Take a break in the Bubble
🏰 The magic of Disney World's hotels
Hey everybody,
Today’s newsletter is the first in a series about staying on-site at Disney and Universal. Because where you stay can be almost as fun as what you do in the parks.
This week I’m sharing the top reason I choose to stay on-site at Disney World. Next time I’ll be discussing Universal Orlando, then watch for Disneyland in September.
Where you stay affects your budget, transportation, comfort, and overall enjoyment of a vacation. It’s one of the first things you’ll have to decide, and it can be pretty overwhelming. So let’s talk about why I think you should stay on-site for your Disney World trip.
I’m keeping it simple here, but if you really want to dive into the details about all the Disney World hotels, you’ll want to visit my very comprehensive Disney World hotel guide. I’ve also recorded FIVE podcast episodes about the Disney World hotels, which are episodes 59-63 of the Go Informed: Build a Better Vacation podcast.
The Disney Bubble
The number one reason I choose to stay on-site at Disney World is the Disney Bubble.
The Disney Bubble is the concept that, even after you leave a theme park, you are never really leaving the Disney park atmosphere.
When you stay on-site at Disney World, you can expect the same level of service as in the parks, the sense of magic that encompasses a great ride, the feeling of leaving the real world behind - all day long.
Theming
Theming is a big way the hotels bring the magic to your stay. Here is an example, this is the lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Does this look like a Hyatt hotel to you? No. It’s a destination in its own right. To get to the Wilderness Lodge from the Magic Kingdom, you’ll motor across a lake by boat. The lodge is surrounded by lush forest, and you can even stay in a log cabin or your own tent (!) at the neighboring Fort Wilderness resort.
Free Disney transportation
Staying on-site can make a rental car completely unnecessary. Depending on your hotel, you can catch a bus, monorail, boat, skyliner, or even walk, to the theme parks. Transportation is constant, free, and often an attraction by itself.
If it seems like all you do is drive when you’re at home, you’ll love not having to deal with driving and parking. In my book, that’s a real vacation!
Even the Disney World busses have fun graphics and Disney music on board, keeping you in the Bubble for your entire day.
Hotels are staffed by Disney cast members
Those friendly people in the parks? They also run the Disney hotels.
From the moment you step out of your hotel room until you tuck in for the night, you get to stay in that Disney Bubble. You can even request a wake-up call from Mickey Mouse!
Explore the Disney World hotels
There is a TON more to know about the Disney World hotels - including the fact that there are about two dozen of them, to fit most any budget. I’ve written an epic post that describes all the benefits of staying on-site, breaks down the costs of the various options, location, dining, even what the pools are like.
👉 Here’s a link to my Disney World Hotel Guide, on my GoInformed.net website.
🎧 You can also listen to me describe the hotels, with a bunch of tips for booking your vacation, on the Go Informed Podcast, episodes 59-63. Listen here, or on your favorite app including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Next time: staying on-site at Universal Orlando
See you in a couple of weeks, when we’ll talk about staying at the Universal Orlando on-site hotels.
Great recommendation! We spent the first two nights of our Honeymoon at the Wilderness Lodge, and it was magical.