good Neighbor Hotels will simply cost you less than Disney hotels while still providing a comfortable bed, a decent breakfast, early theme park access, and a place to call your home base during a long Disney vacation.

So, should you skip Disney hotels? Not always. Disney hotels still have the better perks overall (like Extended Evening Hours and free Park parking), and the theming is top-notch. But if you’re okay with having some of the perks for a cheaper rate that boosts your loyalty programs, then Good Neighbor Hotels suddenly look awfully tempting.

We’re constantly staying on and off-site to provide you with the best tips to help you have the best Disney World vacation yet! Keep it posted right here at DFB for all the latest hotel tips, tricks, hacks, and updates!

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