Over the last few years, I have given my advice to hundreds of people looking to vacation at Walt Disney World, and the first question they always ask is, “Should I stay on property?”. My answer is always “Yes”, and here is why.

Each year, several million people visit Walt Disney World in Florida and with all of those people visiting, the parks can get quite busy! To help manage those crowds AND make it a better experience for guests staying on property, Disney has implemented a program called “Extended Magic Hours”. This program allows guests who are staying on property to visit a select park each day in advance of the crowds or at the end of the day. In some cases, Disney has even made this a multiple hour event, so that guests can enjoy more than one attraction within the park. It is on those days that the benefit of staying on property is the greatest.

Now, you might say, “Well other parks do this, and I don’t really see much of a benefit!”

In response, Disney has added a few other things to make the experience special for on-site guests including providing their dining plan with multiple options for budget conscious families to “foodies” and other special experiences that make staying on property a good option.

In my mind, though, the biggest reason you would stay on site is “convenience”. As I tell first time guests to the park, a trip to Disney can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to the number of things to do. This includes rides, shows, dining, character meet and greets, parades, boating, biking, golf, tennis, and so on. When you are faced with all those options, it helps to have the benefit of “time” to make your vacation less stressful. And, when you compare the average time it takes to get from the Magic Kingdom gate to your car and to a hotel off property, you lose a lot of time to travel, which takes away from your vacation.

So, when you are thinking about your next trip to Walt Disney World, take it from me, and stay on site. You won’t regret it!