Price

Disney owned

The official resorts of Walt Disney World are elaborate pieces of architecture with acres of theming and landscaping. They create a unique experience as they immerse visitors in exotic environments, including hotels themed around a Polynesian paradise, an African savanna, and a 1920s New England boardwalk. While all of this detail and effort is quite astonishing, it might be lost on some guests who are mostly looking for a quiet place to rest their head after a day in the theme parks. The premium pricing of Disney hotels is based on the extensive amount of entertainment available at the hotels themselves. Some groups who are planning on spending nearly all day at the theme parks or other attractions might not get the full value from the Disney hotel.

Non-Disney owned

The non-Disney hotels on Walt Disney World property are standard hotels and therefore command a much less expensive nightly rate than comparable Disney hotels. While they may not be as creative architecturally speaking, the hotels still provide excellent accommodations for visitors.

Location

Disney owned

Disney owned hotels are scattered all throughout Walt Disney World, and are connected to Disney's transportation system. Disney World is very large and spread out, so getting around requires either driving or riding in buses. The theme parks and hotels are many miles from each other, so each hotel is located near only one park. Only a few of the resorts are walking distance to any to the parks, so while it is convenient to be on Disney property, there is not a huge advantage to most of the Disney hotels for location.

Non-Disney owned

The non-Disney hotels on Disney property are all located walking distance from Downtown Disney, the premiere shopping and entertainment complex of Walt Disney World. They also provide transportation to all of the theme parks, and guests have the ability to also utilize the Disney transportation system. Because of their location on the eastern side of Walt Disney World, the hotels are also highly accessible to Crossroads which is a non-Disney shopping complex. Crossroads contains multiple restaurants and stores with much lower prices than what you'll find on Disney property.

Transportation

Disney owned

Disney resorts provide constant transportation all throughout the day to the various attractions. All of the hotels primarily use the bus system, but there are a few that offer either boats or monorails to a few of the theme parks.

Non-Disney owned

Non-Disney hotels not only provide transportation to the Disney theme parks, but you can arrange transportation to other attractions such as Sea World or Universal Studios Florida. While it is not complimentary, the staff at non-Disney hotel are able to help arrange the transportation, whereas Disney resort staff often refrain from assisting when it comes to visiting competitor attractions.

On Site Amenities

Disney owned

There are a few special benefits to staying at an official Disney resort. The most impressive perk is the Extra Magic Hours program, which enables guests to visit the theme parks at times when the parks are closed to regular visitors. Gusts do not have the option of choosing what parks and days they want to use their added hours as the Extra Magic Hours are on a set schedule. For example on Monday you would be able tour Animal Kingdom in the morning, visit Epcot on Tuesday night and the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday morning. The extra time is usually one hour in the morning (8:00a-9:00a or even earlier) or three hours in the evening (9:00p-12:00a or even later), so it might not conform to the standards of some groups. Another benefit is the complimentary Magical Express shuttle which picks guests up from the airport and transports them to the resorts. If you are planning on using the shuttles keep in mind that the shuttles have to make multiple stops and it can take up to three hours to get from the airport to your hotel. The Disney resorts also include on-site restaurants and shopping and many of them also have elaborate swimming pools.

Non-Disney owned

All of the hotels have swimming pools, on-site restaurants and shopping.

Accommodations Themselves

Disney owned

Disney resort rooms are essentially standard hotel rooms with added decor and theming. The rooms are not particularly large, but in keeping with the Disney tradition, the maintenance upkeep of the rooms is top notch.

Non-Disney owned Non-Disney hotels can have larger rooms than those found inside Disney resorts. In addition, you can also find rooms that include either kitchenettes or full kitchens. With a full kitchen a family can save hundreds of dollars on food costs by cooking some of their own meals.

Many factors go into making a decision between non-Disney and Disney owned resorts. How much are you willing to spend on accommodations? Are you planning on using the facilities at the hotel? Do you plan on enjoying the atmosphere of the hotel? Are you going to be visiting any other attractions outside of Walt Disney World? With a little thought and care you can make sure you get the best choice for your group and for your money.