This post covers a major expense point, Where To Stay. Choosing the right resort can really make or break a vacation. Remember that your resort is your sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the parks. It is vital that this home away from home really suites your needs. Grandpa looks at a resort as more than just a place to stay, but as part and extension of the magic that is Disney.

In the last post I outlined a couple of things that you need to do to start planning a Disney Vacation. These are What and When. What do you want to see/do and when do you want to do it. There is another big factor that is Budget. I won’t go too deep here as that is a very personal choice. Is this a Once in a Life Time trip? Is this going to be one of Many? For Grandma and I it is about once a year so our budget constraints may be much different than yours. I don’t pretend that budget is not a huge issue. Disney is Expensive, VERY expensive. Folks get very anxious when spending a huge sum of money and then don’t think that they get what they paid for. I get it. I really do. FOMO (fear of missing out) can be really strong especially when your wallet is becoming deflated.

Fear Not.

CRUSHING IT is all about how to enjoy the parks once you get there. However Grandpa knows that this is just part of vacationing. A big part process is deciding how long do I need to stay? Is 5 days enough, how about 10 or 3? Where should I stay? Should I splurge for a Deluxe resort or go to a moderate one? These are all legit questions. They affect the budget in a major way. This is where a good trip planner/travel agent can help. One such site is Get Away Today. (Note I do not receive any compensation for anything I mention on this blog). Another highly rated resource is Undercover Tourist. I have not used these sites myself, but plan on buying tickets for our upcoming trip on one of them. Just remember that this is supposed to be FUN. Alas for many folks, this part is just a chore to endure. Don’t sweat it, do some research, set some goals, and make it a fun part of the process.

Stay On Property

Remember a big part of vacationing like Grandpa is staying on property. By staying on property you start the day RELAXED. You do not have to sit in traffic while rushing to a huge crowded parking lot. You do not have to wait on a tram with 10,000 of your best friends. You ease into your day without a metriccrapton of hassle. When you start the day nice and relaxed, the day goes so, so, much easier.

Grandma and I love to stay at resorts where we can walk to the parks. Our favorite is Disney’s Boardwalk. It is an easy stroll to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You also get a lot of perks while staying on property. Early entry is a big one. Guests staying on property can enter 30 min before the masses. This is huge. Another perk is getting Water Park tickets on your day of arrival. So if you arrive early, you can drop your luggage and head to a water park. Note that all perks are subject to change at anytime.

Split Stays

While we are on the subject, you may consider a split stay. That is where you start at one resort and transfer to another one sometime later. For instance, at our last trip, we started at Boardwalk. About half way through, we transferred to Bay Lake Tower. We packed up, took our luggage to the bell station. The Bell Hops did the rest. Our luggage was transferred to the new resort in time for checkin. We then walked to Epcot, enjoyed the day and took the monorail to our new resort. Very easy-peasy! And Bonus, with the Water Park perk, you get another day in a water park!

But Grandpa, where can I stay?

Now I know that not everyone is a DVC member, however you can still stay at a DVC resort! That’s right! Non Members can stay at DVC resorts. A couple of ways to do this. One is just pay for the room with cash. This can be very expensive and availability can be hit or miss. Another way is rent someone else’s points. That’s right, RENT THEM! This is a cost effective way to stay at a top notch resort and not break your wallet too bad. The two brokers that I have used are DVC Rental Store and DVC Request. The process is simple and straight forward. It is worth checking out.

But Grandpa, that is still way too much money for us, especially on a fixed income. What can we DO? Fortunately WDW has a wide range of options and cost points for staying on property. Disneyland, does as well, but staying on property at DLR is not as important as there are many hotels within walking distance to the parks that are top notch and affordable.

Other Options

WDW resorts are divided into several categories: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas. Each resort has its own unique theming that really adds to the magic. There has been myriad articles written about WDW resorts. Too many in fact to list here. However there is one resource that ol’ grandpa found unique. The Park Pass Vlog on YouTube. He stayed at every resort at WDW and filed a pretty great review on each. His reviews covered everything from food choices and the gift shop, to comfort and water pressure. Here is his first installment. I highly recommend watching them.

That’s about it for today. Until Next time.